European heart journal
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European heart journal · Apr 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyClinical impacts of additive use of olmesartan in hypertensive patients with chronic heart failure: the supplemental benefit of an angiotensin receptor blocker in hypertensive patients with stable heart failure using olmesartan (SUPPORT) trial.
We examined whether an additive treatment with an angiotensin receptor blocker, olmesartan, reduces the mortality and morbidity in hypertensive patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, β-blockers, or both. In this prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint study, a total of 1147 hypertensive patients with symptomatic CHF (mean age 66 years, 75% male) were randomized to the addition of olmesartan (n = 578) to baseline therapy vs. control (n = 569). The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, non-fatal acute myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and hospitalization for worsening heart failure. ⋯ Additive use of olmesartan did not improve clinical outcomes but worsened renal function in hypertensive CHF patients treated with evidence-based medications. Particularly, the triple combination therapy with olmesartan, ACE inhibitors and β-blockers was associated with increased adverse cardiac events. This study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov-NCT00417222.
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European heart journal · Apr 2015
ReviewCardiac computed tomography in patients with acute chest pain.
The efficient and reliable evaluation of patients with acute chest pain is one of the most challenging tasks in the emergency department. Coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography may play a major role, since it permits ruling out coronary artery disease with high accuracy if performed with expertise in properly selected and prepared patients. ⋯ Ongoing investigations explore whether advanced anatomic and functional assessments such as high-risk coronary plaque, resting myocardial perfusion, and left ventricular function, or the simulation of the fractional coronary flow reserve will add information to the anatomic assessment for stenosis, which would allow expanding the benefits of cardiac CT from triage to treatment decisions. Especially, the combination of high-sensitive troponins and coronary computed tomography angiography may play a valuable role in future strategies for the management of patients presenting with acute chest pain.
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European heart journal · Apr 2015
Improved outcome in Sweden after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and possible association with improvements in every link in the chain of survival.
To describe out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Sweden from a long-term perspective in terms of changes in outcome and circumstances at resuscitation. ⋯ From a long-term perspective, 30-day survival after OHCA in Sweden more than doubled. The increase in survival was most marked among patients found in a shockable rhythm and those hospitalized with ROSC. There were improvements in all four links in the chain of survival, which might explain the improved outcome.