New Antithrombotic Guidelines: Front-line Clinicians Speak

Letter From the Publisher

Mike HennessyThe practice of cardiology and related disciplines requires a constant critical review of the current thinking, with deeper dives into what are perceived as controversies and conundrums. It’s not an easy task when taking on this broad and challenging field. But that’s why we publish Cardiology Review, which in its new incarnation offers decidedly current and up-to-the-minute topics. Thanks to the thoughtful efforts of our editor-in-chief and our top editorial advisory board, this journal remains completely relevant for the practice in today’s multimedia environment. Looking forward, we will bring you Cardiology Review on iPad as well as a refreshed website and e-newsletter that will tie together the current thinking in many important areas of practice for the busy professional. We believe in quality content to aid you in your daily practice—and to allow you to achieve the best outcomes for your patients.

In keeping with our goal of offering eminently useful and current information, this issue presents a summary of the newest antithrombotic guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), a much-awaited publication. As Editor-in- Chief Debabrata Mukherjee, MD, MS, FACC, notes, this new edition—from a panel of experts including front-line clinicians—makes some key new recommendations every physician will want to take note of and review. These new ACCP antithrombotic guidelines, in fact, introduce several important approaches to anticoagulation therapy. Look for the insightful special summary by Ragavendra R. Baliga, MD, MBA, FACP, FRCP (Edin), FACC, beginning on page 34.

Also in this issue of Cardiology Review, you will find information on late-breaking trials reported on at the very recent American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting, as well as ACC meeting highlights you will not want to miss. As part of our new bimonthly schedule, we will bring you hand-selected late-breaking news from the major cardiology meetings—useful whether you attended the meeting or not. Our selection of CME Reviews and Commentaries (beginning on page 11) covers a wide range of current literature and offers succinct analyses that you are sure to find thought-provoking (take the CME activity online at www.cardiology-review.com). All cardiologists are on that front line every day—and they are tasked with finding the very best, cost-effective, trend setting solutions to the controversies and conundrums of their discipline. Current knowledge is critical to the success of those endeavors, and it is our pleasure to bring it to you with Cardiology Review.

Thank you for reading!

Mike Hennessy, President, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer