Cardiophile MD

AEDs are automatic external defibrillators which give instructions to the lay operators and can be used by the lay public for resuscitating a person in cardiac arrest. AEDs are kept in public places where large number of people arrive as in airports. Japan is a country with nation wide access to AEDs. A recent study [...]

The RESPOND Study by Gurbel PA et al has found that ticagrelor is useful in clopidogrel non-responders. Clopidogrel non-responders were identified by light transmittance aggregometry after a 300 mg clopidogrel loading dose. All were patients with stable coronary artery disease on aspirin therapy. 41 non-responders and 57 responders were were evaluated in a 2-way crossover [...]

Lustgarten DL et al evaluated the efficacy of direct His bundle pacing vis-a-vis biventricular pacing (Heart Rhythm 7:15-12). All the ten subjects of the study were candidates for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Direct His bundle pacing (DHBP) was temporarily implemented just prior to biventricular (BiV) pacing in those who were being taken up for cardiac [...]

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM 361:2518-2528) used a novel gene chip containing 48742 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 2100 genes to test for associations in about 6500 persons [controls and those with coronary artery disease (CAD)]. It was found that three chormosomal regions (6q26–27, 9p21, and 1p13) were [...]

The INvestigation of STEnt Grafts in Aortic Dissection (INSTEAD) Trial, (Circulation. 2009;120:2519-2528) a randomized comparison of strategies for Type B aortic dissection found that thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) failed to improve 2-year survival and adverse event rates in spite of favorable aortic remodeling. An accompanying editorial in Circulation, while commenting that this trial [...]