Rosuvastatin alters the genetic composition of the human gut microbiome.

The gut microbiome contributes to the variation of blood lipid levels, and secondary bile acids are associated with the effect of statins. Yet, our knowledge of how statins, one of our most common drug groups, affect the human microbiome is scarce. We aimed to characterize the effect of rosuvastatin on gut microbiome composition and inferred genetic content in stool samples from a randomized controlled trial (n = 66).

Intra-aortic balloon pump in acute chest pain and cardiogenic shock - a long-term follow-up.

Coronary revascularisation and intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) has been considered the gold standard treatment of acute coronary syndrome with cardiogenic shock, recently challenged by the SHOCK II study. The aim of this non-randomised study was to investigate the long term prognosis after immediate IABP supported angiography, in patients with acute chest pain and cardiogenic shock, treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), cardiac surgery or optimal medical treatment. We assessed data from 281 consecutive patients admitted to our department from 2004 to 2010.

Index of microvascular resistance to assess the effect of rosuvastatin on microvascular function in women with chest pain and no obstructive coronary artery disease: A double-blind randomized study.

Introduction: Many women undergoing coronary angiography for chest pain have no or only minimal coronary artery disease (CAD). However, despite the lack of obstructive CAD, they still have an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. Pleiotropic effects of statins may influence microvascular function, but if statins improve microvascular function in unselected chest pain patients is not well studied.

Coronary computed tomography in heart transplant patients: detection of significant stenosis and cardiac allograft vasculopathy, image quality, and radiation dose.

Background Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is an accelerated form of atherosclerosis unique to heart transplant (HTX) patients. Purpose To investigate the detection of significant coronary artery stenosis and CAV, determinants of image quality, and the radiation dose in coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) of HTX patients with 64-slice multidetector CT (64-MDCT). Material and Methods Fifty-two HTX recipients scheduled for invasive coronary angiography (ICA) were prospectively enrolled and underwent CCTA before ICA with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).

Index of microvascular resistance after early conversion from calcineurin inhibitor to everolimus in heart transplantation: A sub-study to a 1-year randomized trial.

Background: Microvascular function in transplanted hearts can be evaluated by methods used in routine left heart catheterization follow-up after heart transplantation (HTx). This sub-study of a randomized study compared the effects of everolimus (EVR) and calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) treatment on microvascular function as expressed by the index of microvascular resistance (IMR) at 1 year after HTx. A secondary objective was to compare the change in IMR from 7-11 weeks to 1 year after HTx between randomized groups.