Background: Early mechanical revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or c... more Background: Early mechanical revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock is associated with improved survival. The current guidelines also recommend (Class IIa) the use of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) in patients with cardiogenic shock. However, the evidence supporting this recommendation is controversial. Objectives: To examine the trends (2001-2010) in mechanical revascularization, IABP use and in-hospital mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock complicating AMI and to determine if IABP use is associated with improved in-hospital survival among these patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective trend analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2001-2010. All patients ≥ 40 years of age with AMI and cardiogenic shock were identified using ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes. Tr...
The association of chronic renal insufficiency with outcomes after percutaneous coronary interven... more The association of chronic renal insufficiency with outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the current era of drug-eluting stents and modern antithrombotic therapy has not been well characterized. We queried the 2007-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases to identify all patients aged ≥18 years who underwent PCI. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare in-hospital outcomes among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and those without CKD or ESRD. Of 3 187 404 patients who underwent PCI, 89% had no CKD/ESRD; 8.6% had CKD; and 2.4% had ESRD. Compared to patients with no CKD/ESRD, patients with CKD and patients with ESRD had higher in-hospital mortality (1.4% versus 2.7% versus 4.4%, respectively; adjusted odds ratio for CKD 1.15, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.19, P<0.001; adjusted odds ratio for ESRD 2.29, 95% CI 2.19 to 2.40, P<0.001), higher incidence of postprocedure hemorrhage (3.5% versus 5.4% vers...
-According to the 2004 Surgeon General&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;am... more -According to the 2004 Surgeon General&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s Report on Health Consequences of Smoking, after &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;15 years of abstinence, the cardiovascular risk of former smokers becomes similar to that of never-smokers. Whether this health benefit of smoking cessation varies by amount and duration of prior smoking remains unclear. -Of the 4482 adults ≥65 years without prevalent heart failure (HF) in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), 2556 were never-smokers, 629 current smokers, and 1297 former smokers with…
-Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause for hospital readmission. Hospice care may help palliate... more -Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause for hospital readmission. Hospice care may help palliate HF symptoms but its association with 30-day all-cause readmission remains unknown. -Of the 8032 Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for HF in 106 Alabama hospitals (1998-2001), 182 (2%) received discharge hospice referrals. Of the 7850 patients not receiving hospice referrals, 1608 (20%) died within 6 months post-discharge (the hospice-eligible group). Propensity scores for hospice referral were estimated for each of the 1790 (182+1608) patients and were used to match 179 hospice-referral patients with 179 hospice-eligible patients who were balanced on 28 baseline characteristics (mean age, 79 years, 58% women, 18% African American). Overall, 22% (1742/8032) died in 6 months, of whom 8% (134/1742) received hospice referrals. Among the 358 matched patients, 30-day all-cause readmission occurred in 5% and 41% of hospice-referral and hospice-eligible patients, respectively (hazard ratio {HR} associated with hospice referral, 0.12; 95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.06-0.24). HRs (95% CIs) for 30-day all-cause readmission associated with hospice referral among the 126 patients who died and 232 patients who survived 30-day post-discharge were 0.03 (0.04-0.21) and 0.17 (0.08-0.36), respectively. Although 30-day mortality was higher in the hospice referral group (43% vs. 27%), it was similar at 90 days (64% vs. 67% among hospice-eligible patients). -A discharge hospice referral was associated with lower 30-day all-cause readmission among hospitalized HF patients. However, most HF patients who died within 6 months of hospital discharge did not receive a discharge hospice referral.
Open Longevity Science (Formerly 'The Open Aging Journal'), 2008
Abstract: Background: The prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients wit... more Abstract: Background: The prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism versus a control group of patients with diabetes mellitus without hypothyroidism undergoing coro-nary angiography needed to be investigated. ...
