Results of the ETAP trial presented at TCT 2012

Nitinol stent performs better than balloon angioplasty alone in treating lesions of the popliteal artery

2012-10-25

(Press-News.org) MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 24 , 2012 – A study found that a nitinol stent performed better than balloon angioplasty alone in treating blockages of the popliteal artery, which runs through the leg behind the knee. Results of the ETAP trial were presented today at the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

Due to its location behind the mobile knee joint, it is controversial whether to implant a stent in the popliteal artery for all cases or only for cases in which balloon angioplasty alone results in a suboptimal result. In this study, investigators conducted a prospective, randomized, multi-center trial comparing primary nitinol stent placement to angioplasty alone in patients who had a single, de-novo obstructive lesion in the popliteal artery.

A total of 246 patients from nine centers in Europe were included in this trial. Patients were randomly assigned to either a self-expanding nitinol stent (N=119) or a standard balloon angioplasty procedure (N=127). The primary study endpoint was one-year duplex ultrasound-derived primary patency, defined as freedom from target lesion restenosis without further intervention. Secondary endpoints included target lesion revascularization, secondary patency, changes in Rutherford categories from baseline, and limb salvage rates. X-rays were taken at one year and examined for stent fractures.

The mean lesion length for the PTA group was 43.2 mm compared to 41.3 mm for the stent group. Six patients (2.4%) died during the follow up period. The one-year primary patency rate was significantly higher in the nitinol-stent group (67.4 percent) than in the balloon angioplasty group (44.9 percent, P END

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Brain waves reveal video game aptitude

2012-10-25

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists report that they can predict who will improve most on an unfamiliar video game by looking at their brain waves. They describe their findings in a paper in the journal Psychophysiology. The researchers used electroencephalography (EEG) to peek at electrical activity in the brains of 39 study subjects before they trained on Space Fortress, a video game developed for cognitive research. The subjects whose brain waves oscillated most powerfully in the alpha spectrum (about 10 times per second, or 10 hertz) when measured at the front of the head ...

Results of the TRILOGY ACS Angiographic Cohort presented at TCT 2012

2012-10-25

MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 24, 2012 – A study has found that the anti-clotting medication prasugrel reduced cardiovascular events among patients who present with an acute coronary syndrome and are managed medically after an angiogram is performed to determine coronary anatomy. Results of the TRILOGY ACS trial, Angiographic Cohort were presented today at the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular ...

Large-scale production of biofuels made from algae poses sustainability concerns

2012-10-25

WASHINGTON — Scaling up the production of biofuels made from algae to meet at least 5 percent -- approximately 39 billion liters -- of U.S. transportation fuel needs would place unsustainable demands on energy, water, and nutrients, says a new report from the National Research Council. However, these concerns are not a definitive barrier for future production, and innovations that would require research and development could help realize algal biofuels' full potential. Biofuels derived from algae and cyanobacteria are possible alternatives to petroleum-based fuels and ...

A sense of control, even if illusory, eliminates emotion-driven distortions of time

2012-10-25

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — We humans have a fairly erratic sense of time. We tend to misjudge the duration of events, particularly when they are emotional in nature. Disturbingly negative experiences, for example, seem to last much longer than they actually do. And highly positive experiences seem to pass more quickly than negative ones. Researchers say they have found a way to lessen these emotion-driven time distortions. Having a sense of control over events reduces the influence of emotions on time perception, the researchers report. This is true even for highly reactive emotional ...

FFR-guided PCI shows cost-effectiveness when compared to medical therapy for stable CAD

2012-10-25

MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 24, 2012 –A strategy of up-front percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for lesions confirmed to be obstructive by fractional flow reserve (FFR) was shown to be cost-effective in terms of quality-adjusted life years when compared to medical therapy alone. Results of the Cost-Effectiveness sub study of the FAME 2 trial were presented today at the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional ...

Study confirms benefits of transcatheter aortic valve replacement over 3 years

2012-10-25

MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 24, 2012 – A study found that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) yielded lower mortality rates after three years compared with medical therapy in patients deemed to be ineligible for conventional aortic valve surgery. Results of the PARTNER Cohort B trial were presented today at the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine. TAVR is the recommended ...

Results of the ISAR-LEFT MAIN 2 trial presented at TCT 2012

2012-10-25

MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 24, 2012 – A study found that second-generation drug-eluting stents are safe and effective in the treatment of left main coronary artery lesions. Results of the ISAR-LEFT MAIN 2 trial were presented at the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine. Patients undergoing invasive treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery (uLMCA) lesions are often ...

Scientists target bacterial transfer of resistance genes

2012-10-25

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae – which can cause pneumonia, meningitis, bacteremia and sepsis – likes to share its antibiotic-defeating weaponry with its neighbors. Individual cells can pass resistance genes to one another through a process called horizontal gene transfer, or by "transformation," the uptake of DNA from the environment. Now researchers report that they can interrupt the cascade of cellular events that allows S. pneumoniae to swap or suck up DNA. The new findings, reported in the journal PLoS ONE, advance the effort to develop ...

Research findings breathe new life into lung disease

2012-10-25

TORONTO, Oct. 24, 2012--It turns out the muscle cells on the outside of blood vessels have been wrongly accused for instigating lung disease. New research shows that while these muscle cells are responsible for constricting or dilating the blood vessels, they are not responsible for sensing the amount of oxygen that gets to the lungs. That message comes from the endothelial cells – special cells that line the blood vessels – along a "signalling pathway." When a person is low on oxygen, blood vessels throughout the body expand to improve the delivery of this vital molecule ...

Is obesity irreversible? Timing is key in weight loss, U-M research shows

2012-10-25

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Joint research between the University of Michigan and the Argentina-based National Council of Science and Technology (CONICET) has shed light on one of the most frustrating mysteries of weight loss – why the weight inevitably comes back. A novel animal model showed that the longer mice remained overweight, the more "irreversible" obesity became, according to the new study that appeared online ahead of print Oct.24 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Over time, the static, obese state of the mice reset the "normal," body weight set point to ...

Results of the ETAP trial presented at TCT 2012

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