American heart journal
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American heart journal · Jun 2010
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyA randomized double-blind comparison of biventricular versus left ventricular stimulation for cardiac resynchronization therapy: the Biventricular versus Left Univentricular Pacing with ICD Back-up in Heart Failure Patients (B-LEFT HF) trial.
Biventricular (BiV) stimulation is the preferred means of delivering cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), although left ventricular (LV)-only stimulation might be as safe and effective. B-LEFT HF is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind study aimed to examine whether LV-only is noninferior to BiV pacing regarding clinical and echocardiographic responses. ⋯ Left ventricular-only pacing is noninferior to BiV pacing in a 6-month follow-up with regard to clinical and echocardiographic responses. Left ventricular pacing may be considered as a clinical alternative option to BiV pacing.
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American heart journal · Jun 2010
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudySuboptimal use of evidence-based medical therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry: prescription rate, predictors, and prognostic value.
Only limited data are available for the recent trend of optimal evidence-based medical therapy at discharge after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Asia. We evaluated the predictors for the use of optimal evidence-based medical therapy at discharge and the association between discharge medications and 6-month mortality after AMI. ⋯ The optimal evidence-based medical therapy is prescribed at suboptimal rates, particularly in patients with high-risk features. New educational strategies are needed to increase the use of these secondary preventive medical therapies.
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American heart journal · Jun 2010
Multicenter Study Comparative StudySerum vitamin D and risk of secondary cardiovascular disease events in patients with stable coronary heart disease.
Recent longitudinal analyses suggested that low levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) predict incident cardiovascular disease in initially healthy populations. Because the prognostic value of vitamin D for the occurrence of secondary cardiovascular events remains unclear, we examined the association of baseline 25-OH-D levels with prognosis in patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD). ⋯ Unlike previous population-based studies, our analysis in high-risk patients with stable CHD does not support a prognostic value of baseline-25-OH-D levels for secondary cardiovascular event incidence or all-cause mortality.
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American heart journal · Jun 2010
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAssociation of insurance status with inpatient treatment for coronary artery disease: findings from the Get With the Guidelines program.
Prior studies have documented that patients' health insurance status can impact use of guideline-based care as well as acute outcomes for coronary artery disease. Whether insurance status remains a contemporary influence among centers participating in a national quality improvement initiative is unknown. ⋯ These findings suggest that among centers participating in a national quality improvement initiative patient insurance status may be associated with differences in cardiovascular care and outcomes.
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American heart journal · Jun 2010
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAssociation of vitamin D levels with incident depression among a general cardiovascular population.
Depression is associated with cardiovascular (CV) disease, and it has been hypothesized that vitamin (vit)D deficiency may be associated with depression and a contributing factor to excess CV events. Therefore, we evaluated whether there is an association between vitD and incident depression among a CV population. ⋯ Among a CV population > or =50 years with no history of depression, vitD levels were shown to be associated with incident depression after vitD draw. This study strengthens the hypothesis of the association between vitD and depression.