Usefulness of the troponin-ejection fraction product to differentiate stress cardiomyopathy from ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

The presentation of stress cardiomyopathy (SC) with nonobstructive coronary artery disease mimics that of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) due to coronary occlusion. No single parameter has been successful in differentiating the 2 entities. We thus sought to develop a noninvasive clinical tool to discriminate between these 2 conditions.

A meta-analysis of transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale versus medical therapy for prevention of recurrent thromboembolic events in patients with cryptogenic cerebrovascular events.

Objectives: We sought to perform a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing percutaneous patent-foramen-ovale (PFO) closure with medical therapy for preventing recurrent thromboembolic events after cryptogenic stroke.

Background: Observational studies suggested that transcatheter PFO closure decreases recurrent events after cryptogenic stroke; however, three recent RCTs failed to demonstrate such benefit.

Methods: Trials were identified from the PubMed and Cochrane databases.