CARDIOVASCULAR: Monday, September 3rd - European Society of Cardiology Congress, 2007, 1-5 September, Vienna, Austria

Monday, September 3rd - European Society of Cardiology Congress, 2007, 1-5 September, Vienna, Austria 1. Chronic Stable Angina: Should ESC Guidelines on Clopidogrel as Pre-Treatment to Planned Coronary Angiography be Changed? PETR WIDIMSKY, Charles University, Prague COMMENT: ECKART FLECK, Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin REFERENCE: Hot Line II Monday 3rd Sept The ESC guideline suggesting all patients with chronic stable angina having coronary angiography should have clopidogrel pre-treatment is now being questioned following findings of the PRAGUE-8 Study, which randomized patients to receive the anti-platelet agent either non selectively before angiography, or selectively after angiography in those considered to need PCI. The PRAGUE investigators concluded that the ESC guideline was unjustified for the treatment of elective angiography in chronic stable angina, and that the previous practice of selective administration of clopidogrel should be resumed. Nicola Solomon talked with Petr Widimsky at the ESC Congress in Vienna. Derek Thorne heard comments on the findings from Eckart Fleck. 2. Enoxaparin Superior to Unfractionated Heparin for STEMI at 12 months Follow Up: ExTRACT-TIMI 25 Trial DAVID MORROW, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston REFERENCE: 1027, Clinical Trial Update I Further data to support the use of enoxaparin has come out of the latest update from the ExTRACT-TIMI 25 study. It shows at 12 months follow up, that the benefits of enoxaparin are durable and still superior to unfractionated heparin for patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction undergoing fibrinolytic therapy. Sarah Maxwell interviewed David Morrow at the Vienna meeting. 3. Drug Eluting Stent Shows Great Benefit in Chronic Total Occlusions GERALD WERNER, Klinikum Darmstadt, Germany REFERENCE: Abstract 925 The ESC congress in Vienna heard that drug eluting stents are highly effective in chronically occluded arteries, when compared with bare metal stents. Derek Thorne got more on this German study from Gerald Werner, of Klinikum Darmstadt in Germany.