Echocardiographic predictors of clinical outcome in patients with left ventricular dysfunction enrolled in the SOLVD registry and trials: significance of left ventricular hypertrophy

OBJECTIVES To assess the relation of left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) dimensions, ejection fraction (EF) and LV mass to subsequent clinical outcome of patients with LV dysfunction enrolled in the Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction (SOLVD) Registry and Trials. BACKGROUND Data are lacking on the relation of LV mass to prognosis in patients with LV dysfunction and on the interaction of LV mass with other measurements of LV size and function as they relate to clinical outcome. METHODS A cohort of 1,172 patients enrolled in the SOLVD Trials (n = 577) and Registry (n = 595) had baseline echocardiographic measurements and follow-up for 1 year. RESULTS After adjusting for age, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, Trial vs. Registry and ischemic etiology, a 1-SD difference in EF was inversely associated with an increased risk of death (risk ratio, 1.62; p = 0.0008) and cardiovascular (CV) hospitalization (risk ratio, 1.59; p = 0.0001). Consequently, the other echo parameters were adjusted for EF in addition to age, NYHA functional class, Trial vs. Registry and ischemic etiology. A 1-SD difference in LV mass was associated with increased risk of death (risk ratio of 1.3, p = 0.012) and CV hospitalization (risk ratio of 1.17, p = 0.018). Similar results were observed with the LA dimension (mortality risk ratio, 1.32; p 5.0 cm was associated with increased mortality only. A protective effect of EF was noted in patients with LV mass ≥298 g (those in the group with EF >35% had lower mortality) but not in the group with LV mass 35% fared better) but not in the group with LV mass <298 g. These data support the development and use of drugs that can inhibit hypertrophy or alter its characteristics

Echocardiographic predictors of clinical outcome in patients with left ventricular dysfunction enrolled in the SOLVD registry and trials: significance of left ventricular hypertrophy

OBJECTIVES To assess the relation of left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) dimensions, ejection fraction (EF) and LV mass to subsequent clinical outcome of patients with LV dysfunction enrolled in the Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction (SOLVD) Registry and Trials. BACKGROUND Data are lacking on the relation of LV mass to prognosis in patients with LV dysfunction and on the interaction of LV mass with other measurements of LV size and function as they relate to clinical outcome. METHODS A cohort of 1,172 patients enrolled in the SOLVD Trials (n = 577) and Registry (n = 595) had baseline echocardiographic measurements and follow-up for 1 year. RESULTS After adjusting for age, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, Trial vs. Registry and ischemic etiology, a 1-SD difference in EF was inversely associated with an increased risk of death (risk ratio, 1.62; p = 0.0008) and cardiovascular (CV) hospitalization (risk ratio, 1.59; p = 0.0001). Consequently, the other echo parameters were adjusted for EF in addition to age, NYHA functional class, Trial vs. Registry and ischemic etiology. A 1-SD difference in LV mass was associated with increased risk of death (risk ratio of 1.3, p = 0.012) and CV hospitalization (risk ratio of 1.17, p = 0.018). Similar results were observed with the LA dimension (mortality risk ratio, 1.32; p 5.0 cm was associated with increased mortality only. A protective effect of EF was noted in patients with LV mass ≥298 g (those in the group with EF >35% had lower mortality) but not in the group with LV mass 35% fared better) but not in the group with LV mass <298 g. These data support the development and use of drugs that can inhibit hypertrophy or alter its characteristics

The running coupling of 8 flavors and 3 colors

We compute the renormalized running coupling of SU(3) gauge theory coupled to N_f = 8 flavors of massless fundamental Dirac fermions. The recently proposed finite volume gradient flow scheme is used. The calculations are performed at several lattice spacings allowing for a controlled continuum extrapolation. The results for the discrete beta-function show that it is monotonic without any sign of a fixed point in the range of couplings we cover. As a cross check the continuum results are compared with the well-known perturbative continuum beta-function for small values of the renormalized coupling and perfect agreement is found.Comment: 15 pages, 17 figures, published versio

