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- Lind, Lars, et al.
(författare)
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Growth-differentiation factor-15 is an independent marker of cardiovascular dysfunction and disease in the elderly : results from the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) Study
- 2009
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Ingår i: European Heart Journal. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0195-668X .- 1522-9645. ; 30:19, s. 2346-2353
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS: Growth-differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is emerging as an independent prognostic biomarker in patients with cardiovascular (CV) disease. Little is known about the pathophysiological basis for the close association of GDF-15 to future CV events. We hypothesized that GDF-15 is related to underlying CV pathologies. METHODS AND RESULTS: To relate the levels of GDF-15 to indices of CV dysfunction and disease in elderly individuals, serum levels of GDF-15 were measured in 1004 subjects aged 70 years from the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study. Carotid intima-media thickness and plaque burden, and left ventricular (LV) geometry and function were assessed by ultrasound. Endothelial function was evaluated in forearm resistance vessels and in the brachial artery by venous occlusion plethysmography and ultrasound imaging, respectively. Elevated levels of GDF-15 were related to several CV risk factors (male gender, current smoking, body mass index, waist circumference, diabetes, fasting glucose, triglycerides, and low HDL cholesterol). After adjustment for CV risk factors, increased levels of GDF-15 were associated with reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilation in resistance vessels, plaque burden, LV mass and concentric LV hypertrophy, reduced LV ejection fraction, and clinical manifestations of coronary artery disease and heart failure. CONCLUSION: GDF-15 carries information on CV dysfunction and disease that is not captured by traditional CV risk factors in elderly individuals.
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- Norhammar, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Improved but still high short- and long-term mortality rates after myocardial infarction in patients with diabetes mellitus : A time-trend report from the Swedish Register of Information and Knowledge about Swedish Heart Intensive Care Admission
- 2007
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Ingår i: Heart. - : BMJ. - 1355-6037 .- 1468-201X. ; 93:12, s. 1577-1583
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The aim of the study was to compare time-trends in mortality rates and treatment patterns between patients with and without diabetes based on the Swedish register of coronary care (Register of Information and Knowledge about Swedish Heart Intensive Care Admission [RIKS-HIA]). Methods: Post myocardial infarction mortality rate is high in diabetic patients, who seem to receive less evidence-based treatment. Mortality rates and treatment in 1995–1998 and 1999–2002 were studied in 70 882 patients (age <80 years), 14 873 of whom had diabetes (the first registry recorded acute myocardial infarction), following adjustments for differences in clinical and other parameters. Results: One-year mortality rates decreased from 1995 to 2002 from 16.6% to 12.1% in patients without diabetes and from 29.7% to 19.7%, respectively, in those with diabetes. Patients with diabetes had an adjusted relative 1-year mortality risk of 1.44 (95% CI 1.36 to 1.52) in 1995–1998 and 1.31 (95% CI 1.24 to 1.38) in 1999–2002. Despite improved pre-admission and in-hospital treatment, diabetic patients were less often offered acute reperfusion therapy (adjusted OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.90), acute revascularisation (adjusted OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.87) or revascularisation within 14 days (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.85), aspirin (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.98) and lipid-lowering treatment at discharge (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.86). Conclusion: Despite a clear improvement in the treatment and myocardial infarction survival rate in patients with diabetes, mortality rate remains higher than in patients without diabetes. Part of the excess mortality may be explained by co-morbidities and diabetes itself, but a lack of application of evidence-based treatment also contributes, underlining the importance of the improved management of diabetic patients.
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- Ahlford, Marianne, et al.
(författare)
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Uppsala Underdogs - A Robot Soccer Project
- 2006
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Rapport (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- In this paper, we describe the four-legged soccer team Uppsala Underdogs developed by a group of 4th year computer science students at Uppsala University during the fall of 2004. The project is based on the experience from two similar previous projects. This year the emphasis of the project has been on distribution of data and on support for evaluation and reconfiguration of strategies. To support data distribution, a middleware has been developed, which implements a replication algorithm and provides a clean interface for the other software modules (or behaviors). To enable easy reconfiguration of strategies, an automata-based graphical description language has been developed, which can be compiled into code that uses the database and the lower level modules, such as tactics and positioning, to make decisions and control the robot. In addition, a graphical simulator has been developed in which the strategies can be evaluated.
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- Al-Faleh, Hussam, et al.
