November 2022 Research Summary:
Analysis of Patient-Focused Information About Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion on US Hospital Web Pages
Researchers at the University of California San Francisco and Yale examined hospital web page content about percutaneous closure of the left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO). Of 62 patient-focused web pages about LAAO provided by top U.S. hospitals, nearly all included claims of potential procedural benefits of the Watchman LAAO device.
Authors: Sanket S. Dhruva, Robin Z. Ji, Joseph S. Ross, Erica S. Spatz, Rita F. Redberg
Rationale and design of a pragmatic trial aimed at improving treatment of hyperlipidemia in outpatients with very high risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: A pragmatic trial of messaging to providers about treatment of hyperlipidemia (PROMPT-LIPID)
For patients with cardiovascular disease, lowering LDL-cholesterol has been shown to reduce the risk of future adverse events, including heart attack and stroke. The PROMPT-LIPID study aims to improve clinical decision-making and optimize the use of evidence-based lipid-lowering therapies.
Authors: Nimish N. Shah, Lama Ghazi, Yu Yamamoto, Melissa Martin, Michael Simonov, Ralph J. Riello, Kamil F. Faridi, Tariq Ahmad, F. Perry Wilson, Nihar R. Desai
Professional guidelines recommend the use of evidence-based therapies to reduce LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol). Patients who have experienced a heart attack or stroke have a higher risk for a cardiovascular event. If such a patient has an LDL-cholesterol above 70 mg/dL, current guidelines recommend intensifying their lipid-lowering medications, using higher doses of statins, or adding non-statin medications, such as ezetimibe or PCSK9 inhibitors.
Nihar Desai, MD, MPH
Antiplatelet regimens following carotid artery revascularization
Using 2014-2019 data from the Vascular Quality Initiative New England, Yale researchers found large practice variations in the use of guideline-directed medical therapy. A significant number of patients who underwent carotid artery revascularization, either carotid artery stenting (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA), were not discharged on any guideline-based antiplatelet therapy.
Authors: Megan Lee, Zain V. Ahmed, Jiaming Huang, Aaron Brice, Ahmad Arham, Yulanka Castro-Dominguez, Edouard Aboian, Sameer Nagpal, Kim G. Smolderen, Carlos Mena-Hurtado
Featured in this article
- Joseph Ross, MD, MHS
- Erica Spatz, MD, MHS
- Yu Yamamoto
- Melissa Martin
- Michael Simonov, MD
- Ralph J. Riello III, PharmD, BCPS
- Kamil Faridi, MD, MSc
- Tariq Ahmad, MD, MPH
- F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE
- Nihar Desai, MD, MPH
- Sameer Nagpal, MD
- Edouard Aboian, MD
- Kim Germaine Emiel Smolderen, PhD, MSc
- Carlos Mena-Hurtado, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FAHA