Extravascular closure for patients with high-risk femoral anatomy.

Background: Vascular closure devices (VCDs) improve patient comfort and decrease time to ambulation. However, VCD studies have excluded patients with high-risk femoral artery anatomy; we examined the safety and efficacy of clip-based extravascular closure in this high-risk group.

Methods: We performed a prospective registry enrolling 98 consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography.

Obesity and the risk for cardiovascular disease.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking have all been directly related to CHD. Obesity is on the rise in the United States and has also been associated with CHD.