The Canadian journal of cardiology
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Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) carries an enormous global burden of mortality and morbidity. The post-cardiac arrest syndrome consists of complex pathophysiological changes that result in hypoxic brain injury, myocardial and peripheral organ dysfunction, and the systemic ischemia-reperfusion response. ⋯ Similarly, early invasive coronary angiography is particularly beneficial when there is ST-elevation on the post-resuscitation electrocardiogram, but might be considered in the absence of ST-elevation if there is no noncardiac cause to explain the OHCA. However, there remain a large number of unanswered questions that require ongoing research.
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Case Reports
Emergency Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation for Acute and Early Failure of Sutureless Perceval Aortic Valve.
We report the case of a 78-year-old woman admitted for cardiogenic shock related to acute and early failure (severe aortic regurgitation) of a Perceval sutureless aortic bioprosthesis (Sorin Group, Saluggia, Italy). Clinical stability was achieved using rescue transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve-in-valve implantation with an Edwards SAPIEN 3 prosthesis (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA). To our knowledge, we report herein the first case of successful valve-in-valve implantation using a SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve in a sutureless bioprosthetic aortic valve with acute and early deterioration.
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A cardiologist and respirologist examined the recent, neutral Prospective Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of Simvastatin in the Prevention of COPD Exacerbations (STATCOPE) for issues of relevance to cardiovascular risk reduction with statin medications. Although the potential benefit of the pleiotropic effects of statins on this inflammatory disease was not borne out, the effect over the longer term on total respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality remain unexplored. This study was unique as the only statin trial to date to use a national guideline (Adult Treatment Panel III) to exclude patients from the trial if at sufficient cardiovascular risk to warrant statin therapy. ⋯ The magnitude of this beneficial trend paralleled the magnitude of lowering of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol achieved in the active statin arm. Finally, the authors questioned whether the current standard of care adequately includes adherence to any national lipid guideline or adequate attention to the cardiovascular comorbidity of these patients. In conclusion, knowledge translation of the STATCOPE trial should at a minimum encourage assessment of cardiovascular risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, implementation of proven cardiovascular risk reduction therapies based on national guidelines, including statins, and plans to undertake a trial adequate in size and duration to address cardiovascular event reduction in patients not already eligible for evidence-based risk-reducing therapies.
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Review Meta Analysis
Preoperative Statin Therapy and Renal Outcomes After Cardiac Surgery: A Meta-analysis and Meta-regression of 59,771 Patients.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of preoperative statin therapy (PST) on short- and long-term renal dysfunction after cardiac surgery. ⋯ PST might be a promising therapy to reduce renal complications after cardiac surgery although large-scaled randomized controlled trials are needed to further verify the conclusion.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
CHA2DS2-VAS(C) and CHADS2 Scores Predict Adverse Clinical Events in Patients With Pacemakers and Sinus Node Dysfunction Independent of Atrial Fibrillation.
CHA2DS2-VASc and CHADS2 scores were derived and validated for stroke-risk stratification in patients who have a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that these scores would predict adverse cardiovascular events even in the absence of AF. ⋯ Both CHA2DS2-VASc and CHADS2 scores predict risk of death or stroke in patients with sick sinus syndrome, regardless of AF history. These scores could be risk-stratification tools for clinical events that might respond to new therapies—ie, anticoagulation or other interventions—even in the absence of AF.