TCTMD’s Top 10 Most Popular Stories for February 2023

There’s no dominant theme to this month’s top 10. Several stories covering conference news from the recent STS and ISC meetings made the list, but so too did COVID-19 research, a new analysis from the EXCEL trial, monotherapy choice post-PCI, and position papers tackling everything from the best ingredients for interventional cardiology fellowships to routine intravascular imaging in coronary interventions and guidance for performing PCI without surgical back-up. Rounding out the list are stories on less commonly broached topics including an analysis of erectile dysfunction drugs and cardiovascular disease and another on a possible link between autism and cardiometabolic disease.

1. Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Show Cardioprotective Effects in Low-risk Men

A prospective, randomized trial is needed to confirm causality, but the findings are reassuring, says Robert Kloner.

2. In COVID-19 Patients, Vaccination Linked to Lower MACE Risk

Fully vaccinated patients had a 40% lower risk of MACE compared with those who weren’t vaccinated, US registry data show.

3. Intravascular Imaging to Inform PCI Should Be Routine: ACC Interventional Council

Time and cost are limitations to adoption, but proponents believe these challenges can be overcome.

4. ISC 2023 Lower BP Targets After Stroke Thrombectomy Don’t Seem to Help: BEST-II

There doesn’t appear to be a reason to artificially lower BP in this scenario, unless the systolic reading climbs above 180 mm Hg.

5. STS 2023 Surgeons ‘Implore’ Colleagues to Learn TEER Lest They Become ‘Dinosaurs’

The motive for doing so is unbiased patient care, say those involved, but surgeons’ surgical volumes could also increase.

6. SCAI Updates Position on Doing PCI Without Surgical Backup

The types of cases performed at centers without on-site surgery should be largely based on the center’s rescue capabilities.

7. Interventional Cardiology Training Needs Defined for the First Time

While it’s become harder to include the breadth of the field into 1 training year, the document is meant to be a flexible guide.

8. Periprocedural Adverse Events and Late Mortality: More Nuance From EXCEL

The rate of major AEs was fourfold higher with surgery, yet deaths were higher post-PCI, rekindling old debates.

9. P2Y12 Monotherapy Better Than Continued DAPT Even After Complex PCI

A meta-analysis has confirmed safety and efficacy, and now several experts are calling for a change to the guidelines.

10. Autism and Cardiometabolic Disease Often Go Hand in Hand

What’s driving the increased risk of diabetes, dyslipidemia, and CVD in autistic people—especially children—isn’t clear-cut.

Catch up on all the news from STS 2023, ISC 2023, and CRT 2023 and stay tuned for TCTMD’s coverage of the American College of Cardiology/World Congress of Cardiology 2023 joint meeting, kicking off later this week. The TCTMD team will be on-site in New Orleans: get in touch with your tips and check out our preview of what’s going to be hot at this year’s conference.

Long flight? Here’s more top content from TCTMD in recent weeks to help you pass the hours.

FEATURE Go Red for Women: Nearly 20 Years of Much Progress, Some Setbacks

FEATURE As Violent Attacks on Healthcare Workers Rise, Cardiology Takes Note

OPINION The Curious Demographics of #CardioTwitter Gladiators and Other (Equally Obvious) Epiphanies