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Objectives and background Complex peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and critical limb ischemia (CLI) are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Endovascular techniques have become prevalent in treatment of advanced PAD and CLI, and use of techniques such as tibiopedal minimally invasive revascularization (TAMI), have been proven safe in small, single-center series. However, its use has not been systematically compared to traditional approaches. Methods and results This is a retrospective, multicenter analysis which enrolled 744 patients with advanced PAD and CLI who underwent 1,195 endovascular interventions between January 2013 and April 2018. Data was analyzed based on access used for revascularization: 840 performed via femoral access, 254 via dual access, and 101 via TAMI. The dual access group had the highest median Rutherford Class and lowest number of patent tibial vessels. Median fluoroscopy time, procedure time, hospital stay, and contrast volume were significantly lower in the TAMI access group when compared to both femoral/dual access groups. There was also a significant difference between all groups regarding location of target lesions: Femoropopliteal lesions were most commonly treated via femoral access; infrapopliteal lesions, via TAMI, and multilevel lesions via dual access. Conclusions Stand-alone TAMI or tibial access as an integral part of a dual access treatment strategy, is safe and efficacious in the treatment of patients with advanced PAD and CLI who have infrapopliteal lesions. Larger prospective and randomized studies may be useful to further validate this approach.

Background Outcomes for debulking by atherectomy (ATH) for adjunctive treatment of below the knee (BTK) symptomatic arterial disease compared to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty alone (PTA) are unclear. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were queried from between 2000 and 2017 including studies comparing PTA alone to PTA-ATH. Random effect meta-analysis model was used to pool the data across the studies. Study endpoints included: vessel dissection, residual stenosis ( 30%), mortality at 12 months and amputation rates at 1 and 12 months. Results A total of 2587 patients (72.9 years; 63% male) were included from 4 studies (2 prospective, one of which was randomized, and 2 retrospective) comparing PTA alone to ATH-PTA in patients with symptomatic infra-popliteal disease. There was no significant difference between the two approaches in terms of vessel dissection [OR 3.73 with 95% CI 0.83 to 16.64, p = 0.08] or residual stenosis [OR 0.41 with 95% CI 0.11 to 1.60, p = 0.18]. Clinical outcomes did not differ in terms of 12 month mortality [OR 3.47 with 95% CI 0.15 to 81.37, p = 0.44], or limb amputation at 1 month [OR 1.23 with 95% CI 0.91 to 1.67, p = 0.18] or 12 months [OR: 1.02 with 95% CI 0.83 to 1.26, p = 0.83]. Conclusion In patients undergoing (BTK) intervention, PTA alone and ATH-PTA was associated with similar outcomes in terms of vessel dissection and residual stenosis, mortality at 12 months, and limb amputation at 1 or 12 months.

Purpose: To present the chronic total occlusion (CTO) crossing approach based on plaque cap morphology (CTOP) classification system and assess its ability to predict successful lesion crossing. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of imaging and procedure data from 114 consecutive symptomatic patients (mean age 69±11 years; 84 men) with claudication (Rutherford category 3) or critical limb ischemia (Rutherford category 4–6) who underwent endovascular interventions for 142 CTOs. CTO cap morphology was determined from a review of angiography and duplex ultrasonography and classified into 4 types (I, II, III, or IV) based on the concave or convex shape of the proximal and distal caps. Results: Statistically significant differences among groups were found in patients with rest pain, lesion length, and severe calcification. CTOP type II CTOs were most common and type III lesions the least common. Type I CTOs were most likely to be crossed antegrade and had a lower incidence of severe calcification. Type IV lesions were more likely to be crossed retrograde from a tibiopedal approach. CTOP type IV was least likely to be crossed in an antegrade fashion. Access conversion, or need for an alternate access, was commonly seen in types II, III, and IV lesions. Distinctive predictors of access conversion were CTO types II and III, lesion length, and severe calcification. Conclusion: CTOP type I lesions were easiest to cross in antegrade fashion and type IV the most difficult. Lesion length >10 cm, severe calcification, and CTO types II, III, and IV benefited from the addition of retrograde tibiopedal access.

