Cardiology General
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Perioperative Atrial Fibrillation: Is It Important?
A large epidemiologic study with validated endpoints of patients with atrial fibrillation after non-cardiac surgery demonstrated such patients experience a higher incidence of subsequent atrial fibrillation, stroke, transient ischemic attacks, and all-cause mortality over five years of follow up.
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Take to Heart the Best Opportunities for ASCs
Two of the most desirable procedures for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in 2020 and beyond are cardiology and vascular procedures, which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has just blessed for ASC reimbursement. Setting up a cardiac lab in an ASC requires some homework. They are not necessarily difficult or terribly expensive, but there are fine details worth understanding well.
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Benefits of Exercise in Established Atrial Fibrillation
A large, long-term, prospective, Norwegian population study of patients with established atrial fibrillation revealed physical activity at or above recommended levels reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality vs. atrial fibrillation patients who are inactive.
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A Review of Atrial Fibrillation and Current Therapeutic Strategies: Part 2
This two-part series presents a review of the current evidence on atrial fibrillation (AF). The first part included the definition of AF, its classification, risk factors, comorbidities, evaluation, and acute management of newly diagnosed patients. The second part focuses on long-term management, including risk factor modification, rate and rhythm control measures, stroke risk stratification, and anticoagulation management.
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A Review of Atrial Fibrillation and Current Therapeutic Strategies: Part 1
This two-part series presents a review of the current evidence on atrial fibrillation. The first part includes its definition, classification, risk factors, comorbidities, evaluation, and acute management of newly diagnosed patients. The second part will focus on long-term management, including risk factor modification, rate and rhythm control measures, stroke risk stratification, and anticoagulation management.
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Appropriate Cardiac Testing in an Inappropriate World, Part 2: Cardiac Tests
This article addresses specifics of the cardiac testing options, considering their appropriate indications, choices of approach, risks, and costs.
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Cardiovascular Nutrition Demystified
The authors of this review of key nutritional studies compiled evidence-based information on foods and dietary patterns that support cardiovascular health and demystified those that have incorrectly been identified as beneficial to cardiovascular health.
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Intravenous Iron Shows Long-term Benefit in Patients with Heart Failure and Iron Deficiency
Iron deficiency (ID) is common in patients with heart failure (HF), and its presence is associated with reductions in functional capacity, quality of life, and survival. Several clinical trials have shown improved outcomes in patients with HF and ID who are treated with IV iron. However, these trials only administered IV iron for short periods of time, and the long-term effects of IV iron in these patients are not well understood.
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Paravalvular Leaks and TAVR Outcomes
Moderate or severe paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) has been reported in up to one-quarter of patients following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and has been associated with a higher 1-year mortality. Whether PVR is the cause of increased mortality or is simply associated with mortality is unclear.
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Blood Transfusion After Cardiac Surgery
Due to the cost of blood transfusions and the lack of data supporting liberal transfusion policies, newer guidelines recommend more restrictive transfusion thresholds (e.g., hemoglobin < 7 g/dL). However, many believe cardiac surgery is an exception due to the myocardium’s high oxygen requirement.