Hadron structure from lattice quantum chromodynamics

This is a review of hadron structure physics from lattice QCD. Throughout this report, we place emphasis on the contribution of lattice results to our understanding of a number of fundamental physics questions related to, e.g., the origin and distribution of the charge, magnetization, momentum and spin of hadrons. Following an introduction to some of the most important hadron structure observables, we summarize the methods and techniques employed for their calculation in lattice QCD. We briefly discuss the status of relevant chiral perturbation theory calculations needed for controlled extrapolations of the lattice results to the physical point. In the main part of this report, we give an overview of lattice calculations on hadron form factors, moments of (generalized) parton distributions, moments of hadron distribution amplitudes, and other important hadron structure observables. Whenever applicable, we compare with results from experiment and phenomenology, taking into account systematic uncertainties in the lattice computations. Finally, we discuss promising results based on new approaches, ideas and techniques, and close with remarks on future perspectives of the field.Comment: 189 pages, to be published in Physics Report

A Case of Subcortical Dementia Due to Sarcoidosis of the Hypothalamus and Fornices

A Patient with Sarcoidosis Involving Predominantly the Hypothalamus and Fornices Was Evaluated for Dementia. He Showed a Relative Sparing of Fund of Knowledge and Orientation. Memory Skills, Particularly Short-Term Memory, Were Severely Impaired. Behavioral Changes Included Apathy and a Lack of Spontaneity. Insight Was Relatively Preserved. the Pattern of His Deficits Showed Some Similarities to the Pattern Reported in Patients with Huntington\u27s Disease and Was Different from that Described in Alzheimer\u27s Disease. the Dementia Caused by Subcortical Pathology May Differ in Important Respects from that Caused by Diffuse Cortical Dysfunction. © 1983

Language Disintegration in Dementia: Effects of Etiology and Severity

The Speech Characteristics on a Standardized Picture Description Task of 26 Subjects with Presumed Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (SDAT) and 13 Subjects with Stroke-Related Dementia (SRD) Were Compared to 15 Normal Subjects over Age 59 Years. Compared to the Normal Subjects, the Dementia Subjects Used Fewer Total Words, Fewer Unique Words, Fewer Prepositional Phrases, Fewer Subordinate Clauses, and More Incomplete Sentence Fragments. Lexical Deficits Tended to Be More Severe Than Syntactic Ones, Confirming Prior Suggestions that Lexicon is More Vulnerable to Disruption in Dementia Than Syntax. Greater Dementia Severity among the SDAT Subjects Was Associated with Marked Difficulties in Accessing the Mental Lexicon (Increased Use of Empty Words, Indefinite Anaphora, and Pronouns). Greater Dementia Severity in the SRD Subjects Was Associated with Laconic Speech that Was Syntactially Less Complex. Diffuse Brain Injury (As Typified by SDAT) Appears to Disproportionately Affect Lexicon Whereas Multifocal Injury (As Typified by SRD) Has a Disproportionate Effect on Syntax (Assuming that Focal Lesions of the Posterior Language Zone Have Been Excluded). the Speech Characteristics of the Mild SDAT Subjects Showed Similarities to Those of Anomic or Semantic Aphasia Whereas the Speech of the More Advanced SDAT Subjects Showed Similarities to Wernicke Aphasia or Transcortical Sensory Aphasia. the Speech of the Subjects with More Severe SRD Showed Some Similarities to Broca Aphasia. the Most Important Nonlinguistic Deficit in Both the SRD and the SDAT Groups Was a Failure to Make Relevant Observations during the Picture Description Task. Perseverations Were Present in the Speech of Both the SRD and SDAT Subjects, Whereas Aposiopesis, Logorrhea, and Palilalia Were More Typical of the SDAT Subjects. Laconic Speech Was More Characteristic of the SRD Subjects. © 1985