JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Since the first modern clinical description of infective endocarditis (IE) at the end of the 19th century, the profile of the disease has evolved continuously, as highlighted in epidemiological studies including a French survey performed in 1991. ⋯ Although the incidence of IE has not changed, important changes in disease characteristics, treatment, and outcomes were noted.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation for postextubation respiratory distress: a randomized controlled trial.
Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NPPV) has been demonstrated to be effective in preventing the need for endotracheal intubation in some patients who present with acute respiratory failure. It is also used for patients who develop acute respiratory distress after extubation, but there are no randomized controlled trials that address its effectiveness in this population. ⋯ The addition of NPPV to standard medical therapy does not improve outcome in heterogeneous groups of patients who develop respiratory distress during the first 48 hours after extubation.
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Oxidative processes have been suggested as elements in the development of Alzheimer disease (AD), but whether dietary intake of vitamin E and other antioxidant nutrients prevents its development is unknown. ⋯ This study suggests that vitamin E from food, but not other antioxidants, may be associated with a reduced risk of AD. Unexpectedly, this association was observed only among individuals without the APOE epsilon 4 allele.
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The secondary prevention benefit of therapy with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) has been clearly demonstrated; however, the role of early initiation of statins after acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) is unknown. ⋯ In this study, there was no relationship between early initiation of statin therapy and improved outcomes although our subset analysis suggests that outcomes after early statin initiation may vary with cholesterol levels. Confirmation of early treatment effects of statins on outcomes awaits the results of adequately powered randomized clinical trials.