Elliott M. Antman

TL;DR: Esmolol is a new ultra short-acting (half-life [t1/2] beta 9 min) beta 1-adrenergic-receptor antagonist reported to have no intrinsic sympathomimetic activity and there was no significant change in the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, respiratory rate, or PR interval during the maintenance phase.

TL;DR: Among ACS patients presenting with isolated anterior ST-segment depression, over one-quarter had an occluded culprit artery and elevated cardiac biomarkers, and these patients had significantly worse clinical outcomes, and few underwent urgent angiography.

TL;DR: In patients with STEMI receiving fibrinolytic therapy, use of LMWH with other standard therapies, including clopidogrel and aspirin, is associated with improved angiographic outcomes and lower rates of major adverse cardiovascular events.

TL;DR: The current landscape of cardiovascular clinical trials in the United States is examined, recently conducted registry-based clinical trials are highlighted, and the potential attributes of the recently launched pragmatic clinical trial called the ADAPTABLE (Aspirin Dosing: A Patient-centric Trial Assessing the Benefits and Long-term Effectiveness) trial are discussed.

TL;DR: The TIMI risk score identifies patients who are more likely to have intracoronary thrombus, impaired flow, and increased burden of coronary atherosclerosis, likely explaining in part the particular benefit of potent antithrombin and antiplatelet agents among patients with higher risk scores.