Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Sep 2014
Multicenter StudyImpact of aortic valve calcification, as measured by MDCT, on survival in patients with aortic stenosis: results of an international registry study.
Aortic valve calcification (AVC) load measures lesion severity in aortic stenosis (AS) and is useful for diagnostic purposes. Whether AVC predicts survival after diagnosis, independent of clinical and Doppler echocardiographic AS characteristics, has not been studied. ⋯ This large-scale, multicenter outcomes study of quantitative Doppler echocardiographic and MDCT assessment of AS shows that measuring AVC load provides incremental prognostic value for survival beyond clinical and Doppler echocardiographic assessment. Severe AVC independently predicts excess mortality after AS diagnosis, which is greatly alleviated by AVI. Thus, measurement of AVC by MDCT should be considered for not only diagnostic but also risk-stratification purposes in patients with AS.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Sep 2014
ReviewLaboratory measurement of the anticoagulant activity of the non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants.
Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) do not require routine laboratory monitoring. However, laboratory measurement may be desirable in special situations and populations. ⋯ Dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban exhibit variable effects on coagulation assays. Understanding these effects facilitates interpretation of test results in NOAC-treated patients. More information on the relationship between drug levels and clinical outcomes is needed.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Sep 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialImpact of renal denervation on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure: results from SYMPLICITY HTN-3.
Prior studies of catheter-based renal artery denervation have not systematically performed ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) to assess the efficacy of the procedure. ⋯ This trial did not demonstrate a benefit of renal artery denervation on reduction in ambulatory BP in either the 24-h or day and night periods compared with sham (Renal Denervation in Patients With Uncontrolled Hypertension [SYMPLICITY HTN-3]; NCT01418261).