Bedside Physical Examination Is Not Obsolete
I read the study by Silverman and Gertz. Contrary to what is implied by the authors in their discussion, I am a vocal proponent of the clinical examination—as my patients,…
Comparison of Balloon-Expandable Versus Self-Expandable Valves for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Patients With Low-Gradient Severe Aortic Stenosis and Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction
A relevant proportion of patients, classified as severe aortic stenosis on the basis of valve area ≤1 cm 2 , have a mean transvalvular gradient ≤40 mm Hg, despite a preserved left…
Usefulness of Insulinlike Growth Factor 1 as a Marker of Heart Failure in Children and Young Adults After the Fontan Palliation Procedure
Growth hormone and its mediator, insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF-1), are key determinants of growth in children and young adults. As patients with Fontan physiology often experience diminished longitudinal growth,…
Relation of Atrial Fibrillation and Right-Sided Cardiac Thrombus to Outcomes in Patients With Acute Pulmonary Embolism
Atrial fibrillation (AF) can induce a hypercoagulable state in both the left and right atria. Thrombus in the right side of the heart (RHT) may lead to acute pulmonary embolism…
Erroneous Event Count in a Meta-Analysis (Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus)
We identified an erroneous event number in the report by Patil et al entitled “Meta-Analysis of Effect of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors on Cardiovascular Risk in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus,” published in…
Comparison of Frequency, Risk Factors, and Time Course of Postoperative Delirium in Octogenarians After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement
Postoperative delirium (PD) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains to be explored. We sought to (1) determine the incidence of PD in octogenarians who underwent TAVI or surgical aortic…
Usefulness of Circulating Amino Acid Profile and Fischer Ratio to Predict Severity of Pulmonary Hypertension
Plasma amino acid concentrations (aminogram) show distinct patterns under various pathologic conditions. However, the plasma aminogram pattern in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) has not been elucidated. We sought to…
Usefulness and Safety of Ultrasound-Assisted Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis for Submassive Pulmonary Emboli
The optimal treatment for intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) remains unclear. Our goal was to describe the safety and efficacy of the EkoSonic ultrasound-assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis system (EKOS Corporation, Bothell, Washington)…
Meta-Analysis of Net Long-Term Benefit of Different Therapeutic Strategies in Patients With Cryptogenic Stroke and Patent Foramen Ovale
We pooled available data on follow-up events in patients with patent foramen ovale and cryptogenic stroke to evaluate the net clinical benefit of different therapeutic strategies (percutaneous closure vs antiplatelet…
Impact of Gait Speed and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living on All-Cause Mortality in Adults ≥65 Years With Heart Failure
Mobility and function are important predictors of survival. However, their combined impact on mortality in adults ≥65 years with heart failure (HF) is not well understood. This study examined the role…
