Nature reviews. Cardiology
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Constrictive pericarditis can result from a stiff pericardium that prevents satisfactory diastolic filling. The distinction between constrictive pericarditis and other causes of heart failure, such as restrictive cardiomyopathy, is important because pericardiectomy can cure constrictive pericarditis. Diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis is based on characteristic haemodynamic and anatomical features determined using echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, cardiac MRI, and CT. ⋯ Early diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis is, therefore, of paramount clinical importance. An improved understanding of how constrictive pericarditis develops after an initiating event is critical to prevent this diastolic heart failure. In this Review, we discuss the aetiology, pathophysiology, and diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis, with a specific emphasis on how to differentiate this disease from conditions with similar clinical presentations.
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A meta-analysis by investigators from FDA of three major trials of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) demonstrated that women have a reduced rate of heart failure (HF) and death with CRT at a shorter QRS duration than men. Recognizing these sex-specific differences is important to improve outcomes for women with HF.
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In an analysis of electronic health records, 1.25 million patients aged ≥30 years without diagnosed cardiovascular disease experienced 83,098 cardiovascular events during follow-up (median 5.2 years). Associations between incident cardiovascular disease and blood pressure differed for systolic and diastolic blood pressures and between the 12 cardiovascular end points examined.