Clinical

This channel newsfeed includes clinical content on treating patients or the clinical implications in a variety of cardiac subspecialties and disease states. The channel includes news on cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology, heart failure, electrophysiology, hypertension, structural heart disease, use of pharmaceuticals, and COVID-19.

Young SAVR patients live longer with mechanical valves—should surgeons, cardiologists rethink current practice?
Bioprosthetic valves are being used more and more for aortic valve replacement, but mechanical valves appear to provide better long-term outcomes for patients 60 and younger. The new study, based on data from nearly 110,000 patients, was presented at STS 2025 and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Veteran heart surgeon elected STS president
Cardiac surgeon Joseph F. Sabik III, MD, is an established clinical researcher and has held several committee positions with STS over the years.
New AI model uses ECG images to evaluate heart failure risk
The advanced algorithm only needs an image or photograph of a 12-lead ECG to make its assessment.
TAVR valve’s spontaneous leaflet rupture highlights importance of long-term follow-up
Cardiologists believe this is the first time this exact complication has been reported. Even patients who present with no known risk factors, they said, should receive regular follow-up care to ensure such incidents do not go untreated.
Cholesterol appears on man’s hands after he lived on diet of hamburgers, sticks of butter
The patient, who was primarily eating meat, cheese and entire sticks of butter, said the yellow nodules did not hurt in any way. His cholesterol level exceeded 1000 mg/dL at the time of treatment.

Congenital heart disease increases risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes, including death

Researchers examined data from more than 235,000 hospitalized patients treated in the United States.

David Bennett with two of his physical therapists at the University of Maryland Medical Center

Pig heart transplant patient doing well weeks after procedure—he even watched the Super Bowl

The 57-year-old patient is working with physical therapists on a daily basis, according to a recent update from the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Q&A U.S. and European Valvular Heart Disease Guidelines: Lessons from Across the Pond

Sponsored by Medtronic

“Good harmony” is the way John P. Erwin III, MD, describes the synergy of the 2021 ESC/EACTS Guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease (VHD) released in August along with the ACC/AHA guidelines that rolled in December 2020.

CRT-D associated with major improvements among older HFrEF patients

The study's authors said CRT use among older patients represents a "major gap in knowledge."

Verapamil shows potential as a long-term oral treatment for type 1 diabetes

Much more research is still required — but could verapamil be the first oral medication for type 1 diabetes?

When infective endocarditis after TAVR is most likely to be fatal

Researchers reviewed data from more than 900 patients, sharing their research in the American Journal of Cardiology.

President Biden outlines new COVID plan in state of the union address

President Biden shared an outline of his new plan to combat the ongoing COVID-19 crisis during his State of the Union speech on March 1.

Long-term use of angiotensin-receptor blockers increases risk of cancer, new study confirms

These findings have “profound implications for patients and prescribing clinicians," one researcher said.

Clinical

Young SAVR patients live longer with mechanical valves—should surgeons, cardiologists rethink current practice?

Veteran heart surgeon elected STS president

New AI model uses ECG images to evaluate heart failure risk

TAVR valve’s spontaneous leaflet rupture highlights importance of long-term follow-up

Cholesterol appears on man’s hands after he lived on diet of hamburgers, sticks of butter