American heart journal
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American heart journal · Apr 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialRelationship of antihypertensive treatment to plasma markers of vascular inflammation and remodeling in the Comparison of Amlodipine versus Enalapril to Limit Occurrences of Thrombosis study.
Antihypertensive agents lower the risk of cardiovascular events, but whether they affect pathways important in inflammation and plaque remodeling in atherosclerosis is uncertain. We assessed whether 2 commonly used antihypertensive agents affected plasma biomarkers reflecting specific inflammatory and remodeling processes over 2 years in the Comparison of Amlodipine versus Enalapril to Limit Occurrences of Thrombosis (CAMELOT) study. ⋯ In patients with coronary artery disease and well-controlled risk factors, antihypertensive therapy lowered blood pressure and progression of coronary atherosclerosis but did not affect plasma biomarkers of inflammation and remodeling. Antihypertensives may decrease atheroma progression by mechanisms other than those reflected by these plasma biomarkers.
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American heart journal · Mar 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialA multifaceted intervention to narrow the evidence-based gap in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes: rationale and design of the Brazilian Intervention to Increase Evidence Usage in Acute Coronary Syndromes (BRIDGE-ACS) cluster-randomized trial.
Translating evidence into clinical practice in the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is challenging. Few ACS quality improvement interventions have been rigorously evaluated to determine their impact on patient care and clinical outcomes. We designed a pragmatic, 2-arm, cluster-randomized trial involving 34 clusters (Brazilian public hospitals). ⋯ Prescription of evidence-based therapies at hospital discharge were also evaluated as part of the secondary outcomes. All analyses were performed by the intention-to-treat principle and took the cluster design into account using individual-level regression modeling (generalized estimating equations). If proven effective, this multifaceted intervention would have wide use as a means of promoting optimal use of evidence-based interventions for the management of ACS.
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American heart journal · Mar 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyStudy design for the Immediate Myocardial Metabolic Enhancement During Initial Assessment and Treatment in Emergency Care (IMMEDIATE) Trial: A double-blind randomized controlled trial of intravenous glucose, insulin, and potassium for acute coronary syndromes in emergency medical services.
Experimental studies suggest that metabolic myocardial support by intravenous (IV) glucose, insulin, and potassium (GIK) reduces ischemia-induced arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, mortality, progression from unstable angina pectoris to acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and myocardial infarction size. However, trials of hospital administration of IV GIK to patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have generally not shown favorable effects possibly because of the GIK intervention taking place many hours after ischemic symptom onset. A trial of GIK used in the very first hours of ischemia has been needed, consistent with the timing of benefit seen in experimental studies. ⋯ The IMMEDIATE Trial tested whether GIK, when administered as early as possible in the course of ACS by paramedics using acute cardiac ischemia time-insensitive predictive instrument and thrombolytic predictive instrument decision support, would reduce progression to AMI, mortality, cardiac arrest, and heart failure. It also tested whether it would provide clinical and pathophysiologic information on GIK's biological mechanisms.
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American heart journal · Mar 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialA randomized controlled trial of oxygen therapy in acute myocardial infarction Air Verses Oxygen In myocarDial infarction study (AVOID Study).
The role of routine supplemental oxygen for patients with uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has recently been questioned. There is conflicting data on the possible effects of hyperoxia on ischemic myocardium. The few clinical trials examining the role of oxygen in AMI were performed prior to the modern approach of emergent reperfusion and advanced medical management. ⋯ There is an urgent need for clinical trials examining the role of oxygen in AMI. AVOID will seek to clarify this important issue. Results from this study may have widespread implications on the treatment of AMI and the use of oxygen in both the pre-hospital and hospital settings.
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American heart journal · Mar 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialDesign of the Rule Out Myocardial Ischemia/Infarction Using Computer Assisted Tomography: a multicenter randomized comparative effectiveness trial of cardiac computed tomography versus alternative triage strategies in patients with acute chest pain in the emergency department.
Although early cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) might improve the management of emergency department (ED) patients with acute chest pain, it could also result in increased testing, costs, and radiation exposure. ROMICAT II was a randomized comparative effectiveness trial enrolling patients 40 to 74 years old without known coronary artery disease who presented to the ED with chest pain but without ischemic electrocardiographic (ECG) changes or elevated initial troponin and who required further risk stratification. Overall, 1000 patients at 9 sites within the United States were randomized to either CCTA as the first diagnostic test following serial biomarkers or to standard of care, which included no testing or functional testing such as exercise ECG, stress radionuclide imaging, or stress echocardiography. ⋯ Tertiary end points were institutional, physician, and patient characteristics associated with primary and secondary outcomes. Rate of missed acute coronary syndrome within 28 days was the safety end point. The ROMICAT II will provide rigorous data on whether CCTA is more efficient than standard of care in the management of patients with acute chest pain at intermediate risk for acute coronary syndrome.