European heart journal
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European heart journal · Nov 1997
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialAddition of felodipine to metoprolol vs replacement of metoprolol by felodipine in patients with angina pectoris despite adequate beta-blockade. Results of the Felodipine ER and Metoprolol CR in Angina (FEMINA) Study. Working Group on Cardiovascular Research, The Netherlands (WCN).
The study aimed to compare the addition of felodipine to metoprolol, and of the replacement of metoprolol by felodipine, with continuation of metoprolol, in patients with angina pectoris despite optimal beta-blockade. ⋯ Combination of metoprolol and felodipine is to be preferred to felodipine monotherapy in patients who have signs and symptoms of myocardial ischaemia despite optimal beta-blockade.
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European heart journal · Oct 1997
Systolic blood pressure and (cardiac) mortality over 15 years after venous coronary bypass surgery.
The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of pre-operative systolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure 1 and 5 years after venous coronary bypass surgery on subsequent cardiac and non-cardiac mortality. ⋯ These findings underline the importance of systolic blood pressure control in the initial years after coronary bypass surgery.
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European heart journal · Oct 1997
Heart rate dependency of premature ventricular contractions. Correlation between electrocardiographic monitoring and exercise-related patterns.
The identification of the response of ventricular arrhythmias to exercise testing could provide important information in the clinical setting but is difficult to obtain as no definite criteria are available. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether analysis of spontaneous heart rate dependency of premature ventricular contractions evaluated by means of 24 h electrocardiographic monitoring is capable of predicting their behaviour during exercise. ⋯ Identification of spontaneous behaviour between the incidence of premature ventricular contractions and the length of the preceding cardiac cycle may predict the behaviour of arrhythmias during exercise.
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European heart journal · Sep 1997
Multiplane transoesophageal echocardiographic absence of thoracic aortic plaque is a powerful predictor for absence of significant coronary artery disease in valvular patients, even in the elderly. A large prospective study.
This study was conducted to examine whether detection of atherosclerotic aortic plaque by multiplane transoesophageal echocardiography could predict the absence or presence of significant coronary artery disease in young and elderly valvular patients. ⋯ This large prospective study indicates that examination of thoracic atherosclerotic plaque, by multiplane transoesophageal echocardiography, is a marker for coronary artery disease, and is a particularly powerful predictor for absence of significant coronary artery disease in valvular patients, even in the elderly.
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European heart journal · Sep 1997
Cost-effectiveness of different ACE inhibitor treatment scenarios post-myocardial infarction.
To assess the cost-effectiveness of three different treatment strategies for the use of ACE inhibitors after myocardial infarction. These were (a) a high risk (AIRE type) strategy, (b) an intermediate risk (SAVE type) strategy, and (c) initial, short-term treatment of all patients followed by long-term treatment according to (a) or (b). ⋯ If a low cost ACE inhibitor is used, initial treatment of relatively unselected patients followed by long-term treatment of those at high and medium risk maximizes benefit at an acceptable cost. Use of an ACE inhibitor after myocardial infarction is very cost-effective by comparison with many other treatments.