Rationale and Design of SCOT-HEART 2 Trial: CT Angiography for the Prevention of Myocardial Infarction.

Coronary artery disease continues to be the leading cause of death globally. Identifying patients who are at risk of coronary artery disease remains a public health priority. At present, the focus of cardiovascular disease prevention relies heavily on probabilistic risk scoring despite no randomized controlled trials demonstrating their efficacy.

Sex differences in coronary atherosclerotic plaque activity using F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography.

Introduction: There are sex differences in the extent, severity, and outcomes of coronary artery disease. We aimed to assess the influence of sex on coronary atherosclerotic plaque activity measured using coronary F-sodium fluoride (F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET), and to determine whether F-NaF PET has prognostic value in both women and men.

Methods: In a post-hoc analysis of observational cohort studies of patients with coronary atherosclerosis who had undergone F-NaF PET CT angiography, we compared the coronary microcalcification activity (CMA) in women and men.

Clinical decision aids and computed tomography coronary angiography in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome.

Background: The HEART score, the T-MACS model and the GRACE score support early decision-making for acute chest pain, which could be complemented by CT coronary angiography (CTCA). However, their performance has not been directly compared.

Methods: In this secondary analysis of a multicentre randomised controlled trial of early CTCA in intermediate-risk patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome, C-statistics and performance metrics (using the predefined cut-offs) of clinical decision aids and CTCA, alone and then in combination, for the index hospital diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome and for 30-day coronary revascularisation were assessed in those who underwent CTCA and had complete data.

Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque Activity and Risk of Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Total coronary atherosclerotic plaque activity across the entire coronary arterial tree is associated with patient-level clinical outcomes.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate whether vessel-level coronary atherosclerotic plaque activity is associated with vessel-level myocardial infarction.

Methods: In this secondary analysis of an international multicenter study of patients with recent myocardial infarction and multivessel coronary artery disease, we assessed vessel-level coronary atherosclerotic plaque activity using coronary F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography to identify vessel-level myocardial infarction.

Early computed tomography coronary angiography and preventative treatment in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome: A secondary analysis of the RAPID-CTCA trial.

Background: Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) offers detailed assessment of the presence of coronary atherosclerosis and helps guide patient management. We investigated influences of early CTCA on the subsequent use of preventative treatment in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome.

Methods: In this secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized controlled trial of early CTCA in intermediate-risk patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome, prescription of aspirin, P2Y receptor antagonist, statin, renin-angiotensin system blocker, and beta-blocker therapies from randomization to discharge were compared within then between those randomized to early CTCA or to standard of care only.

Anti-Atopic Dermatitis Activity of -Oxyzoanthamine Isolated from Zoanthid.

Atopic dermatitis (AD, eczema) is a condition that causes dry, itchy, and inflamed skin and occurs most frequently in children but also affects adults. However, common clinical treatments provide limited relief and have some side effects. Therefore, there is a need to develop new effective therapies to treat AD.

Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque Activity and Future Coronary Events.

Importance: Recurrent coronary events in patients with recent myocardial infarction remain a major clinical problem. Noninvasive measures of coronary atherosclerotic disease activity have the potential to identify individuals at greatest risk.

Objective: To assess whether coronary atherosclerotic plaque activity as assessed by noninvasive imaging is associated with recurrent coronary events in patients with myocardial infarction.

Plaque Burden and 1-Year Outcomes in Acute Chest Pain: Results From the Multicenter RAPID-CTCA Trial.

Background: In patients with stable chest pain, computed tomography (CT) plaque burden is an independent predictor of future coronary events.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether plaque burden and characteristics can predict subsequent death or myocardial infarction in patients with acute chest pain.

Methods: In a post hoc analysis of a multicenter trial of early coronary CT angiography, the authors performed quantitative plaque analysis to assess the association between primary endpoint of 1-year all-cause death or nonfatal myocardial infarction and the GRACE (Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events) score, presence of obstructive coronary artery disease, and plaque burden in 404 patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome.

Lifetime risk, life expectancy, and years of life lost to type 2 diabetes in 23 high-income jurisdictions: a multinational, population-based study.

Background: Diabetes is a major public health issue. Because lifetime risk, life expectancy, and years of life lost are meaningful metrics for clinical decision making, we aimed to estimate these measures for type 2 diabetes in the high-income setting.

Methods: For this multinational, population-based study, we sourced data from 24 databases for 23 jurisdictions (either whole countries or regions of a country): Australia; Austria; Canada; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany; Hong Kong; Hungary; Israel; Italy; Japan; Latvia; Lithuania; the Netherlands; Norway; Scotland; Singapore; South Korea; Spain; Taiwan; the UK; and the USA.

Development of an international standard set of outcome measures for patients with venous thromboembolism: an International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement consensus recommendation.

The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement assembled an international working group of venous thromboembolism experts and patient representatives to develop a standardised minimum set of outcomes and outcome measurements for integration into clinical practice and potentially research to support clinical decision making and benchmarking of quality of care. 15 core outcomes important to patients and health-care professionals were selected and categorised into four domains: patient-reported outcomes, long term consequences of the disease, disease-specific complications, and treatment-related complications. The outcomes and outcome measures were designed to apply to all patients with venous thromboembolism aged 16 years or older.

