Effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta blockers on clinical outcomes in patients with and without coronary artery obstructions at angiography (from a Register-Based Cohort Study on Acute Coronary Syndromes).

We sought to determine the effectiveness of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition and β-blocker treatment as a function of the degree of coronary artery disease (CAD) obstruction at angiography. The Evaluation of Methods and Management of Acute Coronary Events registry enrolled patients who had been hospitalized for an acute coronary syndrome. There were 1,602 patients who had cardiac catheterization that were used for this analysis.

Newborn blood spot screening for sickle cell disease by using tandem mass spectrometry: implementation of a protocol to identify only the disease states of sickle cell disease.

Background: The currently recommended technologies of HPLC and isoelectric focusing for newborn blood spot screening for sickle cell disease (SCD) identify both the disease and carrier states, resulting in large numbers of infants being followed up unnecessarily. Analysis of blood spot tryptic peptides performed by using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is an alternative technology to detect hemoglobin (Hb) variant disorders.

Methods: We analyzed 2154 residual newborn blood spots and 675 newborn blood spots from infants with Hb variants by using MS/MS after trypsin digestion.

Association of frontal QRS-T angle--age risk score on admission electrocardiogram with mortality in patients admitted with an acute coronary syndrome.

Risk assessment is central to the management of acute coronary syndromes. Often, however, assessment is not complete until the troponin concentration is available. Using 2 multicenter prospective observational studies (Evaluation of Methods and Management of Acute Coronary Events [EMMACE] 2, test cohort, 1,843 patients; and EMMACE-1, validation cohort, 550 patients) of unselected patients with acute coronary syndromes, a point-of-admission risk stratification tool using frontal QRS-T angle derived from automated measurements and age for the prediction of 30-day and 2-year mortality was evaluated.

An assessment of the concentration-related prognostic value of cardiac troponin I following acute coronary syndrome.

In 2004 the British Cardiac Society redefined myocardial infarction by cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentration: ≤ 0.06 μg/L (unstable angina), >0.06 to < 0.

Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein predicts long-term mortality and re-infarction in consecutive patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome who are troponin-negative.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to establish the prognostic value of measuring heart fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (in particular, low- to intermediate-risk patients), in addition to troponin measured with the latest third-generation troponin assay.

Background: We have previously shown that H-FABP is a useful prognostic marker in patients with proven ACS.

Methods: Patients (n = 1,080) consecutively admitted to the hospital with suspected ACS were recruited over 46 weeks.

Diabetes mellitus and mortality after acute coronary syndrome as a first or recurrent cardiovascular event.

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is associated with adverse cardiovascular prognosis. However, the risk associated with DM may vary between individuals according to their overall cardiovascular risk burden. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether DM is associated with poor outcome in patients presenting with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) according to the index episode being a first or recurrent cardiovascular event.

Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein predicts long-term mortality after acute coronary syndrome and identifies high-risk patients across the range of troponin values.

Objectives: Our aim was to determine if a high-performance assay for heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) has a role in predicting all-cause mortality after acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Background: Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein is released into the circulation following myocardial ischemia and necrosis and therefore may be of value to physicians when caring for patients admitted to hospital with a clinical diagnosis of ACS.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study with a follow-up of 12 months.

Aspirin and mortality in patients with diabetes sustaining acute coronary syndrome.

Objective: We sought to compare mortality reduction associated with secondary prevention in patients with and without diabetes after acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Research Design And Methods: We conducted a cohort study involving 2,499 patients with ACS recruited from 11 U.K.