Long-term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary artery bypass grafting in women, a meta-analysis.

Background: Despite the advances in the last decades for treatment of ischemic heart disease, women continue to experience poorer prognosis than men and currently, there is a gap in knowledge regarding the optimal revascularization strategy in women.

Objective: Compare the long-term outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for the treatment of stable ischemic heart disease in women.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted including randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing PCI with drug-eluting stents with CABG.

A prospective study of the management of non-massive pulmonary embolism in the home.

Background: The objective of this study is to compare the characteristics, outcomes, and clinical complications of patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) who were treated at home as outpatients versus traditional hospitalization.

Methods: Prospective study from January 2006 to June 2007. Selected patients diagnosed at the Emergency Department with stable non-massive pulmonary embolism that met standard inclusion criteria of Hospital at Home (HH) were treated at home.

Relationship between plasma levels of soluble CD40L and insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion status in non-diabetic dyslipidemic patients.

Objective: We have measured circulating plasma sCD40L as well as the platelet-surface of CD40L and its receptor in a sample of non-diabetic dyslipidemic patients and then evaluated its relationship with the insulin resistance (IR) and insulin secretion (IS) status.

Design And Methods: Anthropometric measurements, fasting glucose, insulin, lipids, and IR and IS [estimated by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)] were assessed in 86 dyslipidemic subjects. Circulating sCD40L were determined by ELISA.

Candidate gene association studies in sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

The genetics of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is complex. Three genes (amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1 and presenilin 2) have been described in the relatively rare, early-onset, autosomal dominant familial form of AD. In the common, non-familial (sporadic) late-onset AD, the major known genetic risk factor is the epsilon4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene.

The --491 TT apolipoprotein E promoter polymorphism is associated with reduced risk for sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

Homozygosity for the A allele of the -491 A/T apolipoprotein E (APOE) promoter polymorphism has recently been reported to be associated with sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). Two hundred and fifty one patients with AD and an equal number of controls derived from the same region in a Spanish population, were genotyped for -491 A/T and epsilon2/epsilon3/epsilon4 APOE polymorphisms. We did not detect an elevated -491 AA genotype frequency when comparing AD cases to controls.

The butyrylcholinesterase K variant is a protective factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease in women.

Introduction: Recent reports indicate that the K variant of the butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE) gene may act in synergism with the epsilon4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE) to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but this is controversial.

Material And Methods: We genotyped for the BCHE-K and APOE epsilon4 alleles in a sample of 249 AD patients and 250 controls derived from the same region in a Spanish population.

Results: A protective effect of the K variant of BCHE with an odds ratio of 0.

Polymorphism at codon 129 of the prion protein gene is not associated with sporadic AD.

An association between cognitive performance in elderly people and variability in the codon 129 of the prion protein gene (PRNP) has been recently described. The authors analyzed this polymorphism in 278 sporadic AD patients and 268 cognitively normal control subjects. Analyses stratifying by APOE genotype, age, and gender failed to reveal any association between homozygosity for the 129 PRNP methionine or valine alleles and AD.

Polymorphisms in the presenilin 1 and presenilin 2 genes and risk for sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

We examined the possible involvement of polymorphisms of the presenilin 1 (PS1) and presenilin 2 (PS2) genes in the risk for sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), either through an independent effect or through interaction with the existing apolipoprotein E (ApoE) risk, in 211 AD cases and 188 age-matched control subjects. No significant differences were obtained in any of the comparisons relating the effect of the PS1 and PS2 polymorphisms; thus, these polymorphisms do not appear to be sufficient risk factors by themselves for sporadic AD. Although the ApoE varepsilon4 genotype is the only definite predictor of risk, homozygosity for either the 1 allele of the PS1 or the C allele of the PS2 genes may increase the risk conferred by the presence of an ApoE epsilon4 allele.