'Fused-Gold' vs. 'Bare' stainless steel NIRflex stents of the same geometric design in diseased native coronary arteries. Long-term results from the NIR TOP Study.

Objectives: We evaluated the long-term clinical and angiographic results of 'fused-gold' (NIRFlex Royal) and 'bare' (NIRFlex) stainless steel stents in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: Recent studies have shown high clinical and angiographic restenosis rates following the intracoronary implantation of 'gold-coated' stainless steel stents. The new 'fused-gold' stent, with improved surface characteristics and flexibility, was developed to improve procedural and long-term results, while maintaining enhanced radiopacity.

Aberrant origin of the left main coronary artery arising from the right coronary artery associated with coronary artery disease: a case report.

Coronary artery anomalies are not frequent, nevertheless they are associated with increased and potentially lethal cardiac events. Recognition of these anomalies is fundamental in patients undergoing diagnostic or interventional coronary angiography. Most patients presenting with coronary anomalies are asymptomatic, but the risk of myocardial ischemia and sudden death requires the treatment of those patients.

Production of the first offspring from oocytes derived from fresh and cryopreserved pre-antral follicles of adult mice.

Although mammalian ovaries contain hundreds of thousands of pre-antral follicles, fewer than 1% of these reach maturity and ovulation. Obtaining immature eggs from the pre-antral follicles of ovarian tissue could increase the possibility of preserving fertility in women undergoing anti-cancer treatment, and in women who wish to delay pregnancy and child raising until they are older. This study reports the birth of 10 healthy mouse pups derived from oocytes obtained from pre-antral follicles after adult ovary tissue cryopreservation and allotransplantation.

Circulating endothelial progenitor cells predict angiographic and intravascular ultrasound outcome following percutaneous coronary interventions in the HEALING-II trial: evaluation of an endothelial progenitor cell capturing stent.

Aims: In contrast to the cytostatic and cytotoxic pharmacotherapy of drug eluting stents, approaches to stimulate the arterial healing response by accelerating re-endothelialisation may be an attractive alternative to prevent post-stenting neointimal formation and thrombosis. The study sought to evaluate whether stainless steel stents able to sequester endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to the stent surface to promote the endogenous arterial healing, can prevent in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis.

Methods And Results: The HEALING-II study was a multicentre, prospective registry study, including 63 patients treated with the implantation of a Genous EPC capture stent.

[Evidence-based application of cardiac magnetic resonance and cardiac computed tomography for primary diagnosis of stable coronary artery disease with special attention to disease management programs and the German National Medical Care Guidelines].

Background And Purpose: Despite all the progress made in diagnosis and treatment, cardiovascular diseases remain the no. 1 cause of death worldwide. In 2005, 27.

Preliminary tests of a new reversible male contraceptive in bush dog, Speothos venaticus: open-ended vasectomy and microscopic reversal.

Open-ended vasectomies were performed on four male bush dogs (Speothos venaticus), with three having microscopic reversal surgery (vasovasostomy) between 10 and 20 mo post-vasectomy. The key to ease of reversal is leaving the distal (testicular) end open to allow leakage, resulting in a pressure-relieving granuloma. The proximal (abdominal) end is cauterized, providing an effective seal.

Randomised comparison of Nobori, biolimus A9-eluting coronary stent with a Taxus(R), paclitaxel-eluting coronary stent in patients with stenosis in native coronary arteries: the Nobori 1 trial.

Background: We studied the Nobori coronary stent coated with a bioabsorbable polymer and the anti-proliferative agent Biolimus A9 which may reduce neointimal formation.

Methods And Results: Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for de novo lesions in up to two native coronary arteries, in 29 centres across Europe, Asia and Australia were randomly (2:1) assigned to receive the Biolimus A9 eluting stent Nobori (85 patients) or paclitaxel eluting stent Taxus(R) (35 patients). The two groups were well matched in baseline characteristics.

[The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Three case reports].

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) for the first time issued guidelines for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in spring 2005. The strengths of recommendations stated in the ESC guidelines (as in those of the AHA/ACC [American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology]) are traditionally a combination of recommendation classes (I, IIa, and IIb) and a level of evidence (A, B, or C). This paper explains and discusses selected focal points of the ESC PCI guidelines based on three representative cases from daily practice.