Background Current treatment options and outcomes for acute uncomplicated thoracic Type-B aortic dissection (TBAD) remain unclear between medical management (MED) and thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). In this study we aim to compare both strategies in terms of all-cause mortality, aortic dilation, and aortic rupture. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were queried from January 1990 through March 2017. Only studies comparing TEVAR to MED for acute uncomplicated TBAD were included. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool outcomes across studies. Study outcomes included short (1 month), intermediate (1 year), and mid-term (2-5 year) all-cause mortality. Additional outcomes included aortic dilation and rupture at 1 year. Results A total of 1,960 patients (64.3 years; 75.8% male) were included from six studies (one prospective and five retrospective). No difference was observed in short-term (odd ratio [OR] 0.73 with 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47 to 1.12, P = 0.15), intermediate (OR 0.99 with 95% CI 0.56 to 1.73, P = 0.96), or mid-term all-cause mortality (OR 1.12 with 95% CI 0.54 to 2.32, P = 0.75). No difference in aortic dilation with either modality was noted at 1-year (OR 1.11 with 95% CI 0.76 to 1.64, P = 0.59). TEVAR was associated with a significantly lower 1-year risk of aortic rupture (OR 2.49 with 95% CI 1.23 to 5.06, P = 0.01). Conclusion There were no short, intermediate, or mid-term differences in mortality between TEVAR or MED in patients with acute uncomplicated TBAD. Although the dilation rate was similar between both groups, TEVAR was associated with lower likelihood of aortic rupture at 1 year.

Previous studies have reported worse outcomes and longer door-to-balloon times (DBTs) in patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after normal working hours, during weekends, and on holidays (off-hours) compared with normal business hours (on-hours). Recent studies, however, have reported similar outcomes regardless of presentation time. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were queried from January 1990 through December 2016. Only studies comparing STEMI outcomes during off-hours versus on-hours with percutaneous coronary intervention were included. A random-effects meta-analysis model was used to pool outcomes across the studies. Clinical end points included short- (30 days of presentation), intermediate- (at 1 to 2 years), and long-term (at 3 to 4 years) stent thrombosis, mortality, recurrent myocardial infarction (MI), and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). A total of 86,776 patients (62 years and 74.5% male) were identified from 39 studies. There was no significant difference between both groups with regard to mean DBT (odds ratio [OR] 0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] -2.73 to 4.22, p = 0.67) or median DBT (p = 0.19). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups for short-term end points including mortality (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.25, p = 0.08), MI (OR 1.25, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.74, p = 0.18), MACE (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.20, p = 0.40), or stent thrombosis (OR 1.23, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.82, p = 0.31). Similarly, intermediate-term end points were not statistically different for mortality (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.05, p = 0.46), MI (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.02, p = 0.08), or MACE (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.08, p = 0.98). Long-term end points did not differ statistically between groups for mortality (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.09, p = 0.46), MI (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.84, p = 0.44), or MACE (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.08, p = 0.67). In conclusion, patients presenting with STEMI during off-hours and treated with percutaneous coronary intervention had similar short-, intermediate-, and long-term outcomes compared with patients presenting during on-hours. DBT was not affected by the time of presentation.

INTRODUCTION Fractional flow reserve (FFR) assessment has been validated as an effective tool to guide revascularization of stable coronary artery disease. The role of utilizing FFR in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is less established. METHODS The study population was extracted from the National Readmissions Data (NRD) 2014 using International Classification of Diseases, ninth edition, clinical modification (ICD-9-CM) codes for ACS, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), FFR, and periprocedural complications. Study endpoints included all-cause of in-hospital mortality, length of index hospital stay (LOS), acute kidney injury (AKI), bleeding, coronary dissection, total number of stents used, stroke, vascular complications (VCs), and the total charges of index hospitalization. RESULTS A total of 304,548 discharges that had the diagnosis of ACS and treated invasively within the same index hospitalization (average age 65.1 years; 64% male) were identified. Among these, 7,832 had FFR guided invasive treatment (2.6%) which was associated with significantly lower in-hospital all-cause mortality (1.1 vs. 3.1%, p

