Investigators report that the limited restenoses that did result occurred in side branches, a problem more common with the crush technique, and that culotte bifurcation stenting resulted in a single-digit restenosis rate, suggesting it might be preferred in suitable anatomy. Heartwire
Plagued by controversy and attracting the watchful eye of congressional committees in the US, ENHANCE stepped into the spotlight at the American College of Cardiology 2008 Scientific Sessions. Not surprisingly, there was no shortage of opinions about what the results mean to clinical practice. Heartwire
In the era of a high loading dose of clopidogrel prior to primary angioplasty for acute ST-elevation MI, GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors are no longer needed, results of the BRAVE-3 study suggest. Heartwire
High-dose tirofiban was "noninferior" to abciximab in terms of resolution of ST-segment elevation at 90 minutes, and sirolimus-eluting stents appeared safe and reduced revascularizations in this 2x2 factorial study in STEMI patients. Heartwire
Thrombus aspiration prior to acute-MI stenting improved both reperfusion and survival at one year--supporting myocardial "blush" as a prognosticator and the thrombus aspiration plus PCI as a routine treatment strategy, investigators say. Heartwire
The study, presented at an ACC satellite session, combined all known randomized trials and registry studies of Cypher and Taxus drug-eluting stents vs bare-metal stents and suggests that DES are just as safe as bare-metal stents, even when used off label and in the "real world." Heartwire
Patients who have had an ischemic stroke are at high risk for VTE. These cases will highlight key factors in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of VTE in post-stroke patients. Medscape Neurology & Neurosurgery
The START trial, a multicenter phase 3 randomized controlled study, reports that new dosing schedules can be considered after surgery. Medscape Medical News
Randomized trial results show that antihypertensive treatment with indapamide, with or without the addition of perindopril, reduced fatal stroke, all-cause mortality, and heart failure in patients 80 years of age and older, although the primary end point, fatal or nonfatal stroke, did not reach statistical significance. The trial was halted early because of the reduction in all-cause mortality. Medscape Medical News
The angiotensin receptor blocker was "noninferior" to the ACE inhibitor in this HOPE-like population, but the combination of the two drugs was associated with more adverse events without an increase in benefit. Heartwire
