The American journal of cardiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Evidence for the continued safety and tolerability of fixed-dose isosorbide dinitrate/hydralazine in patients with chronic heart failure (the extension to African-American Heart Failure Trial).
The benefits of fixed-dose combination isosorbide dinitrate plus hydralazine (ID/H) in African-Americans with heart failure (HF) were established by the African-American Heart Failure Trial (A-HeFT), which was terminated early because of a significant survival benefit of ID/H. The Extension to A-HeFT trial (X-A-HeFT), designed to make ID/H available for ethical reasons after A-HeFT termination, afforded an opportunity to further observe responsiveness and compliance with ID/H. In total 198 patients completing the A-HeFT took ID/H for an additional 209 +/- 116 days. ⋯ The 6% annualized mortality rate in X-A-HeFT was the same as for ID/H in A-HeFT. There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics or outcomes in X-A-HeFT patients analyzed according to their A-HeFT randomization. In conclusion, these results confirm the good compliance, tolerability, and responsiveness, with low mortality and improved symptoms, during treatment with ID/H observed in A-HeFT.
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Using cardiac magnetic resonance, the presence of myocardial delayed contrast enhancement (DCE) has been described in the ventricular septum at the level of the right ventricular insertion points in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, extent, and correlates of this finding. Septal DCE was evaluated in 55 patients with known or suspected PH of various causes. ⋯ The extent of DCE showed moderate to good univariate correlations (r = 0.5 to 0.73) with pulmonary pressures and with right ventricular volumes, mass, and ejection fractions. In multivariate analysis, systolic pulmonary pressure was the only predictor of DCE. In conclusion, the presence of septal DCE at the right ventricular insertion points is common in PH of different causes, and the level of systolic pulmonary pressure elevation appears to be the main determinant of this finding.
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Placebo-controlled randomized trials have demonstrated the efficacy of selected beta blockers on outcomes in chronic heart failure (HF), but the relative effectiveness of different beta blockers in usual clinical care is poorly understood. We compared 12-month risk of rehospitalization for HF associated with receipt of different beta blockers in 7,883 adults hospitalized for HF within 2 large health plans between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2002. Beta-blocker use was ascertained from electronic pharmacy databases and readmissions within 12 months were identified from hospital discharge databases. ⋯ Crude 12-month rates of readmissions for HF were high overall (42.6 per 100 person-years). After adjustment for potential confounders, cumulative exposure to each beta blocker, and propensity to receive carvedilol compared with atenolol, adjusted risks of readmission were not significantly different for metoprolol tartrate (adjusted hazard ratio 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.85 to 1.05) or for carvedilol (adjusted hazard ratio 0.92, 95% confidence interval 0.74 to 1.14). In conclusion, in a contemporary cohort of high-risk patients hospitalized with HF, we found that adjusted risks of rehospitalization for HF within 12 months were not significantly different in patients receiving atenolol, shorter-acting metoprolol tartrate, or carvedilol.
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The no-reflow phenomenon after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with larger infarct size, worse functional recovery, and higher incidence of complication after acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The aim of this study was to assess the relation between preprocedural N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and angiographic no-reflow phenomenon. We measured preprocedural serum NT-pro-BNP level in 159 consecutive patients with acute STEMI (aged 63 +/- 12 years; 72% men) before PCI. ⋯ The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for NT-pro-BNP was 0.78, and the optimal cut-off value identified using receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was 500 pg/ml. At the standard cut-off value of >500 pg/ml, increased NT-pro-BNP showed a high probability of no-reflow phenomenon (odds ratio 4.42, 95% confidence interval 1.15 to 17.00, p = 0.028). In conclusion, preprocedural NT-pro-BNP may be a strong predictor of the development of no-reflow phenomenon after PCI in patients with acute STEMI.