IntroductionThe role of atherectomy (ATHERO) for the treatment of symptomatic infra-inguinal arterial lesions remains controversial. We evaluated the effectiveness and safety of atherectomy-assisted endovascular interventions in comparison with percutaneous angioplasty (PTA).Material and methodsA systematic search utilizing MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted for studies comparing ATHERO with PTA from February 1995 to May 2018. Only studies comparing ATHERO to PTA for symptomatic infra-inguinal disease were included. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool the data and endpoints across studies. Study endpoints included vessel dissection, distal embolization, residual stenosis (> 30%), vessel patency at 6 months, target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 12 months and major amputation rates at 1, 6, and 12 months.ResultsA total of 2923 patients were included from 8 studies. PTA was associated with higher vessel dissection (OR = 4.00, 95% CI: 1.15–13.86) and lower 12-month major amputation rates (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.59–0.90). There was no significant difference between ATHERO and PTA groups in terms of distal embolization (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.04–4.63), residual stenosis (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 0.58–2.80), vessel patency at 6 months (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 0.50–3.22), TLR at 12 months (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.46–2.51), or limb amputation at 1 month (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.44–1.07) or 6 months (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 0.38–6.15).ConclusionsIn patients undergoing infra-inguinal endovascular interventions, PTA was associated with higher peri-procedural vessel dissection and lower 12-month major amputation rates. Both modalities were associated with similar distal embolization, residual stenosis, and 6-month vessel patency and amputation rates.

Introduction Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is typically performed using embolic protection devices (EPDs) as a means to reduce the risk of procedure-related stroke. In this study, we compared procedural morbidity and mortality associated with distal (D-EPD) vs. proximal (P-EPD) protection. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were queried from January 1998 through May 2015. Only studies comparing (D-EPD) and (P-EPD) were included. Two independent reviewers selected and appraised studies and extracted data in duplicate. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool outcomes across studies. Heterogeneity of treatment effect among studies was assessed using the I2 statistics. Publication bias was assessed using inspection of funnel plots. The primary endpoints included 30-day mortality and stroke. Secondary endpoints included new cerebral lesions on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and contralateral lesions on DW-MRI. Results A total of 12,281 patients were included from 18 studies (13 prospective and 5 retrospective) comparing (D-EPD) and (P-EPD) in the setting of CAS. The mean patient age was 69 years and 64% of patients were male. No evidence of publication bias was detected. There was no significant difference between the two modalities in terms of the risk of stroke (risk difference [RD] 0.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.01 to 0.01) or mortality (RD 0.0, 95% CI −0.01 to 0.01) nor was there any difference in the incidence of new cerebral lesions on DW-MRI or contralateral DW-MRI lesions. Conclusions In patients undergoing CAS, both D-EPD and P-EPD provide similar levels of protection from peri-procedural stroke and 30 days mortality. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Introduction Bivalirudin, has been shown to have comparable efficacy and better safety profile when compared to unfractionated heparin (UFH) in percutaneous coronary interventions. Bivalirudin's safety in carotid artery stenting (CAS) was associated with better outcomes than heparin in some studies. In this Meta analysis we examine the hemorrhagic and ischemic outcomes associated with Bivalirudin compared to UFH during CAS. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted with the electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL. Random-effects meta-analysis method was used to pool risk ratio (RR) for both Heparin and Bivalirudin with 95% confidence interval (CI). Study outcomes included hemorrhagic complications; major/minor bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) as well as ischemic complications including ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and 30 day mortality. Results A total of four studies were included enrolling 7,784 patients. Compared to UFH, Bivalirudin was associated with significantly lower major bleeding events with a relative risk (RR) of 0.53 (95% CI: 0.35–0.80; I2 = 0%). Minor bleeding events were significantly lower in the Bivalirudin group with a RR of 0.41 (95% CI: 0.2–0.82; I2 = 0%). Looking into other outcomes, there were no significant differences between anticoagulation strategies in terms of ischemic stroke (RR 0.8, with 95% CI: 0.60–1.06), intracranial hemorrhage (RR 0.73 with 95% CI: 0.27–1.98), myocardial infarction (RR 1.01 with 95% CI: 0.59–1.73) or 30 day mortality (RR 0.83 with 95% CI: 0.47–1.47). Conclusion Compared to UFH, Bivalirudin is associated with lower bleeding risk when used during CAS. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Introduction Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is currently considered a class I indication for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis and high/prohibitive surgical risk. Aim We describe the effect of concomitant mitral valve regurgitation (MR) on post-procedural TAVR outcomes. Material and methods The study population was extracted from the 2014 National Readmissions Data (NRD) using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes for TAVR, MR and post-procedural outcomes. Propensity matching was used to extract a control group of TAVR patients without MR (TAVR-C) to the TAVR with concomitant MR group (TAVR-MR). Study outcomes included in-hospital all-cause mortality, in-hospital post-procedural stroke, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), bleeding, mechanical complications of prosthetic valve, vascular complications (VC), need for new permanent pacemaker implantation (PPM) and 30-day readmission rates. Results A total of 1511 patients were identified in each group (mean age: 81.7 years, 49.3% male); the two groups were comparable in terms of baseline characteristics and co-morbidities. When compared to TAVR-C, TAVR-MR was associated with lower post-procedural stroke (3.5% vs. 5.2%, p = 0.03). There was no significant difference between groups in terms of all-cause mortality (4.1% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.59), AMI (3.2% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.59), bleeding (33.4% vs. 35.6%, p = 0.19), mechanical complications of prosthetic valve (2.5% vs. 1.9%, p = 0.31), VC (3.2% vs. 4.4%, p = 0.06), the need for PPM (7.9% vs. 9.1%, p = 0.21) or 30-day readmission rates (19.0% vs. 19.1%, p = 0.95). Conclusions TAVR-MR was associated with lower post-procedural stroke but comparable other in-hospital outcomes and 30-day readmission rates to TAVR-C.

