The additive values of left ventricular function and extent of myocardium at risk to dipyridamole perfusion imaging for optimal risk stratification prior to vascular surgery.

Although the increased risk of cardiac complications in surgical patients with diminished left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is well-established, this method has been supplanted in recent years by assessment of ischaemic burden using myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). This study was conducted to determine if MPI and LVEF determination provide complementary or redundant information in preoperative evaluation of vascular surgery patients. A total of 101 patients were studied with dipyridamole MPI and radionuclide ventriculography before surgery.

Increased risk of familial late-onset Alzheimer's disease in women.

The role of gender in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an important issue that remains controversial. We compared men and women in late-onset familial AD kindreds for the risk of developing AD by studying 26 well-characterized familial AD kindreds from the Oregon Alzheimer Disease Center and, for confirmation, an additional 32 kindreds from the National Cell Repository (NCR) at the Indiana University Alzheimer Disease Center. Comparing women to men, the age-adjusted odds ratio estimates were 3.

No evidence for association of familial Parkinson's disease with CAG repeat expansion.

In some kindreds, familial Parkinson's disease (PD) exhibits genetic anticipation. Thus, we postulated that familial PD in certain kindreds may be associated with a CAG repeat expansion. However, using the repeat expansion detection method, we found no significant increase in the frequency of CAG repeat expansion among 46 unrelated PD probands compared with controls.

Serum caffeine levels after 24 hours of caffeine abstention: observations on clinical patients undergoing myocardial perfusion imaging with dipyridamole or adenosine.

Although caffeine attenuates the vasodilatation produced by dipyridamole and adenosine, and is therefore contraindicated when these agents are used for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, caffeine levels in clinical patients undergoing standard imaging protocols have not been studied. Eight-six patients undergoing clinically indicated intravenous dipyridamole (n = 75) or adenosine (n = 11) thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, all of whom reported abstention from products containing caffeine for 24 h, were studied prospectively. Blood samples were drawn prior to initiation of the pharmacologic infusion, and serum caffeine levels were determined using an enzyme immunoassay technique.