Age- and Sex-Specific Myocardial Blood Flow Values in Patients Without Coronary Atherosclerosis on Rb-82 PET Myocardial Perfusion Imaging.

Background: Quantitative myocardial blood flow (MBF) on positron-emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging is a measure of the overall health of the coronary circulation. The ability to adequately augment blood flow, measured by myocardial blood flow reserve (MBFR), is associated with lower major adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. The age-specific ranges of MBFR in patients without demonstrable coronary artery disease have not been well established.

Association of perceived stress with health status outcomes in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Objective: To assess association of chronic self-perceived stress with health status outcomes of patients with peripheral artery disease.

Methods: The PORTRAIT study is a prospective registry that enrolled 1275 patients with symptoms of peripheral artery disease across 16-sites in US, Netherlands, and Australia from June 2011 to December 2015. Demographics, comorbidities and diagnostic information was abstracted from chart review.

Comparison of Patient Self-reported Health Status With Clinician-Assigned New York Heart Association Classification.

This cross-sectional study examines clinician-assigned New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification vs patient-reported health status using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire.

Comparison of Patient-Reported vs Physician-Estimated Angina in Patients Undergoing Elective and Urgent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

This cohort study assesses the use of patient-reported vs physician-estimated angina in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Provider-Level Variation in Smoking Cessation Assistance Provided in the Cardiology Clinics: Insights From the NCDR PINNACLE Registry.

Background Studies show suboptimal provision of smoking cessation assistance (counseling or pharmacotherapy) for current smokers attempting to quit. We aimed to identify smoking cessation assistance patterns in US cardiology practices. Methods and Results Among 328 749 current smokers seen between January 1, 2013, and March 31, 2016, in 348 NCDR (National Cardiovascular Data Registry) PINNACLE (Practice Innovation and Clinical Excellence)-affiliated cardiology practices, we measured the rates of cessation assistance.

Trends in the incidence of acute kidney injury in patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and is associated with permanent renal impairment and death. Although guidelines increasingly emphasize AKI prevention, whether increased awareness has translated into reduced AKI rates is unclear.

Methods: Among 33,249 consecutive hospitalizations in 31,532 unselected patients with AMI across 56 US centers from Cerner Corporation's Health Facts database, we examined the temporal trends in AKI incidence from 2000 to 2008.