TCTMD’s Top 10 Most Popular Stories for November 2025

For November, nearly all of TCTMD’s top stories stem from two major cardiology meetings: TCT 2025 and the American Heart Association 2025 Scientific Sessions. A notable exception is an in-depth article on the much-anticipated results from CREST-2, which consisted of two randomized trials comparing endarterectomy and stenting each versus medical therapy alone in asymptomatic carotid stenosis. The most-read news from this month spans drugs, devices, and even coffee consumption—an incredible variety of topics relevant to clinical practice.

1. AHA 2025 LAAO Doesn’t Match Medical Therapy for High-risk AF Patients: CLOSURE-AF

The noninferiority trial of patients at risk for both bleeding and stroke, in a surprise turn, found standard care to be superior.

2. Long-Awaited CREST-2 Results Bolster Stents for Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis

Stenting, but not endarterectomy, significantly reduced stroke risk compared with intensive medical therapy alone.

3. TCT 2025 Sirolimus-Coated Balloon Meets Mark in De Novo Lesions and ISR: SELUTION

The DCB is meant to address long-term stent-related complications and avoid adding yet another metal layer in in-stent restenosis.

4. AHA 2025 Stopping DOACs After Successful AF Ablation Feasible in Low-risk Patients: OCEAN

All experts warned that the trial results don’t apply to higher-risk groups.

5. AHA 2025 Evolocumab Cuts MACE Risk in Patients Without Prior MI, Stroke: VESALIUS-CV 

It’s the first study to show a PCSK9 inhibitor can reduce major events in high-risk patients who haven’t yet had one.

6. AHA 2025 Oral PCSK9 Inhibitor Enlicitide Cuts LDL Cholesterol: CORALreef Lipids

An oral agent is needed, experts say, because some patients don’t like injectables and some doctors don’t prescribe them.

7. AHA 2025 DECAF: Daily Coffee, Not Abstinence, Beneficial for AF Patients

In patients with persistent AF who underwent cardioversion, a cup of joe per day lowered the risk of recurrences at 6 months.

8. AHA 2025 One Month of Dual Antithrombotic Therapy May Be Enough After PCI in AF Patients

A caveat to the OPTIMA-AF trial: event rates were much lower than expected, complicating interpretation.

9. TCT 2025 Trials Bolster Alternatives to Intravascular Lithotripsy for Calcified Lesions

Lower-cost cutting and noncompliant balloons were noninferior to Shockwave IVL for short-term stent outcomes.

10. TCT 2025 Mechanical Thrombectomy Outshines Anticoagulation Alone in STORM-PE

The first of its kind RCT in acute intermediate-high-risk PE used a surrogate endpoint, but more data are on the horizon.

***

Check out all our recent news via the TCTMD homepage, as well as the TCTMD news team’s own top picks on the Heart Sounds podcast. Amid it all, we hope you take some time to rest up ahead of the holiday season, too.