Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Oct 2014
National trends in the utilization of short-term mechanical circulatory support: incidence, outcomes, and cost analysis.
The number of alternatives to intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation in the treatment of anticipated and established acute circulatory failure is growing. Despite the clinical importance and significant cost of short-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices, the state of their present use has not been analyzed on a national scale. ⋯ Use of short-term MCS in the United States has increased rapidly, whereas rates of in-hospital mortality have decreased. These changes have taken place in the context of declining hospital costs associated with short-term MCS.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Oct 2014
Editorial Biography Historical ArticleAn innovator ahead of her time.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Oct 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyFish oil for the reduction of atrial fibrillation recurrence, inflammation, and oxidative stress.
Recent trials of fish oil for the prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence have provided mixed results. Notable uncertainties in the existing evidence base include the roles of high-dose fish oil, inflammation, and oxidative stress in patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF not receiving conventional antiarrhythmic (AA) therapy. ⋯ High-dose fish oil does not reduce AF recurrence in patients with a history of AF not receiving conventional AA therapy. Furthermore, fish oil does not reduce inflammation or oxidative stress markers in this population, which may explain its lack of efficacy. (Multi-center Study to Evaluate the Effect of N-3 Fatty Acids [OMEGA-3] on Arrhythmia Recurrence in Atrial Fibrillation [AFFORD]; NCT01235130).