Quality of life in patients undergoing minimally invasive cardiac surgery: a systematic review.

Objective: Minimally invasive procedures have been developed to reduce surgical trauma after cardiac surgery. Clinical recovery is the main focus of most research. Still, patient-centred outcomes, such as the quality of life, can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the surgery on the patient's life.

Zùsto: A new sweetening agent with low glycemic index.

Background & Aims: Sweetening agents are sugar substitutes with a low glycemic index, used to obtain a better glycemic control in diabetes patients. However, they also may have a role in other subjects, as a high glycemic index is thought to cause many pathological conditions. Unfortunately, not all artificial sweeteners are perceived as sweet as sugar by patients.

Are ACE-inhibitors or ARB's still needed for cardiovascular prevention in high risk patients? Insights from profess and transcend.

The HOPE and EUROPA clinical studies have shown that treatment with the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, ramipril and perindopril, may reduce the occurrence of major cardiovascular events in patients with proven atherosclerotic disease. The recently published results of the PRoFESS and TRANSCEND trials completed the much needed information concerning the use of an angiotensin receptor blocker for patients at high risk of cardiovascular events. PROFESS compared a therapy of telmisartan 80 mg daily with placebo in patients with a recent ischemic stroke.

Lessons from ONTARGET.

The recently published results of the ONTARGET trial shed a new light on the cardiovascular protection of patients at high risk of a cardiovascular event. Despite a number of trials looking at the efficacy of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs) in the prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with specific high risk profiles, the question of the equivalence of ACEis and ARBs remained unanswered. The ONTARGET trial has shown that telmisartan 80 mg administered for a median duration of 4.

Diabetic retinopathy is associated with mortality and cardiovascular disease incidence: the EURODIAB prospective complications study.

Objective: To study the relationship of nonproliferative and proliferative retinopathy with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence in type 1 diabetic patients and, additionally, the role of cardiovascular risk factors in these associations.

Research Design And Methods: This prospective study included 2,237 type 1 diabetic patients from 31 centers in 16 European countries at baseline, aged 15-60 years, who were examined for retinopathy by taking two-field 45 degrees fundus photographs, which were centrally graded. Mortality and cardiovascular morbidity follow-up was assessed 6-8 years after baseline examination according to a standardized protocol.