European journal of internal medicine
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Mar 2013
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyLong-term survival following acute heart failure: the Acute Heart Failure Database Main registry (AHEAD Main).
The in-hospital mortality of patients with acute heart failure (AHF) is reported to be 12.7% and mortality on day 30 after admission 17.2%. Less information is known about the long-term prognosis of those patients discharged after hospitalization. As such, the aim of this study was to investigate long-term survival in a cohort of patients who had been hospitalized for AHF and then discharged. ⋯ The AHEAD Main registry provides up-to-date information on the long-term prognosis of patients hospitalized with AHF. The 3-year survival of patients following day 30 of admission was 64.5%. Higher age, LV dysfunction, comorbidities and high levels of natriuretic peptides were the most powerful predictors of worse prognosis in long-term survival.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Mar 2013
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyDiagnostic role of copeptin in patients presenting with chest pain in the emergency room.
Chest pain is a frequent symptom leading patients to the Emergency Room. Copeptin, the C-terminal fragment of arginin-vasopressin, is a marker of stressful situations. Recent studies showed that normal levels of copeptin combined with normal troponin accurately rule out the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In this observational, prospective, multicenter study we evaluated if negative levels of copeptin combined with negative troponin (Tn-T) can correctly rule out the diagnosis of ACS and also of other life-threatening causes of chest pain. ⋯ The combined use of troponin and copeptin significantly improved the diagnostic accuracy of troponin alone both in ACS (STEMI and NSTEMI) and in other life-threatening diseases. Measurement of this marker might be therefore considered not only for a rule-out strategy but also as a warning sign of a life-threatening disease.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Mar 2013
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyEducation, household wealth and blood pressure in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine: findings from the Demographic Health Surveys, 2005-2009.
While socioeconomic gradients in cardiovascular disease have been well established in high-income countries, this relationship is not well understood in middle-income countries. ⋯ There is compelling evidence that wealth and education gradients affect the probability of HTN for women in Albania, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, and for men in Albania.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Jul 2012
Multicenter StudyEffectiveness of varenicline for smoking cessation at 2 urban academic health centers.
Smoking is a major cause of morbidity in lower socioeconomic groups. In randomized trials, varenicline improves long term quit rates, but effectiveness in a clinic setting is unknown. ⋯ In an inner city clinic, abstinence rates were lower than those in clinical trials and did not differ between varenicline and NRT.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Oct 2011
Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialDiagnostic yield and clinical impact of wireless capsule endoscopy in patients with chronic abdominal pain with or without diarrhea: a Greek multicenter study.
Wireless capsule endoscopy has become the gold standard for the examination of small bowel. However, its role in the evaluation of patients suffering from chronic abdominal pain is not yet clearly defined. We conducted an open-label prospective multi-center study to evaluate the yield and clinical outcome of capsule endoscopy in patients with chronic abdominal pain with/without diarrhea. ⋯ Chronic abdominal pain with/without diarrhea should be accompanied by elevated inflammatory markers to be regarded as a valid indication for capsule endoscopy. The yield of capsule endoscopy in such patients is reasonably high and clinical outcomes of patients treated with capsule endoscopy findings as a guide are significant.