Wine consumption and risk of cardiovascular events after myocardial infarction: results from the GISSI-Prevenzione trial.

Background: To evaluate the association of wine intake with incident cardiovascular events (CVE) and total mortality after myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: We used prospectively ascertained information among 11,248 Italian patients with recent MI enrolled in the GISSI-Prevenzione Trial. Usual wine consumption has been categorised as never/almost never, up to 0.

Polycythemia vera: gender-related phenotypic differences.

In polycythemia vera, gender has recently been shown to influence the JAK2(V617F) allele burden, but its effect on the disease phenotype is unknown. This issue was investigated using the database of the European Collaboration on Low-dose Aspirin in Polycythemia Vera (ECLAP) Study. The ECLAP Study recruited 1,638 polycythemic subjects and followed for 2.

Systematic review of trials using vasodilators in pulmonary arterial hypertension: why a new approach is needed.

Background: In a previous meta-analysis on the approved treatments for pulmonary hypertension, we reported that all therapies caused small changes in 6-minute walk distance over a short period, with minimal effects on hemodynamics and no effect on survival. Since that last review, 10 new clinical trials with about 1,500 patients have been published, which has increased the statistical power of our observations.

Methods: A systematic review of all clinical trials in pulmonary arterial hypertension was done.

Cholesterol-lowering interventions and stroke: insights from a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objectives: This meta-analysis was performed to determine the effects of various cholesterol-lowering treatments on the risk of stroke and its relationship with the extent of cholesterol lowering.

Background: Statins reduce the incidence of stroke, and it has been proposed that such effect is independent of cholesterol lowering and is explained by alternative mechanisms.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of randomized trials of cholesterol-lowering treatments in cardiovascular disease reporting on stroke, involving 266,973 patients investigated and a cumulative 946,582 person-years of exposure, and a meta-regression analysis of the extent of stroke reduction as a function of changes in total cholesterol.

Coffee consumption and risk of cardiovascular events after acute myocardial infarction: results from the GISSI (Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto miocardico)-Prevenzione trial.

Background: The relation between coffee consumption and cardiovascular disease has been studied extensively, but results are still debated. In addition, little evidence is available on patients with established coronary heart disease.

Methods And Results: Prospectively ascertained information among 11,231 Italian patients (9584 males and 1647 females) with recent (< or = 3 months) myocardial infarction enrolled in the GISSI (Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto miocardico)-Prevenzione trial was used.

Meta-analysis of effect of statin treatment on risk of sudden death.

Despite significant progress in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major public health problem. Statins showed consistent benefits on cardiovascular events, but scant data were available about their effects on SCD. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect of statins on SCD.

Incidence of new-onset diabetes and impaired fasting glucose in patients with recent myocardial infarction and the effect of clinical and lifestyle risk factors.

Background: Individuals with diabetes are at higher risk of myocardial infarction than non-diabetics. However, much less is known about the incidence of, and risk factors for, development of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose in patients who have had a myocardial infarction. We set out to estimate this incidence and investigate whether lifestyle factors such as dietary habits might alter this risk.

A meta-analysis of trials of pulmonary hypertension: a clinical condition looking for drugs and research methodology.

Background: Various innovative pharmacologic strategies for the treatment of patients with pulmonary hypertension have been tested in recent years. Neither their comparative efficacy on surrogate end points nor the overall impact on mortality have been formally reviewed.

Methods: We did a systematic overview of all randomized trials on the therapeutic yield of prostacyclin and analogues, endothelin receptor antagonists, and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors in patients with pulmonary hypertension searched in EMBASE, MEDLINE, and CINAHL databases from January 1985 to December 2005.

The haematocrit and platelet target in polycythemia vera.

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder whose major morbidity and mortality are thrombohaemorragic events and progression to acute leukaemia or myelofibrosis. Whether the haematocrit and platelet count predict such complications remains unclear. The European Collaboration on Low-dose Aspirin in Polycythemia Vera prospective study included 1638 PV patients.

Leukocytosis as a major thrombotic risk factor in patients with polycythemia vera.

In polycythemia vera, vascular risk assessment is based on age and thrombotic history, while the role of other potential predictors of this risk is still uncertain. Thus, we exploited the large database collected by the observational study of the European Collaboration on Low-Dose Aspirin in Polycythemia Vera (ECLAP) to investigate the association of hematologic variables and cardiovascular risk factors with the thrombotic risk. Among 1638 polycythemic patients followed for 2.

A clinically practicable diagnostic score for metabolic syndrome improves its predictivity of diabetes mellitus: the Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto miocardico (GISSI)-Prevenzione scoring.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with late-onset diabetes. However, diagnostic criteria for individual components of MS are based on categorical/arbitrary cut points and, therefore, do not exploit the information yield of each factor. We aimed to generate a diagnostic score for MS (MS-Score), aimed at predicting diabetes by giving appropriate weight to the individual components of MS.

Left ventricular systolic dysfunction, total mortality, and sudden death in patients with myocardial infarction treated with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Background: Sudden death (SD) has a major impact on mortality (M) in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (SyD). In GISSI-Prevenzione, treatment with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) reduced M and SD in post-MI patients, but their effect in patients with SyD is unknown.

Methods: 11,323 patients with prior MI and NYHA class < or = II were recruited.

Metabolic syndrome and risk of cardiovascular events after myocardial infarction.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the prevalence and prognostic role of metabolic syndrome (METS) and diabetes in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients.

Background: Diabetes is a well known risk factor for patients with previous MI, but glycemic dysmetabolism develops over a protracted period of time. Scanty data are available on the role of METS in patients with previous MI.