Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Sep 2001
Aortic valve sclerosis and aortic atherosclerosis: different manifestations of the same disease? Insights from a population-based study.
The aim of this study was to examine the association between atherosclerosis risk factors, aortic atherosclerosis and aortic valve abnormalities in the general population. ⋯ Atherosclerosis risk factors and proximal aortic atherosclerosis are independently associated with aortic valve abnormalities in the general population. These observations suggest that AVS is an atherosclerosis-like process involving the aortic valve.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jul 2001
Changes in QRS voltage in cardiac tamponade and pericardial effusion: reversibility after pericardiocentesis and after anti-inflammatory drug treatment.
The goal of this study was to define the association between low QRS voltage and cardiac tamponade or pericardial effusion and to assess the reversibility of low QRS voltage after therapeutic procedures. ⋯ Low QRS voltage is a feature of cardiac tamponade but not of pericardial effusion per se. Our findings indicate that the presence and severity of cardiac tamponade, in addition to inflammatory mechanisms, may contribute to the development of low QRS voltage in patients with large pericardial effusions.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jul 2001
Screening patients with chest pain in the emergency department using electron beam tomography: a follow-up study.
The high sensitivity of electron beam tomography (EBT) in the detection of coronary artery calcium (CAC) and obstructive coronary artery disease prompted us to investigate the association between CAC detection and future cardiac events in patients with acute chest pain syndromes requiring hospitalization. ⋯ These data support previous reports demonstrating that the presence of CAC in a symptomatic cohort is a strong predictor of future cardiac events. This study supports the use of EBT in a symptomatic cohort with prompt discharge of those patients with negative scans. Furthermore, the absence of CAC is associated with a very low risk of future cardiac risk events in this population over the subsequent seven years (annual event rate <1%).
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Jun 2001
Comparative StudyPhysician-performed point-of-care echocardiography using a laptop platform compared with physical examination in the cardiovascular patient.
The purpose of this study was to compare the results of physical examinations (PEs) performed by board-certified cardiologists with the results of point-of-care (POC) echocardiography in a group of patients with cardiovascular disease. ⋯ Point-of-care echocardiography using a miniaturized echocardiographic platform substantially improved the detection of important cardiovascular pathology compared with PE. Use of this device by a cardiovascular specialist with training in echocardiography as a routine adjunct to PE appears to be useful.