Circ Cardiovasc Qual
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Circ Cardiovasc Qual · Mar 2015
Comparative Study Observational StudyCardiac resynchronization therapy in women versus men: observational comparative effectiveness study from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry.
Women have been under-represented in trials of cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillators (CRT-D). Previous studies suggest that women benefit from CRT-D at shorter QRS duration than men and that there may be no benefit of CRT-D in patients without left bundle branch block (LBBB) regardless of patient sex. ⋯ In a large real-world population CRT-D was associated with a lower mortality risk in both sexes with LBBB, although more pronounced among women. Only among those with LBBB, both sexes had better survival with longer QRS duration. The mortality differences in patients without LBBB were attenuated in both sexes.
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Circ Cardiovasc Qual · Mar 2015
Status of cardiovascular health in US children up to 11 years of age: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2003-2010.
The American Heart Association recently defined cardiovascular health (CVH) to monitor it over time for all Americans. Nationally representative prevalence estimates for children under 12 years according to sex and race/ethnicity have not been reported. ⋯ Ideal CVH status for BMI, total cholesterol, and blood pressure was prevalent in young children, whereas ideal diet was rare. Diet and BMI were important components to achieve ideal CVH metrics in children. Limited availability of data for all CVH metrics is a major obstacle for CVH assessment in the youngest age groups and represents an important missed opportunity for surveillance and secular trends analyses with aging.
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Circ Cardiovasc Qual · Mar 2015
Decision-making for destination therapy left ventricular assist devices: implications for caregivers.
Implanting centers often require the identification of a dedicated caregiver before destination therapy left ventricular assist device (DT LVAD) implantation; however, the caregiver experience surrounding this difficult decision is relatively unexplored. ⋯ Decision-making surrounding DT LVAD should incorporate decision support for patients and caregivers. This should include a focus on caregiver burden and the predictable tensions that caregivers experience.