Predicting new-onset HF in patients undergoing coronary or peripheral angiography: results from the Catheter Sampled Blood Archive in Cardiovascular Diseases (CASABLANCA) study.

Aims: Methods to identify patients at risk for incident HF would be welcome as such patients might benefit from earlier interventions.

Methods And Results: From a registry of 1251 patients referred for coronary and/or peripheral angiography, we sought to identify independent predictors of incident HF during follow-up and develop a clinical and biomarker strategy to predict this outcome. There were 991 patients free of prevalent HF at baseline.

Usefulness of Multiple Biomarkers for Predicting Incident Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients Who Underwent Diagnostic Coronary Angiography (from the Catheter Sampled Blood Archive in Cardiovascular Diseases [CASABLANCA] Study).

We sought to develop a multiple biomarker approach for prediction of incident major adverse cardiac events (MACE; composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke) in patients referred for coronary angiography. In a 649-participant training cohort, predictors of MACE within 1 year were identified using least-angle regression; over 50 clinical variables and 109 biomarkers were analyzed. Predictive models were generated using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator with logistic regression.

Incident Type 2 Myocardial Infarction in a Cohort of Patients Undergoing Coronary or Peripheral Arterial Angiography.

Background: Despite growing recognition of type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI; related to supply/demand mismatch), little is known about its risk factors or its association with outcome.

Methods: A single-center cohort of patients undergoing coronary or peripheral angiography with or without intervention was prospectively enrolled and followed for incident type 1 and T2MI, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE, a composite of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction [MI], heart failure, stroke, transient ischemic attack, peripheral arterial complication, and cardiac arrhythmia), as well. T2MI was adjudicated using criteria from the Third Universal Definition of MI.

Analysis of BAG3 plasma concentrations in patients with acutely decompensated heart failure.

Background: BCL-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is a protein implicated in the cardiomyocyte stress response and genesis of cardiomyopathy. Extracellular BAG3 is measurable in patients with heart failure (HF), but the relationship of BAG3 with HF prognosis is unclear.

Methods: BAG3 plasma concentrations were measured in 39 acutely decompensated HF patients; the primary endpoint was death at 1 year.

Health care transition from pediatric care to adult care: opportunities and challenges under the Affordable Care Act.

Enrollment of young adults is foundational to the success of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This article analyzes the implications for young adults transitioning from pediatric to adult care with the implementation of the ACA. We review the key characteristics of this population relevant to health care utilization and access as well as the impact of private insurance market reforms, health insurance marketplaces, Medicaid expansion, and workforce development provisions on this population.