American College of Cardiology

In hospitalized patients with left main acute coronary symptom (LM-ACS), electrocardiographic characteristics can predict prognosis.

Microcalcifications that can show up on mammograms can also predict a woman's risk of heart disease. MD Magazine spoke to Khurram Nasir, MD, co-author of an editorial urging physicians and their specialty societies to put this finding into practice.

In a potentially practice-changing finding, New York researchers found mammograms can predict coronary arterial calcifications and heart disease risk.

Making the transition from transfemoral to transradial access may provide longterm benefits for acute coronary syndrome patients, but changing years of training to the newer method also figures to be a longterm project for the cardiac community.

For patients with acute coronary syndrome there has been one longstanding treatment method which doctors have used for many years. In recent years interventional cardiologists have been looking at whether a fresh approach might be best for this patient group.

The field of medical technology is constantly expanding and changing requiring new equipment to be used in a variety of ways. That effort has been brought under one roof at Massachusetts General Hospital thanks in part to the efforts of one generous and appreciative patient.

Preventive angioplasty may be the next big thing. In a study presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting in San Diego, CA, researchers recommended complete revascularization of constricted arteries in patients who had a STEMI heart attack.

Patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing angioplasty who got the anticoagulant bivalirudin (Angiomax/Medicines Company) had significantly lower rates of bleeding complications and death than controls, according to a Dutch study.

The reporting of PCI results is not a common practice for many reasons, and while some states require it of their doctors, there could be both medical and political barriers standing in the way of it becoming a nationwide program.

With New York and Massachusetts leading the way laws requiring public reporting of PCI results were recently expanded to Washington State as well. A recent study looked at the risks and benefits of other states starting similar programs.

The use of dual anti platelet therapy is popular among cardio patients but questions remain of how long that therapy should continue after a cardiac event.

As technology improves, so does the ability for doctors to better view their patients from a variety of angles as part of their overall care. This is also true in cardiology when treating patients with myocardial diseases.

As with any new class of medications there are many questions that will need to be answered by and for healthcare professionals.

If the new class of drugs are as effective as they appear to be in early studies, it could have a drastic affect on how patients with cardiac issues are treated in the future.

One of the hot topics at the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting in San Diego was a new class of drugs being developed that could revolutionize the field of cardiac care.

About two-thirds of surgeons performing mitral valve surgery on patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) do ablation procedures at the same time. There are no official guidelines on when to do both. Trying to provide more information to guide such decisions, a US-Canada team randomized a group of these patients to either valve repair alone, or valve repair with ablation. The dual approach seems better.

Obesity is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) but the heart condition can be reduced if these patients shed pounds.

The landscape of cardiac care has changed dramatically over the past few years and will continue to well into the future. What it will look like exactly remains to be determined based on a number of factors.

With a new class of drugs on the horizon questions remain about what PCSK9 inhibitors will mean to the future of cardiac care. Doctors are slowly learning the answers to those questions as possible approval draws closer.

Interventional cardiologists would do better to access heart arteries through a patient's arm than groin, a Dutch study found. Though the radial approach is technically more difficult, it is safer with a lower risk of severe bleeding.

As Doctors become more familiar with the new cholesterol guidelines it will be up to them to carry the message to the patients about ways they can improve their overall health.

Physicians may think patients over 80 are too old to benefit from agressive care to treat unstable angina or clogged arteries that caused a heart attack. Think again, a Norwegian researcher said at the American College of Cardiology meeting in San Diego, CA. These patients were 47% more likely to survive and healthier after invasive procedures than a group that got non-invasive care.

It has been many years since guidelines looking at cholesterol control were revised. Now the question is how to keep the new guidelines current even in the future.

Neurology and cardiology may not always work together to promote a person's overall health but some recent research has shown a closer connection between the two fields.

When he first discussed the idea of a vaccine to help fight heart disease P.K. Shah, MD, said he was laughed at for even considering the work. Several decades later the doctor is being lauded as his dream comes closer to becoming a reality.

Having worked at Cedars Sinai since 1982 Robert J. Siegel, MD, has seen a lot of changes in the medical profession and helped many doctors hone their craft as they begin their own work in the field.

The practice of using a syringe to suck a blood clot out of a coronary artery when a heart attack patient is undergoing angioplasty is common. But a study of 10,000 patients showed this manual thrombectomy procedure was associated with a higher rate of strokes in these patients.

With more complex patients anything surgeons can do to ensure success with surgery is a benefit. A recent study looked at how imaging can predict whether cardiac procedures will go well for them and their patients.

Despite advancements in stents, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) still prevails over balloon angioplasty and stents as the better treatment method for patients with multiple narrowed arteries in the heart.

Patient care continues to make dramatic changes including the way information is shared not only between doctors and patients, but also other doctors treating the same people. Technology making that happen continues to evolve as well.