International journal of cardiology
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Multicenter Study
β-blocker use in patients after percutaneous coronary interventions: one size fits all? Worse outcomes in patients without myocardial infarction or heart failure.
The influence of β-blocker therapy on prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been fully explored. ⋯ β-blocker therapy was associated with worse 3-year clinical outcomes in CAD patients who underwent PCI but had no history of MI or HF. Randomized trials are warranted to identify appropriate subsets of patients who could truly benefit from long-term use of β-blockers in this setting.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial Observational Study
Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin in the early evaluation of acute chest pain patients.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the utility of mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) in the early diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with acute chest pain in comparison with established and novel biomarkers and risk scores. ⋯ While MR-proADM does not have clinical utility in the early diagnosis of AMI or predicting cardiovascular events in patients with acute chest pain, it may provide prognostic value for all-cause mortality.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial Observational Study
Identifying patients for early discharge: performance of decision rules among patients with acute chest pain.
The HEART score and North American Chest Pain Rule (NACPR) are decision rules designed to identify acute chest pain patients for early discharge without stress testing or cardiac imaging. This study compares the clinical utility of these decision rules combined with serial troponin determinations. ⋯ The HEART score with 0 and 3 hour serial troponin measures identifies a substantial number of patients for early discharge while maintaining high sensitivity for ACS.
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Multicenter Study
Elderly patients diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension: results from the COMPERA registry.
Originally reported to occur predominantly in younger women, idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is increasingly diagnosed in elderly patients. We aimed to describe the characteristics of such patients and their survival under clinical practice conditions. ⋯ NCT01347216.
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The pre-procedural neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (N/L) is associated with adverse outcomes among patients with coronary artery disease but its prognostic value in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has not been fully investigated. This study evaluated the relations between pre-procedural N/L ratio and the in-hospital and long-term outcomes in STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). ⋯ The N/L ratio was an independent predictor of both in-hospital and long-term adverse outcomes among STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI. Our findings suggest that this inexpensive, universally available hematological marker may be incorporated into the current established risk assessment model for STEMI.