Computed tomography coronary angiography in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Electrocardiography and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin testing are routinely applied as the initial step for clinical evaluation of patients with suspected non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Once diagnosed, patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction are commenced on antithrombotic and secondary preventative therapies before undergoing invasive coronary angiography to determine the strategy of coronary revascularisation. However, this clinical pathway is imperfect and can lead to challenges in the diagnosis, management, and clinical outcomes of these patients.

Presentation cardiac troponin and early computed tomography coronary angiography in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome: a pre-specified secondary analysis of the RAPID-CTCA trial.

Aims: To evaluate the potential associations between presentation cardiac troponin and the clinical impact of early computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) in intermediate-risk patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome.

Methods And Results: In a large multicentre randomized controlled trial of patients with intermediate-risk chest pain due to suspected acute coronary syndrome, early CTCA had no effect on the primary outcome-death or subsequent Type 1 or 4b myocardial infarction-but reduced the rate of invasive coronary angiography. In this pre-specified secondary analysis, cardiovascular testing and clinical outcomes were compared between those with or without cardiac troponin elevation at presentation.

Trends in all-cause mortality among people with diagnosed diabetes in high-income settings: a multicountry analysis of aggregate data.

Background: Population-level trends in mortality among people with diabetes are inadequately described. We aimed to examine the magnitude and trends in excess all-cause mortality in people with diabetes.

Methods: In this retrospective, multicountry analysis, we collected aggregate data from 19 data sources in 16 high-income countries or jurisdictions (in six data sources in Asia, eight in Europe, one from Australia, and four from North America) for the period from Jan 1, 1995, to Dec 31, 2016, (or a subset of this period) on all-cause mortality in people with diagnosed total or type 2 diabetes.

Antihypertensive treatment guided by genetics: PEARL-HT, the randomized proof-of-concept trial comparing rostafuroxin with losartan.

We compared a standard antihypertensive losartan treatment with a pharmacogenomics-guided rostafuroxin treatment in never-treated Caucasian and Chinese patients with primary hypertension. Rostafuroxin is a digitoxigenin derivative that selectively disrupts the binding to the cSrc-SH2 domain of mutant α-adducin and of the ouabain-activated Na-K pump at 10 M. Of 902 patients screened, 172 were enrolled in Italy and 107 in Taiwan.

Trends in the incidence of diagnosed diabetes: a multicountry analysis of aggregate data from 22 million diagnoses in high-income and middle-income settings.

Background: Diabetes prevalence is increasing in most places in the world, but prevalence is affected by both risk of developing diabetes and survival of those with diabetes. Diabetes incidence is a better metric to understand the trends in population risk of diabetes. Using a multicountry analysis, we aimed to ascertain whether the incidence of clinically diagnosed diabetes has changed over time.

First-in-Man Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of a Novel and Highly Selective Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinase-12, FP-025: Results from Two Randomized Studies in Healthy Subjects.

Background And Objectives: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteases with different biological and pathological activities, and many have been linked to several diseases. Targeting individual MMPs may offer a safer therapeutic potential for several diseases. We assessed the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of FP-025, a novel, highly selective oral matrix metalloproteinase-12 inhibitor, in healthy subjects.

Management of Venous Thromboembolisms: Part II. The Consensus for Pulmonary Embolism and Updates.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potential life-threatening condition and risk-adapted diagnostic and therapeutic management conveys a favorable outcome. For patients at high risk for early complications and mortality, prompt exclusion or confirmation of PE by imaging is the key step to initiate and facilitate reperfusion treatment. Among patients with hemodynamic instability, systemic thrombolysis improves survival, whereas surgical embolectomy or percutaneous intervention are alternatives in experienced hands in scenarios where systemic thrombolysis is not the best preferred thromboreduction measure.

2020 Consensus Statement of the Taiwan Hypertension Society and the Taiwan Society of Cardiology on Home Blood Pressure Monitoring for the Management of Arterial Hypertension.

To facilitate the applications of home blood pressure (HBP) monitoring in clinical settings, the Taiwan Hypertension Society and the Taiwan Society of Cardiology jointly put forward the Consensus Statement on HBP monitoring according to up-to-date scientific evidence by convening a series of expert meetings and compiling opinions from the members of these two societies. In this Consensus Statement as well as recent international guidelines for management of arterial hypertension, HBP monitoring has been implemented in diagnostic confirmation of hypertension, identification of hypertension phenotypes, guidance of anti-hypertensive treatment, and detection of hypotensive events. HBP should be obtained by repetitive measurements based on the " " principle, which is referred to duplicate blood pressure readings taken per occasion, twice daily, over seven consecutive days.

Amlodipine/valsartan fixed-dose combination treatment in the management of hypertension: A double-blind, randomized trial.

Background: To compare the fixed-dose combination (FDC) of amlodipine/valsartan 5/80 mg with valsartan 160 mg monotherapy for efficacy and safety in hypertensive patients.

Methods: We designed this double-blind, randomized, and noninferiority trial in which patients with elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were randomly assigned to receive amlodipine/valsartan 5/80 mg FDC or valsartan 160 mg monotherapy for 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was changes in office SBP and DBP from baseline to 8 weeks.