Background A number of studies suggest that bivalirudin (BIV) is associated with similar efficacy but reduced bleeding when compared with unfractionated heparin (UFH) in patients undergoing peripheral vascular interventions (PVI). Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted with the electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL. These were queried to identify studies comparing BIV with UFH in PVI. Study endpoints included total bleeding events, major and minor bleeding events and procedural success. Random-effects meta-analysis method was used to pool endpoint odds ratios (OR) for both UFH and BIV with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results A total of 12,335 patients (70.6 years; 59.7% male) were included from seven observational cohort studies (two prospective and five retrospective) comparing outcomes between BIV and UFH during PVI between January 2000 and May 2017. Compared with BIV, UFH was associated with significantly higher total bleeding, (OR 1.52 with 95% CI 1.11 to 2.09, p = 0.009), major bleeding (OR 1.38 with 95% CI 1.13 to 1.68, p = 0.002), and minor bleeding (OR 1.51 with 95% CI 1.09 to 2.08, p = 0.01). Procedural success rates were not different between the two groups (BIV vs HEP: OR 0.90 with 95% CI 0.49 to 1.64, p = 0.72) Conclusion Compared with BIV, UFH was associated with more bleeding when used during PVI. There was no significant difference in procedural success between the two anticoagulation strategies.

Background: A number of small studies have suggested that outcomes following endovascular (ENDO) therapy are comparable to those following surgical (SURG) revascularization for patients presenting with acute limb ischemia (ALI). We sought to compare mortality, limb amputation and recurrent ischemia across both revascularization strategies. Methods: A comprehensive database search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) electronic databases from January 1990 through January 2016 was performed to identify studies of ENDO versus SURG for ALI. Two independent reviewers selected studies and extracted the data. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool results across studies. Heterogeneity of treatment effect among trials was assessed using the I 2 statistics. The primary endpoints were mortality and limb amputation at 1 month, 6 and 12 months. Secondary endpoint was recurrent ischemia at one year. Results: A total of 1,773 patients were included from six studies (five randomized prospective and one observational retrospective) comparing ENDO and SURG in the setting of ALI. The mean age was 67 years and 65% of patients were male. There were no differences in mortality between the two groups at 1 month [risk ratio (RR) for ENDO vs . SURG is 0.70; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.33 to 1.50], 6 months (RR 1.12; CI, 0.78 to 1.61) or 12 months (RR 0.74; CI, 0.29 to 1.85). Similarly, there was no significant difference in amputation rates between ENDO and SURG at 1 month (RR 0.75; CI, 0.40 to 1.42), 6 months (RR 0.87; CI, 0.52 to 1.48) or 12 months (RR 0.81; CI, 0.55 to 1.18). When looking into secondary outcomes, recurrent ischemia was not different between the two groups (RR 1.12; CI, 0.75 to 1.67). Conclusions: In patients presenting with ALI (

