Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Tenascin-C as predictor of left ventricular remodeling and mortality in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.
Several cardiac biomarkers, especially brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal (NT)-proBNP, have been used as predictors of prognosis and negative remodeling in DCM. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of tenascin-C in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and whether it can be used to determine reverse remodeling in patients with DCM. ⋯ Reverse ventricular remodeling obtained with carvedilol, ramipril/candesartan, and spironolacton is associated with decreases in left ventricular end-diastolic volume, left ventricular end-systolic volume, tenascin-C levels, and NT-proBNP levels. Consequently, tenascin-C may be used to evaluate reverse remodeling in patients with DCM.
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Obesity has been shown to have implications for chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, it has received minimal attention from scientists studying CKD among African Americans. ⋯ Weight status has implications for CKD among the JHS participants, and this study underscores the need for additional research investigating the relationship between weight status, sex, and CKD among African Americans.
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Cirrhotic patients admitted with altered mental status (AMS) represent a clinical challenge, as many potentially life-threatening diseases must be considered. Although many patients with AMS have hepatic encephalopathy (HE), other causes of AMS occur, and we hypothesized that these may have different outcomes. ⋯ Nearly one third of admissions in cirrhotic patients were due to AMS, most commonly caused by HE. The overall mortality of patients admitted with AMS was greater than with NMS, particularly for those with infection or structural lesions, emphasizing the importance of a search for these causes of AMS in all patients with cirrhosis.