Peter Wilmshurst, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
Late Breaking Study, ACC Annual Sessions with the i2 Summit 2006 Meeting, March, Atlanta
A new study looking at patent foramen ovale, or PFO, closure using a trans-catheter device has raised hopes that migraine attacks could be reduced or avoided by this procedure. Peter Wilmshurst told Audio Medica about findings from the MIST trial reported at the i2 Summit 2006 – part of the ACC Scientific Session in Atlanta.

Vivek Rajagopal, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH
American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session March 11-14, 2006, Atlanta. Abstract Number: 973-234
Patients admitted with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction should not routinely be given blood transfusions according to the findings of a study released at the ACC meeting in Atlanta. Vivek Rajagopal has found an association with higher levels of morbidity and mortality among patients transfused which could possibly be caused by the transfusions themselves and not just because sicker patients are being transfused. He explained his study findings to Sarah Maxwell.

Matthias Pfisterer, University Hospital Basel
American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session March 11-14, 2006, Atlanta. Abstract Number: 422-11. Lancet 2005:366:921
Clopidogrel therapy may need to be prolonged among patients treated with angioplasty plus drug eluting stent implantation as compared with those getting bare metal stents. That’s the outcome of the BASKET (Basel Stent Cost Effectiveness Trials) study announced at the American College of Cardiology conference in Atlanta. Sarah Maxwell heard results from Matthias Pfisterer from Basel.

Anthony Bavry, The Cleveland ClinIc, OH
American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session March 11-14, 2006, Atlanta. Abstract Number: 821-5
All cause mortality can be reduced by 25 per cent if you give your acute coronary syndrome patients early aggressive statin therapy in addition to the usual medications. That’s according to a meta-analysis of smaller studies comparing early aggressive stating therapy with lower doses of statins. Sarah Maxwell spoke with Anthony Bavry during the American College of Cardiology session in Atlanta.

John Batsis, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session March 11-14, 2006, Atlanta. Abstract Number: 842-8
Bariatric surgery – surgical weight reduction – has emerged as a potentially healthy treatment option. John Batsis gave the American College of Cardiology conference his results based on data from 200 surgery patients from among 6 000 seeking help with weight problems. In Atlanta he told Audio Medica that there were favourable changes in cardiovascular risk factors.

Antonio Abbate, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond
American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session March 11-14, 2006, Atlanta. Abstract Number: 2912-74
Even though drug eluting stents have gained greatly in popularity for coronary intervention, hard evidence about the relative merits of paclitaxel as compared with sirolimus-eluting devices has been thin on the ground. At the ACC conference a meta analyis combined data from 5000 patients and showed superiority in terms of binary rates of restenosis (but not hard clinical endpoints) for the sirolumus eluting stent. Peter Goodwin heard the details from Antonio Abatte.

Maria Rosa Costanzo, Edward Hospital For Heart Failure, Naperville, Il
American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session March 11-14, 2006, Atlanta. Abstract 418-7
The use of diuretics for treating patients with acute decompensated heart failure has been called into question following the findings of a study into a new technique reported at the ACC conference. A group from Naperville Illinois has been using a method known as ultrafiltration, which has given better results than diuretic therapy. Maria Rosa Costanzo told Audio Medica News about their findings.

Germano Di Sciascio, Campus Biomedico University of Rome
American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session March 11-14, 2006, Atlanta
The anti-inflammatory action of statins may be causing yet another benefit in heart patients: a reduction of atrial fibrillation risk after surgery. The ARMYDA-3 study enrolled patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting, or valve surgery and randomised them to receive 40 mg of atorvastatin or placebo. The results showed a significant reduction of AF in the statin-treated group.

Carlo Pappone, San Raffaele University Hospital, Milan
American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session March 11-14, 2006, Atlanta
The use of circumferential pulmonary vein ablation was found superior to a combination of anti-arrhythmic drugs in controlling atrial fibrillation among patients with the severe paroxysmal form of the disease. Audio Medica heard results from the APAF study of ablation announced at the ACC meeting by Carlo Pappone from the San Raffaele University Hospital in Milan.

Steven Nissen, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session March 11-14, 2006, Atlanta
Among patients whose atheroma had been measured by a catheter ultrasound probe, the use of treatment with rosuvastatin at sufficiently higher doses to cause a large reduction of LDL cholesterol levels caused atheroma to regress. Audio Medica’s Peter Goodwin heard from Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic who announced his group’s results from the ASTEROID study at the American College of Cardiology meeting in Atlanta.