Objectives To compare outcomes of fractional flow reserve (FFR) to angiography (ANGIO) guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Background The results of a recent randomized controlled trial reported unfavorable effects of routine measurement of FFR, thereby questioning its validity in improving clinical outcomes. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were queried from January, 2000 through December, 2016 and studies comparing FFR and ANGIO guided PCI were included. Clinical endpoints assessed during hospitalization and at follow-up (>9 months) included: myocardial infarction (MI), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and all-cause mortality. Additional endpoints included number of PCIs performed, procedure cost, procedure time, contrast volume, and fluoroscopy time. Results A total of 51,350 patients (age 65 years, 73% male) were included from 11 studies. The use of FFR was associated with significantly lower likelihood of MI during hospitalization (OR 0.54, 95% CI: 0.39 to 0.75, P = 0.0003) and at follow-up (OR 0.53, 95% CI: 0.40 to 0.70, P = 0.00001). Similarly, FFR-PCI was associated with lower in-hospital MACE (OR 0.51, 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.70, P = 0.0001) and follow-up MACE (OR 0.63, 95% CI: 0.47 to 0.86, P = 0.004). In-hospital TLR was lower in the FFR-PCI group (OR 0.62, 95% CI: 0.40 to 0.97, P = 0.04), but not at follow-up (OR 0.83, 95% CI: 0.50 to 1.37, P = 0.46). There was no difference of in-hospital (OR 0.58, 95% CI: 0.31 to 1.09, P = 0.09) or follow-up all-cause mortality (OR 0.84, 95%CI: 0.59 to 1.20, P = 0.34). FFR-PCI was associated with significantly less PCI (OR 0.04, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.15, P = 0.00001) with lower procedure cost (Mean Difference −4.27, 95% CI: −6.61 to −1.92, P = 0.0004). However, no difference in procedure time (Mean Difference 0.79, 95% CI: −2.41 to 3.99, P = 0.63), contrast use (Mean Difference −8.28, 95% CI: −24.25 to 7.68, P = 0.31) or fluoroscopy time (Mean Difference 0.38, 95% CI: −2.54 to 3.31, P = 0.80) was observed. Conclusions FFR-PCI as compared to ANGIO-PCI is associated with lower in-hospital and follow-up MI and MACE rates. Although, in-hospital TLR was lower in the FFR-PCI group, this benefit was not present after 9 months. FFR-PCI group was also associated with less PCI and lower procedure costs with no effect on procedure time, contrast volume or fluoroscopy time.

Chronic pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common, but overlooked, condition in the general population and in patients being evaluated for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The impact of PH on TAVR procedural or in-hospital outcomes is unknown. The study population was extracted from the

Objective Transcatether aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has emerged as an acceptable alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with high-risk surgical profile. In this analysis, we compare both approaches in non-high surgical risk severe aortic stenosis. Methods Only studies comparing SAVR and TAVR and enrolling patients with low-intermediate risk were included from January 2000 through May 2016. Primary endpoints were assessed at 1 and 12 months including: mortality, cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and myocardial infarction (MI). Secondary endpoints at 1 month included: bleeding, acute kidney injury, new permanent pacemaker implantation and vascular access site complications. Results A total of 5223 patients from 8 studies were included (4 prospective and 4 retrospective). There were no significant differences between TAVR and SAVR at one month in terms of mortality (risk ratio RR 0.91, 95% CI: 0.68 to 1.20), or CVA (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.21). However, MI was lower in the TAVR group (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.99). At 12 months, there was no significant difference between strategies in terms of mortality (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.84–1.13), CVA (RR1.07, 95% CI 0.85–1.33) or MI (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.53–1.15). With regard to secondary outcomes, TAVR was associated with lower rates of bleeding (RR 0.44, 95% CI 0.22–0.88) and acute kidney injury (RR 0.54, 95% CI 0.31–0.93) but higher need for new permanent pacemaker implantation (RR 2.99, 95% CI 1.51–5.94) and high rate of vascular access site complications (RR 9.08, 95% CI 2.03–40.66). Conclusion In severe AS patients with non-high surgical risk, TAVR has lower risk of MI at one month, but both TAVR and SAVR yielded similar outcomes at one month in terms of mortality and CVA and at 12 months in terms of mortality, CVA and MI. In regard to secondary outcomes at one month, TAVR has lower rates of bleeding and acute kidney injury, and higher rates of need for new permanent pacemakers and high rate of vascular access site complications.

