Category: Uncategorized
-
Electrocardiogram Basics
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that measures the electrical activity of the heart. It records the heart’s rhythm and activity on a moving strip of paper or a digital display. It is used to diagnose a variety of cardiac conditions, including heart attacks, arrhythmias, and heart failure. The ECG records the electrical activity of…
-
Association of Plasma High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Level With Risk of Fractures in Healthy Older Adults
This study is a post-hoc analysis of data from the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) clinical trial and the ASPREE-Fracture substudy. It aimed to determine whether higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are predictive of an increased fracture risk in healthy older adults. The study included 16,703 Australians aged 70 or…
-
Effectiveness of Simulation-Based Training on Transesophageal Echocardiography Learning – The SIMULATOR Randomized Clinical Trial
This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of simulation-based teaching compared to traditional teaching of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) knowledge and skills in cardiology fellows. The study was conducted between November 2020 and November 2021, and included 324 cardiology fellows from 42 French university centers who were inexperienced in TEE. The participants were randomized into 2…
-
FAME I and FAME II Trials
Fractional Flow Reserve versus Angiography for Guiding Percutaneous Coronary Intervention – FAME I This is a study on patients with multivessel coronary artery disease who are undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with implantation of drug-eluting stents. The study randomly assigned 1005 patients to undergo PCI guided by angiography alone or guided by fractional flow reserve…
-
The Association of Triglyceride to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio with High-Risk Coronary Plaque Characteristics Determined by CT Angiography and Its Risk of Coronary Heart Disease
This study found that a high ratio of triglycerides (TG) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was significantly associated with the presence of high-risk coronary plaques, which may predict future acute coronary syndrome, in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). This ratio was also shown to be a significant predictor of adverse coronary events after…
-
Progression of Atrial Fibrillation after Cryoablation or Drug Therapy – EARLY-AF Study
This study reports on a 3-year follow-up of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation who were randomly assigned to undergo initial rhythm-control therapy with cryoballoon ablation or receive antiarrhythmic drug therapy. The study found that initial treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with catheter cryoballoon ablation resulted in a lower incidence of persistent atrial fibrillation or recurrent…
-
Amiodarone or an Implantable Cardioverter–Defibrillator for Congestive Heart Failure – SCD-HeFT Trial
This study found that therapy with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) significantly reduced the risk of death in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) who received state-of-the-art background medical therapy. This benefit was seen in patients with both ischemic and nonischemic CHF, and was more pronounced in patients in NYHA class II CHF. In contrast,…
-
Outcomes of Anatomical versus Functional Testing for Coronary Artery Disease – PROMISE Study
PROMISE was a study that enrolled a large, community-based population of patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) and evaluated the use of two types of noninvasive testing: anatomical testing with computed tomography angiography (CTA) and functional testing. The study found that using CTA did not reduce the incidence of events, such as heart attacks…
-
Heart Attack
A heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction (MI), occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart muscle is blocked, causing damage to the heart muscle. This can happen when one or more of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart, becomes narrowed or blocked by a buildup of…
-
Twelve or 30 Months of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy after Drug-Eluting Stents – DAPT Study
In a study of patients receiving drug-eluting coronary stents, continued treatment with thienopyridine and aspirin, compared to aspirin alone, beyond one year reduced the risk of stent thrombosis and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. This benefit was driven by reductions in myocardial infarction related to the stent and occurring in other locations. Longer duration…