Table of contents
September 2008 Volume 5 No 9
Editorial
Research Highlights
CABG surgery and stents provide similar protection against major cardiovascular events
510Spot protein:creatinine ratio for detection of proteinuria in pregnant women
510Cytochrome P450 mutation reduces effectiveness of clopidogrel
510doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1284 | Full Text | PDF (101K)
Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation is effective in obese patients
511Erectile dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes predicts coronary heart disease
511doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1286 | Full Text | PDF (101K)
Rimonabant has limited effects on atherosclerosis
512Pioglitazone inhibits progression of atherosclerosis
512Long-term outcomes of patients with peripheral arterial disease after vascular surgery
513Clinical Advance
Older age should not be a barrier to the treatment of hypertension
514doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1291 | Full Text | PDF (122K)
Cardiovascular disease in Sub-Saharan Africa: a complex picture demanding a multifaceted response
516doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1281 | Full Text | PDF (121K)
Low-cost strategies to predict cardiovascular disease
518doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1294 | Full Text | PDF (117K)
Skeletal myoblast transplantation: no MAGIC bullet for ischemic cardiomyopathy
520doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1299 | Full Text | PDF (123K)
Diagnosis of cardiac anomalies in offspring of women with congenital heart disease: is fetal echocardiography enough?
522doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1296 | Full Text | PDF (116K)
Balloon valvuloplasty of the aortic valve in children: a surgical view
524doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1297 | Full Text | PDF (117K)
Does the angiotensin receptor blocker telmisartan prevent morbid atherosclerotic events?
526doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1303 | Full Text | PDF (124K)
Viewpoint
Is activation of coronary venous cells the key to cardiac regeneration?
528Werner Mohl and coauthors present their Viewpoint examining pressure-controlled intermittent coronary sinus occlusion (PICSO). Here they postulate that PICSO should be introduced into the clinic as a valuable technique for activation of venous endothelium to initiate myocardial recovery and induce regeneration.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1298 | Full Text | PDF (139K)
Reviews
Mechanisms of Disease: the evolving role of regulatory T cells in atherosclerosis
531The immune system is instrumental in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Here, Jacob George examines the growing knowledge of the role of regulatory T cells in atherosclerosis development. This field of research holds great potential for future development of novel therapeutic modalities designed to attenuate atherosclerosis and stabilize vulnerable plaques.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1279 | Full Text | PDF (307K)
Fibrates and future PPAR
agonists in the treatment of cardiovascular disease
542Despite statin therapy, patients with diabetes still face a substantial residual cardiovascular risk. The need for additional therapies is, therefore, sorely needed. Here Staels et al. explore to what extent peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor 
agonists, such as fibrates, can improve the lipid profile and associated risk markers.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1278 | Full Text | PDF (301K)
The cardiac sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase: a potent target for cardiovascular diseases
554SERCA2a is one of the most promising targets for the treatment of heart failure. Kawase and Hajjar examine mounting evidence demonstrating the beneficial effects associated with SERCA2a overexpression, and provide a balanced discussion of the risks associated with SERCA2a as a target for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1301 | Full Text | PDF (322K)
Case Study
Dilated cardiomyopathy: an unusual complication of clozapine therapy
566Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic drug which has been linked to the development of cardiovascular side-effects. Here, Azzam et al. describe a 42-year-old male with refractory schizophrenia who presented with severe dilated cardiomyopathy, which was thought to have been caused by clozapine therapy.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1292 | Full Text | PDF (211K)
Clinical research
Therapeutic targeting of the stem cell niche in experimental hindlimb ischemia
571The custom microenvironment "vascular niche" is a potential therapeutic target for several pathophysiological conditions. Osteoblasts act as regulators of the hematopoietic stem cell niche, and activation of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor may increase the number of cells mobilized into the bloodstream. The authors demonstrate that PTH may enhance the efficiency of hematopoietic stem cell-based therapy in a recognized model of peripheral ischemia.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1214 | Full Text | PDF (458K)
See also: Clinical Context by Aliev et al.
Time course of events in acute coronary syndromes: implications for clinical practice from the GRACE registry
580The time course of events after acute coronary syndromes (ACS) might influence the timing and duration of therapeutic interventions. In this paper the authors study the timing of death, reinfarction, stroke, and major bleeding within 6 months of ACS in 46,829 patients enrolled in the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE). Their data shows that the timing of events after ACS was affected by ST category and influenced by GRACE risk score within each electrocardiographic category of ACS. They recommend that risk stratification should, therefore, include multiple risk factors rather than ST shift alone.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1302 | Full Text | PDF (264K)
Clinical Context
Stem cell niches as clinical targets: the future of anti-ischemic therapy?
590Clinical Context commentary on Napoli et al.
doi:10.1038/ncpcardio1295 | Full Text | PDF (128K)
