Mayo Clinic proceedings
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Mayo Clinic proceedings · May 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialA community-based, randomized trial of ezetimibe added to statin therapy to attain NCEP ATP III goals for LDL cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic patients: the ezetimibe add-on to statin for effectiveness (EASE) trial.
To determine the extent of reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level and improvement in National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) LDL-C goal attainment when ezetimibe was added to ongoing statin therapy in a diverse population of community-based patients. ⋯ Across multiple subgroups, ezetimibe added to statin therapy consistently produced significant additional improvements in LDL-C levels and goal attainment, as well as in other lipoproteins, compared with addition of placebo. The addition of ezetimibe to statin therapy should be considered for patients not achieving their NCEP ATP III LDL-C goals while receiving statin therapy alone.
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Smoking is a well-established and important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Cessation of smoking clearly decreases the chances of a first or subsequent cardiovascular event. ⋯ Is nicotine, whether in tobacco products or in NRT, the cause of the cardiovascular consequences associated with tobacco use? Is using NRT to assist with smoking cessation safer than smoking? Should health care professionals avoid recommending NRT for patients with established cardiovascular disease? This article summarizes the mechanisms of harm associated with smoking and reviews the safety of NRT in both the general population and the population with cardiovascular disease. Recommendations for NRT use are offered.
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Catamenial pneumothorax is defined as spontaneous pneumothorax occurring within 72 hours before or after onset of menstruation. Although catamenial pneumothorax is the most common clinical manifestation of intrathoracic endometriosis, this latter condition is not universally identified in women with catamenial pneumothorax and cannot fully explain the recurrent and cyclical episodes of pneumothorax. Therefore, the etiology of this syndrome is unknown, although many theories have been proposed to explain it. ⋯ Six months after surgery, the patient remains asymptomatic with no evidence of recurrence of pneumothorax. This case supports recent reports that diaphragmatic defects are often present in patients with catamenial pneumothorax. Surgical exploration to inspect the diaphragm and to close all Identified defects should be performed in patients who continue to experience pneumothorax despite effective hormonal suppression.