(författare)
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Unraveling the spectrum of left bundle branch block in acute myocardial infarction : insights from the Assessment of the Safety and Efficacy of a New Thrombolytic (ASSENT 2 and 3) trials
- 2006
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Ingår i: American Heart Journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-8703 .- 1097-6744. ; 151:1, s. 10-5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Left bundle branch block (LBBB) complicates the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The Sgarbossa criteria were developed from GUSTO I to surmount this diagnostic challenge but have not been prospectively validated in a large population with presumed AMI. We evaluated their utility in the diagnosis and risk stratification of AMI patients in ASSENT 2 & 3. METHODS: Baseline electrocardiograms (ECG) of LBBB patients were scored using Sgarbossa's criteria (0-10) by 2 readers blinded to the CK/CK-MB data and clinical outcomes; 267 (1.2%) patients had LBBB on their baseline ECG. RESULTS: Among 253 LBBB patients with available peak CK/CK-MB data, 158 (62.5%) had peak CK/CK-MB levels > 2x ULN, thereby qualifying for the diagnosis of AMI. A Sgarbossa score of 3 was shown in 48.7% of LBBB patients with elevated CK/CK-MB versus in 12.6% of those without a CK/CK-MB rise (P < .001). Patients with higher Sgarbossa scores, ie, 3, had a higher mortality compared with those with a score < 3, (23.5% vs 7.7% at 30 days P < .001; and 33.7% vs 20.2% at 1 year, P < .001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings validate the utility of Sgarbossa criteria for diagnosing AMI in the setting of LBBB. These criteria provide a simple and practical diagnostic approach to risk stratify this diagnostically challenging high-risk group and optimize risk-benefit of acute therapy.
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- Alexander, John H., et al.
(författare)
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Apixaban, an oral, direct, selective factor Xa inhibitor, in combination with antiplatelet therapy after acute coronary syndrome : results of the Apixaban for Prevention of Acute Ischemic and Safety Events (APPRAISE) trial
- 2009
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Ingår i: Circulation. - 0009-7322 .- 1524-4539. ; 119:22, s. 2877-2885
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: After an acute coronary syndrome, patients remain at risk of recurrent events. Apixaban, an oral direct factor Xa inhibitor, is a novel anticoagulant that may reduce these events but also poses a risk of bleeding. METHODS AND RESULTS: Apixaban for Prevention of Acute Ischemic and Safety Events (APPRAISE) was a phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study. Patients (n=1715) with recent ST-elevation or non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome were randomized to 6 months of placebo (n=611) or 1 of 4 doses of apixaban: 2.5 mg twice daily (n=317), 10 mg once daily (n=318), 10 mg twice daily (n=248), or 20 mg once daily (n=221). Nearly all patients received aspirin; 76% received clopidogrel. The primary outcome was International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. A secondary outcome was cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, severe recurrent ischemia, or ischemic stroke. At the recommendation of the Data Monitoring Committee, the 2 higher-dose apixaban arms were discontinued because of excess total bleeding. Compared with placebo, apixaban 2.5 mg twice daily (hazard ratio, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.91 to 3.48; P=0.09) and 10 mg once daily (hazard ratio, 2.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.31 to 4.61; P=0.005) resulted in a dose-dependent increase in major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. Apixaban 2.5 mg twice daily (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.44 to 1.19; P=0.21) and 10 mg once daily (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.35 to 1.04; P=0.07) resulted in lower rates of ischemic events compared with placebo. The increase in bleeding was more pronounced and the reduction in ischemic events was less evident in patients taking aspirin plus clopidogrel than in those taking aspirin alone. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a dose-related increase in bleeding and a trend toward a reduction in ischemic events with the addition of apixaban to antiplatelet therapy in patients with recent acute coronary syndrome. The safety and efficacy of apixaban may vary depending on background antiplatelet therapy. Further testing of apixaban in patients at risk of recurrent ischemic events is warranted.
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| 10. |
- Alfredsson, Joakim, et al.
(författare)
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Gender differences in management and outcome in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome
- 2007
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Ingår i: Heart. - : BMJ Publishing group Ltd. - 1355-6037 .- 1468-201X. ; 93:11, s. 1357-1362
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To study gender differences in management and outcome in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome. Design, setting and patients: Cohort study of 53 781 consecutive patients (37% women) from the Register of Information and Knowledge about Swedish Heart Intensive care Admissions (RIKS-HIA), with a diagnosis of either unstable angina pectoris or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction. All patients were admitted to intensive coronary care units in Sweden, between 1998 and 2002, and followed for 1 year. Main outcome measures: Treatment intensity and in-hospital, 30-day and 1 -year mortality. Results: Women were older (73 vs 69 years, p<0.001) and more likely to have a history of hypertension and diabetes, but less likely to have a history of myocardial infarction or revascularisation. After adjustment, there were no major differences in acute pharmacological treatment or prophylactic medication at discharge. Revascularisation was, however, even after adjustment, performed more often in men (OR 1.15, 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.21). After adjustment, there was no significant difference in in-hospital (OR 1.03, 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.13) or 30-days (OR 1.07, 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.15) mortality, but at 1 year being male was associated with higher mortality (OR 1.12, 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.19). Conclusion: Although women are somewhat less intensively treated, especially regarding invasive procedures, after adjustment for differences in background characteristics, they have better long-term outcomes than men.
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