Nurse Practitioners' Education, Awareness, and Therapeutic Approaches for the Management of Fibromyalgia.

Background: In the United States, fibromyalgia affects 2%-5% of the adult population, rendering it the most common chronic, widespread pain condition. The American College of Rheumatology has published diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia, with the latest version in 2010.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate nurse practitioners' education and awareness of fibromyalgia and to evaluate nurse practitioners' practices for the management of fibromyalgia.

A new baseline scoring system may help to predict response to cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Introduction: The PROSPECT trial reported no single echocardiographic measurement of dyssynchrony is recommended to improve patient selection for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

Material And Methods: In 100 consecutive patients who received CRT, we analyzed 27 ECG and echocardiographic variables to predict a positive response to CRT defined as a left ventricular (LV) end systolic volume decrease of ≥ 15% after CRT.

Results: Right ventricular (RV) pacing-induced left bundle branch block (LBBB), time difference between LV ejection measured by tissue Doppler and pulsed wave Doppler (T(TDI-PW)), and wall motion score index (WMSI) were significantly associated with positive CRT response by multivariate regression.

Thoracic aortic atheroma severity predicts high-risk coronary anatomy in patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiography.

Introduction: We hypothesized a relationship between severity of thoracic aortic atheroma (AA) and prevalence of high-risk coronary anatomy (HRCA).

Material And Methods: We investigated AA diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography and HRCA diagnosed by coronary angiography in 187 patients. HRCA was defined as ≥ 50% stenosis of the left main coronary artery or significant 3-vessel coronary artery disease (≥ 70% narrowing).

Evaluation of left ventricular dyssynchrony using combined pulsed wave and tissue Doppler imaging.

Introduction: The combination of pulsed wave (PW) and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) has been proposed as a new method to assess left ventricular (LV) mechanical dyssynchrony (LVMD), but results have not been validated. We investigated the correlation of a combination of PW and TDI with a positive response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

Material And Methods: We studied 108 consecutive patients who received CRT.

Impact of left atrial volume in prediction of outcome after cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Unlabelled: Left atrial volume index (LAVI) as a predictor of mortality has not been well investigated in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of LAVI in predicting mortality in CRT patients.

Methods: We studied 100 consecutive patients who received CRT (male 73, age 69.

Fibrate therapy in the management of dyslipidemias, alone and in combination with statins: role of delayed-release fenofibric acid.

Importance Of The Field: Optimization of lipid management is a crucial aspect in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Currently, HMG-CO reductase inhibitors (statins) are a mainstay of therapy. While this class of drugs has proven efficacy at lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), their effects on other important lipid parameters, such as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides, are less robust.

Are the extent, location, and score of segmental wall motion abnormalities related to cardiac resynchronization therapy response?

Background: We hypothesized that segmental wall motion abnormalities (WMAs) are related to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) response.

Methods: We studied 108 patients who received CRT, 69 with ischemic and 39 with nonischemic heart disease. A wall motion score index (WMSI) was analyzed using a 17-segment model and calculated by the total score/number of segments analyzed.

Effect of medical therapy on left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with systolic heart failure and narrow QRS duration with and without ischemic heart disease and left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony.

We studied 99 consecutive patients with class III-IV systolic heart failure with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < or =35% and a QRS duration <120 milliseconds. Patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy were excluded. Echocardiography was performed in all patients before and after optimal standard heart failure therapy.

Effectiveness of a fenofibrate 145-mg nanoparticle tablet formulation compared with the standard 160-mg tablet in patients with coronary heart disease and dyslipidemia.

Study Objective: To compare the effectiveness of a fenofibrate 145-mg nanoparticle tablet formulation with the standard 160-mg tablet in patients with dyslipidemia and coronary heart disease.

Design: Retrospective medical record review.

Setting: Outpatient university-affiliated cardiology clinic.

Effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on the arachidonic acid:eicosapentaenoic acid ratio.

Study Objectives: To determine the baseline arachidonic acid:eicosapentaenoic acid (AA:EPA) ratio in patients with coronary artery disease and healthy subjects, and whether supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids, administered as fish oil capsules, affects this ratio.

Design: Prospective, open-label trial.

Setting: University-affiliated cardiology clinic.

Randomized, double-blind, crossover comparison of amlodipine and valsartan in african-americans with hypertension using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

Study Objective: To compare the efficacy of amlodipine and valsartan in African-American patients with hypertension using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM).

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, crossover comparison study.

Setting: University-affiliated cardiac center clinic.

Pharmacological management of atrial fibrillation following cardiac surgery.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common complication following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Post-CABG AF occurs most commonly on the second postoperative day and declines in incidence thereafter. A number of risk factors have been found to be associated with a higher frequency of post-CABG AF.

Nesiritide for heart failure: impact on costs and complications.

Decompensated heart failure accounts for approximately 1 million hospitalizations in the USA each year with an estimated cost of US$11,000 per hospitalization. Despite this prevalence and cost burden, relatively few therapies for decompensated heart failure have been developed over the past 30 years. Although once the mainstay of treatment of decompensated heart failure, the use of positive inotropic agents has fallen into disfavor.