American heart journal
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American heart journal · Jan 2006
Identification of the ischemic etiology of heart failure by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: diagnostic accuracy of late gadolinium enhancement.
A large proportion of patients with heart failure (HF) have a large and poorly contracting left ventricle. The noninvasive recognition of the ischemic etiology of such patients is difficult, and for this purpose, usually patients undergo coronary angiography. It has been shown that cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging can detect myocardial scarring by evaluating late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). The diagnostic accuracy of such method in differentiating the etiology of HF has not been previously tested in an unselected HF ambulatory population. ⋯ LGE is able to accurately differentiate CAD from non-CAD etiology of HF and may represent a clinically useful noninvasive tool for this purpose. As it provides relevant functional information as well as insight into the etiology, CMR may be included among the most important diagnostic tools in the workup of patients with HF.
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American heart journal · Dec 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyBenefit of clopidogrel according to timing of percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute coronary syndromes: further results from the Clopidogrel in Unstable angina to prevent Recurrent Events (CURE) study.
The CURE study demonstrated the benefit of clopidogrel in patients with non-ST elevation (NSTE) acute coronary syndromes (ACSs), including those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It did not report the relation between clopidogrel and timing of PCI or, more specifically, the role of clopidogrel in patients managed with an early interventional strategy, the current preferred treatment option for patients with NSTE ACSs. In the present study, we examined the relation between clopidogrel therapy, timing of PCI, and cardiovascular (CV) events in patients participating in the CURE study. ⋯ The benefit of therapy with clopidogrel in addition to aspirin in patients presenting with NSTE ACSs was significant irrespective of the timing of PCI. The combination of clopidogrel and an early (< 48 hours) interventional strategy was associated with low absolute event rates for CV death/nonfatal MI.
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American heart journal · Dec 2005
Prognostic significance of residual cumulative ST-segment deviation after mechanical reperfusion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
The analysis of ST-segment resolution is a well established and easy method to assess myocardial perfusion after reperfusion therapy for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The aim of the current study was to identify an easy and practical instrument for patients' prognostic stratification after angioplasty for STEMI by the use of only postprocedural ST-segment analysis. ⋯ This study showed that postprocedural residual cumulative ST-segment deviation is an independent prognostic parameter in patients treated with primary angioplasty, providing even better prognostic information than ST-segment resolution.
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American heart journal · Dec 2005
Independent elevations of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and cardiac troponins in endurance athletes after prolonged strenuous exercise.
Although elevated resting brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentrations reflect heart disease, the meaning of exercise-induced increases is poorly understood and has been examined in small groups only. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the increase in N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and relations to cardiac troponin I and T (cTnI, cTnT) elevations after prolonged strenuous exercise in a large cohort of athletes. ⋯ Increases in NT-proBNP can be found in a major part of obviously healthy athletes after prolonged strenuous exercise. The release of BNP during and after exercise may not result from myocardial damage but may have cytoprotective and growth-regulating effects. The different nature of exercise-induced increases in BNP and cardiac troponins has to be elucidated in the future.
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American heart journal · Dec 2005
Comparative StudyPlasma amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide quantification in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a sensitive functional marker in heart disease including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The utility of plasma amino-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP) quantification in heart disease has been investigated, but there are no published data regarding this test in HCM. ⋯ In HCM, plasma NT-proBNP levels are elevated and correlate positively with symptoms of heart failure, hypertrophy severity, and Doppler echocardiographic signs of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Further studies are necessary to assess the usefulness of the test in clinical practice and its role as a prognostic marker.