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Journal and News Scan

Source: Circulation Research
Author(s): Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley, Yvonne Baumer, Foster Osei Baah, Andrew S. Baez, Nicole Farmer, Christa T. Mahlobo, Mario A. Pita, Kameswari A. Potharaju, Kosuke Tamura and Gwenyth R. Wallen

A paper that addresses a gap in knowledge and will guide future research: of particular interest, the penultimate paragraph on The Role of Interventions.

Source: The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
Author(s): Sara K. Pasquali, MD, MHS Dylan Thibault, MS Matt Hall, PhD Karen Chiswell, PhD Jennifer C. Romano, MD J. William Gaynor, MD David M. Shahian, MD Marshall L. Jacobs, MD Michael G. Gaies, MD, MPH Sean M. O’Brien, PhD Edward C. Norton, PhD Kevin D. Hill, MD, MS Patricia A. Cowper, PhD Samir S. Shah, MD, MSCE John E. Mayer, MD Jeffrey P. Jacobs, MD

More than 40,000 children in the United States are undergoing congenital heart surgery annually. Yet, the relationship between hospital quality and costs remains unclear. This article explores this issue.

Source: Circulation Research
Author(s): Olujimi A. Ajijola

An interesting brief editorial on an experiment revisiting renal denervation as a panacea to cardiovascular disease

Source: Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging
Author(s): Dominik Fleischmann, Rana O. Afifi, Ana I. Casanegra, John A. Elefteriades, Thomas G. Gleason, Kate Hanneman, Eric E. Roselli, Martin J. Willemink, Michael P. Fischbein on behalf of the American Heart Association

This newly released AHA scientific statement offers a comprehensive review of the latest imaging and measurement techniques for patients with chronic aortic dissection and clarifies the need for standardized measurements and reporting for lifelong surveillance. It is divided into seven parts: epidemiology and anatomic spectrum; pathophysiology; managment of chronic aortic dissection; imaging technique; measurement principles; surveillance imaging; and risk stratification and new developments. The emerging role of imaging and computer simulations is examined to predict aortic false lumen degeneration, remodeling, and biomechanical failure from morphological and hemodynamic features.  The writing group also identifies critical knowledge gaps and research needs that may serve as an impetus for additional research and development. 

Source: NPR
Author(s): Malaka Gharib, Nurith Aizemen

Global health champion, Harvard Medical School professor, anthropologist and co-founder of the nonprofit health organization Partners in Health, Dr. Paul Farmer, has died at age 62. This article lists some of Dr. Farmer's accomplishments.

Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Author(s): Ismail El-Hamamsy, Nana Toyoda, Shinobu Itagaki, Paul Stelzer, Robin Varghese, Elbert E. Williams, Natalia Erogova, and David H. Adams

The Ross procedure in adults has recently seen a surge in interest. The aim of this study was to compare long-term outcomes after the Ross procedure vs biological and mechanical aortic valve replacement (AVR) in adults (aged 18-50 years) undergoing aortic valve surgery.

Source: Circulation Research
Author(s): Steffen Pabel, Maria Knierim, Thea Stehle, Felix Alebrand, Michael Paulus, Marcel Sieme, Melissa Herwig, Friedrich Barsch, Thomas Körtl, Arnold Pöppl, Brisca Wenner, Senka Ljubojevic-Holzer, Cristina E. Molina, Nataliya Dybkova, Daniele Camboni, Thomas H. Fischer, Simon Sedej, Daniel Scherr, Christof Schmid, Christoph Brochhausen, Gerd Hasenfuß, Lars S. Maier, Nazha Hamdani, Katrin Streckfuss-Bömeke, Samuel Sossalla

Interesting study of hypertrophied human cardiomyocytes

Source: Wall Street Journal
Author(s): Betsy McKay

Paul Farmer, a physician, anthropologist and humanitarian who gained global acclaim for his work delivering high-quality health care to some of the world’s poorest people, died on Monday on the grounds of a hospital and university he had helped establish in Butaro, Rwanda.

Source: Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging
Author(s): Dominik Fleischmann, Rana O. Afifi, Ana I. Casanegra, John A. Elefteriades, Thomas G. Gleason, Kate Hanneman, Eric E. Roselli, Martin J. Willemink, and Michael P. Fischbein on behalf of the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association has released a scientific statement on imaging and surveillance of chronic aortic dissection, expounding the state-of-the-art imaging and measurement techniques (CT, MR and echocardiography), and clarifying the need for standardized measurements and reporting for lifelong surveillance. 

Source: Stony Brook University News
Author(s): Stony Brook University Writer(s)

A new study that monitors patients who were given “on-pump” or “off-pump” coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) over a ten year time period reveals that outcomes between the two forms of heart bypass surgery are more similar than one may think.

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