Journal of the American Heart Association
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Observational Study
Myocardial damage detected by late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance is associated with subsequent hospitalization for heart failure.
Hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) is among the most important problems confronting medicine. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) robustly identifies intrinsic myocardial damage. LGE may indicate inherent vulnerability to HHF, regardless of etiology, across the spectrum of heart failure stage or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). ⋯ The presence and extent of LGE is associated with vulnerability for HHF, including higher risks of HHF across the spectrum of heart failure stage and LVEF. Even when LVEF is severely decreased, those without LGE appear to fare reasonably well. LGE may enhance risk stratification for HHF and may enhance both clinical and research efforts to reduce HHF through targeted treatment.
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Currently available screening tools for left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) and systolic dysfunction (LVSD) are either expensive (echocardiography) or perform suboptimally (B-type natriuretic peptide [BNP]). It is unknown whether newer biomarkers are associated with LVH and LVSD and can serve as screening tools. ⋯ Our community-based investigation suggests that cardiac stress biomarkers are associated with LVH and LVSD but may have limited clinical utility as screening tools.
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Dabigatran is a novel oral anticoagulant approved for thromboprophylaxis in atrial fibrillation. Adoption patterns of this new agent in community practice are unknown. ⋯ Clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01165710.
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Multicenter Study
Pulmonary embolism in ischemic stroke: clinical presentation, risk factors, and outcome.
Limited information is available on the frequency of pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with an acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We evaluated clinical characteristics, predisposing factors, and outcomes in AIS patients with PE. ⋯ In this large cohort study, PE occurred in nearly 1% of AIS patients. PE was more common in patients with severe stroke, history of cancer, previous DVT/PE or acute DVT and associated with lower short- and long-term survival, greater disability, and longer length of stay.
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Inflammation is induced in the heart during the development of cardiac hypertrophy. The initiating mechanisms and the role of inflammation in cardiac hypertrophy, however, remain unclear. Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2) recognizes endogenous molecules that induce noninfectious inflammation. Here, we examined the role of TLR2-mediated inflammation in cardiac hypertrophy. ⋯ Our results demonstrate that TLR2-mediated inflammation induced by extracellularly released heat shock protein 70 is essential for adaptive cardiac hypertrophy in response to pressure overload. Thus, modulation of TLR2 signaling in the heart may provide a novel strategy for treating heart failure due to inadequate adaptation to hemodynamic stress.