The American journal of cardiology
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Review Meta Analysis
Meta-Analysis of Cardiovascular Outcomes With Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the main treatment of OSA. The present study explores the impact of CPAP on cardiovascular outcomes. ⋯ Furthermore, no reduction in the risk of cardiac mortality (RR 1.14, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.97, p <0.36, I2 = 2%), myocardial infarction (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.44, p <0.15, I2 = 47%), angina pectoris (RR 1.16, 95% CI 0.9 to 1.50, p <0.51, I2 = 0%), stroke (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.38, p <0.0.86, I2 = 0%), and transient ischemic attack (RR 1.36, 95% CI 00.69 to 2.68, p <0.24, I2 = 30%) was observed. Subgroup analysis of CPAP adherence in regards to cardiac outcomes showed that CPAP use is not associated with decreased risk of heart failure (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.50 to 1.66, p <0.55, I2 = 0%). In conclusion, compared with medical therapy alone, utilization of CPAP in patients with OSA is not associated with improved cardiac outcomes except in patients who wore it for >4 hours.
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Review Meta Analysis
Meta-Analysis of the Relative Efficacy and Safety of Oral P2Y12 Inhibitors in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome.
A cornerstone of medical therapy for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is dual antiplatelet therapy, which includes aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that prasugrel and ticagrelor are superior to clopidogrel, but none directly compared these 3 commonly used oral P2Y12 inhibitors for safety and efficacy. Therefore, we performed a Bayesian network meta-analysis of RCTs to compare the efficacies and safeties of 3 commonly used oral P2Y12 inhibitors in patients with ACS. ⋯ In treatment ranking, ticagrelor was the most efficacious, and prasugrel was the least safe. In conclusion, this meta-analysis shows that in patients with ACS, adding P2Y12 inhibitors to aspirin and other standard treatments reduces ischemic events and all-cause mortality. Among the commonly used oral P2Y12 inhibitors, ticagrelor has the best net efficacy and safety profile.
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Review Meta Analysis
Meta-Analysis of the Optimal Percutaneous Revascularization Strategy in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction, Cardiogenic Shock, and Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease.
The optimal percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) revascularization strategy in patients with multivessel (MV) coronary artery disease (CAD) who present with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS) has not been systematically addressed. Accordingly, we performed a study-level meta-analysis comparing 2 PCI strategies in these patients-infarct-related artery (IRA) only versus MV revascularization. Studies including patients with AMI and MV CAD complicated with CS who received primary PCI were searched from 2000 to 2016. ⋯ There was no difference in mid- to long-term mortality between MV PCI and IRA-only strategies (odds ratio 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.65 to 1.58, p = 0.94). In conclusion, in patients with AMI and MV CAD complicated by CS, the IRA-only PCI strategy seems to be associated with lower short-term, but not mid- to long-term mortality compared with MV PCI. This finding is different from the revascularization strategy recommended by current professional guidelines and suggests the need for dedicated randomized clinical trials.
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Several recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrated better outcomes with multivessel complete revascularization (CR) than with infarct-related artery-only revascularization (IRA-OR) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. It is unclear whether CR should be performed during the index procedure (IP) at the time of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or as a staged procedure (SP). Therefore, we performed a pairwise meta-analysis using a random-effects model and network meta-analysis using mixed-treatment comparison models to compare the efficacies of 3 revascularization strategies (IRA-OR, CR-IP, and CR-SP). ⋯ There were no differences in all-cause mortality between the 3 revascularization strategies. In conclusion, this meta-analysis shows that in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel coronary artery disease, CR either during primary PCI or as an SP results in lower occurrences of MACE, revascularization, and CV mortality than IRA-OR. CR performed during primary PCI also results in lower rates of recurrent MI and seems the most efficacious revascularization strategy of the 3.
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The complex and often unpredictable course of heart failure (HF) provides many opportunities for communication between clinicians and patients about important subjects as advance care planning, disease state education, therapeutic options and limitations, and end-of-life care. Studies of patients with HF demonstrate that, when engaging in such complex communication, specific language matters in patient experience and in shared decision-making with providers. ⋯ In conclusion, specific phrasing may significantly impact patient experiences and outcomes. Communication that focuses on the disease itself and the therapy or intervention in question may help remove the patient from potential negative emotions, thus facilitating more objective shared decision-making with the clinician.