Student feedback about the integrated curriculum in a Caribbean medical school.

Purpose: Xavier University School of Medicine adopted an integrated, organ system-based curriculum in January 2013. The present study was aimed at determining students' perceptions of the integrated curriculum and related assessment methods.

Methods: The study was conducted on first- to fourth-semester undergraduate medical students during March 2014.

Students' perception of the learning environment at Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba: a follow-up study.

Xavier University School of Medicine admits students mainly from the United States and Canada to the undergraduate medical program. A previous study conducted in June 2013 used the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure to measure the educational environment and impact of different teaching and learning methods in the program. The present study aims to obtain information about students' perceptions of changes in the educational environment, which underwent modifications in teaching and learning, in January 2014.

Progression of coronary artery calcium predicts all-cause mortality.

Objectives: This study examined a large cohort to assess whether progression of coronary artery calcium (CAC) was associated with all-cause mortality, and which among 3 different methods to assess CAC progression provided the best estimate of risk.

Background: Serial assessment of CAC scores has been proposed as a method to follow progression of coronary artery disease, and it has been suggested that excessive CAC progression may be a useful noninvasive predictor of the patient's risk of future events. However, the optimal method to measure calcium progression has not been well established.

Low fingertip temperature rebound measured by digital thermal monitoring strongly correlates with the presence and extent of coronary artery disease diagnosed by 64-slice multi-detector computed tomography.

Previous studies showed strong correlations between low fingertip temperature rebound measured by digital thermal monitoring (DTM) during a 5 min arm-cuff induced reactive hyperemia and both the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in asymptomatic populations. This study evaluates the correlation between DTM and coronary artery disease (CAD) measured by CT angiography (CTA) in symptomatic patients. It also investigates the correlation between CTA and a new index of neurovascular reactivity measured by DTM.

Comparison of atherosclerotic plaque burden and composition between diabetic and non diabetic patients by non invasive CT angiography.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerotic burden. However little data exists in regards to plaque distribution and plaque composition in these patients. To assess for differences in the coronary plaques burden and composition among symptomatic patients with and without type 2 DM using multidetector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA).

Vascular dysfunction measured by fingertip thermal monitoring is associated with the extent of myocardial perfusion defect.

Background: Previous studies have shown that vascular dysfunction measured by digital thermal monitoring (DTM) during an arm-cuff reactive hyperemia procedure correlates with the severity of coronary artery disease measured by coronary artery calcium in asymptomatic patients. Current study investigates the correlation between DTM and abnormal myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI).

Methods: About 116 consecutive patients with chest discomfort, age 57 +/- 10 years, underwent MPI, DTM and Framingham Risk Score (FRS) assessment.