Pharmacological research : the official journal of the Italian Pharmacological Society, Jan 27, 2015
This paper is an effort to review all the most important studies and guidelines in the topics of ... more This paper is an effort to review all the most important studies and guidelines in the topics of lipid, blood pressure and kidney published in 2014. Irrespective of advances, the options for improving simultaneous hypercholesterolemia and hypertension management (as well as its complication - chronic kidney disease) remain a problem. Recommending hypolidemic, hypotensive and kidney disease drugs to obtain therapy targets in cardiovascular, diabetic, elderly and kidney disease (=high risk) patients might strengthen risk factor control, improve compliance and the therapy efficacy, and in the consequence reduce the risk of cardiovascular events and mortality rate. That is why the authors have decided to summary and discuss the recent scientific achievements in the field of lipid, blood pressure and kidney.
Background: Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) without... more Background: Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) without increased diastolic blood pressure (DBP), is more common in older adults than systolic-diastolic hypertension (SDH) where both SBP and DBP may be increased. In the NHLBI-funded Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), community-dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years with ISH had a mean DBP of 74 mm Hg (PMID: 19188527). In the HYVET trial, octogenarians with SDH had a mean DBP of 91 mm Hg (PMID: 18378519). Whether evidence from these trial-eligible older patients with SDH may be generalized to older adults with ISH remains unknown. In the current analysis, we examined associations of ISH and SDH with outcomes in CHS. Methods: Of the 4645 CHS participants free of baseline HF and DBP ≥60 mm Hg (PMID: 21947466), 1838 (40%) had ISH (SBP>140 and DBP<90), 240 (5%) had SDH (SBP>140 and DBP>90) and 2567 (55%) had no-HTN. Cox regression models were used to estimate associations of ISH and SDH...
-Characteristics and outcomes of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF... more -Characteristics and outcomes of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) receiving care at Veterans Affairs (VA) vs. non-VA hospitals have not been previously reported. -In the randomized controlled Beta-Blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial (BEST; 1995-1999), of the 2707 (bucindolol=1353; placebo=1354) patients with HFrEF (EF ≤35%), 918 received care at VA hospitals, of which 98% (n=898) were men. Of the 1789 receiving care at non-VA hospitals, 68% (n=1216) were men. Our analyses were restricted to these 2114 male patients. VA patients were older with higher symptom and comorbidity burdens. There was no significant between-group difference in unadjusted primary endpoint of 2-year all-cause mortality (35% VA vs. 32% non-VA; hazard ratio {HR}, 1.09; 95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.94-1.26), which remained unchanged after adjustment for age and race (HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.86-1.16) or multivariable-adjustment including cardiovascular morbidities (HR, 0.94; 95% CI...
Data clearly indicate that treatment with antihypertensive drugs reduces the incidence of all str... more Data clearly indicate that treatment with antihypertensive drugs reduces the incidence of all strokes in men (by 34%), women (by 38%), elderly persons (by 36%), including those older than 80 years (by 34%), younger persons, those with systolic and diastolic hypertension, persons with isolated systolic hypertension, and in those with a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack (by 28%). Blood pressure should be reduced to less than 140/90 mm Hg. The overall data also suggest that reduction of stroke in persons with hypertension is related more to a reduction in blood pressure than to the type of antihypertensive drugs used.
Pericardial synovial sarcoma is an extremely rare tumor with poor prognosis. Timely diagnosis and... more Pericardial synovial sarcoma is an extremely rare tumor with poor prognosis. Timely diagnosis and aggressive multimodal management improves patient outcome. We present our experience of diagnosis and management of a young patient with monophasic synovial sarcoma arising from pericardium. A 27-year-old man presented with dyspnea and cough of three weeks duration. Examination revealed sinus tachycardia, distant heart sounds and elevated jugular venous pressure. Chest X-ray showed widened mediastinum. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) noted large pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology. Therapeutic pericardiocentesis yielded hemorrhagic fluid. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest showed persistent pericardial effusion and a left anterior mediastinal mass. Left anterior thoracotomy, pericardial window and left anterior mediastinotomy were done, revealing a well-encapsulated gelatinous tumor originating from the pericardium. Histology and immunohistochemical profile showed the t...
