The American journal of cardiology
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Current data regarding gender disparities in outcomes after acute pulmonary embolism (PE) are limited and controversial. We sought to assess the gender-specific rates and trends in treatment, outcomes, and complications after acute PE. We used the 2003 to 2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample database for this analysis. ⋯ Among patients in shock who were eligible for thrombolysis (age <75 years, no previous stroke, no bleeding on presentation, and not pregnant), the utilization of thrombolysis was similar between men and women (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.53). Lastly, the cost of hospitalization after acute PE was significantly higher in men than women (adjusted mean difference $425, 95% CI $304 to $546). In conclusion, among patients admitted with acute PE, women tend to have more adverse outcomes and higher incidence of complications compared with men.
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Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, is an antiapoptotic soluble receptor considered to play an important role in immune modulation and has pro-inflammatory functions. This study was designed to test whether circulating DcR3 levels are associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) severity and predict future major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with CAD. Circulating DcR3 levels and the Syntax score (SXscore) were determined in patients with multivessel CAD. ⋯ By multivariate analysis, circulating DcR3 levels were identified as an independent predictor for high SXscore (adjusted odds ratio 1.15, 95% confidence interval 1.09 to 1.21; p <0.001). The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that increased circulating DcR3 levels are associated with enhanced 1-year MACE in patients with multivessel CAD (log-rank p <0.001). In conclusion, increased circulating DcR3 levels are associated with CAD severity and predict future MACE in patients with multivessel CAD.
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Reduced heart rate variability (HRV) is associated with poor outcome in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the data on predictive value of RR variability during atrial fibrillation (AF) are limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ventricular response characteristics and long-term clinical outcome in the population of ambulatory patients with mild-to-moderate HF and AF at baseline. ⋯ Only nonlinear HRV parameters (irregularity but not variability indexes) identified patients at higher risk during follow-up. Decreased ApEn ≤1.68 was an independent predictor of total mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 2.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.61 to 4.89, p <0.001), sudden cardiac death (HR 3.83, 95% CI 1.31 to 11.25, p = 0.014), and HF death (HR 3.45, 95% CI 1.42 to 8.38, p = 0.006) in a multivariate Cox analysis. In conclusion, in a post hoc analysis of Muerte Subita en Insufficiencia Cardiaca study AF cohort, reduced irregularity of RR intervals during AF, likely caused by autonomic dysfunction, was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and sudden death and HF progression in patients with mild-to-moderate HF, whereas traditional HRV indexes did not predict outcome.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A Comparison of Atrial Fibrillation Monitoring Strategies After Cryptogenic Stroke (from the Cryptogenic Stroke and Underlying AF Trial).
Ischemic stroke cause remains undetermined in 30% of cases, leading to a diagnosis of cryptogenic stroke. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major cause of ischemic stroke but may go undetected with short periods of ECG monitoring. The Cryptogenic Stroke and Underlying Atrial Fibrillation trial (CRYSTAL AF) demonstrated that long-term electrocardiographic monitoring with insertable cardiac monitors (ICM) is superior to conventional follow-up in detecting AF in the population with cryptogenic stroke. ⋯ The NPVs for repetitive periodic monitoring strategies were similar at 82.6% to 85.3%. Long-term continuous monitoring was superior in detecting AF compared to all intermittent monitoring strategies evaluated (p <0.001). Long-term continuous electrocardiographic monitoring with ICMs is significantly more effective than any of the simulated intermittent monitoring strategies for identifying AF in patients with previous cryptogenic stroke.