Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Aug 2011
Multicenter StudyThe importance of consistent, high-quality acute myocardial infarction and heart failure care results from the American Heart Association's Get with the Guidelines Program.
This study examined the degree to which hospital performance for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and heart failure (HF) care processes are correlated. ⋯ Hospitals that had consistent, superior performance for both AMI and HF care had significantly lower risk-adjusted mortality than those with superior performance either alone or for neither measure. Whether a single scoring system to assess global, rather than condition-specific, quality of cardiovascular care would facilitate care quality improvement more consistently and would optimize patient outcomes merits further investigation.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jul 2011
Review Meta AnalysisThe predictive ability of pre-operative B-type natriuretic peptide in vascular patients for major adverse cardiac events: an individual patient data meta-analysis.
The aims of this study were to perform an individual patient data meta-analysis of studies using B-type natriuretic peptides (BNPs) to predict the primary composite endpoint of cardiac death and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) within 30 days of vascular surgery and to determine: 1) the cut points for a natriuretic peptide (NP) diagnostic, optimal, and screening test; and 2) if pre-operative NPs improve the predictive accuracy of the revised cardiac risk index (RCRI). ⋯ Pre-operative NP levels can be used to independently predict cardiovascular events in the first 30 days after vascular surgery and to significantly improve the predictive performance of the revised cardiac risk index.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jul 2011
Multicenter StudyReal-life observations of clinical outcomes with rhythm- and rate-control therapies for atrial fibrillation RECORDAF (Registry on Cardiac Rhythm Disorders Assessing the Control of Atrial Fibrillation).
RECORDAF is the first worldwide, prospective, observational survey of management of atrial fibrillation (AF) in unselected, community-based patients. ⋯ Clinical outcomes in AF patients were driven mainly by hospitalizations for arrhythmia/proarrhythmia and other cardiovascular causes, but not by the choice of rate or rhythm strategy. Rhythm-control patients progressed less rapidly to permanent AF.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jul 2011
Statins and risk of cancer: a retrospective cohort analysis of 45,857 matched pairs from an electronic medical records database of 11 million adult Americans.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether cancer can be attributed to statin use among a general population of older adults in the United States with at least 3 years of follow-up. ⋯ This retrospective analysis of nearly 46,000 propensity-matched pairs demonstrated no statistically significant increased risk of cancer associated with statins.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jul 2011
Myocardial and systemic iron depletion in heart failure implications for anemia accompanying heart failure.
This study sought to determine the potential pathophysiological link between anemia and disease severity, and adverse outcome in heart failure (HF). ⋯ This study suggests the presence of iron depletion in the failing human heart, providing a potential link for the association between anemia and adverse prognosis in HF.