PCSK9 Monoclonal Antibodies in 2016: Current Status and Future Challenges.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed nations, with elevated low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels being a major modifiable risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis. While lipid-lowering therapies such as statins are effective in lowering LDL-C, a proportion of patients do not achieve target LDL-C goals with statins or are intolerant to statins necessitating other treatment options. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors are a new class of agents that reduce LDL-C beyond the maximum achievable LDL-C reductions with statins, and have been well studied in different patient groups.

Radiological characteristics of atrial myxoma in Cardiac Computed Tomography.

Background: Although the primary role of Cardiac Computed Tomography (CCT) is assessment of the coronary arteries, the technique also allows detailed examination of cardiac structures and other cardiac pathologies including cardiac myxoma. However, limited data exists regarding the CCT characteristics of cardiac myxoma.

Objective: To describe the radiological characteristics of a series of cardiac myxomas in CCT.

Abnormal left ventricular contractile response to exercise in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease is associated with resting left ventricular long-axis dysfunction.

Background: The etiology of reduced left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction after exercise, without obstructive coronary artery disease or other established causes, is unclear. The aims of this study were to determine whether patients undergoing treadmill stress echocardiography with this abnormal LV contractile response to exercise (LVCRE) without established causes have resting LV long-axis dysfunction or microvascular dysfunction and to determine associations with this abnormal LVCRE.

Methods: Of 5,275 consecutive patients undergoing treadmill stress echocardiography, 1,134 underwent cardiac computed tomography angiography or invasive angiography.

Long-term outcome after CT angiography in patients with possible acute coronary syndrome.

Purpose: To assess the long-term outcome and hospital readmission rate associated with a computed tomographic (CT) angiography-guided strategy used to examine patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms of possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Materials And Methods: The study was approved by the institutional review board, and all patients provided written informed consent. A total of 585 consecutive patients (mean age, 58 years ± 11 [standard deviation]; 58% were male) with ischemic-type chest pain and low to intermediate risk for ACS were evaluated prospectively.