Renal Sympathetic Denervation for Hypertension

Arterial hypertension is the most prevalent global modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Despite the availability of numerous pharmacologic treatments, many patients do not achieve guideline-recommended blood pressure targets. Therefore, renal sympathetic denervation (RDN), a process in which catheter-directed techniques are used to ablate portions of the renal artery to reduce sympathetic activity, has been extensively investigated as a complementary and nonpharmacologic approach for the treatment of arterial hypertension. This review seeks to discuss the pathophysiological rationale of this strategy, to survey its history and development, and to highlight the current clinical evidence and possible future directions of its employment. In sum, RDN has demonstrated itself to be a safe and well-tolerated endovascular intervention that can reliably contribute to improved blood pressure control and, perhaps ultimately, significant cardiovascular prognosis.

An Unusual Cause of Shortness of Breath: Pulmonary Vein Stenosis After Surgical Mitral Valve Replacement

A 79-year-old man with prior bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement presented with progressive shortness of breath and was found to have right upper pulmonary vein stenosis and paravalvular leak diagnosed with the use of multimodal imaging. The patient underwent balloon angioplasty, stenting of the pulmonary vein, and paravalvular leak closure with ultimate resolution of symptoms. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Rare Complication of Endoscopic Variceal Therapy: Wide-Complex Tachycardia Associated With Embolization of Glue and Coil

We present the case of a woman with upper gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to gastric varices requiring endoscopic cyanoacrylate glue and coil embolization. The procedure was complicated by regular, wide-complex tachycardia, with further investigation revealing cardiopulmonary migration of the glue and coil. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

The Benefits of Oral Rehydration on Orthostatic Intolerance in Children with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether equal volumes of oral rehydration solution (ORS) or intravenous (IV) saline provide similar improvements in cardiovascular status during controlled orthostatic challenge when administered to subjects with postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) with orthostatic intolerance.

STUDY DESIGN

We studied the neurovascular response to fluid loading during orthostatic stress using lower body negative pressure (LBNP) in 10 subjects with POTS with orthostatic intolerance and 15 controls, and on subsequent days before and 1 hour after IV saline infusion or ingestion of ORS.

RESULTS

Subjects with POTS exhibited reduced tolerance to LBNP (P < .0001) compared with controls (Orthostatic Index of 35 715 ± 3469 vs 93 980 ± 7977, respectively). In POTS, following ORS but not saline infusion, cerebral blood flow velocity (CBF_v) was significantly higher than that with no treatment, at -45 mm Hg (P < .0005). Although fluid loading did not confer any advantage in controls, subjects with POTS experienced a significant improvement in orthostatic tolerance following both saline infusion (100 ± 9.7 vs 134.5 ± 17.4; P < .05) and ORS (100 ± 9.7 vs 155.6 ± 15.7; P < .001) when evaluated by normalized orthostatic index (P < .001, compared with untreated baseline).

CONCLUSIONS

Maintenance of CBF_v may have resulted in the improved short-term orthostatic tolerance exhibited by the subjects with POTS following ORS administration. ORS is a convenient, safe, and effective therapy for short-term relief of orthostatic intolerance.

Statins and the potential for higher diabetes mellitus risk

Introduction: 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) are widely used for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. Long-term use of statins has been linked to the development of diabetes mellitus (DM) which increases CVD risk. Areas covered: We discussed the reported incidence of DM in statin users, various possible mechanisms responsible for the development of DM and the clinical implications of this association on CVD risk. Relevant supporting literature was identified using MEDLINE/EMBASE search. Expert opinion: Data from available RCTs and observational studies suggest a 10-45% higher risk of new-onset DM with statin use compared to nonusers. Several cellular, molecular, and genetic mechanisms, and lifestyle changes have been studied and discussed as potential underlying mechanisms responsible for this elevated DM risk with statin therapy. The mode of the diabetogenic action of statins is still unclear and an interplay of pancreatic and peripheral effects in the pathogenesis of DM is a possibility. Despite these observations, the CVD preventative benefit of statin treatment outweighs the CVD risk associated with of development of new DM. There is a need for further research to identify the exact mechanisms involved so as to specifically target causative factors and individualize treatment.