Acute Coronary Syndromes

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is most commonly caused by a heart attack (myocardial infarction) where blood flow to the heart is suddenly blocked. This is usually caused by a blood clot from a ruptured coronary artery atherosclerotic plaque. Other causes include spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), which most commonly occurs in women. ACS is usually treated in a cath lab with angioplasty and the placement of a stent to prop the vessel open.

Primary prevention guideline downgrades aspirin, highlights social determinants

NEW ORLEANS — Described by its authors as “a one-stop shop” for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, a new guideline released March 17 by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) runs the gamut from smoking cessation strategies to specific recommendations for treating cholesterol based on a patient’s 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

March 17, 2019

Switch to daylight saving time linked to spike in heart attacks

As people around the country struggle to catch up on sleep after “springing forward” an hour, a Washington Post story reminds us of the health risks associated with adjusting our clocks, including an increased incidence of heart attacks.

March 11, 2019
Blood test

Longitudinal C-reactive protein elevations linked to adverse outcomes after ACS

Both initial and serial increases in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) concentrations are independently predictive of cardiac events following acute coronary syndrome (ACS), according to a new study in JAMA Cardiology.

March 8, 2019

Heart attacks growing more common among people in their 20s and 30s

The proportion of heart attack patients who are 40 or younger has steadily increased over the last decade, according to research set to be presented March 17 at the American College of Cardiology’s scientific sessions in New Orleans.

March 8, 2019

Women receive slower, less effective STEMI care than men

Women are more likely to call ambulances for male relatives like brothers, sons and husbands with suspected MIs than they are to call an ambulance for themselves, according to research presented March 3 at the European Society of Cardiology’s Acute Cardiovascular Care 2019 congress in Malaga, Spain.

March 4, 2019

Poor post-PCI TIMI flow grades linked to excess mortality in women with STEMI

Delay to hospital presentation and suboptimal post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) TIMI flow grades are both independently associated with excess mortality in women who suffer ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), according to a study that sought to better define the disproportionate sex gap in STEMI mortality.

March 4, 2019

DAPT with rivaroxaban improves post-ACS outcomes

The addition of rivaroxaban to aspirin monotherapy reduces the risk of atherothrombotic events in patients who have experienced an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but it can also increase those patients’ bleeding risk, according to a study published Feb. 28 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

March 1, 2019

Coordinated follow-up program reduces readmissions, deaths for heart attack patients

A systematic approach to transitioning heart attack patients from the hospital to outpatient care helped the Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina, drop its 30-day readmission and death rates while increasing the likelihood of patients making and keeping follow-up appointments.

February 28, 2019

Around the web

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

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