European heart journal
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European heart journal · Mar 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialEnd-of-life preferences of elderly patients with chronic heart failure.
Elderly heart failure (HF) patients are assumed to prefer improved quality of life over longevity, but sufficient data are lacking. Therefore, we assessed the willingness to trade survival time for quality-of-life (QoL) and the preferences for resuscitation. ⋯ Elderly HF patients are willing to address their end-of-life preferences. The majority prefers longevity over QoL and half wished resuscitation if necessary. Prediction of individual preferences was inaccurate.
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European heart journal · Jan 2012
Multicenter StudyPrimary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction with right bundle branch block: should new onset right bundle branch block be added to future guidelines as an indication for reperfusion therapy?
The current guidelines recommend reperfusion therapy in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with ST-segment elevation or left bundle branch block (LBBB). Surprisingly, the right bundle branch block (RBBB) is not listed as an indication for reperfusion therapy. This study analysed patients with AMI presenting with RBBB [with or without left anterior hemiblock (LAH) or left posterior hemiblock (LPH)] and compared them with those presenting with LBBB or with other electrocardiographic (ECG) patterns. The aim was to describe angiographic patterns and primary angioplasty use in AMI patients with RBBB. ⋯ Acute myocardial infarction with RBBB is frequently caused by the complete occlusion of the infarct-related artery and is more frequently treated with primary PCI when compared with AMI + LBBB. In-hospital mortality of patients with AMI and RBBB is highest from all ECG presentations of AMI. Restoration of coronary flow by primary PCI may lead to resolution of the conduction delay on the discharge ECG. Right bundle branch block should strongly be considered for listing in future guidelines as a standard indication for reperfusion therapy, in the same way as LBBB.
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European heart journal · Dec 2011
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyAspirin for primary prevention of vascular events in women: individualized prediction of treatment effects.
AIMS To identify women who benefit from aspirin 100 mg on alternate days for primary prevention of vascular events by using treatment effect prediction based on individual patient characteristics. METHODS AND RESULTS Randomized controlled trial data from the Women's Health Study were used to predict treatment effects for individual women in terms of absolute risk reduction for major cardiovascular events (i.e. myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiovascular death). Predictions were based on existing risk scores, i.e. ⋯ CONCLUSION Aspirin was ineffective or even harmful in the majority of patients. Age was positively related to treatment effect, whereas current smoking and baseline risk for cardiovascular events were not. When the NWT is 50 or lower, the aspirin treatment strategy that is associated with optimal net benefit in primary prevention of vascular events in women is to treat none.
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European heart journal · Dec 2011
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyCharacterization of dyspnoea in PLATO study patients treated with ticagrelor or clopidogrel and its association with clinical outcomes.
AIMS To describe the incidence of dyspnoea and its associations with demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) treated with ticagrelor or clopidogrel in the PLATelet inhibition and patient Outcomes (PLATO) study. METHODS AND RESULTS In the PLATO study, 18 624 patients were randomized to receive either clopidogrel [300-600 mg loading dose (LD), 75 mg daily] or ticagrelor (180 mg LD, 90 mg b.i.d.). ⋯ Excluding dyspnoea AEs occurring after the secondary endpoint of myocardial infarction (MI), the yearly rates of the efficacy endpoints in dyspnoea AE patients in the ticagrelor and clopidogrel groups were: for the primary composite of CV death, MI, and stroke, 8.8 and 10.4% (unadjusted P = 0.25; adjusted P = 0.54); for CV death, 3.1 and 4.8% (unadjusted P = 0.024; adjusted P = 0.18); and for total death 3.7 and 6.2% (unadjusted P = 0.004; adjusted P = 0.06), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Ticagrelor-related dyspnoea is usually mild or moderate in intensity and does not appear to be associated with differences concerning any efficacy or safety outcomes with ticagrelor compared with clopidogrel therapy in ACS patients.
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European heart journal · Nov 2011
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyDabigatran vs. placebo in patients with acute coronary syndromes on dual antiplatelet therapy: a randomized, double-blind, phase II trial.
After an acute coronary syndrome, patients remain at risk of recurrent ischaemic events, despite contemporary treatment, including aspirin and clopidogrel. We evaluated the safety and indicators of efficacy of the novel oral direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran. ⋯ Dabigatran, in addition to dual antiplatelet therapy, was associated with a dose-dependent increase in bleeding events and significantly reduced coagulation activity in patients with a recent myocardial infarction.