Background: Early mechanical revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or c... more Background: Early mechanical revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock is associated with improved survival. The current guidelines also recommend (Class IIa) the use of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) in patients with cardiogenic shock. However, the evidence supporting this recommendation is controversial. Objectives: To examine the trends (2001-2010) in mechanical revascularization, IABP use and in-hospital mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock complicating AMI and to determine if IABP use is associated with improved in-hospital survival among these patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective trend analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2001-2010. All patients ≥ 40 years of age with AMI and cardiogenic shock were identified using ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes. Tr...
The association of chronic renal insufficiency with outcomes after percutaneous coronary interven... more The association of chronic renal insufficiency with outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the current era of drug-eluting stents and modern antithrombotic therapy has not been well characterized. We queried the 2007-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases to identify all patients aged ≥18 years who underwent PCI. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare in-hospital outcomes among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and those without CKD or ESRD. Of 3 187 404 patients who underwent PCI, 89% had no CKD/ESRD; 8.6% had CKD; and 2.4% had ESRD. Compared to patients with no CKD/ESRD, patients with CKD and patients with ESRD had higher in-hospital mortality (1.4% versus 2.7% versus 4.4%, respectively; adjusted odds ratio for CKD 1.15, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.19, P<0.001; adjusted odds ratio for ESRD 2.29, 95% CI 2.19 to 2.40, P<0.001), higher incidence of postprocedure hemorrhage (3.5% versus 5.4% vers...
-According to the 2004 Surgeon General&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;am... more -According to the 2004 Surgeon General&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s Report on Health Consequences of Smoking, after &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;15 years of abstinence, the cardiovascular risk of former smokers becomes similar to that of never-smokers. Whether this health benefit of smoking cessation varies by amount and duration of prior smoking remains unclear. -Of the 4482 adults ≥65 years without prevalent heart failure (HF) in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), 2556 were never-smokers, 629 current smokers, and 1297 former smokers with…
-Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause for hospital readmission. Hospice care may help palliate... more -Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause for hospital readmission. Hospice care may help palliate HF symptoms but its association with 30-day all-cause readmission remains unknown. -Of the 8032 Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for HF in 106 Alabama hospitals (1998-2001), 182 (2%) received discharge hospice referrals. Of the 7850 patients not receiving hospice referrals, 1608 (20%) died within 6 months post-discharge (the hospice-eligible group). Propensity scores for hospice referral were estimated for each of the 1790 (182+1608) patients and were used to match 179 hospice-referral patients with 179 hospice-eligible patients who were balanced on 28 baseline characteristics (mean age, 79 years, 58% women, 18% African American). Overall, 22% (1742/8032) died in 6 months, of whom 8% (134/1742) received hospice referrals. Among the 358 matched patients, 30-day all-cause readmission occurred in 5% and 41% of hospice-referral and hospice-eligible patients, respectively (hazard ratio {HR} associated with hospice referral, 0.12; 95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.06-0.24). HRs (95% CIs) for 30-day all-cause readmission associated with hospice referral among the 126 patients who died and 232 patients who survived 30-day post-discharge were 0.03 (0.04-0.21) and 0.17 (0.08-0.36), respectively. Although 30-day mortality was higher in the hospice referral group (43% vs. 27%), it was similar at 90 days (64% vs. 67% among hospice-eligible patients). -A discharge hospice referral was associated with lower 30-day all-cause readmission among hospitalized HF patients. However, most HF patients who died within 6 months of hospital discharge did not receive a discharge hospice referral.
Open Longevity Science (Formerly 'The Open Aging Journal'), 2008
Abstract: Background: The prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients wit... more Abstract: Background: The prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism versus a control group of patients with diabetes mellitus without hypothyroidism undergoing coro-nary angiography needed to be investigated. ...
