Acute Coronary Syndromes

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is most commonly caused by a heart attack (myocardial infarction) where blood flow to the heart is suddenly blocked. This is usually caused by a blood clot from a ruptured coronary artery atherosclerotic plaque. Other causes include spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), which most commonly occurs in women. ACS is usually treated in a cath lab with angioplasty and the placement of a stent to prop the vessel open.

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Nonobstructive MI disproportionately affects young women

Learning a heart attack patient has nonobstructive coronary arteries shouldn’t necessarily be met with relief, according to a multicenter study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Are physicians obligated to provide medical assistance on planes?

In an interview with JAMA, emergency medicine physician Rachel Zang, MD, discussed doctors responding to in-flight medical emergencies, potential legal liabilities and the standard equipment that airlines stock to handle such incidents.

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High levels of fitness in depressive patients can lower risk CVD mortality

Individuals who maintain a high level of fitness in midlife are at a decreased risk of depression—and those who stay in shape while diagnosed with depression exhibit a 56 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to new research published on June 27 in JAMA Psychiatry.

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DOACs trump warfarin for heart attack prevention in AFib patients

Compared to warfarin, the direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) apixaban, rivaroxaban and dabigatran are all associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction, according to a Danish registry study of consecutive patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Patients who experience adverse change in employment have worse health status, financial hardships

Patients who experience an adverse change in employment—such as being laid off—after a heart attack reportedly have a lower quality of life, increased depression and more difficulty affording medications, according to a study published in Circulation on June 12.

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Advanced heart attack blood test to be used as portable device

An advanced blood test to diagnose heart attacks, currently in development by researchers at King’s College London, could be administered using a handheld device, according to research presented on June 5 at the British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester, U.K.

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EVIDENT II trial: Smartphone apps may slow artery aging

Patients who utilize a healthy lifestyle smartphone application may be able to slow arterial aging, according to results from the EVIDENT II trial presented at EuroHeartCare 2018 in Dublin.

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Fewer reinfarctions, more resource use linked to high-sensitivity troponin adoption

The introduction of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) in Sweden was associated with an 11 percent reduction in reinfarctions among heart attack patients and increased use of coronary angiography and revascularization, according to a study published June 4 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Around the web

Several key trends were evident at the Radiological Society of North America 2024 meeting, including new CT and MR technology and evolving adoption of artificial intelligence.

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.