The American journal of medicine
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Proton pump inhibitors vs. histamine-2 receptor antagonists likely increase mortality in critical care: an updated meta-analysis.
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is common among the critically ill. Recently, the Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) vs. Histamine-2 Receptor Blockers for Ulcer Prophylaxis Therapy in the Intensive Care Unit (PEPTIC) trial suggested PPIs might increase mortality. We performed an updated meta-analysis to further inform discussion. ⋯ Stress ulcer prophylaxis with PPIs likely increases mortality compared to H2RAs. Whether stress ulcer prophylaxis is beneficial in critical care remains open to further study.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Systemic Inflammation, Vascular Function and Endothelial Progenitor Cells after an Exercise Training Intervention in COPD.
Exercise training is a cornerstone of the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in all disease stages. Data about the training effects with supplemental oxygen in nonhypoxemic patients remains inconclusive. In this study we set out to investigate the training and oxygen effects on inflammatory markers, vascular function, and endothelial progenitor cells in this population of increased cardiovascular risk. ⋯ This is the first randomized controlled trial in patients with COPD to show beneficial effects of exercise training not only on exercise capacity, but also on systemic/eosinophilic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.
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Multicenter Study
Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality Risk by Coronary Artery Calcium Scores and Percentiles Among Older Adult Males and Females.
Coronary calcium is a marker of coronary atherosclerosis and established predictor of cardiovascular risk in general populations; however, there are limited studies examining its prognostic value among older adults (≥75 years) and even less regarding its utility in older males compared with females. Accordingly, we sought to examine the prognostic significance of both absolute and percentile coronary calcium scores among older adults. ⋯ Both coronary artery calcium scores and percentiles are strongly predictive of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality among older adults, with greater risk-stratification among females than males. Both low coronary artery calcium scores 0-9 and <25th percentile define relatively low risk older adults.