Coronary Artery Disease

WASHINGTON — A bioadaptor implant adaptable to vessel physiology was linked to fewer target lesion failure events after 6 months compared with a drug-eluting stent, including in high-risk lesions, researchers reported.

Researchers found that patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test faced an increased risk for major adverse cardiac events vs. individuals without SARS-CoV-2; this risk was even higher among patients hospitalized for COVID-19.

Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially for those requiring hospitalization, was associated with increased risk for heart attack and stroke for up to 3 years, even among people with no history of heart disease, researchers reported.

The FDA approved 18F flurpiridaz, a new cardiac PET perfusion radiotracer, for adult patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease being evaluated for myocardial ischemia and infarction.

In patients with coronary artery disease and severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, those who also had PCI had better outcomes than those who had their CAD managed conservatively, researchers reported.

High-quality CT and stress testing should be able to effectively and safely diagnose patients with stable chest pain and suspected CAD, regardless of BMI, while improving clinical efficiency, researchers reported.

Presence of CAD was prognostic of increased mortality for patients with heart failure, even for those with only mildly reduced ejection fraction, according a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Matrix metalloproteinase 2 may be associated with the progression of chronic kidney disease, especially in patients with low inflammation or with proteinuria, data show.