A Systematic Review

Background and Purpose Hypercoagulability increases the risk of arterial thrombosis; however, this effect may differ between various manifestations of arterial disease. Methods In this study, we compared the effect of coagulation factors as measures of hypercoagulability on the risk of ischaemic stroke (IS) and myocardial infarction (MI) by performing a systematic review of the literature. The effect of a risk factor on IS (relative risk for IS, RRIS) was compared with the effect on MI (RRMI) by calculating their ratio (RRR = RRIS/RRMI). A relevant differential effect was considered when RRR was >1+ its own standard error (SE) or <1−SE. Results We identified 70 publications, describing results from 31 study populations, accounting for 351 markers of hypercoagulability. The majority (203/351, 58%) had an RRR greater than 1. A larger effect on IS risk than MI risk (RRE>1+1SE) was found in 49/343 (14%) markers. Of these, 18/49 (37%) had an RRR greater than 1+2SE. On the opposite side, a larger effect on MI risk (RRR<1-1SE) was found in only 17/343 (5%) markers. Conclusions These results suggest that hypercoagulability has a more pronounced effect on the risk of IS than that of MI

Secondary prevention after cerebral ischaemia of presumed arterial origin: is aspirin still the touchstone?

Patients who have had a transient ischaemic attack or nondisabling ischaemic stroke of presumed arterial origin have an annual risk of death from all vascular causes, non-fatal stroke, or non-fatal myocardial infarction that ranges between 4% and 11% without treatment. In the secondary prevention of these vascular complications the use of aspirin has been the standard treatment for the past two decades. Discussions about the dose of aspirin have dominated the issue for some time, although there is no convincing evidence for any difference in effectiveness in the dose range of 30-1300 mg/day. A far greater problem is the limited degree of protection offered by aspirin: the accumulative evidence from trials with aspirin alone and only for cerebrovascular disease of presumed arterial origin as qualifying event indicates that a dose of aspirin of at least 30 mg/day prevents only 13% of serious vascular complications

Hypercoagulability and the risk of recurrence in young women with myocardial infarction or ischaemic stroke: a cohort study

Background: We aimed to investigate the role of hypercoagulability on the risk of lifetime cardiovascular recurrences after myocardial infarction or ischaemic stroke. Methods: Young women (< 50 years) with either myocardial infarction (n = 197) or ischaemic stroke (n = 107) were followed between 1995 and 2012 in the RATIO follow-up study. To determine whether hypercoagulability affects the risk or recurrence, a coagulation score based on acquired and inherited markers was compiled and used in a quartile analysis. Hazard ratios (HRs) obtained from Cox proportional models and adjusted for several cardiovascular risk factors were used to compare quartiles of the coagulation score for the risk of recurrence. Results: During a median follow-up of 19 years, 59 cardiovascular recurrences occurred. In patients with myocardial infarction no association was found between a high prothrombotic score and recurrences (highest quartile vs lowest quartile HR 0.7, 95% CI, 0.3–1.8). Conversely, ischaemic stroke patients with a high prothrombotic score showed a doubling in risk of long-term cardiovascular recurrences (HR 1.9, 95% CI 0.6–6.3) compared with ischaemic stroke patients and low levels of the score, with a dose response relationship. Conclusions: An increased coagulation tendency might be associated with long-term cardiovascular risk in women with ischaemic stroke, but not in women with myocardial infarction

Жанрово-стильові модифікації прози Антона Крушельницького крізь виміри сецесії

Мета нашої статті - інтерпретація прози Антона Крушельницького як визначального представника сецесії через призму жанрово-стильових особливостей

Is clopidogrel superior to aspirin in secondary prevention of vascular disease?

The cornerstone in clinical evidence of the relative efficacy of thienopyridines (clopidogrel, ticlopidine) versus aspirin in the secondary prevention of vascular disease is the Clopidogrel versus Aspirin in Patients at Risk of Ischaemic Events trial. This trial showed a modest benefit in the reduction of vascular events by clopidogrel. The results differed according to qualifying disorder: myocardial infarction, -3.7%; ischaemic stroke, +7.3%; and peripheral arterial disease, +23.8% (P = 0.042). Similar results were found for ticlopidine after brain ischaemia. The safety of clopidogrel appears to be similar to that of aspirin and better than that of ticlopidine. However, the recent report of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in association with clopidogrel causes concern

