Left atrial appendage occlusion in patients with atrial fibrillation: focus on current evidence and commercially available devices

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is associated with morbidity and mortality due to cerebral or systemic embolization, with cardiac thrombi mainly forming in the left atrial appendage (LAA). Anticoagulation is the treatment of choice; however, in patients who do not tolerate anticoagulation, LAA occlusion (LAAO) is a valid alternative. Over the last decade, many different LAAO devices have been developed and tested in trials, providing good clinical results. The purpose of this paper is to make an overview of the current state of the art of LAAO procedure, with a focus on available devices and future perspectives

La villa romana di Poggio Gramignano (Lugnano in Teverina): notizie dagli scavi 2016-2019

This contribution is a preliminary report of the new excavation season (2016-2019) at Poggio Gramignano, an archaeological site located in Lugnano in Teverina (Umbria). This is a multi-year project, a partnership between the University of Arizona, Yale University, Stanford University and the Municipality of Lugnano in Teverina, that continues previous reasearches begun over three decades ago, from 1982. The new excavation campaigns aim to better understand the Roman villa and its surrounding area, with particular focus on the late Roman infant cemetery discovered within the storage magazines

Vascular complications after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: treatment modalities and long-term clinical impact

OBJECTIVES: Vascular complications (VC) are the most frequent drawback of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), affecting up to 20% of overall procedures. Data on the treatment and their long-term impact are scarce. The goal of this study was to report on the incidence, management and impact on the long-term outcomes of VC following TAVI.METHODS: This was a multicentric retrospective analysis of consecutive patients undergoing TAVI. The primary endpoint was freedom from major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events at long-term follow-up. Adverse events were evaluated according to Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria.RESULTS: A total of 2145 patients were included: VC occurred in 188 (8.8%); of which 180 were limited to the access site. Two-thirds of the VC were minor; 8% required surgical treatment; the remaining were repaired percutaneously. The major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events-free survival at 2 years was 83.0% for patients with VC and 86.7% for those without (P = 0.143), but 71.9% for patients with major compared to 89.0% in those with minor VC (P = 0.022). Major VC and diabetes mellitus independently predicted worse outcomes at 2 years. The major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events-free survival rate and the occurrence of vascular adverse events in the long term among patients with VC at the access site treated by endovascular techniques (covered stent implantation or angioplasty) were similar to those without VC (84.2% vs 86.7%; P = 0.635).CONCLUSIONS: Major but not minor VC impact long-term survival after TAVI. Covered stents implanted to manage VC at the access site have no impact on the long-term clinical outcome of TAVI

Comparison of Supraflex Cruz 60 μm Versus Ultimaster Tansei 80 μm Stent Struts in High Bleeding Risk PCI Patients:Study design and Rational of Compare 60/80 HBR trial

Up to 45% of patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may have a high bleeding risk (HBR), depending on the bleeding risk definition.1 This condition is often associated with an enhanced risk of thrombotic events with a negative impact on short- and long-term outcomes,2–8 making the choice of an appropriate antithrombotic regimen after PCI particularly challenging. Advances in stent technologies, in which the introduction of newer generations of thinner strut drug-eluting stents (DES), have significantly reduced the rate of thrombotic complications and may justify a shorter dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) duration. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that local hemodynamic factors may critically affect the natural history of atherosclerosis. Strut thickness correlates with flow disturbances and endothelial shear stress. Flow separation within struts determines areas of recirculation with low endothelial shear stress which promotes local concentration of activated platelets.9 By mitigating inflammation, vessel injury, and neointimal proliferation, thin and streamlined struts have been associated with faster vascular healing and re-endothelization and have resulted in lower rates of thrombotic events after PCI.10 11 The use of thin strut and ultra-thin strut stents may lead to a favorable trade-off in bleeding and ischemic events in patients with HBR. However, dedicated studies evaluating the performance of thin strut versus ultrathin strut stents in patients with HBR are lacking.</p

Safety of metformin continuation in diabetic patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography: the NO-STOP single arm trial

Background Despite paucity of data, it is common practice to discontinue metformin before invasive coronary angiography due to an alleged risk of Metformin-Associated Lactic Acidosis (M-ALA). We aimed at assessing the safety of metformin continuation in diabetic patients undergoing coronary angiography in terms of significant increase in lactate levels. Methods In this open-label, prospective, multicentre, single-arm trial, all diabetic patients undergoing coronary angiography with or without percutaneous coronary intervention at 3 European centers were screened for enrolment. The primary endpoint was the increase in lactate levels from preprocedural levels at 72-h after the procedure. Secondary endpoints included contrast associated-acute kidney injury (CA-AKI), M-ALA, and all-cause mortality. Results 142 diabetic patients on metformin therapy were included. Median preprocedural lactate level was 1.8 mmol/l [interquartile range (IQR) 1.3-2.3]. Lactate levels at 72 h after coronary angiography were 1.7 mmol/l (IQR 1.3-2.3), with no significant differences as compared to preprocedural levels (p = 0.91; median difference = 0; IQR - 0.5 to 0.4 mmol/l). One patient had 72-h levels &gt;= 5 mmol/l (5.3 mmol/l), but no cases of M-ALA were reported. CA-AKI occurred in 9 patients (6.1%) and median serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate remained similar throughout the periprocedural period. At a median follow-up of 90 days (43-150), no patients required hemodialysis and 2 patients died due to non-cardiac causes. Conclusions In diabetic patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography, metformin continuation throughout the periprocedural period does not increase lactate levels and was not associated with any decline in renal function

New approaches to study excited states in density functional theory: general discussion

International audienc