TCTMD’s Top 10 Most Popular Stories for October 2016

October’s top news on TCTMD ran the gamut from prescriptions for exercise to interventions for left main disease. Others stories dealt with the intricacies of drug therapy, including the potential for interactions between statins and other CVD medications as well as the impact of compliance on revascularization outcomes.

On the eve of TCT 2016, TCTMD relaunched its website! We hope you’re enjoying the new look, better navigation, and breadth of content. This week, our team is on the ground in Washington, DC, covering all the cardiology news that’s fit for practice. For color commentary and news as it breaks, follow TCTMD reporters on Twitter: @ShelleyWood2, @TCTMD_Caitlin, @lamckeown1, @michaelTCTMD, @ToddNeale, and @TCTMD_Yael.

Experience Matters: Patients of High-Volume Operators Have Lower Mortality Rates After Left Main PCI

Investigators call operator volume an important and missing variable for risk-prediction models, particularly in complex or high-risk PCI cases.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: PCI Public Reporting Needs Fine-tuning, Says SCAI

The organization wants to ensure that the information presented to the public is understandable and accurately represents the quality of care.

A Dose for Doing: Healthcare Providers and Exercise Specialists Struggle With Prescribing Physical Activity

Physicians widely agree: figuring out how to get their patients to move more and sit less is an uphill climb. So what’s the best prescription?

More NOAC Comparisons See Higher Bleeding Risk With Rivaroxaban: Is the ‘Writing on the Wall’?

More evidence hints that all novel oral anticoagulants may not offer equivalent safety. A new trial is poised to dig deeper.

TCT 2016: Inspiration and Perspiration Greet Left Main Stenting, Hoop Dreams, Valve Innovation, and Election Fever

There’s a lot going down in Washington, DC, over the next few weeks, but many hope this year’s congress will offer the most illumination. 

ICD and Pacemaker Needs After Open Heart Surgery: Series Provides a Benchmark

Despite some limitations, the information will prove useful in the context of evolving transcatheter therapies, one expert says.

AHA Provides Guidance on Drug-Drug Interactions With Statins and CVD Medications

Although statins are considered safe, combining them with other CVD drugs has the potential to result in adverse events, according to the AHA.

Oral Anticoagulation Use Common in PCI Patients, With Triple Therapy the Norm at Discharge

Patients on oral anticoagulation have worse short-term outcomes and impaired long-term survival, a new analysis suggests.

Calcium Supplements, but Not Dietary Calcium, Linked to Higher Long-term Risk of Atherosclerosis: MESA

The study is the latest in a series of studies to show a signal of possible harm from calcium supplementation.

Medication Compliance May Impact Revascularization Outcomes

An analysis found similar long-term outcomes for PCI and CABG when patients were compliant but an advantage for CABG when they were not.