Cardiology
RSSArticles
-
Glycemic Measures May Vary Depending on Race
In patients with type 1 diabetes, hemoglobin A1c levels overestimate the mean glucose concentration in black persons compared with white persons, possibly owing to racial differences in the glycation of hemoglobin.
-
Long-term Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors and Earlier Death
An observational study of a Veterans Affairs population showed that the use of proton pump inhibitors over a median 5.7-year follow-up period increased the risk of death by 25% compared with the use of histamine 2 blockers or no medication.
-
Prevalence of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Indigenous South American Tsimané
Tsimané, a population living in the Bolivian Amazon, have the lowest prevalence of coronary artery disease among any population studied; individuals ≥ 40 years of age have mean low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein of 91 mg/dL and 39.5 mg/dL, respectively, despite a high inflammatory burden from parasites and pathogens.
-
Yoga for Lumbago?
A review of randomized, controlled trials of treatments for chronic non-specific, low back pain revealed that yoga provides improvements in back-related function compared to non-exercise controls at intermediate time points, and in pain scores in the short term. Also, yoga seems to be comparable to exercise interventions, although the quality of evidence was low enough to preclude us from knowing for sure.
-
Saffron and Depression: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go?
Saffron studies, while still preliminary, show potential for use of this ancient spice in combatting mild-moderate depression.
-
Prediction of Survival After Cardiac Arrest Using Pupillometry
Automated infrared pupillometry holds promise as a quantitative, reproducible measure that aids in determining neurological prognosis after cardiac arrest and coma.
-
Distinguishing Ischemic from Non-ischemic Cardiomyopathy Clinically
SYNOPSIS: This cardiac catheterization-based study of patients with newly diagnosed reduced left ventricular ejection fraction of unknown etiology showed that 15% had ischemic cardiomyopathy and they could be identified by clinical characteristics and an ECG-based risk score.
-
B-type Natriuretic Peptide Is Less Useful in Elderly Patients with Dyspnea
SYNOPSIS: Among patients ≥ 80 years of age presenting with acute dyspnea, B-type natriuretic peptide level was not useful for differentiating cardiac vs. respiratory etiologies when added to a model of clinical predictors.
-
Sepsis Management: What We Think We Know
SYNOPSIS: In the Protocolized Resuscitation in Sepsis Meta-Analysis (PRISM), 3,723 patients’ outcomes from the ProCESS, ARISE, and ProMISe randomized, controlled trials of early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) were evaluated. EGDT did not result in better outcomes than usual care and was associated with higher costs. The authors of a second study looked at outcomes of 49,331 patients with sepsis treated in New York from April 2014 to June 2016. More rapid completion of the three-hour sepsis bundle and antibiotic administration (but not rapid bolus administration of IV fluids) was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality.
-
Dual Antibiotic Therapy Is Not Routinely Necessary for Uncomplicated Cellulitis
SYNOPSIS: A randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled clinical trial that enrolled patients presenting to emergency departments with uncomplicated cellulitis found the addition of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole to cephalexin did not lead to better outcomes.