All articles tagged with #medical therapy
The CLOSURE-AF trial found that percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) was inferior to best medical therapy in preventing stroke and related outcomes in high-risk atrial fibrillation patients, with procedural risks and signals of inefficacy raising concerns about its use.
The PREVENT trial demonstrated that in patients with non–flow-limiting vulnerable plaques, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) plus optimal medical therapy reduced the risk for adverse cardiac events and death compared with optimal medical therapy alone. The study suggests a potential shift in the treatment paradigm for these types of lesions and supports consideration to expand indications for PCI to include non–flow-limiting, high-risk vulnerable plaques. Further research is needed to better identify which patients or lesions can benefit most from invasive or noninvasive imaging evaluation for detection of vulnerable plaques and the application of preventive PCI.
The CASTLE HTx trial presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress showed that catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with advanced heart failure resulted in significantly positive outcomes compared to medical therapy. The trial involved a highly select group of patients, and after a median follow-up of 18 months, the ablation group had a significantly lower rate of death, implantation of a left ventricular assist device, or urgent heart transplantation compared to the medical therapy group. However, some experts have raised concerns about the small sample size and the early separation of event curves, suggesting that the results may not be reproducible in larger studies.
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has signed a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, making it the 11th state to do so. The law outlaws minors from being prescribed hormone therapy and puberty blockers, and from receiving gender-affirming surgery. However, it contains a unique exemption that permits doctors to prescribe medical therapy if a teenager is considered at risk for self-harm or suicide. The law will take effect in January 2024.