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Audio Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine 12.1, January 2006

Reporting from:
American Heart Association Annual Scientific Sessions November 13-16, 2005, Dallas
Scientific Editors:
Michael Petch, Papworth Hospital, Cambridge
Man Fai Shiu, Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry
James Tcheng, Duke University, Durham
Harvey White, Green Lane Hospital, Auckland
Producer: Derek Thorne

In this edition:

Bryan Williams told American Heart Association attendees that measuring blood pressure with a cuff around the arm does not always give a clear picture of what’s happening in the aorta. The CAFE study found that central pressure can differ according to which agent is used, even though various drugs may give the same brachial blood pressure.

Withholding the use of abciximab infusion following stenting may cause no harm, provided the usual bolus administration of the drug has been used, according to Olivier Bertrand, who gave results of the EASY study at the Dallas meeting.

Lytics should not be given before primary PCI: so said Frans Van de Werf, who reported near-complete data from the ASSENT-4-PCI trial.

And in the real world, too, primary angioplasty is suprior to the use of lytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction except in cases where treatment is applied withing two hours - at which stage both approaches are equivalent. This was the finding from a study of 21 000 patients discussed by Ulf Stenestrand at the Dallas conference of the AHA.

Drug-eluting stents: bring no benefit in saphenous vein grafts, according to Jeff Trost. He made this conclusion from a registry analysis presented to the American Heart Association conference.

Milton Packer, University of Texas, Dallas

In the REVIVE trial the inotropic agent levosimendan has improved short-term outcome in acutely decompensated heart failure. Milton Packer from the University of Texas.

COMMENT: Gordon Tomaselli, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore

Bryan Williams, Leicester University

Measuring blood pressure with a cuff around the arm does not always give a clear picture of what’s happening in the aorta. The CAFE study found differences in aortic pressure lowering between regimens based on beta blockers as compared with calcium antagonists, but no differences in brachial pressure. Leicester University’s Bryan Williams told the AHA.

Volker Schächinger, University of Frankfurt

Regeneration of the heart has been achieved by using bone-marrow derived stem cells after myocardial infarction among 200 patients.

Olivier Bertrand, Hôpital Laval, Quebec

The use of abciximab perfusion after stenting was questioned at the American Heart Association meeting in Dallas. The EASY study found bolus administration of glycoprotein 2B3A inhibition was sufficient and gives the possibility of sending patients home early.

Fr