8 September 2010

Editorial: Is the management of atrial fibrillation changing?
By: Paulus Kirchhof and Günter Breithardt
The socioeconomic and cardiovascular impact of AF is substantial: at least every fifth stroke is due to AF, and its presence increases death rates in the general population and in patients with cardiovascular diseases. But therapies are changing in response to these burdens. In this editorial, Paulus Kirchhof and Günter Breithardt review the promise on the horizon.

24 August 2010

Editorial: REAL/ZEST-LATE: dual platelet therapy essential for early treatment of acute coronary syndrome but questionable in the long-term
By: Freek W.A. Verheugt
Dual antiplatelet therapy is the cornerstone of the treatment of acute coronary syndromes with or without stent implantation, but what is the optimal duration of this therapy? Freek Verheugt discusses long-awaited data from two randomized studies – REAL-LATE and ZEST-LATE – that go some way to answering this question.

10 August 2010

Editorial: RE-LY: Dabigatran treatment of atrial fibrillation promising in the prevention of stroke
By: A. John Camm
RE-LY showed conclusively that treatment with dabigatran significantly reduces stroke risk in comparison with warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation and at least one risk factor. John Camm presents the data and discusses the implications of this landmark study.