Journal of the American College of Cardiology
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Nov 1997
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the 1990's: a population-based study in the Maastricht area on incidence, characteristics and survival.
We sought to describe the incidence, characteristics and survival of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in the Maastricht area of The Netherlands. ⋯ The majority of victims of SCA cannot be identified before the event. Sudden cardiac arrest usually occurs at home, and the survival of those with a witnessed SCA at home was low compared with that outside the home, indicating the necessity of optimizing out-of-hospital resuscitation, especially in the at-home situation.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Nov 1997
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors decrease CD11b expression and CD11b-dependent adhesion of monocytes to endothelium and reduce increased adhesiveness of monocytes isolated from patients with hypercholesterolemia.
This study sought to determine whether inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase affect CD11b expression and adhesiveness of monocytes in vitro and after treatment of patients with hypercholesterolemia. ⋯ The reduction of CD11b expression and inhibition of CD11b-dependent monocyte adhesion to endothelium may crucially contribute to the clinical benefit of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in CHD, independent of cholesterol-lowering effects.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Nov 1997
Left ventricular diastolic filling with an implantable ventricular assist device: beat to beat variability with overall improvement.
We studied the effects of left ventricular (LV) unloading by an implantable ventricular assist device on LV diastolic filling. ⋯ With LV assistance, transmitral flow showed rapidly varying patterns beat by beat in each patient, but overall diastolic filling tended to normalize with an increase of atrial contribution to the filling. Because of the variable nature of the transmitral flow pattern with the assist device, the timing of the device cycle must be considered when inferring diastolic function from transmitral flow pattern.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Nov 1997
Serial changes in response of hibernating myocardium to inotropic stimulation after revascularization: a dobutamine echocardiographic study.
We sought to evaluate the serial changes in the response of the hibernating myocardium to dobutamine stimulation after revascularization. ⋯ In myocardial hibernation, the majority of recovery of rest function occurs early after revascularization. Although patients who recover rest function show the most marked improvement in wall motion during DSE, those without recovery of rest function also have improved function during DSE, particularly when there is evidence of ischemia before revascularization.
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J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. · Nov 1997
Heart rate variability and dispersion of QT interval in patients with vulnerability to ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation after previous myocardial infarction.
This study was designed to compare QT dispersion measured from the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram and 24-h heart rate variability in patients with vulnerability to either ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation after a previous myocardial infarction. ⋯ Increased QT dispersion is associated with vulnerability to both ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. Low heart rate variability is specifically related to susceptibility to ventricular fibrillation but not to stable monomorphic ventricular tachycardia, suggesting that the autonomic nervous system modifies the presentation of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.