Clik here to view.
Trends and predictors of repeat catheter ablation for AF
Approximately one in eight patients treated with catheter ablation for AF will undergo a second procedure within one year, although the rate is as high as 40% in young patients at five years. Privately...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Road traffic noise linked to deaths and increased risk of stroke
The study population consisted of 8.6 million inhabitants of London. The researchers assessed small-area-level associations of day- (7:00–22:59) and night-time (23:00–06:59) road traffic noise with...
View ArticleAnaesthetists have little affect on cardiac surgery mortality
Authors representing the Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthetists (ACTA) studied the effect of the anaesthetist on mortality by analysing data collected prospectively over 10 years of consecutive...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Can cancer itself damage the heart?
“It is well known that chemotherapy is potentially toxic to the heart, making cancer patients more prone to cardiovascular complications such as heart failure, hypertension or myocardial ischaemia,”...
View ArticleNew guide highlights diverse drug targets
The Guide, which is published every two years and is freely available online, is a snapshot of information collected by the Nomenclature Committee of the International Union of Basic and Clinical...
View ArticleClik here to view.
UK bariatric surgery – confirmed clinical outcome benefits
The weight loss, which is sustained at least four years after surgery, is accompanied by substantial improvements in pre-existing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and hypertension, as well as a reduced risk of...
View ArticleCHD patients with no teeth have nearly double risk of death
“The positive effects of brushing and flossing are well established.” “The relationship between dental health, particularly periodontal (gum) disease, and cardiovascular disease has received increasing...
View ArticleScary movies can curdle blood
The results suggest that using the term “bloodcurdling” to describe feeling extreme fear is justified, say the researchers. The term dates back to medieval times and is based on the concept that fear...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do anaesthetists affect cardiac surgery mortality? An anaesthetist speaks
In this issue we asked Professor Jaideep J Pandit, Consultant Anaesthetist Nuffield Department of Anaesthetics, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, to comment further on the paper: The publication...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Syncope – improving approaches to diagnosis and treatment
Syncope is a common medical problem that can be debilitating and is associated with high healthcare costs. There is wide variation in practice of syncope evaluation, and wide variation in adoption of...
View ArticleCommentary on ENSURE-AF
ENSURE-AF is a multinational phase 3 study, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of the oral, once-daily direct factor Xa-inhibitor edoxaban compared to enoxaparin/warfarin for the prevention of...
View ArticleENSURE AF: edoxaban allows prompt cardioversion in AF
The study also showed that newly diagnosed non-anticoagulated AF patients can start edoxaban as early as two hours prior to their cardioversion procedure if they have access to transoesophageal...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Young Investigator Award
Dr Ahmed Merghani (St George’s Hospital, London) Cardiac MRI was then performed to assess the underlying substrate for these arrhythmias; overall 16% of male veteran athletes had mid-myocardial or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
NOACs: translating latest clinical and cardioversion data into practice
Dr Ian Menown (Craigavon Cardiac Centre, Northern Ireland) described the evidence base for the use of NOACs for anticoagulation in AF, including the findings of the ENGAGE-AF (Effective Anticoagulation...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Improving outcomes from VT ablation
Dr Charlotte Manisty (Bart’s Health NHS Trust, London) Dr Manisty presented a vision that one day, these developments in imaging could lead to an ability to identify VT circuits in 3D based on patterns...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Healthcare costs and innovative solutions for arrhythmia care
Professor Richard Schilling (Barts Health NHS Trust, London) Professor Schilling emphasised the need to reduce variation in practice – for example the standardisation of ablation procedures for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Novel functional imaging techniques
Blood-oxygen-level dependent imaging (BOLD) works off of the basis that both oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin are both weakly magnetic. The spin of both molecules can alter the signal and this...
View ArticleSGLT-2 inhibitors: a game changer?
SGLT-2 inhibitors, such as empagliflozin, are thought to reduce the level of glucose reabsorption at the nephron, resulting in higher urinary glucose concentrations.1 However, no direct link has...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Targeting uric acid
This, therefore, begs two questions: Firstly, does uric acid directly cause vascular endothelial damage, contributing to acute renal dysfunction – thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease?...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Atrial fibrillation and CKD
Guidelines suggest that renal function should be assessed in anyone with new AF, particularly in those with bleeding episodes, when considering oral anticoagulation (OAC). Impairment in renal function...
View Article
