Structural Heart Disease

Structural heart diseases include any issues preventing normal cardiovascular function due to damage or alteration to the anatomical components of the heart. This is caused by aging, advanced atherosclerosis, calcification, tissue degeneration, congenital heart defects and heart failure. The most commonly treated areas are the heart valves, in particular the mitral and aortic valves. These can be replaced through open heart surgery or using cath lab-based transcatheter valves or repairs to eliminate regurgitation due to faulty valve leaflets. This includes transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Other common procedures include left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion and closing congenital holes in the heart, such as PFO and ASD. A growing area includes transcatheter mitral repair or replacement and transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement.

Treating younger patients with TAVR increases risk of death
Treating patients younger than 65 with TAVR is associated with certain risks for heart teams to consider. Fortunately, researchers found, care teams appear to be choosing patients wisely.
Cardiologist demand is on the rise—can hospitals keep up?
Demand for inpatient and outpatient cardiology services is expected to increase significantly in the next decade, putting hospitals and health systems in a position where they need to plan ahead or risk falling behind.
Self-expanding vs. balloon-expandable TAVR valves: How they compare after 5 years
SOLVE-TAVI focused on the long-term impact of selecting different second-generation transcatheter heart valves and anesthesia strategies for transfemoral TAVR procedures.
New data put a spotlight on troubling TAVR trends
Philippe Genereux, MD, principal investigator of the EARLY TAVR trial, noted that many patients with severe AS still go untreated.
How robotic-assisted mitral valve repair compares to conventional surgery
Costs remain a concern, especially for low-volume centers, but robotic-assisted MV repair is associated with short-term outcomes comparable to more conventional techniques.

BMJ: Calcium supplements may lead to cardiovascular events in older women

Calcium supplementation in healthy postmenopausal women is associatedwith upward trends in cardiovascular event rates, according to a studypublished online Jan. 15 in BMJ.

January 31, 2008

Study results show Vytorin not effective for lowering family linked high cholesterol

  Despite catchy TV commercials claiming Vytorin's positives of reducingcholesterol levels in patients predisposed to high cholesterol levels,a just-released study found Vytorin is no more effective in treatingpatients who were genetically predisposed to having dangerously highlevels of cholesterol than Merck's drug Zocor (Vytorin contains Zocor)because it did not slow the growth of artery blockages.

January 15, 2008

Circulation: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates similar after standard CPR or chest compr

A simpler version of bystander-delivered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that skips mouth-to-mouth resuscitation may be just as effective for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims as standard CPR, according to two studies published online on Dec. 18 in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

January 3, 2008

Statins Work But Pharmacoeconomic Caveats Abound

Cardiologists need to weigh the benefits of the more efficacious branded statins in comparison to the less expensive generics.

January 1, 2008

Report: Defibrillator use on the rise in Europe

For smaller companies to enter the burgeoning defibrillator market,they should forge alliances with businesses that can help them improvesales, distribution and market share, according to market research firmFrost & Sullivan.

September 27, 2007

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Health Imaging

Use of AI opportunistic screening in CT for cardiovascular disease

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

Health Imaging

New imaging protocols proposed to curb rise of cardiovascular infections

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Structural Heart Disease

Treating younger patients with TAVR increases risk of death

Cardiologist demand is on the rise—can hospitals keep up?

Self-expanding vs. balloon-expandable TAVR valves: How they compare after 5 years

New data put a spotlight on troubling TAVR trends

How robotic-assisted mitral valve repair compares to conventional surgery

Around the web