Premature Coronary Artery Disease Presenting as STEMI in a Teenager.

An 18-year-old teenager with significant atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk factors developed acute chest pain. His electrocardiogram showed inferior ST-segment elevations. Emergent coronary angiogram revealed complete thrombotic occlusion of the right coronary artery.

Transcarotid versus transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: In the 2021 Transcatheter Valve Therapy (TVT) registry, 8.9 % of patients underwent TAVR via access sites other than the femoral artery. Transthoracic approaches may be contraindicated in some patients and may be associated with poorer outcomes.

Transcarotid versus transthoracic transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Transthoracic approaches may be contraindicated in some patients and may be associated with poorer outcomes. Therefore other alternative access routes are increasingly being performed. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on Transcarotid transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TC-TAVR) and meta-analysis comparing outcomes of TC-TAVR and other access routes.

Hepatocyte growth factor is associated with greater risk of extracoronary calcification: results from the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis.

Background: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a biomarker with potential for use in the diagnosis, treatment and prognostication of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Elevated HGF is associated with calcification in the coronary arteries. However, knowledge is limited on the role HGF may play in extracoronary calcification (ECC).

Cardiovascular Outcomes Associated With Adult Electronic Cigarette Use.

Electronic cigarettes (E-Cigs) have been advertised as a safer alternative to smoking. However, E-Cigs use, like smoking, delivers ultra-small aerosol particles, which may be associated with cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to look into the association between E-Cigs use and cardiovascular disease outcomes.

Clinical Outcomes of Transcatheter vs Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis.

Chronic liver disease increases cardiac surgical risk, with 30-day mortality ranging from 9% to 52% in patients with Child-Pugh class A and C, respectively. Data comparing the outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with liver disease are limited. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for relevant studies and assessed risk of bias using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies - of Interventions (ROBINS-I) Cochrane Collaboration tool.

A Vanishing Left Atrial Cystic Mass: A Ruptured Blood Cyst?

Cardiac blood cysts are very rare in adults. Their etiology, pathogenesis, and optimal management remain unclear. We report a case of a large left atrial cystic mass with clinical and imaging characteristics of a blood cyst that vanished between chest CT angiogram and trans-esophageal echocardiogram examinations done 2 days apart, without embolic phenomena.

Clinical Outcomes of Sentinel Cerebral Protection System Use During Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To compare the clinical outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with and without the use of the Sentinel Cerebral Protection System (Sentinel CPS).

Background: Stroke occurs in 2-5% of patients at 30 days after TAVR and increases mortality >3 fold. The Sentinel CPS is the only FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved cerebral embolic protection device.

Clinical Outcomes of the Dual-Therapy CD34 Antibody-Covered Sirolimus-Eluting Stent Versus Standard Drug-Eluting Coronary Stents: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Coronary stent neoatherosclerosis, thrombosis, and restenosis remain significant concerns with new-generation drug-eluting stents (DES). The Dual-Therapy CD34 antibody-covered sirolimus-eluting stent [dual therapy stent (DTS)] is a sirolimus-eluting stent with CD34 antibodies immobilized on its luminal surface to capture circulating endothelial progenitor cells and promote early endothelialization. We conducted a meta-analysis to determine whether the DTS was superior to standard DES.

Trans-Catheter Aortic Valve Replacement and Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement Outcomes in Patients with Dialysis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Dialysis is associated with higher rate of aortic valve calcification and higher cardiovascular mortality. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an established alternative for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with higher and intermediate co-morbidities including dialysis.

Methods: Two independent investigators systematically searched Medline, Cochrane, and Web of Science.

Decreased Renal Function Is Associated with Elevated CHA2DS2VASC and R2CHADS2 Scores in Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation Patients Presenting with Stroke.

Introduction Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affects approximately 2.3 million patients in the United States, costing around $26 billion. Atrial fibrillation is associated with a two- to seven-fold increased risk of stroke, one of the most serious complications.

Sudden Death from Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection due to Polyarteritis Nodosa.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an emerging and rare cause of acute coronary syndrome and sudden cardiac death. While it was previously reported among young females with fibromuscular dysplasia, new literature indicates that this condition could occur in older populations. Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) causes systemic necrotizing vasculitis which typically affects small to medium-sized muscular arteries and could affect the coronary arteries.