There is little known about the outcomes of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with underlying hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCMP). The study population was extracted from the National Readmissions Data (NRD) 2014 using International Classification of Diseases, ninth edition, clinical

Contemporary short and long term outcomes of atherectomy for the treatment of infrainguinal atherosclerotic lesions are not well characterized. In this study we aim to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of atherectomy in patients with advanced peripheral arterial disease. MEDLINE, EMBASE and

Atherectomy (ATHRO) role for treatment of symptomatic infrainguinal arterial lesions is controversial. In this study, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of atherectomy-assisted endovascular interventions in comparison with percutaneous angioplasty (PTA). Medline, PubMed and the

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) outcomes have recently emerged as an alternative therapy for moderate to high surgical risk patients with aortic stenosis. In this study we describe the effect of concomitant mitral valve regurgitation (MR) on TAVR periprocedural outcomes. The study

Stroke is an important complication of transcatheter replacement of aortic valve (TAVR). Carotid artery stenosis (CAS) represents a major risk factor of cerebrovascular disease. In this study we evaluate the outcomes associated with CAS in patients undergoing TAVR. The study population was

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has emerged as an alternative therapy for moderate to severe aortic stenosis. It is unknown if prior history of coronary artery bypass surgery has influence on procedural characteristics or hospital outcomes in patients undergoing TAVR. Study population

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) plays an important role in patients evaluated for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We conducted this study to evaluate PVD patients undergoing TAVR procedure. Study population was extracted from the National Readmission Data (NRD) 2014 using

Transcatether aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has emerged as an acceptable alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with high-risk surgical profile. In this analysis, we compare both approaches in patients with non-high surgical risk. MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane

In this review, we discuss the physiology, diagnosis and treatment of dyslipidemia in patients with chronic and end-stage renal disease. The recent important clinical trials in patients with chronic kidney disease and dyslipidemia are reviewed. Because of the lack of evidence in treating lipid abnormalities in this specific patient population, we propose that future studies should focus on the pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment of dyslipidemia in this special patient population.

In their broad spectrum, cardiovascular diseases are, collectively, the major cause of death in patients on dialysis. The population of patients treated with peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis are not only subject to the traditional risk factors for heart disease, but also to certain uremia-associated risk factors that are unique in this population. In the dialysis population, data regarding the effectiveness of routine pharmacologic and procedural interventions on cardiovascular outcomes are limited. Most dialysis patients are excluded from clinical trials, and so data from randomized controlled trials investigating outcomes in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis are almost absent. In this review, we discuss some of the major cardiovascular problems in the dialysis population, the impact of those problems on survival, and when data are available, the impact of therapeutic strategies.

The mind-body interaction has always intrigued humans. Most people, on the basis of either intuition or personal experience, believe that emotional stress can cause or alter the course of even major physical diseases. Sir William Osler described his typical patient with angina pectoris as 'a man whose engine is always set full speed ahead' and described his patients with cardiac disease as 'worriers'. In recent years there has been tangible evidence for the existence of this interaction however modern medicine is still trying to unravel its intricacies. In this article we review the current knowledge regarding the effect of depression, anxiety disorders and the detrimental effect it has on coronary heart disease. In addition we discuss some of the proven acute psychological triggers for acute coronary syndrome.

Carotid stenting (CAS) is typically performed using embolic protection devices (EPDs) as a means to reduce procedure-related stroke. In this study, we compared procedural complications, morbidity and mortality across two different strategies: distal (D-EPD) and proximal (P-EPD) protection. MEDLINE