Circulation
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Guidelines recommend coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) over percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for multivessel disease and severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction. However, CABG has not been compared with PCI in such patients in randomized trials. ⋯ Among patients with multivessel disease and severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction, PCI with everolimus-eluting stent had comparable long-term survival in comparison with CABG. PCI was associated with higher risk of myocardial infarction (in those with incomplete revascularization) and repeat revascularization, and CABG was associated with higher risk of stroke.
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Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent the highest burden of disease globally. Medicines are a critical intervention used to prevent and treat CVD. This review describes access to medication for CVD from a health system perspective and strategies that have been used to promote access, including providing medicines at lower cost, improving medication supply, ensuring medicine quality, promoting appropriate use, and managing intellectual property issues. ⋯ Fixed-dose combinations have shown a positive effect on adherence and intermediate outcome measures such as blood pressure and cholesterol. We have a new opportunity to improve access to CVD medicines by using strategies such as efficient procurement of low-cost, quality-assured generic medicines, development of fixed-dose combination medicines, and promotion of adherence through insurance schemes that waive copayment for long-term medications. Monitoring progress at all levels, institutional, regional, national, and international, is vital to identifying gaps in access and implementing adequate policies.
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The effect of a mutation in the bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2) gene on right ventricular (RV) pressure overload in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension is unknown. Therefore, we investigated RV function in patients who have pulmonary arterial hypertension with and without the BMPR2 mutation by combining in vivo measurements with molecular and histological analysis of human RV and left ventricular tissue. ⋯ Despite a similar afterload, RV function is more severely affected in mutation carriers than in noncarriers. However, these differences cannot be explained by a differential transforming growth factor β, bone morphogenetic protein receptor II signaling, or cardiac adaptation.