Bmc Cardiovasc Disor
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Bmc Cardiovasc Disor · Jan 2014
Strategies to reduce hospital 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates for patients with acute myocardial infarction: a cross-sectional and longitudinal survey.
Survival rates after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) vary markedly across U.S. hospitals. Although substantial efforts have been made to improve hospital performance, we lack contemporary evidence about changes in hospital strategies and features of organizational culture that might contribute to reducing hospital AMI mortality rates. We sought to describe current use of several strategies and features of organizational culture linked to AMI mortality in a national sample of hospitals and examine changes in use between 2010 and 2013. ⋯ We found few significant changes between 2010 and 2013 in hospital strategies or in key features of organizational culture that have been associated with lower AMI mortality rates. Findings highlight several opportunities to help close remaining performance gaps in AMI mortality among hospitals.
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Bmc Cardiovasc Disor · Jan 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEfficacy and safety of alirocumab, a fully human PCSK9 monoclonal antibody, in high cardiovascular risk patients with poorly controlled hypercholesterolemia on maximally tolerated doses of statins: rationale and design of the ODYSSEY COMBO I and II trials.
Alirocumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody to proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) under investigation for treatment of hypercholesterolemia and reduction of cardiovascular events. ⋯ In conclusion, the COMBO studies will provide information on the long-term efficacy and safety of alirocumab in high-risk patients when administered in addition to maximally tolerated statin therapy, with a flexible dosing strategy which allows for individualized therapy based on the degree of LDL-C lowering needed to achieve the desired treatment response.
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Bmc Cardiovasc Disor · Jan 2014
Duration of dual antiplatelet therapy following percutaneous coronary intervention on re-hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome.
The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains uncertain. The objective of this study was to examine the association between duration of dual antiplatelet therapy and re-hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in ACS patients who underwent PCI. ⋯ The benefit of ≥ 12 months of clopidogrel use in reducing the risk of re-hospitalization for ACS was significant among ACS patients who underwent PCI and was especially critical for those who implanted DES.
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Bmc Cardiovasc Disor · Jan 2014
Review Meta AnalysisThe risk of heart failure associated with the use of noninsulin blood glucose-lowering drugs: systematic review and meta-analysis of published observational studies.
Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at high risk of heart failure. A summary of the effects of blood glucose-lowering drugs other than glitazones on the risk of heart failure in routine clinical practice is lacking. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies on the risk of heart failure when using blood glucose-lowering drugs. ⋯ Use of glitazones and sulfonylureas was associated with an increased risk of heart failure compared with metformin use. However, indication bias cannot be ruled out. Ongoing large multidatabase studies will help to evaluate the risk of heart failure in treated patients with diabetes, including those using newer blood glucose-lowering therapies.
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Bmc Cardiovasc Disor · Jan 2014
Review Meta AnalysisRight ventricular dysfunction as an echocardiographic prognostic factor in hemodynamically stable patients with acute pulmonary embolism: a meta-analysis.
We investigated whether right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) as assessed by echocardiogram can be used as a prognostic factor in hemodynamically stable patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Short-term mortality has been investigated only in small studies and the results have been controversial. ⋯ In hemodynamically stable patients with acute PE, RVD as assessed by echocardiogram increases short-term mortality by 2.29 times. Consideration should be given to obtaining echocardiogram to identify high-risk patients even if they are hemodynamically stable.