Such as fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction and coronary revascularisation by one third, even when these patients are already receiving optimal therapy. Commenting after the results presentation, the Chairman of the BEAUTIFUL Executive Committee, Prof Kim Fox said 'Ivabradine was always known to relieve ischemia. With the BEAUTIFUL results, ivabradine is the first antianginal treatment shown to reduce myocardial infarction and revascularisation and to have a good tolerability profile even when used with other drugs. This is the gold standard for any antianginal, anti-ischemic drug'.
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Our study was carried out in 15 hospitals in Switzerland and Germany and included 499 heart failure patients with reduced pump function of the heart aged ≥60 years. The study was called TIME-CHF, standing for the Trial of Intensified (BNP-guided) versus standard (symptom-guided) Medical therapy in Elderly patients with Congestive Heart Failure. Patients in both groups were well treated according to current guidelines, but doses of medication were significantly increased in the BNP-guided group.
Patients presenting shortness of breath on arrival at the emergency department (ED) can gain from improved diagnosis allowing physicians to distinguish congestive heart failure patients from those presenting pneumonia.
Myocardial infarction is the major cause of death worldwide. With effective treatment within our grasp, accurate and rapid diagnosis is of major medical and economic importance. With the development of sensitive trials depicting either cardiac troponin I or cardiac troponin T, the only current biomarkers thought to be unique to the heart, the diagnosis of myocardial infarction has been revolutionised. In a patient presenting with chest pain, a rise in cardiac troponin has become a mandatory feature for the clinical diagnosis of myocardial infarction.
September 2, 2008, St. Louis, MO – The consumption of soft drinks is generally considered to be a contributing factor in childhood obesity. Because children spend a substantial amount of time at school, the school food environment plays a central part in shaping eating behaviors.
Two black-footed ferrets at the Smithsonian's National Zoo have each given birth to a kit that was sired by males who died in 1999 and 2000. These endangered ferrets—part of a multi-institutional breeding and reintroduction program—were artificially inseminated in May with frozen semen from the two deceased males, each giving birth to a kit on June 20 and 21 respectively. The sperm samples were collected and frozen in 1997 and 1998. Successful inseminations with frozen semen are extremely rare—until now only three black-footed ferret kits have been born from this method.
Rockville, MD — Typically, drivers gaze along a curve as they negotiate it, but they also look at other parts of the road, the dashboard, traffic signs and oncoming vehicles. A new study finds that when drivers fix their gaze on specific targets placed strategically along a curve, their steering is smoother and more stable than it is in normal conditions.
Compared with bare metal stents, drug-eluting stents substantially reduce the risk of angiographic and clinical recurrence but do not affect mortality or the short term or long term risk of myocardial infarction. The use of drug-eluting stents necessitates extended treatment with dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin plus thienopyridine) which may cause bleeding complications and interferes with or even precludes surgery in case this is needed.
In addition, from a socioeconomic standpoint, the increased cost associated with drug-eluting stents is a major issue.
Throughout the developed world, cardiac surgery faces increasing challenges from percutaneous intervention, currently with revascularisation, but potentially soon for valve replacement as well. The spectacular growth of PCI in the UK over the last five years is typical for many developed countries [1]. Since 2000 the ratio of PCI: CABG has increased from 1:1 to almost 3:1.
The issue of using or not using DES in patients with diabetes will be debated between Professor Wijns, who discourages DES and Professor Silber, who feels that they should be used.
Results announced at the 2006 ESC meeting in Barcelona questioned the long-term safety of drug eluting stents (DES) and sparked intense discussion.
Sudden and unexpected deaths in young competitive athletes are uncommon but highly visible events, which raise concern and ethical issues in both the lay public and medical community. Which is the best strategy to timely identify individuals with cardiac disease responsible for sudden death (primarily, HCM) is largely debated. Namely, the extent to which sophisticated testing, such as echocardiography, is needed is still undefined.
Frequently, autopsy becomes the principal diagnostic tool when macro and microscopic analyses provide a conclusive diagnosis in cardiomyopathies. However, on average one third of autopsies do not identify a pathologically defined cause of death and these deaths are classified as "natural" or arrhythmogenic. In the athlete, the most common causes of sudden cardiac death are of inherited origin. This represents a tremendous burden to families, community and health care.
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) during sports activity is an uncommon, but catastrophic event. Different efforts to reduce the risk of SCD related to sports have been undertaken. What is the role of the exercise test in this context? What does a positive exercise test mean?
Young competitive athletes are perceived by the general population to be the healthiest members of society. The possibility that highly trained athletes may have a potentially serious cardiac condition that can predispose to life-threatening tachyarrhythmias or sudden cardiac death seems paradoxical. However, high-risk ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in the athlete although uncommon, are extremely visible events due to the high profile of elite and professional athletes.