Integrated smoking cessation and mood management following acute coronary syndrome: Protocol for the post-acute cardiac event smoking (PACES) trial.

Background: Approximately 400,000 people who smoke cigarettes survive Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS; unstable angina, ST and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction) each year in the US. Continued smoking following ACS is an independent predictor of mortality. Depressed mood post-ACS is also predictive of mortality, and smokers with depressed mood are less likely to abstain from smoking following an ACS.

A Novel Thrombolytic Regimen for Mechanical Prosthetic Valve Thrombosis in a Patient With Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

Management of mechanical prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) includes medical and surgical options. Standard medical treatment involves thrombolytic therapy with repeated slow infusions of low-dose IV tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). The evidence for managing mechanical PVT that does not respond to the standard t-PA dosing is limited in the setting of an exacerbating hypercoagulable condition.

The development and pilot testing of a behavioral activation-based treatment for depressed mood and multiple health behavior change in patients with recent acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with depressed mood demonstrate poor cardiovascular behavioral risk profiles and elevated risk for recurrent ACS and mortality. Behavioral Activation (BA) offers an intervention framework for an integrated treatment targeting both depression and critical health behaviors post-ACS. Behavioral Activation for Health and Depression (BA-HD) was developed and pilot tested in a multiphase iterative process.

Feasibility of a Bike-Share Program in Adults With Serious Mental Illness Enrolled in an Outpatient Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program.

: Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) die 10-25 years earlier than the general population, partially due to cardiovascular disease. Those with SMI have poor cardiovascular disease behavioral risk profiles, including low physical activity engagement. This study examined the feasibility of providing city bike-share access to individuals with SMI.

Metabolic syndrome cluster does not provide incremental prognostic information in patients with stable cardiovascular disease: A post hoc analysis of the AIM-HIGH trial.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a well-known risk factor for the development of cardiovascular (CV) disease; yet, controversy persists whether it adds incremental prognostic value in patients with established CV disease.

Objectives: This study was performed to determine if MS is associated with worse CV outcomes in patients with established CV disease treated intensively with statins.

Methods: We performed a post hoc analysis of the Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglycerides and Impact on Global Health Outcomes trial, in which patients with established CV disease and atherogenic dyslipidemia (n = 3414) were randomly assigned to receive extended release niacin or placebo during a mean 36-month follow-up, to assess whether the presence of MS or the number of MS components contributed to CV outcomes.

High-density lipoprotein particles and markers of inflammation and thrombotic activity in patients with untreated HIV infection.

Background: Untreated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with changes in blood lipids, inflammation, thrombotic activity, and increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

Methods: We studied high-density lipoprotein particle (HDLp) concentrations and inflammatory (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP] and interleukin [IL] 6), endothelial activation (E-selectin and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [sICAM-1]), and thrombotic (fibrinogen and D-dimer) biomarkers in a group of 32 untreated HIV-infected and 29 uninfected persons. Differences in the levels of blood lipids and biomarkers by HIV status were examined before and after adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking status, body mass index, and the presence of hepatitis C.