American heart journal
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American heart journal · Feb 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyTwo formulations of epoprostenol sodium in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension: EPITOME-1 (epoprostenol for injection in pulmonary arterial hypertension), a phase IV, open-label, randomized study.
Epoprostenol sodium with arginine-mannitol excipients (epoprostenol AM; Veletri [Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Allschwil, Switzerland]) and epoprostenol sodium with glycine-mannitol excipients (epoprostenol GM; Flolan [GlaxoSmithKline, Triangle Park, NC]) are intravenous treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Epoprostenol AM contains different inactive excipients, resulting in greater stability at room temperature compared with epoprostenol GM. ⋯ In this randomized clinical study of epoprostenol AM in PAH, use of this novel preparation with greater room temperature stability was well tolerated.
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American heart journal · Feb 2014
Comparative StudyGrowth differentiation factor 15 and cardiovascular events in patients with stable ischemic heart disease (The Heart and Soul Study).
Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a relatively new biomarker that predicts mortality in patients with chronic stable angina or acute coronary syndrome. However, the association of GDF-15 with cardiovascular (CV) events and the mechanisms of this association are not well understood. ⋯ Higher levels of GDF-15 are associated with major CV events in patients with stable ischemic heart disease. This suggests that GDF-15 is capturing an element of risk not explained by other known risk factors.
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American heart journal · Feb 2014
Comparative StudyPatterns and prognosis of all components of the J-wave pattern in multiethnic athletes and ambulatory patients.
Despite recent concern about the significance of the J-wave pattern (also often referred to as early repolarization) and the importance of screening in athletes, there are limited rigorous prognostic data characterizing the 3 components of the J-wave pattern (ST elevation, J waves, and QRS slurs). We aim to assess the prevalence, patterns, and prognosis of the J-wave pattern among both stable clinical and athlete populations. ⋯ J waves, slurs, or ST elevation was not associated with increased hazard of cardiovascular death in our large multiethnic, ambulatory population. Even subsets of J-wave patterns, recently proposed to pose a risk of arrhythmic death, occurred at such a high prevalence as to negate their utility in screening.