A new and rapid scoring system to assess the scientific evidence from clinical trials.

Guidelines are based on a scientific analysis from existing data of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), registry trials, simple registries, case reports, and the personal experience of the task force members. Furthermore, meta-analyses and subgroup analyses are used to derive the strengths of recommendations. Fortunately, the major cardiac societies, i.

Prevalence of premature ovarian failure in monozygotic and dizygotic twins.

Background: Premature ovarian failure (POF) before 40 years of age from natural causes affects approximately 1% of adult women, with minor variations between ethnic groups. A recent case of ovarian transplantation between young monozygotic (MZ) twins in which one had undergone unexplained POF at 14 years has prompted a study of the prevalence of POF.

Methods: Menopausal ages of 832 Australian and UK female twin-pairs were extracted from volunteer national twin registry databases containing medical, reproductive and lifestyle data surveyed by mail questionnaire.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial to evaluate the effects of the angiotensin II receptor blocker candesartan cilexetil on intimal hyperplasia after coronary stent implantation.

Background: Preclinical data suggest beneficial effects of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) on neointima formation after vascular injury. Preliminary clinical data, however, revealed conflicting results. The AACHEN trial was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical multicenter trial to evaluate the effects of candesartan cilexetil on intimal hyperplasia after coronary stent implantation.

[Prevalence, drug treatment and metabolic control of diabetes mellitus in primary care].

Background And Purpose: The primary care sector is of key importance for the management of patients with diabetes mellitus. The authors investigated (a) the prevalence of diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2, (b) the type and frequency of non-drug and drug treatment and its association with the presence of diabetic complications, and (c) the quality of metabolic control by HbA1c.

Methods: Using a nationwide probability sample of 3,188 general practices (response rate [RR] 50.

Inadequate medical treatment of patients with coronary artery disease by primary care physicians in Germany.

Aims: The DETECT study was performed to obtain representative data about the frequency, distribution, and treatment of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) in the primary care setting in Germany.

Methods And Results: The DETECT study was a cross-sectional clinical- epidemiological survey of a nationally representative sample of 3795 primary care offices and 55,518 patients. Overall, 12.

[Arguments in favor of Integrated Health Care as regular health care provision in cardiology].

Patients are not outpatients or inpatients, they are ill or healthy. Integrated Health Care provides a real chance to bring scientific innovations quickly from the laboratory to patients--and being paid for that. Although guidelines therefore are no compulsory exercise, they are tools to implement evidence-based use of innovative medical means.

Unmet needs in the diagnosis and treatment of dyslipidemia in the primary care setting in Germany.

Objectives And Methods: DETECT is a cross-sectional study of 55,518 unselected consecutive patients in 3188 representative primary care offices in Germany. In a random subset of 7519 patients, an extensive standardized laboratory program was undertaken. The study investigated the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, known risk factors (such as diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia and their co-morbid manifestation), as well as treatment patterns.

[Impact of both cardiac-CT and cardiac-MR on the assessment of coronary risk].

Today's definition of coronary artery disease (CAD) comprises two forms: obstructive and non-obstructive CAD. The 31-72% chance of a life-threatening event-like a myocardial infarction-with non-obstructive CAD is well documented in numerous studies. The objective in modern strategies of diagnosis and therapy should therefore be expedient identification of patients at high risk for coronary events, who will benefit from a customized therapy.

Cypher versus taxus: are there differences?

Today, drug-eluting stents (DES) are the standard stenting procedure in the USA and in Switzerland. The objective of this analysis is to answer the two questions: what clinically relevant data regarding DES have been published, and is there a clinically relevant difference between the Cypher and the Taxus stents? Twenty-two randomized, controlled studies with a total of 11,118 patients were identified: 18 randomized studies compared a DES to a bare metal stent of identical design in 8,301 patients, and 4 randomized studies compared the Cypher and the Taxus stents in 2,817 patients. Three studies regarding Paclitaxel-releasing stents without polymer (1,235 pats) and five studies regarding Paclitaxel released from a polymer (3,513 pats) were analyzed.