Journal of the American Heart Association
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Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is an emerging inflammatory and immune biomarker. Whether suPAR level predicts the presence and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), and of incident death and myocardial infarction (MI) in subjects with suspected CAD, is unknown. ⋯ Elevated levels of plasma suPAR are associated with the presence and severity of CAD and are independent predictors of death and MI in patients with suspected or known CAD.
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Few studies have investigated functional capacity self-assessment tools in either prediction of future major adverse cardiac outcomes beyond all-cause mortality or direct comparisons with clinically available biomarkers. ⋯ A simple self-assessment tool of functional capacity in stable patients undergoing elective diagnostic cardiac evaluation provides independent and incremental prognostic value for prediction of both significant coronary angiographic disease and long-term adverse clinical events.
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Observational Study
Trends in the clinical and pathological characteristics of cardiac rupture in patients with acute myocardial infarction over 35 years.
There is little known about whether the clinical and pathological characteristics and incidence of cardiac rupture (CR) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have changed over the years. ⋯ With the development of medical treatment, the incidence and mortality rate of CR have decreased. However, first myocardial infarction, anterior infarct, female sex, and old age remain important risk factors for CR. Adjunctive cardioprotection against reperfusion-induced myocardial hemorrhage is emerging in the current PPCI era.
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Comparative Study
Trends in early aspirin use among patients with acute myocardial infarction in China, 2001-2011: the China PEACE-Retrospective AMI study.
Aspirin is an effective, safe, and inexpensive early treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with few barriers to administration, even in countries with limited healthcare resources. However, the rates and recent trends of aspirin use for the early treatment of AMI in China are unknown. ⋯ ClinicalTrials.gov Unique identifier: NCT01624883.
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Thirty-day readmission rates have been tied to hospital reimbursement in the United States, but remain controversial as measures of healthcare quality. We profile the timing, main diagnoses, and survival outcomes of inpatient and emergency department readmissions after acute coronary syndrome (ACS), based on a large regional database. ⋯ Hospital readmissions within 30 days after discharge for ACS are common, and associated with increased mortality. However, our findings underline that readmissions are quite heterogeneous in nature, and that many readmissions are unrelated to index stay and thus not easily predicted with common clinical variables. All-cause 30-day readmission rates may be too simplistic, and perhaps even misleading, as a hospital performance metric.