Cardiovascular news 2013/2014.

During 2013 and the first months of 2014, numerous studies have been published in the cardiovascular field. New guidelines have appeared for managing arterial hypertension and reducing cardiovascular risk by lowering cholesterol levels. New data have emerged on the considerable lipid-lowering efficacy of monoclonal antibodies against PCSK-9, in contrast, however, to the clinical trials directed towards raising HDL-cholesterol with nicotinic acid, which have not shown a reduction in the rate of cardiovascular complications. In the field of hypertension, neither stent placement in patients with renovascular hypertension nor sympathetic denervation in patients with resistant hypertension has been shown to be effective in reducing blood pressure. In terms of antithrombotic treatment, the pharmacogenetic tests do not seem useful for maintaining patients anticoagulated with warfarin within the therapeutic range for longer periods. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that, for patients with coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation, antiplatelet therapy adds no benefit to anticoagulation therapy and is associated with a greater risk of bleeding. Lastly, a Mediterranean diet could prevent the onset of diabetes, while bariatric surgery could be a reasonable option for improving the disease in patients with obesity. Many of these studies have immediate practice applications in daily clinical practice.