Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jan 2006
Elevated placental growth factor levels are associated with adverse outcomes at four-year follow-up in patients with acute coronary syndromes.
This study sought to evaluate the predictive value of baseline placental growth factor (PlGF) for long-term cardiovascular events in acute coronary syndromes (ACS). ⋯ In patients with ACS, elevated plasma levels of PlGF are associated with adverse cardiac outcomes during long-term follow-up. These data suggest that PlGF as a more specific marker of vascular inflammation should be considered for risk stratification of patients with ACS rather than general markers of inflammation.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jan 2006
Impact of hospital volume on racial disparities in cardiovascular procedure mortality.
We assessed use of low-volume hospitals by race and ethnicity for major cardiovascular procedures and determined whether hospital volume is an important factor explaining racial and ethnic differences in post-procedure mortality. ⋯ Black and Hispanic patients were more likely to receive cardiovascular procedures in low-volume hospitals, but hospital volume did not explain a large proportion of racial differences in post-procedure mortality. Additional research is needed to determine why black patients have increased mortality after cardiovascular procedures and how these mortality rates can be reduced.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jan 2006
Prolonged QTc interval and risk of sudden cardiac death in a population of older adults.
This study sought to investigate whether prolongation of the heart rate-corrected QT (QTc) interval is a risk factor for sudden cardiac death in the general population. ⋯ Abnormal QTc prolongation on the electrocardiogram should be viewed as an independent risk factor for sudden cardiac death.
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We studied the acute effect of caffeine on myocardial blood flow (MBF) at rest and exercise in healthy volunteers at normoxia and during acute exposure to simulated altitude. ⋯ In healthy volunteers, a caffeine dose corresponding to two cups of coffee (200 mg) significantly decreased exercise-induced MFR at normoxia and was even more pronounced during exposure to altitude.