Congress Reports

CAS with proximal protection feasible in octogenarians
Carotid artery stenting with proximal protection is associated with acceptable complication rates in patients aged 80 years or older, research suggests.

Compliance with statin therapy cuts hospitalization, costs
Treatment compliance in the first 2 years of statin therapy is associated with reduced hospitalization rates and medical costs, a US study indicates.

BMI not linked with LDL cholesterol level
Body mass index correlates with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides but not with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, a case–control study has found.

Iliac vein thrombosis trials hampered by eligibility criteria
US researchers have highlighted the difficulty in establishing the optimal treatment for patients with iliac vein thrombosis in a report published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

Digoxin linked to increased mortality in end stage renal disease
Digoxin use by patients on hemodialysis is associated with an increased risk for mortality which is amplified by high serum digoxin and low pre-dialysis blood potassium levels, a US study reports.

Early menopause linked to raised CVD risk
Women who experience menopause before the age of 46 may have twice the risk for heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular disease events later in life as those who experience menopause later, a US study suggests.

Exenatide extended-release shows good safety profile for Type 2 diabetes
Exenatide provided once a week as an extended-release injectable suspension appears to be as well tolerated as the currently available twice-daily exenatide, and may even provide better tolerability due to a lower incidence of gastrointestinal events and low rate of nausea, study findings show.

Early severe hypoglycemia in Type 1 diabetes linked to reduced cognition in adulthood
Results from a small, 16-year follow-up study indicate that exposure to early severe hypoglycemia in children with Type 1 diabetes can lead to significant cognitive deficits in adult life.

Short-term mortality risk concerns raised for PE early discharge regimen
Research published in the journal Thrombosis Research has cast doubt on the safety of early discharge for low-risk pulmonary embolism patients after a study was ended early due to an unexpectedly high short-term mortality rate.

Response to plant sterol therapy influenced by cholesterol synthesis
High basal levels of cholesterol synthesis predict a reduced response to treatment with plant sterols, research shows.

High-dose plant stanols produce impressive LDL reductions
Daily consumption of high doses of plant stanols produces clinically relevant reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, a study in mildly hypercholesterolemic individuals shows.

TCD findings could aid TIA risk stratification
Transient ischemic attack patients with intracranial narrowing or occlusion on transcranial Doppler are at high risk for recurrent vascular events, say French researchers.

Long-term outcomes similar with DES and CABG treatment of left main disease
Percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents in patients with unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis is associated with similar rates of long term adverse outcomes as with coronary artery bypass graft surgery, a study suggests.

Carotid ultrasound effective screening tool for CAD
Carotid ultrasound with intima media thickness measurement is an effective alternative to coronary angiography for excluding an ischemic cause of left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease, report US researchers.

Hypoglycemia linked to acute cardiovascular events and inpatient mortality
Hypoglycemia may increase the risk for acute cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes and also the risk for inpatient mortality in hospitalized patients treated with insulin, irrespective of whether or not they have diabetes, researchers have reported.

Saxagliptin plus metformin superior to monotherapy for Type 2 diabetes
Giving patients with Type 2 diabetes a combination of the selective dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor saxagliptin and metformin early, rather than waiting until one drug fails, gives superior long-term glycemic improvements compared with either monotherapy alone, research suggests.

Hyperglycemia effect on tPA outcomes unclear
It remains unclear to what extent hyperglycemia effects outcomes of patients receiving tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke, say US researchers.

Clinical ICD shocks, not induced shocks, herald poor prognosis
Implantable cardioverter–defibrillator shocks are associated with an increased risk for mortality and morbidity only if they are delivered for clinical rather than induced arrhythmias, say US researchers.

Coronary microvascular reactivity aids prediction of adverse ischemia outcomes
In women with suspected ischemia, coronary microvascular reactivity to adenosine better predicts major adverse outcomes, compared with angiographic assessment of coronary artery disease severity and CAD risk factor assessment, researchers suggest.

Menopause transition causes lipid disruption
The menopausal transition, but not the menopause per se, is associated with changes in lipid levels, shows a study in Chinese women.

Home care feasible for almost half of PE patients
Almost half of pulmonary embolism patients can be treated outside of hospital, say Dutch researchers who selected individuals for home care on the basis of their N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide level.

Vascular risk rises with CRP level
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein level is a strong predictor of cardiovascular events in patients at high vascular risk, shows an analysis of the JUPITER trial.

Diabetes assessment tool may have depressive screening value
Brazilian researchers say an assessment tool that measures quality of life related to diabetes can be valuable for screening depressive symptoms.