Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jun 2013
Comparative StudyEfficacy and safety of dabigatran etexilate and warfarin in "real-world" patients with atrial fibrillation: a prospective nationwide cohort study.
The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety in an "everyday clinical practice" population of anticoagulant-naïve patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with dabigatran etexilate after its post-approval availability in Denmark, compared with warfarin. ⋯ In this "everyday clinical practice" post-approval nationwide clinical cohort, there were similar stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding rates with dabigatran (both doses) compared with warfarin. Mortality, intracranial bleeding, pulmonary embolism, and MI were lower with dabigatran, compared with warfarin. We found no evidence of an excess of bleeding events or MI among dabigatran-treated patients in this propensity-matched comparison against warfarin, even in the subgroup with ≥1-year follow-up.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jun 2013
Additive value of semiautomated quantification of coronary artery disease using cardiac computed tomographic angiography to predict future acute coronary syndrome.
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the use of a semiautomated plaque quantification algorithm (reporting volumetric and geometric plaque properties) provides additional prognostic value for the development of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) as compared with conventional reading from cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA). ⋯ The semiautomated plaque quantification algorithm identified several parameters predictive for ACS and provided incremental prognostic value over clinical risk profile and conventional CT reading. The application of this tool may improve risk stratification in patients undergoing CCTA.