Pharmacological research : the official journal of the Italian Pharmacological Society, Jan 27, 2015
This paper is an effort to review all the most important studies and guidelines in the topics of ... more This paper is an effort to review all the most important studies and guidelines in the topics of lipid, blood pressure and kidney published in 2014. Irrespective of advances, the options for improving simultaneous hypercholesterolemia and hypertension management (as well as its complication - chronic kidney disease) remain a problem. Recommending hypolidemic, hypotensive and kidney disease drugs to obtain therapy targets in cardiovascular, diabetic, elderly and kidney disease (=high risk) patients might strengthen risk factor control, improve compliance and the therapy efficacy, and in the consequence reduce the risk of cardiovascular events and mortality rate. That is why the authors have decided to summary and discuss the recent scientific achievements in the field of lipid, blood pressure and kidney.
Background: Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) without... more Background: Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) without increased diastolic blood pressure (DBP), is more common in older adults than systolic-diastolic hypertension (SDH) where both SBP and DBP may be increased. In the NHLBI-funded Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), community-dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years with ISH had a mean DBP of 74 mm Hg (PMID: 19188527). In the HYVET trial, octogenarians with SDH had a mean DBP of 91 mm Hg (PMID: 18378519). Whether evidence from these trial-eligible older patients with SDH may be generalized to older adults with ISH remains unknown. In the current analysis, we examined associations of ISH and SDH with outcomes in CHS. Methods: Of the 4645 CHS participants free of baseline HF and DBP ≥60 mm Hg (PMID: 21947466), 1838 (40%) had ISH (SBP>140 and DBP<90), 240 (5%) had SDH (SBP>140 and DBP>90) and 2567 (55%) had no-HTN. Cox regression models were used to estimate associations of ISH and SDH...
-Characteristics and outcomes of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF... more -Characteristics and outcomes of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) receiving care at Veterans Affairs (VA) vs. non-VA hospitals have not been previously reported. -In the randomized controlled Beta-Blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial (BEST; 1995-1999), of the 2707 (bucindolol=1353; placebo=1354) patients with HFrEF (EF ≤35%), 918 received care at VA hospitals, of which 98% (n=898) were men. Of the 1789 receiving care at non-VA hospitals, 68% (n=1216) were men. Our analyses were restricted to these 2114 male patients. VA patients were older with higher symptom and comorbidity burdens. There was no significant between-group difference in unadjusted primary endpoint of 2-year all-cause mortality (35% VA vs. 32% non-VA; hazard ratio {HR}, 1.09; 95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.94-1.26), which remained unchanged after adjustment for age and race (HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.86-1.16) or multivariable-adjustment including cardiovascular morbidities (HR, 0.94; 95% CI...
Data clearly indicate that treatment with antihypertensive drugs reduces the incidence of all str... more Data clearly indicate that treatment with antihypertensive drugs reduces the incidence of all strokes in men (by 34%), women (by 38%), elderly persons (by 36%), including those older than 80 years (by 34%), younger persons, those with systolic and diastolic hypertension, persons with isolated systolic hypertension, and in those with a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack (by 28%). Blood pressure should be reduced to less than 140/90 mm Hg. The overall data also suggest that reduction of stroke in persons with hypertension is related more to a reduction in blood pressure than to the type of antihypertensive drugs used.
Pericardial synovial sarcoma is an extremely rare tumor with poor prognosis. Timely diagnosis and... more Pericardial synovial sarcoma is an extremely rare tumor with poor prognosis. Timely diagnosis and aggressive multimodal management improves patient outcome. We present our experience of diagnosis and management of a young patient with monophasic synovial sarcoma arising from pericardium. A 27-year-old man presented with dyspnea and cough of three weeks duration. Examination revealed sinus tachycardia, distant heart sounds and elevated jugular venous pressure. Chest X-ray showed widened mediastinum. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) noted large pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology. Therapeutic pericardiocentesis yielded hemorrhagic fluid. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest showed persistent pericardial effusion and a left anterior mediastinal mass. Left anterior thoracotomy, pericardial window and left anterior mediastinotomy were done, revealing a well-encapsulated gelatinous tumor originating from the pericardium. Histology and immunohistochemical profile showed the t...
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