The American journal of the medical sciences
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Multicenter Study
Associations Between Education Level and In-hospital Treatment and Outcomes Among Acute Coronary Syndrome in China.
Previous studies have shown an inverse relationship between education and clinical outcomes in coronary heart disease. Whether a similar association exists in patients presenting with suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in China is unknown. ⋯ In China, less educated patients with ACS were less likely to receive appropriate coronary angiography and reperfusion therapy. Less educated patients were at higher risk for adverse clinical events; however this was explained by differences in baseline characteristics.
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Effects of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors on the diameter of the thoracic aorta have not been fully studied. This study examined the associations between CV risk factors and diameter of thoracic aorta. ⋯ The study results suggest that decreasing BMI and management of CV risk factors such as hypertension and modifying behavioral risk factors such as smoking are likely to be emphasized in order to decrease the rate of aortic dilatation and subsequent aortic dissection, if aortic dilatation is detected during a CT scan.
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Review Case Reports
Abnormally short erythrocyte lifespan in three patients with primary myelofibrosis despite successful control of splenomegaly.
Splenectomy is an elective operation for refractory anemia in patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF). We found that 3/3 patients with PMF in our department continued to have very shortened erythrocyte (RBC) lifespans (35 days, 66 days, and 37 days, respectively) after treatment-alleviated splenomegaly. These outcomes suggest that intravascular hemolysis predominantly independent of hypersplenism may underlie, at least to some extent, peripheral hemolysis in patients with PMF. More cases studies are needed to elucidate the role of splenomegaly in PMF-associated anemia.
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Review
Association Between the Anti-Aging Gene Klotho and Selected Rheumatologic Autoimmune Diseases.
Klotho long recognized for its role in anti-aging, is potentially implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic sclerosis. Aging of the immune system coincides with the inability of the body to recognize self-antigens, which often leads to autoimmune responses. The role of Klotho in these autoimmune diseases should be of high interest; however, few articles have been published exploring the role of Klotho in the pathogenesis, organ involvement, or clinical manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic sclerosis. Herein, we discuss information gathered from peer-reviewed publications to describe the emerging role of Kl in these select rheumatologic autoimmune diseases.
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The incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in young patients is increasing. While race-related differences in clinical characteristics and outcomes for older AMI patients have been well-studied, such differences in young patients are unknown. ⋯ In conclusion, our data provide important, not previously described information on race-related differences in history, presentation, clinical and angiographic features and outcomes in AAs compared with Caucasians younger than 50 with AMI. These findings may have implications for tailoring specific preventive strategies to decrease the incidence of AMI and its associated adverse events in both racial groups.