A reporter who saw Covid-19 coming has died - The Straits Times

Patients receiving oral anticoagulation (OAC) for atrial fibrillation frequently have concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD), raising questions about the duration of additional antiplatelet therapy. Triple antithrombotic therapy combines OAC with aspirin and a P2Y₁₂ inhibitor, usually clopidogrel, whereas dual antithrombotic therapy combines OAC with a single antiplatelet agent. Early aspirin withdrawal from triple therapy and subsequent withdrawal of the remaining antiplatelet are separate decisions requiring assessment of the coronary timeline and current treatment indications. This narrative editorial examines randomized evidence and proposes a structured medication review framework. The evidence generally supports OAC monotherapy in appropriately selected patients with stable CAD, with reduced bleeding and favourable net clinical outcomes compared with combined treatment. However, aspirin-specific findings require distinction from comparisons involving clopidogrel or mixed antiplatelet regimens. Overall trial results do not establish identical benefits or harms across patients with previous myocardial infarction, multivessel disease, or complex coronary intervention. Differe

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A hospital that has implanted tiny pacemakers for 10 years has been recognised as a "centre of excellence". Northampton General Hospital said the honour, bestowed by the manufacturer, was for the way "it has pioneered" the fitting of the leadless pacemaker and for training other teams around the UK. The device is 93% smaller than traditional pacemakers, weighs about two grams and can be inserted in about 20 minutes. It is so small that it cannot be felt under the surface of the skin, the trust explained. The device, made by global US healthcare company Medtronic, has been used in Northampton since 2016 and in 2024 it became the first hospital trust in the UK to use the latest form. The trust has fitted it in about 300 patients so far. Staff Northampton General Hospital were treated with a cake to mark the achievement [NGH]Dr David Sharman, a consultant cardiologist who implanted the hospital's first device, said his team had been training specialist nurses, cardiac physiologists and radiographers from across England. "This kind of pacemaker is the future for pacemakers," he said. Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.