TCTMD’s Top 10 Most Popular Stories for September 2017

More than half of the most-read stories on TCTMD this month were carryovers from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress, among them CHANGE-DAPT, BIOFLOW V, and a PURE analysis looking at dietary fat and carbohydrates. Leading the pack, however, was the breaking news that Abbott was halting sales of its Absorb bioresorbable scaffold, a story we followed with an in-depth feature about what comes next for the technology, also in our Top Ten this month. Another feature looking at reactions to the COMPASS trial, a NOAC analysis from VIVA 2017, as well as stories on endothelial damage during radial interventions and conscious sedation during TAVR round out the list.

No More Absorb BVS: Abbott Puts a Stop to Sales

The company announced its intention to stop selling the bioresorbable scaffold in all countries but said follow-up of existing studies will continue.

CHANGE DAPT: Study Contests Benefit of Ticagrelor Over Clopidogrel After PCI in ACS

The study is a “piece in a mosaic,” one researcher says, and comes after a number of other analyses have challenged ticagrelor’s supremacy.

COMPASS: All Signs Point to Big Impact in CAD and PAD, Experts Predict

After digesting the trial results, cardiologists polled by TCTMD believe that FDA approval will likely follow, although some caveats remain.

Fentanyl, Ubiquitous in US Cath Labs, Blunts Antiplatelet Drugs in PCI

One investigator says US reliance on the potent analgesic should be questioned. Others say abandoning fentanyl in PCI is not the right approach.

Apixaban May Be Better Choice Than Rivaroxaban for DVT Patients

In a pharmacotherapy session at VIVA 2017, researchers discussed NOACs in the setting of endovascular disease and the potential role of reversal agents.

Absorb Vanishes, but Can Other Bioresorbable Scaffolds Make Magic Happen?

The loss of Absorb barely made waves, says one US doctor, noting they had long ago stopped using the beleaguered bioresorbable scaffold.

Conscious Sedation in TAVR Linked to Lower Mortality, Shorter Hospital Stays: TVT Registry

The findings, culled from an 11,000-patient data set, suggest a practice on the upswing in the US seems as safe as general anesthesia.

BIOFLOW V: ‘Ultrathin-Strut’ Stent Beats Out Xience at 12 Months

At a meeting that has more or less lost its thirst for metallic-stent comparison trials, one presenter at ESC said a new device warrants watching.

Endothelial Dysfunction Observed Following Transradial Catheterization, Meta-analysis Suggests

Radial experts, however, argue that endothelial dysfunction is transient and the benefits of transradial access outweigh these small risks.

PURE Investigators: Rethink Diet Guidance to Plug More Fats, Fewer Carbs

New data from the massive epidemiological study suggest higher mortality with higher carb and lower fat intake.