Journal of the American Heart Association
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Randomized Controlled Trial of High-Volume Energy Drink Versus Caffeine Consumption on ECG and Hemodynamic Parameters.
Caffeine in doses <400 mg is typically not considered arrhythmogenic, but little is known about the additional ingredients in energy drinks. We evaluated the ECG and blood pressure (BP) effects of high-volume energy drink consumption compared with caffeine alone. ⋯ URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02023723.
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The Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement recently proposed percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-specific process measures. However, information about hospital performance on these measures and the association of PCI process and outcomes measures are not available. ⋯ Hospital performance on many PCI-specific process measures demonstrated little opportunity for improvement and explained only a small percentage of hospital variation in 30-day outcomes. Efforts to measure and improve hospital quality for PCI patients should focus on both process and outcome measures.
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Reconstruction of the aortic major branches during thoracic endovascular aortic repair is complicated because of the complex anatomic configuration and variation of the aortic arch. In situ laser fenestration has shown great potential for the revascularization of aortic branches. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of in situ laser fenestration on the three branches of the aortic arch during thoracic endovascular aortic repair. ⋯ In situ laser fenestration is a feasible, effective, rapid, repeatable, and safe option for the reconstruction of aortic arch during thoracic endovascular aortic repair, which might be available to revascularize the 3 branches. However, follow-up periods should be extended to evaluate the robustness of this technique.
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Comparative Study
Statin Eligibility and Outpatient Care Prior to ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.
The impact of the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association cholesterol guidelines on statin eligibility in individuals otherwise destined to experience cardiovascular disease (CVD) events is unclear. ⋯ In a large cohort of STEMI patients, application of American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines more than doubled pre-STEMI statin eligibility compared with Third Report of the Adult Treatment Panel guidelines. However, access to and utilization of health care, a necessity for guideline implementation, was suboptimal prior to STEMI.