Правила оформлення статей

Background For parents at high risk for cardiovascular events, presence of cardiovascular disease or risk factors in their offspring may be an indicator of their genetic load or exposure to (unknown) risk factors and might be related to the development of new or recurrent vascular events. Methods In 4,267 patients with vascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, or hypercholesterolemia enrolled in the SMART cohort, the presence of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, or overweight) and cardiovascular disease (coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, or abdominal aortic aneurysm) was assessed in their 10,564 children. The relation between presence of cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular risk factors in their offspring and new or recurrent vascular events was determined by Cox proportional hazard analyses. Results Of the patients, 506 (12%) had offspring with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or diabetes. Smoking in offspring was present in 1,972 patients (46%), and overweight in 845 patients (20%). During a median follow-up of 7.0 years (interquartile range 3.7-10.4), the composite outcome of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, or vascular mortality occurred in 251 patients. Patients with offspring with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or diabetes had an increased risk of vascular mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 2.9, 95% CI 1.2-7.1), MI (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.5), and the composite outcome (HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.2). Diabetes in offspring was related to an increased risk of the composite outcome (HR 2.7, 95% CI 1.5-5.0), MI (HR 3.3, 95% CI 1.7-6.6), and vascular mortality (HR 3.4, 95% CI 0.8-14.8). Smoking and overweight in offspring were not related to increased vascular risk in parents. Conclusions Presence of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes in offspring, with diabetes mellitus being the most contributing cardiovascular risk factor, is related to an increased risk of developing new or subsequent vascular events in patients already at high vascular risk

Electrocardiographic risk factors for sudden death : a study with 245 cases of sudden death during a two-year follow-up after 24-hour electrocardiography in 6693 patients

The present study was designed to assess the relation between parameters derived from twelve lead and twenty four hour electrocardiography and the occurrence of sudden death. More specifically, the aim was to study the risk implications of QTc interval duration (a parameter of the total duration of depolarization and repolarization of the myocardium) in the 12 lead electrocardiogram and that of high QTc interval variability, low heart rate variability, and frequent ventricular arrhythmias in the 24 hour electrocardiogram. A further objective of the study was to determine the prognostic value of all electrocardiographic parameters taken together with other clinical data. The epidemiology and etiology of sudden death is described in chapter two. Emphasis is placed on to those mechanisms which are detectable by electrocardiographic methods. In this chapter, the specific aims of the study are formulated. The methodological aspects of the study are presented in chapter three. General aspects of the nested case-referent study design are introduced and a description of the study population, the observed incidence of sudden death, and baseline characteristics are given. In chapter four the risk implications for sudden death of QTc prolongation in the twelve lead electrocardiogram are analysed and compared with the literature. In chapter five the risk implications of parameters concerning QTc and RR interval duration and variability as derived from 24 hour electrocardiography are studied. Detailed information on the computer-aided study analysis of the 24 hour electrocardiograms is supplied in the appendices of this chapter. In chapter six a prognostic model taking into account all electrocardiographic parameters in addition to routine clinical characteristics is developed. Chapter seven provides a general discussion of the findings of this study and their implications. Finally, an english and dutch summary are supplie

Alendronate or alfacalcidol in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis

BACKGROUND: Treatment with glucocorticoids is associated with bone loss starting soon after therapy is initiated and an increased risk of fracture. METHODS: We performed a randomized, double-placebo, double-blind clinical trial of 18 months' duration among patients with a rheumatic disease who were starting glucocorticoids at a daily dose that was equivalent to at least 7.5 mg of prednisone. A total of 201 patients were assigned to receive either alendronate (10 mg) and a placebo capsule of alfacalcidol daily or alfacalcidol (1 mu g) and a placebo tablet of alendronate daily. The primary outcome was the change in bone mineral density of the lumbar spine in 18 months; the secondary outcome was the incidence of morphometric vertebral deformities. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients received alendronate, and 101 received alfacalcidol; 163 patients completed the study. The bone mineral density of the lumbar spine increased by 2.1 percent in the alendronate group (95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 3.1 percent) and decreased by 1.9 percent in the alfacalcidol group (95 percent confidence interval, -3.1 to -0.7 percent). At 18 months, the mean difference of change in bone mineral density between the two groups was 4.0 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 2.4 to 5.5 percent). Three patients in the alendronate group had a new vertebral deformity, as compared with eight patients in the alfacalcidol group (of whom three had symptomatic vertebral fractures) (hazard ratio, 0.4; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.1 to 1.4). CONCLUSIONS: During this 18-month trial in patients with rheumatic diseases, alendronate was more effective in the prevention of glucocorticoid-induced bone loss than was alfacalcidol