This video from Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology's Pulse TV shares the biggest piece of news from the American College of Cardiology's annual conference last month---that Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) out-performed surgical valve replacement in the PARTNER II trial.
Continue reading ICYMI: TAVR Out-Performs Surgical Replacement
New research in ultrasound out of Lund University in Sweden might be key to better, broader screening for cardiovascular risk.
A relatively simple mathematical calculation developed at Lund University can be used to interpret ultrasound signals and identify whether or not plaques consist of harmless connective tissue and smooth muscle cells or dangerous lipids and macrophages.
Continue reading VIDEO: Ultrasound identifies dangerous plaque
More good news for TAVR interventions - better case selection contributed to significant reductions in complications and longer term mortality.
The most pertinent risk factors? COPD and previous stroke.
"Exercise stress electrocardiography (ExECG) is underutilized as the initial test modality in patients with interpretable electrocardiograms who are able to exercise. Although stress myocardial imaging techniques provide valuable diagnostic and prognostic information, variables derived from ExECG can yield substantial data for risk stratification, either supplementary to imaging variables or without concurrent imaging. (abstract)
A recent paper in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging reviewed literature on the latest advances in exercise stress electrocardiography (ExECG) and argued that despite the ACC's recommendations, the test is still "underutilized" as the initial diagnostic test modality for suspected coronary artery disease.