Assessing Modes of Mortality in Patients With Aortic Stenosis

A JAMA Cardiology study found that asymptomatic patients with moderate  aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing standard symptomatic and echocardiographic follow-up may not be exposed to an increased risk of mortality. In this large regionwide population study, researchers assessed 2,703 consecutive outpatients with mild (peak aortic velocity, 2.5-2.9 m/s), moderate (peak aortic velocity, 3-3.9 m/s), and severe (peak aortic velocity, ≥4 m/s) native AS between May 2016 and December 2017. The researchers concluded that: “While patients in this study with moderate AS had a slightly higher risk of cardiovascular death than patients with mild AS, this risk was much lower than that observed in patients with severe AS.

Claims-Based Score for the Prediction of Bleeding for VTE

Currently, scores for bleeding risk assessment in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) undergoing oral anticoagulation have limited predictive capacity. As such, researchers developed and validated a bleeding prediction model using healthcare claims data. The results of their predictive analysis were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. “We have developed a novel model for bleeding prediction in VTE using large healthcare claims databases. Performance of the model was moderately good, highlighting the urgent need to identify better predictors of bleeding to inform treatment decisions,” the researchers wrote.

Physical Activity is Lacking in Most CAD Patients, Study Finds

Self-reported physical activity (PA) provides inaccurate estimates of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) entering ambulatory cardiac rehabilitation (CR), according to a study published in the journal Biosensors. The study comprised of 91 patients with CAD and assessed their PA using an accelerometer for eight days prior to CR, along with the short form of the international physical activity questionnaire. The researchers concluded that: “Our findings demonstrate that self-reported physical activity provides inaccurate estimates of MVPA and SB in patients with CAD entering the ambulatory CR. This strongly supports the more objective assessments of daily PA, preferably using an accelerometer.”

Comparing Cryoballoon and Contact Force-Sensing Radiofrequency Ablation for AFib

Currently, outcomes of cryoballoon ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) are unclear, especially in the Japanese population. Therefore, a study published in assessed the effectiveness and safety of cryoballoon ablation in clinical practice. In this retrospective study, researchers compared patients of contact force-sensing radiofrequency (CFRF) ablation including the high-power protocol. The study comprised 253 and 265 patients who underwent cryoballoon and CFRF ablation. The rate of additional left atrial (LA) ablation after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) were similar between groups (68.8% cryoballoon vs. 74.0% CFRF, P=0.19).