Anthony Fung

REFERENCE: Late Breaking Clinical Trials Session I, American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, 4-7 November, 2007, Orlando, Florida
ANTHONY FUNG, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Brief courses of antiplatelet therapy with the glycoprotein 2b 3a inhibitor are just as effective as longer infusions for patients receiving non-emergency percutaneous intervention. So said Anthony Fung at the first session of Late breaking Clinical Trials held at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting in Orlando. He talked with Peter Goodwin about his findings.

Laura Mauri

Raymond Gibbons

REFERENCE: Late Breaking Special Session, American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, 4-7 November, 2007, Orlando, Florida
LAURA MAURI, Brigham and Woman’s Hospital, Boston Massachusetts
COMMENT: RAYMOND GIBBONS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
The largest study to date looking at long-term outcomes of bare metal stents as compared with drug eluting stents in patients who have undergone PCI was presented to the American Heart Association annual meeting. There was no increased mortality for patients who received drug eluting stents in a Massachussets based population. Sarah Maxwell spoke with investigator to Laura Mauri at the Orlando meeting.

Leslee Shaw

Daniel Jones

REFERENCE: Abstract: Late Breaking Clinical Trials, Session 1, American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, 4-7 November, 2007, Orlando, Florida
LESLEE SHAW, Emory University, Atlanta
COMMENT: DANIEL JONES, AHA President, University of Mississippi, Jackson
Some patients with stable angina may be best treated by adding percutaneous intervention to optimal medical therapy. This is the finding of a “nuclear sub-study” of the COURAGE (Clinical Outcomes Using Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation) trial. Although the study found no benefit of adding angioplasty in most patients, the AHA conference heard from Leslee Shaw that if myocardial ischemia is monitored using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), there could be a role for angioplasty in a subgroup of patients. Peter Goodwin talked with Dr Shaw after her presentation and then asked the American Heart Association President, Daniel Jones, for his assessment.

Gabriel Steg

Freek Verheugt

REFERENCE: Hotline III, number 709, European Society of Cardiology Congress, 2007, 1-5 September, Vienna, Austria
GABRIEL STEG, Hôpital Bichat, Paris
COMMENT: FREEK VERHEUGT, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen
The GRACE registry looking at over 60 000 patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction has shown that patients live longer if they receive bare metal stents than if they get drug eluting stents. Gabriel Steg presented these latest data at the ESC meeting in Vienna. Sarah Maxwell discussed the findings with him.
Freek Verheugt comments on the interview with Gabriel Steg.

Stefano Ghio

Cecilia Linde

REFERENCE: Hotline III, 3222 page 315, European Society of Cardiology Congress, 2007, 1-5 September, Vienna, Austria
STEFANO GHIO, San Matteo University Hospital, Italy
COMMENT: CECILIA LINDE, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm
The standard echocardiographic criteria for selecting patients to receive cardiac resynchronisation are not adequate according to Stefano Ghio. During the ESC Congress in Vienna he presented results from the PROSPECT trial and afterwards he talked with Sarah Maxwell. Cecilia Linde gave Nicola Solomon her comments on the findings.

Raul Moreno

REFERENCE: Abstract 3103, European Society of Cardiology Congress, 2007, 1-5 September, Vienna, Austria
RAUL MORENO, University Hospital La Paz, Madrid
Results from a large meta analysis suggest that drug eluting stents have a greater benefit when the risk of restenosis increases. This could affect the “off label” use of these stents. Raul Moreno, of the University Hospital La Paz, Madrid, discussed his findings with Derek Thorne.

Nicolas Amabile

REFERENCE: Abstract 1967, European Society of Cardiology Congress, 2007, 1-5 September, Vienna, Austria
NICOLAS AMABILE, University of Marseille School of Medicine
A French study presented at the ESC congress may have found a link between periodontitis and coronary artery disease: although further study is needed. Nicolas Amabile, of the University of Marseille School of Medicine, discussed his data with Derek Thorne.

Eva Swahn

REFERENCE: HOTLINE II, Monday 8am, European Society of Cardiology Congress, 2007, 1-5 September, Vienna, Austria
EVA SWAHN, University Hospital Linköping, Sweden
COMMENT: ECKART FLECK, Deutsches Herzzentrum, Berlin
Women who undergo selective invasive treatment for non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes do better than those who receive routine early invasive treatment. This is according to the OASIS 5 study from Sweden that randomised women to either of the two approaches. The findings suggest that females with non-ST elevation ACS should be approached differently from their male counterparts. Sarah Maxwell interviewed OASIS investigator Eva Swahn at the ESC meeting in Vienna. Eckart Fleck of the Deutsches Herzzentrum in Berlin gave his comments on her comments to Derek Thorne.

Edmond Cronin

REFERENCE: Abstract 3506, European Society of Cardiology Congress, 2007, 1-5 September, Vienna, Austria
EDMOND CRONIN, Cork University Hospital
Study data that support banning smoking in public places were unveiled at the ESC congress by a team from Ireland. After the smoking ban in 2004, admissions for acute coronary syndromes dropped, and lead author Edmond Cronin explained the significance of his findings to Derek Thorne.

Curt Diehm

REFERENCE: European Society of Cardiology Congress, 2007, 1-5 September, Vienna, Austria
CURT DIEHM, University of Heidelberg
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) can be diagnosed easily by a test using the ankle brachial index (ABI) and its presence can indicate a high risk of myocardial infarction. Curt Diehm explained his findings to Derek Thorne, while Peter Goodwin got expert comment from Freek Verheugt.

Ian Graham

REFERENCE: 15:40 Sunday 2nd Sept CV Disease Prevention, European Society of Cardiology Congress, 2007, 1-5 September, Vienna, Austria
IAN GRAHAM, Trinity College, Dublin
Three key modifiable factors determine cardiovascular risk: blood pressure, lipid profile and smoking. That’s according to Ian Graham who summarized the latest European Society of Cardiology guidelines for preventing heart disease. Other factoirs including the metabolic syndrome, gender, body mass index and activity levels generally also involve the three master factors, and there are big benefits to be gained from modifying each of the key factors singly even when a patient can’t change one or more of them. Peter Goodwin discussed the new guidelines with Professor Ian Graham during the cardiology conference in Vienna.

Petr Widimsky

Eckhart Fleck

REFERENCE: Hot Line II Monday 3rd Sept, European Society of Cardiology Congress, 2007, 1-5 September, Vienna, Austria
PETR WIDIMSKY, Charles University, Prague
COMMENT: ECKART FLECK, Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin
The ESC guideline suggesting all patients with chronic stable angina having coronary angiography should have clopidogrel pre-treatment is now being questioned following findings of the PRAGUE-8 Study, which randomized patients to receive the anti-platelet agent either non selectively before angiography, or selectively after angiography in those considered to need PCI. The PRAGUE investigators concluded that the ESC guideline was unjustified for the treatment of elective angiography in chronic stable angina, and that the previous practice of selective administration of clopidogrel should be resumed. Nicola Solomon talked with Petr Widimsky at the ESC Congress in Vienna. Derek Thorne heard comments on the findings from Eckart Fleck.