European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2018

Legacy of BP, lipid lowering: Long-term survival benefit

Pearl Toh, 20180920190010

The survival benefits conferred by blood pressure (BP) and lipid-lowering medications persist even after more than a decade following the end of the original trial, according to results from the ASCOT* Legacy study.

Late initiation of oral anticoagulants common after AF diagnosis

Christina Lau, 20180913074355

In patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF), late initiation of oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy is common and is associated with a significantly increased risk of stroke, according to a study led by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

Very early invasive care not superior to standard approach in NSTE-ACS

Christina Lau, 20180910071733

Very early invasive coronary angiography within 12 hours does not significantly improve long-term outcomes of patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) compared with the standard strategy of evaluation within 48–72 hours, according to results of the VERDICT trial reported at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2018.

Switch to oral antibiotics effective and safe in stable left-sided infective endocarditis

Christina Lau, 20180907101510

In patients with left-sided infective endocarditis in stable condition, switching to oral antibiotics is as effective and safe as continued treatment with intravenous (IV) antibiotics, according to results of the POET trial reported at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2018.

Extended rivaroxaban cuts post-discharge VTE, but not mortality, in medically ill patients

Christina Lau, 20180907033737

Treatment with rivaroxaban for 45 days after hospital discharge reduces symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE), but not VTE-related mortality, in medically ill patients, results of the MARINER trial have shown.

Extended ticagrelor monotherapy after PCI not superior to standard DAPT

Christina Lau, 20180906032848

Extending ticagrelor therapy to 2 years with aspirin given for only 1 month after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not superior to standard treatment, according to results of the GLOBAL LEADERS trial reported at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2018.

High-sensitivity troponin assay does not improve outcomes for MI patients

Dr. Joseph Delano Fule Robles, 20180904070715

The use of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays was not associated with a lower subsequent incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) or cardiovascular death at 1 year, according to results of the High-STEACS trial reported at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2018.

New ESC/ESH hypertension guidelines recommend 2-in-1 combo pill as initial therapy

Christina Lau, 20180903100548

The new 2018 European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Society of Hypertension (ESH) guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension recommend starting treatment for most patients with a two-in-one pill containing an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) in combination with a calcium channel blocker (CCB) or diuretic.

Percutaneous mitral-valve repair appears futile

Jackey Suen, 20180903015446

Percutaneous mitral-valve repair with MitraClip failed to improve clinical outcomes in chronic heart failure (HF) patients with severe secondary mitral regurgitation, according to the MITRA-FR study presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2018.

Aspirin failed in primary CV prevention trials

Christina Lau, 20180831040113

Daily low-dose aspirin is not beneficial for primary prevention of cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with diabetes or moderate CV risk, according to results of the ASCEND and ARRIVE trials reported at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2018.