Patients with persistent AF, less symptomatic and/or older patients, and those with prior anti-arrhythmic failure are best managed with a rate control strategy. The EAST-AFNET 4 study is a practice-changing trial, and strongly supports the role of early rhythm control in patients with newly-diagnosed AF.
The debate over the optimal management in stable ischemic heart disease has grown over the past decade with more evidence supporting a conservative medical therapy approach over an upfront invasive strategy with coronary revascularization. However, there remains significant practice variation in deciding when to pursue coronary revascularization.
Perioperative management of anticoagulation is challenging as physicians must consider the risks of stroke, systemic embolism, and perioperative bleeding.
Hypertension affects over 1 in 5 Canadians and is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease and heart failure. Uncontrolled hypertension is a risk factor for stroke (both ischemic and hemorrhagic), retinopathy, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and peripheral vascular disease. Epidemiologic studies show that the risk of cardiovascular disease increases above a blood pressure of 115/75 mmHg.
There are approximately 500,000 Canadians living with heart failure, and more than 10% in patients older than 65. Up to 50% of patients presenting with signs and symptoms of heart failure will have a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF or diastolic dysfunction). However, there is a lack of evidence for effective therapies in the management of HFpEF.
In patients presenting with acute decompensated heart failure and previously on oral loop diuretics at home, there is no difference between low-dose and high-dose furosemide, or bolus and continuous infusions, on the patient’s global assessment of symptoms and changes in serum creatinine at 72 hours.
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