JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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To estimate the relations between established cardiovascular risk factors and total homocysteine (tHcy) in plasma. ⋯ Elevated plasma tHcy level was associated with major components of the cardiovascular risk profile, ie, male sex, old age, smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol level, and lack of exercise. These findings should influence future studies on the etiology and pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.
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To examine the limits of the effectiveness of critical care through the study of patients for whom it was ineffective. ⋯ Patients in the PIC category consumed a large portion of the resources devoted to critical care at an academic teaching hospital. We suggest a change in focus from assessment of the quality of critical care and risk-adjusted mortality to an assessment of ineffective care based on outcome and resource use and a patient's response to treatment over time.