REFERENCE: Abstract: 3770
THORSTEN DILL, Kerckhoff-Klinik, Bad Nauheim
Progenitor cells from bone marrow, infused directly into coronary arteries of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction, have improved left ventricular function, reduced adverse cardiac remodeling and brought clinical benefits. These findings, measured by magnetic resonance imaging, come from a sub-study of the German REPAIR-AMI trial presented to the AHA sessions by Thorsten Dill. He answered questions from Peter Goodwin.

REFERENCE: Abstract: 3445
SIMON HOERSTRUP, University Hospital, Zurich
Congenital heart malformations may soon be repaired by tissue-engineered valves, bio-engineered from stem cells and implanted into newborn babies. At the AHA sessions Simon Hoerstrup showed images of autologous human living heart valves formed by growing fetal amniotic stem cells on bio-degradable polymer scaffolds. He told Sarah Maxwell about their progress so far.

Abstracts 3294 to 3303 AHA Oral Session, Wednesday
HARVEY WHITE, Green Lane Hospital, Auckland
Anti-thrombin therapies for patients with acute coronary syndromes were the subject of a session covering such new agents as fondaparinux and bivalirudin, and discussing therapy with heparins, aspirin, clopidogrel and glycoprotein 2b3a inhibitors. Harvey White co-chaired the session and told Peter Goodwin what he thought were some of the key clinical implications emerging.

REFERENCE: LBCT II News Conference November 14th 2006
JUDITH HOCHMAN, New York University School of Medicine
COMMENT: TIMOTHY GARDNER, Christiana Care, Delaware
Opening a patient’s occluded artery between 3-28 days after a myocardial infarction does not improve outcome. Judith Hochman presented surprising data from the Occluded Artery Trial (OAT) that showed the addition of PCI to optimal medical treatment was no better than medical therapy alone. Sarah Maxwell heard more from her at the American Heart Association meeting in Chicago.

REFERENCE: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Chicago, November 12-15, 2006. Abstract 3074: Poster C239 Tuesday
GIRISH MOOD, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio
Aggressive statin therapy is recommended for patients receiving elective percutaneous intervention according to researchers at the Cleveland Clinic. At the AHA Sessions in Chicago Girish Mood told Peter Goodwin about the meta analysis they’ve done which endorses intense use of statins.

American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2006 November 12-15th Chicago, Illinois. Abstract: 3073: Poster C 238, Tuesday
MARC COHEN, Mt Sinai School of Medicine, Newark NJ
A simple score to predict bleeding risk among patients having elective angioplasty has come out of the international STEEPLE Trial looking at 3500 patients. Marc Cohen told Peter Goodwin at the AHA Sessions about the three factors which have emerged as risks: female gender, the choice of heparin, and the use of glycoprotein 2b3a inhibition.

REFERENCE: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Chicago, November 12-15, 2006. Abstract: 2225
JOSEPH MUHLESTEIN, University of Utah , Salt Lake City
Extended follow up of 11 000 patients who received drug eluting stents outside the context of clinical trials (in the “real world”) has found an increase in deaths, especially caused by complications in “non-target lesions” – coronary vessels or segments of a vessels which were not the target of the original angioplasty. Joseph Muhlestein told the AHA meeting this seems to be a real consequence of the drug eluting stents and not just the result of selection.

REFERENCE: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Chicago, November 12-15, 2006. Abstract: 3236; 2225; 2498
SIDNEY SMITH, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Comments on the new findings about drug eluting stents were made during the AHA meeting by Sidney Smith who also gave conference delegates an update on the latest AHA thinking about stent guidelines and also latest recommendations for antiplatelet therapy following angioplasty.

American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2006 November 12-15th Chicago, Illinois. Abstract: 2498
JOOST DAEMEN, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam
Do drug-eluting stents remain superior to bare metal stents after three years follow-up? No, according to Joost Daemen and his group from Rotterdam who told the AHA that both sirolimus and paclitaxel eluting stents don’t bring better long-term outcomes for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. At the AHA conference he discussed his findings with Sarah Maxwell.

REFERENCE: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Chicago, November 12-15, 2006. Abstract: Late Breaking Trials I, Monday 13th November
THEODORE MAZZONE, University of Illinois, Chicago
The choice of drug for achieving glycemic control in type 2 diabetes has been shown to influence cardiovascular risk as measured by carotid intima thickening. In a study reported to the AHA conference Theodore Mazzone presented results comparing pioglitazone with glimepiride. After his talk in Chicago he discussed his findings with Peter Goodwin.

REFERENCE: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Chicago, November 12-15, 2006. Abstract: Lancet Online 13th November, 2006, Late Breaking Clinical Trials I: Monday 13th November
TIMOTHY GARDNER, Christiana Care, Delaware
Timothy Gardner, Program Chair of the American Heart Association Sessions commented on the presentations of Theodore Mazzone and Chris Cannon.

American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2006 November 12-15th Chicago, Illinois. Abstract: LB I
CHRISTOPHER CANNON, Brigham And Women’s Hospital, Boston
One of the Cox-2 inhibitor family of drugs for arthritis – etoricoxib – may have proved itself to affect cardiovascular risks no more than the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac. This was announced at the AHA Sessions in Chicago and has been simultaneously published in the Lancet. Christopher Cannon told Sarah Maxwell about his group’s findings in the MEDAL study.

REFERENCE: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Chicago, November 12-15, 2006. Abstract 1948 (C 206) Page: 236, Sunday 12th
OSCAR C MARROQUIN, University of Pittsburgh
Although drug eluting stents reduce the need for repeat revascularization, the timing of stent failure is less predictable than with bare metal stents. This is the finding of a study using data from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Dynamic Registry. Oscar Marroquin told the Chicago conference about the comparison his group has made between different waves of patients having angioplasty before and after the adoption of drug eluting stents.

REFERENCE: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Chicago, November 12-15, 2006. Abstract: 1949 (C207) Sunday page: 236
SANJAY KAUL, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
A strategy of unconditional substitution of bare metal with drug eluting stents is not cost-worthy, according to a study from Sanjay Kaul who recommended to delegates at the AHA conference that more selective use of drug eluting stents should be applied in the cath lab.

REFERENCE: American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Chicago, November 12-15, 2006. Abstract 1957 C215 Sunday page 236
JOSEPH SWEENY, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York
The superiority of drug-eluting over bare metal stents has been confirmed among heart transplant patients, but the benefit does not seem to be as great as has been hoped. Joseph Sweeny told AHA delegates what his group found from their study and what the implications might be.

American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2006 November 12-15th Chicago, Illinois. Abstract: 2013 Page 242 Sunday Oral Session
MAXIMO RIVERO-AYERZA, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Don’t under-estimate new onset atrial fibrillation in your patients admitted with heart failure: so said Maximo Rivero-Ayerza, who’s found a significant contribution of AF to subsequent mortality.