The American journal of medicine
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Meta Analysis
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy as a Cause of Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young: A Meta-Analysis.
Sudden cardiac death is often linked with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in young athletes, but with a divergence of study results. We performed a meta-analysis to compare the prevalence of sudden cardiac deaths associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy vs sudden cardiac deaths associated with structurally normal hearts. ⋯ Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is not a more common finding at death than structurally normal hearts in young subjects with sudden cardiac death. Increased attention should be directed toward identifying causes of death associated with a structurally normal heart in subjects with sudden cardiac death.
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Meta Analysis
Use of targeted temperature management after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Individual randomized trials have yielded variable results regarding the benefits of targeted temperature management in patients encountering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This study aimed to systemically determine if targeted temperature management initiated after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was associated with improved outcomes. ⋯ Targeted temperature management initiated after successful resuscitation in patients who encountered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was associated with a nonsignificant reduction in mortality and poor neurological outcome. Lack of benefit was strongly influenced by inclusion of one study that used mild hypothermia in the control arm. These results indicate that only mild hypothermia may be needed to improve outcomes among patients presenting with an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
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The study objective was to quantify the association between daily physical activity measured by accelerometer and 1-year changes in symptoms among people with knee osteoarthritis. ⋯ Objectively measured daily activity was not associated with 1-year symptom improvements among community-dwelling adults with knee osteoarthritis. In those with advanced disease (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 4), greater daily minutes in physical activity were associated with worsening symptoms. How best to implement exercise regimens in persons with advanced knee osteoarthritis to reduce the deleterious impact on symptoms needs to be explored.
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Practice Guideline
North American Thrombosis Forum, AF Action Initiative Consensus Document.
The North American Thrombosis Forum Atrial Fibrillation Action Initiative consensus document is a comprehensive yet practical briefing document focusing on stroke and bleeding risk assessment in patients with atrial fibrillation, as well as recommendations regarding anticoagulation options and management. Despite the breadth of clinical trial data and guideline recommendation updates, many clinicians continue to struggle to synthesize the disparate information available. This problem slows the uptake and utilization of updated risk prediction tools and adoption of new oral anticoagulants. This document serves as a practical and educational reference for the entire medical community involved in the care of patients with atrial fibrillation.