Promus Premier versus Xience V and Taxus Liberte in contemporary United States practice (REWARDS premier registry).

Background/purpose: Drug-eluting stents (DES) reduce in-stent restenosis and repeat revascularization in comparison to bare metal stents. Individual DES vary, however, in regard to rates of restenosis and stent thrombosis; they also differ in regard to their platform and physical characteristics. The Promus Premier was designed to improve the performance of the Promus Element, with respect to conformability, trackability, and avoidance of longitudinal stent deformation; there is little published data, however, on clinical outcomes with Promus Premier.

Percutaneous coronary intervention with second-generation paclitaxel-eluting stents versus everolimus-eluting stents in United States contemporary practice (REWARDS TLX Trial).

Registry Experience at the Washington Hospital Center, DES - Taxus Liberte Versus Xience V (REWARDS TLX) is a physician-initiated, retrospective, real-world, multicenter, observational study for all patients >18 years of age subjected to percutaneous coronary intervention with everolimus-eluting stents (EESs) or paclitaxel-eluting stents (PESs). Outcomes of patients receiving a TAXUS Liberté or XIENCE V drug-eluting stent were compared. Baseline clinical, procedural, and follow-up data at 12 months were collected from 10 clinical centers by an electronic data capture system.

Severe left ventricular hypertrophy 1 year after transplant predicts mortality in cardiac transplant recipients.

Background: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a known predictor of morbidity and mortality in patients with essential hypertension. The prevalence and significance of LVH in heart transplant recipients is unknown.

Methods: Transthoracic echocardiograms were performed as part of a routine protocol 1 year after heart transplantation in 141 consecutive patients.