Cardiac CTA parameters predict post-transcatheter aortic valve replacement mortality

According to a new article in the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR), cardiac CTA-derived left atrium emptying fraction (LAEF) improves predictive performance of established clinical risk scores and may be used to assess patients’ risk during pre-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) workup and postprocedural surveillance. “LAEF derived from preprocedural cardiac CTA independently predicts mortality in […]

Discharge to survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest lower for women

(HealthDay)—For patients successfully resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, discharge to survival is significantly lower among women, according to a study published in the Feb. 16 issue of Circulation. Purav Mody, M.D., from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and colleagues examined the association between gender and survival among patients successfully resuscitated from […]

Exercise-based cardiac rehab added to stroke recovery improved strength, cardiac endurance

Stroke survivors who completed a cardiac rehabilitation program focused on aerobic exercise, currently not prescribed to stroke survivors, significantly improved their ability to transition from sitting to standing, and how far they could walk during a six-minute walking test, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Cardiac rehabilitation […]

Deep chest compressions prevent brain damage during cardiac arrest

Deep chest compressions can crack ribs, but they reduce brain damage during cardiac arrest, reports a study presented today at ESC Congress 2020. Study author Dr. Irene Marco Clement of University Hospital La Paz, Madrid, Spain said: “Deep chest compressions improve blood flow to the brain, improving survival and brain function.” CPR guidelines are updated […]

Study finds male-female cardiac repair differences in heart failure survival post-MI

The short-term acute inflammatory response triggered to mend injured cardiac tissue following a heart attack can lead to weakening of the heart’s pumping function if the inflammation remains active over the long-term. Heart failure associated with this unresolved chronic cardiac inflammation has become a leading cause of death in the U.S. and worldwide, yet little […]

Guidance developed for treating cardiac arrest during COVID-19

(HealthDay)—In a document entitled “Interim Guidance for Basic and Advanced Life Support in Adults, Children, and Neonates With Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19,” published online April 9 in Circulation, recommendations are presented for treating victims of cardiac arrest during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Dana P. Edelson, M.D., from the University of Chicago, and colleagues […]