Clinical efficacy and safety outcomes of bempedoic acid for LDL-C lowering therapy in patients at high cardiovascular risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Bempedoic acid (BA) is a novel oral low-density lipoprotein cholesterol lowering drug. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess efficacy and safety for clinical outcomes in high cardiovascular (CV) risk patients.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Google Scholar, Embase, ClinicalTrials.

Modern NCDR and ACTION risk models outperform the GRACE model for prediction of in-hospital mortality in acute coronary syndrome in a German cohort.

Background And Purpose: Risk prediction with the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk model is guideline-recommended in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. However, the performance of more contemporary scores derived from ACTION (Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network) and National Cardiovascular Data (NCDR) registries remains incompletely understood. We aimed to compare these models in German ACS patients.

Uninterrupted anticoagulation during catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: no difference in major bleeding and stroke between direct oral anticoagulants and vitamin K antagonists in an updated meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Background: Periprocedural uninterrupted anticoagulation for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) became standard after positive results of vitamin K antagonist (VKA) trials. Previous studies of uninterrupted direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) vs. VKA have given controversial results.

Validation of National Cardiovascular Data Registry risk models for mortality, bleeding and acute kidney injury in interventional cardiology at a German Heart Center.

Background And Purpose: The National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) risk scores for mortality, bleeding and acute kidney injury (AKI) are accurate outcome predictors of coronary catheterization procedures in North American populations. However, their application in German clinical practice remained elusive and we thus aimed to verify their use.

Methods: NCDR scores for mortality, bleeding and AKI and corresponding clinical outcomes were retrospectively assessed in patients undergoing catheterization for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or for elective coronary procedures at a German Heart Center from 2014 to 2017.

Kidney function stratified outcomes of percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion in patients with atrial fibrillation and high bleeding risk.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and atrial fibrillation have increased risks for stroke and bleeding under oral anticoagulation (OAC). We investigated an alternative therapy of percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) in CKD patients in this study. Consecutive patients undergoing LAAO were included in a retrospective analysis and stratified for kidney function into CKD/Non-CKD groups (cutoff eGFR 60 ml/min).