The American journal of medicine
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Comparative Study
Racial and sex differences in refusal of coronary angiography.
To determine the effect of patient refusal on racial and sex differences in the use of coronary angiography and in outcomes among elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction. ⋯ Among Medicare beneficiaries, elderly female and black patients are more likely to refuse angiography than are male and white patients. However, patient refusal is uncommon and accounts for only a small fraction of the racial and sex differences in use of angiography after myocardial infarction.
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Comparative Study
Effects of antirheumatic therapy on serum lipid levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective study.
Patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis have adverse serum lipid profiles. We sought to determine the effects of treating rheumatoid arthritis with antirheumatic drugs on these abnormal lipid levels. ⋯ Active rheumatoid arthritis is associated with an adverse lipid profile that improves substantially following effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. This improvement may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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Comparative Study
Preliminary data on the potential usefulness of B-type natriuretic peptide levels in predicting outcome after hospital discharge in patients with heart failure.
Among patients admitted for treatment of heart failure, we aimed to evaluate the value of B-type natriuretic peptide levels in predicting subsequent death or hospital readmission. ⋯ These preliminary results in a small number of patients suggest that changes in B-type natriuretic peptide levels, as well as predischarge levels, are related to hospital readmission and death within 6 months.
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Comparative Study
Causes of death among women with human immunodeficiency virus infection in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy.
To examine changes in the causes of death and mortality in women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the era of combination antiretroviral therapy. ⋯ A substantial minority (20%) of deaths among women with HIV was due to causes other than AIDS. Our data suggest that to decrease mortality further among HIV-infected women, attention must be paid to treatable conditions, such as hepatitis C, depression, and drug and tobacco use.