Acute myocardial infarction in sickle cell disease: a systematic review.

Myocardial infarction in young adults is, in practice, a diagnosis of exclusion. Given the fact that most of the patients with sickle cell disease are young and have predisposition to painful crisis, they are often overlooked for myocardial infarction. These patients often have few or no traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease, and risk stratification tools such as the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) models place these patients at low risk.

Effects of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention after pretreatment with clopidogrel: a meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Glycoprotein (Gp) IIb/IIIa inhibitors reduce morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) when added to aspirin and heparin. However, the benefits of Gp IIb/IIIa inhibition in patients pretreated with clopidogrel are less clear. We conducted a meta-analysis to determine the efficacy and safety of adding a Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitor to clopidogrel, aspirin, and heparin before PCI.

Effect of inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system on development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (meta-analysis of randomized trials).

The increasing prevalence and costs of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) make strategies to prevent its development vitally important. This analysis was conducted to determine if angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) prevent the development of DM. Medline and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1966 to May 2006) were queried for prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled or active-controlled trials of ACE inhibitor or ARB therapy in adults that reported rates of new-onset diabetes during follow-up.

Cardiovascular effects of ephedra alkaloids: a comprehensive review.

The Ephedra alkaloids have received much press lately secondary to reported adverse events in those using whole extracts as "dietary supplements" for weight loss or athletic performance enhancement. These reports are troubling given the increasing use of these supplements by the general public. We reviewed the available literature as well as online material on these compounds, including information on their pharmacology, regulation, effects on weight loss and athletic performance, and adverse events.

Effects of antibiotic therapy on outcomes of patients with coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Context: Although Chlamydia pneumoniae infection has been associated with the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, results of clinical trials investigating antichlamydial antibiotics as adjuncts to standard therapy in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have been inconsistent.

Objective: To conduct a meta-analysis of clinical trials of antichlamydial antibiotic therapy in patients with CAD.

Data Sources: The MEDLINE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched from 1966 to April 2005 for English-language trials of antibiotic therapy in patients with CAD.