Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: On Pump or Off Pump?
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
On-pump surgery bested off-pump surgery in a randomized trial, but important questions remain unaddressed.
Reviewing:
Shroyer AL et al. for the Veterans Affairs Randomized On/Off Bypass (ROOBY) Study Group., N Engl J Med 2009 Nov 5; 361:1827
Peterson ED., N Engl J Med 2009 Nov 5; 361:1897
Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation: Is Repair Better Than Replacement?
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Findings from a retrospective study suggest not.
Reviewing:
Magne J et al., Circulation 2009 Sep 15; 120:S104
B-Type Natriuretic Peptide to Rule out Heart Failure: Different Cutoffs for Different Patients?
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
November 4, 2009
Joel M. Gore, MD
Adjusting BNP thresholds for clinical covariates improved the test's ability to differentiate between cardiac and noncardiac causes of dyspnea.
Reviewing:
Rogers RK et al., Am J Cardiol 2009 Sep 1; 104:689
Internal Mammary Artery Use in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Room for Improvement
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
A large database study shows regional, sex, and ethnic disparities in the use of this gold-standard conduit.
Reviewing:
Tabata M et al., Circulation 2009 Sep 15; 120:935
Pregnancy and Anticoagulation: What Is a Clinician to Do?
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
October 28, 2009
Joel M. Gore, MD
In a case series of women with prosthetic heart valves, enoxaparin appeared to be effective when used as directed and carefully monitored.
Reviewing:
McLintock C et al., BJOG 2009 Nov; 116:1585
Air Pollution and Smoking: Not-So-Distant Cousins
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Even low-level exposure to secondhand smoke and air pollution increases cardiovascular risk.
Reviewing:
Pope CA III et al., Circulation 2009 Sep 15; 120:941
Peters A., Circulation 2009 Sep 15; 120:924
Aldosterone Antagonists and Heart Failure
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Potholes remain in the road toward adoption of evidence-based guideline recommendations.
Reviewing:
Albert NM et al., JAMA 2009 Oct 21; 302:1658
CADENCE: A Snapshot of Angina in Primary Care Practice
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Symptom control in patients with CAD merits more attention.
Reviewing:
Beltrame JF et al., Arch Intern Med 2009 Sep 14; 169:1491
Should Coronary Angiography Be Routine Before Vascular Surgery?
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Findings from a small randomized trial show long-term benefits.
Reviewing:
Monaco M et al., J Am Coll Cardiol 2009 Sep 8; 54:989
Landesberg G and Mosseri M., J Am Coll Cardiol 2009 Sep 8; 54:997
A New Factor Xa Inhibitor Prepares for Its Close-Up
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Otamixaban shows promise in patients with ACS, but do we really need another intravenous anticoagulant?
Reviewing:
Sabatine MS et al., Lancet 2009 Sep 5; 374:787
Eikelboom JW and Weitz JI., Lancet 2009 Sep 5; 374:762
