Heart : official journal of the British Cardiac Society
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Review
Economic burden and the cost-effectiveness of treatment of cardiovascular diseases in Africa.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in those over the age of 45 in Africa. The economic toll from cardiovascular diseases is equally devastating, leading to billions of dollars lost due to healthcare costs and reduced productivity from the disabling and fatal outcomes related to diabetes, hypertension, stroke, valvular heart disease, and heart failure. ⋯ This article reviews the economic burden attributable to cardiovascular disease in Africa and many of the potential cost-effective solutions to the large burden. It further outlines many of the areas where we know less and must focus our future research in trying to outline cost-effective solutions.
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Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair has undergone a revolution since Volodos and Parodi described endoluminal repair in the early 1990s. Subsequent data from large registries have confirmed its efficacy. ⋯ The devices continue to improve and although most require open surgical access at present, in future percutaneous access will become the norm. This article reviews the current state of endoluminal aortic aneurysm repair in the infrarenal aorta.
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The TIMI risk score is a well-validated scoring system used to predict mortality in patients following an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) has also been found to be useful in predicting mortality following STEMI. ⋯ In the first 24 hours following an AMI, NTproBNP is better than the TIMI risk score at predicting mortality. A simple NTproBNP blood test is more easily applicable and is more accurate than a clinical risk score.