We developed a set of equations to predict the risk or probability of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) in 10 years among American Indians. The equations are based on the significant risk factors identified in the Strong Heart Study, a longitudinal study of cardiovascular disease in American Indians. The equations can be used in patient education and to evaluate the efficacy of CAD prevention and intervention programs.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, accounting for approximately one third of all patient discharges with arrhythmia as the principal diagnosis and the greatest number of hospitalization days for arrhythmia each year.
We conducted a substudy of the Rate Control Versus Electrical Cardioversion (RACE) study to evaluate cardiovascular morbidity, mortality, and the outcome of rate and rhythm control treatment in subjects with and without hypertension with persistent atrial fibrillation.
Open-label, interim data from ASSURE shows positive effect and tolerability with once-daily seladelpar in patients with primary biliary cholangitis and compensated cirrhosis.
We evaluated the performance of the 64-slice spiral computed tomography coronary angiography scanner in 52 symptomatic patients with stable sinus rhythm and found that it was highly reliable in ruling out the presence of a significant coronary stenosis. This technique may be regarded as a suitable alternative to invasive coronary angiography.
Recent observational studies have suggested that statins have a protective effect against cancer. However, long-term statin users were shown to be healthier, less frail, and more adherent to therapy and screenings. We conducted a cohort study to evaluate the effect of statins on several common cancers in a large elderly population.
The importance of blood lipids in the risk of ischemic heart disease in older people is unclear; as a result, cholesterol-lowering drug therapy is not widely prescribed for older individuals without diagnosed cardiovascular disease. We conducted a study to determine the relationship between death from ischemic heart disease and the level of cholesterol, cholesterol fractions, and apolipoproteins
Reduced exercise capacity is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and coronary revascularization in patients referred for exercise treadmill testing for clinical indications.
Intra-articular injection of two widely used plant and mineral extract-based formulations provide long-lasting pain relief in patients with moderate to severe pain from knee osteoarthritis, according to the first-ever double-blind trial of the treatments.
We examined the prevalence and risks associated with undiagnosed diabetes mellitus among more than 7000 patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery. At the perioperative and postoperative stages, patients with undiagnosed diabetes showed a significantly higher morbidity and mortality rate.
The literature is replete with studies of treatments for chronic heart failure that have shown morbidity and mortality benefits.
We assessed the histologic features of 526 carotid plaques from consecutive patients undergoing endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid stenosis and found a high prevalence of coronary-type plaque instability, with strong correlations between macrophage infiltration and both cap rupture and time since stroke. Temporal trends were much weaker after a transient ischemic attack than after a stroke, with a tendency for plaque features to persist for a longer period, suggesting heterogeneity in the underlying pathological mechanisms.
The current guidelines for the management of heart failure in women are based upon data collected from studies predominantly enrolling men. However, because important differences exist in the sex-based pathogenesis of and prognosis for heart failure, the current risk-benefit analyses that guide the evidence-based management of heart failure in women demands prospective assessment.
The problem of managing acute myocardial infarction (MI) in elderly patients, especially in those patients with left ventricular dysfunction, has multiple components, not the least of which is to decide which class of agents to use first (angiotensin-converting enzyme [ACE] inhibitors, diuretics, β blockers, etc) and whether to use these agents alone or in combination with 1 or more of the other classes of drugs.
We analyzed a subgroup of 2445 subjects with diabetes, macrovascular disease, and previous myocardial infarction (MI) from the Prospective Pioglitazone Clinical Trial in Macrovascular Events to determine the effects of pioglitazone on mortality and macrovascular morbidity. Pioglitazone was shown to decrease the occurrence of adverse cardiac outcomes, including recurrent MI, in these high-risk subjects. This additional benefit of pioglitazone in patients with diabetes and a previous MI suggests that it may be appropriate to include this medication in the management strategy of patients with MI.
Our evolving understanding of the potential causes of fibromyalgia, and its placement along a continuum of related conditions, informs an individualized treatment approach.