Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Incidence of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in the Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Prevention of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation (OPERA) Trial.

Background: Animal study results point to oxidative stress as a key mechanism triggering postoperative atrial fibrillation (PoAF), yet the extent to which specific biomarkers of oxidative stress might relate to PoAF risk in humans remains speculative.

Methods And Results: We assessed the association of validated, fatty acid-derived oxidative stress biomarkers (F2-isoprostanes, isofurans, and F3-isoprostanes) in plasma and urine, with incident PoAF among 551 cardiac surgery patients. Biomarkers were measured at enrollment, the end of surgery, and postoperative day 2.

Prospective evaluation of patients readmitted after cardiac surgery: analysis of outcomes and identification of risk factors.

Objective: Reducing hospital readmissions after adult cardiac surgery is necessary as part of the solution to achieving improved efficiency in health care. Patients who had undergone cardiac surgery were studied to develop strategies that may diminish the need for hospital readmission.

Methods: Over a 25-month period, 2096 patients underwent cardiac surgical procedures; 102 of these patients required readmission within 30 days of discharge.

Effect of obesity and insulin resistance on myocardial substrate metabolism and efficiency in young women.

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for impaired cardiac performance, particularly in women. Animal studies suggest that alterations in myocardial fatty acid metabolism and efficiency in obesity can cause decreased cardiac performance. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that myocardial fatty acid metabolism and efficiency are abnormal in obese women.