American heart journal
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American heart journal · Sep 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyApixaban versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation according to prior warfarin use: results from the Apixaban for Reduction in Stroke and Other Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation trial.
Patients with atrial fibrillation who are vitamin K antagonist (VKA)-naive may have a higher risk of thrombosis and/or bleeding than VKA-experienced patients. ⋯ The treatment effects of apixaban (vs warfarin) were not modified by VKA naivety. The rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were numerically lower among the patients assigned to apixaban, irrespective of prior VKA use.
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American heart journal · Sep 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyA multicenter randomized comparison of paclitaxel-coated balloon catheter with conventional balloon angioplasty in patients with bare-metal stent restenosis and drug-eluting stent restenosis.
The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) for the treatment of the bare-metal stent restenosis (BMS-ISR) and drug-eluting stent restenosis (DES-ISR). ⋯ This randomized clinical study suggested that PCB provided much better clinical and angiographic outcomes than did conventional BA in patients with BMS-ISR and DES-ISR. Drug-eluting stent restenosis was associated with poorer outcomes compared with BMS-ISR after treatment with PCB.
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American heart journal · Sep 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialImproving outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation: rationale and design of the Early treatment of Atrial fibrillation for Stroke prevention Trial.
Even on optimal therapy including anticoagulation and rate control, major cardiovascular complications (stroke, cardiovascular death, and acute heart failure) are common in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Conceptually, maintenance of sinus rhythm could prevent adverse outcomes related to AF. Rhythm control therapy has been only moderately effective in published trials, and its potential benefit was offset by side effects of repeated interventions. ⋯ EAST will determine whether rhythm control therapy, when applied early after the initial diagnosis of AF, can prevent cardiovascular complications associated with AF.
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American heart journal · Sep 2013
High-sensitive cardiac troponin T and its relations to cardiovascular risk factors, morbidity, and mortality in elderly men.
Cardiac troponin is emerging as risk indicator in community-dwelling populations. In this study, we investigated the associations of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) to cardiovascular (CV) disease and outcome in elderly men. ⋯ In community-dwelling men, cTnT levels are associated to CV risk factors and morbidities and predict both fatal and nonfatal CV events. The relations to outcome are mainly seen in men with prevalent CV disease indicating that the prognostic value of cTnT in subjects free from CV disease is limited.