The American journal of cardiology
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Even with optimal statin therapy, many patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus or metabolic syndrome fail to achieve all lipid targets and remain at high risk of cardiovascular events. Add-on lipid-modifying therapy that is effective in improving the triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol abnormalities characteristic of these conditions is a recommended approach to reduce this risk. ⋯ Although there is good evidence that both agents favorably affect clinical outcome, we need to evaluate their impact against a baseline of statin therapy. We await data from ongoing large-scale studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these combinations and to determine the most appropriate option for reducing residual cardiovascular risk in this important patient population.
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Sustained ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure are well-recognized complications after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and have been associated with worse outcomes and increased mortality. The use of and outcomes associated with acute beta-blocker therapy in patients with AMI complicated by sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) and heart failure were investigated. Of 5,391 patients in the VALIANT Registry, sustained VT/VF occurred in 306 (5.7%), with an in-hospital mortality rate of 20.3%. ⋯ In conclusion, sustained VT/VF was common after AMI. In patients with sustained VT/VF, beta-blocker therapy in the first 24 hours after AMI was associated with decreased early mortality without worsening heart failure. Unfortunately, beta blockers were underused acutely in patients with sustained VT/VF.
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This cross-sectional study examined the burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) using serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) and prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in adults with CVDs using data from NHANES 2001 to 2004. Serum 25(OH)D levels were divided into 3 categories (> or =30, 20 to 29, and <20 ng/ml), and hypovitaminosis D was defined as vitamin D <30 ng/ml. Of 8,351 adults who had 25(OH)D measured, mean 25(OH)D was 24.3 ng/ml, and the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D was 74%. ⋯ Across all CVDs, hypovitaminosis D was more common in blacks than Hispanics or whites. Compared with persons at low risk for CVDs (68%), it was more prevalent in those at high risk (75%; odds ratio [OR] 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05 to 1.67), with coronary heart disease (77%; OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.91), and both coronary heart disease and heart failure (89%; OR 3.52, 95% CI 1.58 to 7.84) after controlling for age, race, and gender. In conclusion, hypovitaminosis D was highly prevalent in US adults with CVDs, particularly those with both coronary heart disease and heart failure.
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Improvement in left ventricular (LV) systolic function after aortic valve replacement (AVR) has been observed in patients with aortic valve stenosis (AS). However, the factors that predict such recovery remain unclear. We sought to identify the predictive value of the LV spherical shape for LV functional recovery after "isolated" AVR in patients with severe AS and LV dysfunction. ⋯ Multivariate analysis revealed that preoperative EF, end-systolic volume index, and end-diastolic sphericity were independent parameters predicting postoperative EF. The sensitivity and specificity in predicting normalization of EF (> or =50%) after AVR were 65% and 83% for end-diastolic sphericity <0.57 and 68% and 91% for end-systolic sphericity <0.47, respectively. In conclusion, LV spherical shape and dilatation predicted poor LV functional recovery after isolated AVR in severe AS.
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Review Meta Analysis
Review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials of remote ischemic preconditioning in cardiovascular surgery.
To determine whether remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) is beneficial for patients who undergo cardiovascular surgery (CVS), a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials of RIPC for the prevention of myocardial injury in CVS was performed. All prospective randomized controlled clinical trials of RIPC versus control that enrolled patients who underwent CVS were identified using a 2-level search strategy. First, a public-domain database (Medline) was searched using a Web-based search engine (PubMed). ⋯ In total, this meta-analysis included data on 184 patients who underwent CVS randomized to RIPC or control. Pooled analysis of the 4 trials demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in biomarkers of myocardial injury with RIPC relative to control (standardized mean difference -0.81, 95% confidence interval -1.29 to -0.33, p = 0.0010). In conclusion, the present study, the first systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials, demonstrated a statistically significant benefit of RIPC over control for reduction in biomarkers of myocardial injury in CVS patients.