Lack of association between migraine headache and patent foramen ovale: results of a case-control study.

Background: Clinical observations of migraine headache symptoms in patients with a patent foramen ovale (PFO), both of which conditions are highly prevalent, have raised the question of a possible pathophysiological relationship. We sought to evaluate the assumption of an association between migraine headaches and the presence of PFO by use of a large case-control study.

Methods And Results: We conducted a case-control study to assess the prevalence of PFO in subjects with and without migraine.

Cardiac troponin T elevation after coronary artery bypass grafting is associated with increased one-year mortality.

The results of the present study extend the value of assessing troponin T for the prediction of mortality rate 1 year after coronary artery bypass grafting; this study supports previous work that demonstrated the value of postoperative assessment of troponin T for the prediction of in-hospital adverse outcome after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Tirofiban therapy for patients with acute coronary syndromes and prior coronary artery bypass grafting in the PRISM-PLUS trial.

The role of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa platelet receptor antagonist therapy for patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and a history of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains incompletely defined. We examined the outcomes of patients with an ACS and prior CABG who were treated with tirofiban versus placebo among subjects with prior CABG in the Platelet Receptor Inhibition in Ischemic Syndrome Management in Patients Limited by Unstable Signs and Symptoms (PRISM-PLUS) trial. Of 1,570 patients treated with tirofiban plus heparin (n = 773) or heparin alone (n = 797), 231 had prior CABG.

Off-pump coronary bypass grafting is associated with less myocardial injury than coronary bypass surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Background: Excessive myocardial necrosis following coronary artery bypass grafting is associated with adverse outcome. The present study was designed to assess the extent of myocardial injury after conventional coronary artery bypass grafting with cardio pulmonary bypass (ONCAB) compared with off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB).

Methods: Measurements of serum cardiac troponin T (TnT) were obtained in 137 consecutive, unselected patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting.

Activity-dependent neuroprotective protein: a novel gene essential for brain formation.

We have recently cloned the novel homeobox-containing activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP). In the current study, mouse ADNP was shown to be expressed at the time of neural tube closure, detected at E7.5 and increased on E9.

Triggers of acute coronary syndromes.

Despite recent progress in prevention of coronary heart disease, approximately 50% of the deaths from coronary artery disease continue to occur out of hospital, and many major cardiac events occur in individuals not previously known to be at risk. These facts create the need to identify the acute causes of myocardial infarction (MI) and sudden death, which has led to a rapid growth in interest over the last 15 years in the field of triggering research. Since initial observations that the incidence of MI onset was time and activity dependent with circadian, circaseptan, and circannual variation, triggering of MI by heavy exertion, sexual activity, anger, mental stress, cocaine and marijuana use, and exposure to air pollution has been demonstrated.

A comparison of cardiac troponin T and creatine kinase-MB for patient evaluation after cardiac surgery.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the role of serum markers of myocardial necrosis after cardiac surgery.

Background: The role of serum troponin T (TnT) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) for the risk stratification of patients after cardiac surgery remains undefined.

Methods: Serum levels of TnT and CK-MB were measured from 224 patients every 8 h after cardiac surgery.