European heart journal
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European heart journal · Feb 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyMetoprolol vs. carvedilol or carvedilol plus N-acetyl cysteine on post-operative atrial fibrillation: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Carvedilol and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Aim was to evaluate the efficacy of metoprolol, carvedilol, and carvedilol plus NAC on the prevention of post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF). ⋯ Carvedilol plus NAC decreased POAF incidence and duration of hospitalization compared with metoprolol and decreased POAF incidence compared with carvedilol.
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European heart journal · Feb 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyThe relationship between glycaemic variability and cardiovascular complications in patients with acute myocardial infarction and type 2 diabetes: a report from the DIGAMI 2 trial.
Hyperglycaemia during hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a risk predictor, but attempts to improve the prognosis by insulin-based glucose control have not been consistently successful. Increased glycaemic variability, a potential effect of insulin treatment, has been linked to a worse prognosis in critically ill patients. The present aim was to study the possibility of such a relation in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and AMI. ⋯ The 1-year risk for death, reinfarction, or stroke did not relate to glycaemic variability in T2DM patients with AMI treated with insulin infusion.
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European heart journal · Jan 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyInfluence of baseline left ventricular function on the clinical outcome of surgical ventricular reconstruction in patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy.
The Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure (STICH) trial demonstrated no overall benefit when surgical ventricular reconstruction (SVR) was added to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy. The present analysis was to determine whether, based on baseline left ventricular (LV) function parameters, any subgroups could be identified that benefited from SVR. ⋯ Subgroup analyses of the STICH trial suggest that patients with less dilated LV and better LVEF may benefit from SVR, while those with larger LV and poorer LVEF may do worse. Clinical Trial Registration #: NCT00023595.
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European heart journal · Jan 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effect of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose on health-related quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure and iron deficiency: a subanalysis of the FAIR-HF study.
Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) show impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL), an important target for therapeutic intervention. Impaired iron homeostasis may be one mechanism underlying the poor physical condition of CHF patients. This detailed subanalysis of the previously published FAIR-HF study evaluated baseline HRQoL in iron-deficient patients with CHF and the effect of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) on HRQoL. ⋯ HRQoL is impaired in iron-deficient patients with CHF. Intravenous FCM significantly improved HRQoL after 4 weeks, and throughout the remaining study period. The positive effects of FCM were independent of anaemia status.
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European heart journal · Nov 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyEfficacy of apixaban when compared with warfarin in relation to renal function in patients with atrial fibrillation: insights from the ARISTOTLE trial.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common among patients with impaired renal function. Apixaban, a novel oral anticoagulant with partial renal excretion, was compared with warfarin and reduced the rate stroke, death and bleeding in the ARISTOTLE trial. We evaluated these outcomes in relation to renal function. ⋯ In patients with AF, renal impairment was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events and bleeding. When compared with warfarin, apixaban treatment reduced the rate of stroke, death, and major bleeding, regardless of renal function. Patients with impaired renal function seemed to have the greatest reduction in major bleeding with apixaban.