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This article discusses the potential use of noninvasive pulse wave velocity as a screening method for proximal aortic aneurysm. The study enrolled 185 patients with and without known proximal aortic aneurysm and/or aortic valve disease. The results showed that pulse wave velocity was significantly higher in patients without aortic aneurysm, suggesting that it could be a useful tool for determining cardiovascular risk and screening for proximal aortic aneurysm. However, further studies are needed to validate these findings and correlate them with other imaging methods. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the neurological outcome in a chronic large animal model of spinal cord blood flow reduction caused by an increase in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure. The study used a large animal model and found that increasing CSF pressure led to a decrease in spinal cord perfusion, even in the presence of open segmental arteries. However, despite the decrease in blood flow, no neurological impairment was observed during the three-day follow-up period. The study also found that slower depressurization resulted in less pronounced hyperperfusion. Overall, the findings suggest that the spinal cord has sufficient ischemic tolerance to survive a reduction in blood flow. [Extracted from the article]

BACKGROUND: Among low-risk patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis who are eligible for both transcatheter aortic-valve implantation (TAVI) and surgical aortic-valve replacement (SAVR), data are lacking on the appropriate treatment strategy in routine clinical practice. METHODS: In this randomized noninferiority trial conducted at 38 sites in Germany, we assigned patients with severe aortic stenosis who were at low or intermediate surgical risk to undergo either TAVI or SAVR. Percutaneous- and surgical-valve prostheses were selected according to operator discretion. The primary outcome was a composite of death from any cause or fatal or nonfatal stroke at 1 year. RESULTS: A total of 1414 patients underwent randomization (701 to the TAVI group and 713 to the SAVR group). The mean (±SD) age of the patients was 74±4 years; 57% were men, and the median Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk score was 1.8% (low surgical risk). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of the primary outcome at 1 year was 5.4% in the TAVI group and 10.0% in the SAVR group (hazard ratio for death or stroke, 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35 to 0.79; PcO.OOl for noninferiority). The incidence of death from any cause was 2.6% in the TAVI group and 6.2% in the SAVR group (hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.24 to 0.73); the incidence of stroke was 2.9% and 4.7%, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.35 to 1.06). Procedural complications occurred in 1.5% and 1.0% of patients in the TAVI and SAVR groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with severe aortic stenosis at low or intermediate surgical risk, TAVI was noninferior to SAVR with respect to death from any cause or stroke at 1 year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]