American heart journal
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American heart journal · Oct 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialMetoprolol CR/XL in postmyocardial infarction patients with chronic heart failure: experiences from MERIT-HF.
The benefit of beta-blockers post-myocardial infarction (MI) was established in the late 1970s. Major advances in the treatment of MI have since occurred. However, patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) were excluded from those trials. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of beta-blockers in post-MI patients with CHF receiving contemporary management. ⋯ In post-MI patients with symptomatic CHF, beta-blockade continues to exert a profound reduction in mortality and morbidity in the presence of contemporary management that includes early and late revascularization, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, aspirin, and statins.
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American heart journal · Oct 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialRandomized trial of a daily electronic home monitoring system in patients with advanced heart failure: the Weight Monitoring in Heart Failure (WHARF) trial.
Heart failure treatment guidelines emphasize daily weight monitoring for patients with heart failure, but data to support this practice are lacking. Using a technology-based heart failure monitoring system, we determined whether daily reporting of weight and symptoms in patients with advanced heart failure would reduce rehospitalization and mortality rates despite aggressive guideline-driven heart failure care. ⋯ This is the largest multicenter, randomized trial of a technology-based daily weight and symptom-monitoring system for patients with advanced heart failure. Despite no difference in the primary end point of rehospitalization rates, mortality was significantly reduced for patients randomized to the AlereNet system without an increase in utilization, despite specialized and aggressive heart failure care in both groups.
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American heart journal · Oct 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEffects of eicosapentaenoic acid on cardiovascular events in Japanese patients with hypercholesterolemia: rationale, design, and baseline characteristics of the Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS).
The principle aim of the current study is to test the hypothesis that the long-term use of highly purified EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid: 1800 mg/day), in addition to HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, is effective in preventing cardiovascular events in Japanese patients with hypercholesterolemia. ⋯ JELIS is a large clinical trial that will evaluate whether EPA can make an additional improvement in mortality and morbidity of coronary artery disease beyond that of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor treatment.