Incidence of appropriate cardioverter-defibrillator shocks and mortality in patients with heart failure treated with combined cardiac resynchronization plus implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy versus implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy.

Of 529 patients with heart failure and a mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 29%, 209 (40%) were treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) plus an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and 320 (60%) with an ICD. Mean follow-up was 34 months for both groups. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that significant independent variables for appropriate ICD shocks were statins (risk ratio = 0.

Incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction and of 2-year mortality in 577 elderly patients undergoing noncardiac vascular surgery treated with and without statins.

Of 577 patients, mean age 74 years, undergoing noncardiac vascular surgery, 300 (52%) had carotid endarterectomy, 179 (31%) had lower extremity revascularization, and 98 (17%) had abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Of the 577 patients, 302 (52%) were treated with statins. Perioperative myocardial infarction (MI) occurred in 18 of 302 patients (6%) treated with statins and in 38 of 275 patients (14%) not treated with statins (p=0.

Statins reduce appropriate cardioverter-defibrillator shocks and mortality in patients with heart failure and combined cardiac resynchronization and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy.

Of 209 patients with heart failure treated with combined cardiac resynchronization therapy and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy, appropriate cardioverter-defibrillator shocks occurred at 34-month follow-up in 22 of 121 patients (18%) on statins and in 30 of 88 patients (34%) not on statins (P = .009). Deaths occurred in 3 of 121 patients (2%) on statins and in 9 of 88 patients (10%) not on statins (P = .

Interhospital transfer of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction for percutaneous coronary intervention.

We investigated in 277 consecutive patients, mean age 63 years, with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction transferred from 25 community hospitals to a tertiary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) center from a median distance of 21 miles the incidences of in-hospital mortality, stroke, and recurrent myocardial infarction associated with transfer times. Of the 277 patients, 158 (57%) had thrombolytic therapy at the referring hospital. Of the 277 patients, 63 (23%) had adjunctive PCI, 119 (43%) had primary PCI, and 95 (34%) had rescue PCI.

Prevalence of complications during implantation and during 38-month follow-up of 1060 consecutive patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

During implantation and during 38-month follow-up of 1060 consecutive patients who had implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, complications occurred in 60 (5.7%) of 1060 patients. These complications consisted of fractured leads requiring lead revision in 36 (3.

Safety of exercise testing in the chest pain unit: 31-mm ST elevation in variant angina.

We discuss a patient who presented with symptoms classic for variant angina with dramatic 31-mm ST elevation secondary to exercise testing in the chest pain unit, in whom neither myocardial infarction nor severe arrhythmia resulted. Although exercise testing is deemed generally safe, it has not been studied for safety per se in patients with variant angina. Further studies are needed to determine if the magnitude of ST elevation during exercise testing carries prognostic significance.

Bosentan in pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to scleroderma.

Objective: . To assess the efficacy and tolerability of bosentan in pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to systemic sclerosis (SSc-PAH) including patients with restrictive lung disease.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 23 SSc-PAH patients with PAH at baseline [PA systolic pressure (PASP) >or= 45 mm Hg by echocardiogram or mean PA pressure > 25 mm Hg at rest by cardiac catheterization], World Health Organization (WHO) functional classes II-IV, and with data available for 18 months.