The Editorial Board and staff are pleased to present the latest issue of US Cardiology Review. Ten timely reviews and a clinical trial perspective represent six different subspecialty sections, and the issue concludes with a special personal perspective on the pros and cons of early retirement from medical practice by Elizabeth Ross. Perhaps everyone has had that thought at one time or another!
The issue leads off with a state-of-the-art review in the Acute Coronary Syndrome section by Colin Phillips and Michael Gavin on controversies in antiplatelet and anticoagulation therapy. This is followed by a clinical trial perspective from the CAPITAL OPTI-CROSS trial that discusses the frequent issue of converting from ticagrelor to clopidogrel after coronary stenting in these patients. Next, in the Heart Failure section, Shelley Hall and Amarinder Bindra provide a review on new pharmacologic agents for the management of heart failure. Understanding these new agents and their appropriate use will be essential as we strive for the balance of quality and costs in value-based health care. Colin Barker and Michael Reardon follow with a review on the selection of patients for transcatheter aortic valve replacement. As evidence from clinical trials continues to expand the potential population, it is helpful to have this expert perspective on case selection.
In the Adult Congenital section, Saumil Shah et al. discuss the complex hemodynamics of left heart failure in the presence of an atrial septal defect. Understanding this pathophysiology may have implications for novel therapies of heart failure. Kimberly Atianzar et al. provide an update on the optimal management of patent foramen ovale, including the most recent evidence on the role for percutaneous closure. Moving on to Interventional Cardiology, there are two very relevant reviews on the contemporary practice of percutaneous coronary intervention. First, Morton Kern and Katherine Yu provide experts’ perspective on the use of fractional flow reserve. Although the value of this technology to guide case selection and optimize outcomes is clear, it is also important to understand its use and limitations in specific scenarios. This is followed by Kimberley Skelding et al.’s review of left ventricular support devices for percutaneous coronary intervention, a practice that has become increasingly common as more complex patients and lesions are referred for treatment.
Next, in the Electrophysiology section, Rakesh Latchamsetty reviews the clinical implications of frequent isolated premature ventricular contractions, a problem whose clinical significance as a contributor to adverse cardiac outcomes may be often underappreciated. In the closing Risk Prevention section, there are two pharmacology reviews. Leo Buckley and Ahmed Aldemerdash address several recently approved drugs and their potential use in the management of cardiovascular disease, and Evan Stein provides a focused update on PCSK9 inhibitors. Timely guidance on patient selection and the use of novel therapies will continue to be an important concern for patient-centered care.
As usual, we thank the authors and our reviewers for their efforts in assembling this variety of topics that we hope will be useful to you in the care of your patients.