Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to share with you the official peer-reviewed highlights from ACC.15, the 64th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, held March 14 to 16, 2015, in San Diego. The articles in this edition of MD Conference Express® represent the most noteworthy, cutting-edge topics for a broad array of practitioners.

Several studies covered in this edition will influence clinical practice today and others to follow in the near future. A benefit with prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) was determined for the first time in stable patients on average 2 years after a prior myocardial infarction (MI). The PEGASUS-TIMI 54 trial showed a reduction in the composite of cardiovascular (CV) death, MI, or stroke with ticagrelor vs placebo on top of aspirin, whereas TIMI major bleeding was increased. A new analysis from the DAPT study found a reduction in risk of stent thrombosis with prolonged DAPT in patients with or without acute coronary syndromes when undergoing coronary stenting and who were randomized 1 year later. Catheter ablation (when compared to amiodarone) increased freedom from atrial fibrillation (AF) and reduced hospitalization and mortality in patients with AF and heart failure in the AATAC study. The 5-year results of PARTNER 1 showed that transcatheter aortic valve replacement provides a durable alternative in patients who are at high risk for surgical replacement. Finally, potent low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction with a novel PCSK9 inhibitor reduced CV outcomes in the OSLER extension studies. Evolocumab reduced LDL-C by 61% and the composite outcome of death, coronary and cerebrovascular events, and heart failure hospitalization by 53%. Definitive confirmation of these findings is awaited from an ongoing phase 3 outcomes trial.

We hope that you will find the articles and practical perspectives contained in the pages of this edition of MD Conference Express to be useful in your clinical practice. For more information, please visit www.mdconferencexpress.com.