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- Gerdts, Eva, et al.
(author)
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Association of heart failure hospitalizations with combined electrocardiography and echocardiography criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy
- 2012
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In: American Journal of Hypertension. - : Oxford University Press. - 0895-7061 .- 1941-7225. ; 25:6, s. 678-683
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The value of performing echocardiography in hypertensive patients with electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is uncertain.Methods: Baseline echo-and electrocardiographic data and cardiovascular events over 4.8 years study treatment were assessed in 922 hypertensive patients in the Losartan Intervention For Endpoint reduction in hypertension echocardiography substudy. Patients were grouped according to presence of LVH on both electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram (n = 515), only on ECG (n = 172), only on echocardiogram (n = 135), or on none tests (n = 100). LVH was diagnosed by Sokolow Lyon and Cornell product criteria by electrocardiography and as LV mass index 116 g/m 2 in men and 104 g/m 2 in women by echocardiography.Results: Patients with LVH on both tests were older, had higher systolic blood pressure and LV mass, lower LV systolic function, and included more patients with aortic regurgitation, albuminuria, and history of ischemic heart disease (all P<0.05). Incidence of combined myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiovascular death did not differ between groups. Incidence of hospitalization for heart failure was 5.3 and 2.6 times higher in patients with LVH on both tests compared to patients with LVH on ECG or echocardiogram only (P<0.01). In Cox regression, LVH on both tests predicted hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio 4.29 (95% confidence interval 1.26-14.65), P = 0.020) independent of other covariates including study treatment allocation and history of ischemic heart disease.Conclusions: Our results suggest that combining LVH assessment on a single ECG and echocardiogram provides a simple tool for additional heart failure risk stratification in asymptomatic high-risk hypertensive patients.
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| 2. |
- Greve, Anders M., et al.
(author)
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Contrasting Hemodynamic Mechanisms of Losartan- vs. Atenolol-Based Antihypertensive Treatment : A LIFE Study
- 2012
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In: American Journal of Hypertension. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0895-7061 .- 1941-7225. ; 25:9, s. 1017-1023
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND Pharmaceutical differences in central hemodynamics might influence cardiac response to antihypertensive treatment despite similar lowering of brachial blood pressure (BP). METHODS Data from all patients with at least two echocardiographic examinations in the Losartan Intervention For Endpoint Reduction in Hypertension (LIFE) echocardiographic substudy (n = 801); high-risk patients on losartan- vs. atenolol-based antihypertensive therapy. Echocardiography was performed annually for 4 years to measure stroke index (SI), heart rate, cardiac index (CI), conduit artery stiffness assessed as pulse pressure/stroke index (PP/SI) and total peripheral resistance index (TPRI). RESULTS Atenolol- and losartan-based therapy reduced BP similarly (cumulative difference in mean brachial blood pressure 0.3 mm Hg, P = 0.65). After 4 years the cumulative means of SI and heart rate were 1.8 ml/m(2) higher and 5.7 beats/min lower on atenolol-based treatment, respectively (both P < 0.001). This kept CI below baseline in atenolol-treated patients, whereas in the losartan group CI was unchanged from baseline throughout the study. TPRI was decreased more and remained lower in the losartan group (cumulative difference in mean TPRI 287 dynes/sec(-5)/cm/m(2), P < 0.001). These findings partly explained univariate differences in systolic- and diastolic function indices between the two treatments; fully adjusted losartan was only associated with a smaller left atrial diameter (cumulative mean difference 0.07 cm; 95% confidence intervals, -0.13 to -0.01, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Contrasting hemodynamics impacted cardiac response to similar reductions in brachial BP on losartan- vs. atenolol-based therapy. The similar reduction of PP/SI suggests that the antihypertensive regimens used in the LIFE study had comparable effects on arterial stiffness (LIFE study; NCT00338260)
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| 3. |
- Greve, Anders M., et al.
(author)
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Usefulness of the electrocardiogram in predicting cardiovascular mortality in asymptomatic adults with aortic stenosis (from the Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis study)
- 2014
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In: American Journal of Cardiology. - : Elsevier. - 0002-9149 .- 1879-1913. ; 114:5, s. 751-756
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hypertension and coronary heart disease are common in aortic stenosis (AS) and may impair prognosis for similar AS severity. Different changes in the electrocardiogram may be reflective of the separate impacts of AS, hypertension, and coronary heart disease, which could lead to enhanced risk stratification in AS. The aim of this study was therefore to examine if combining prognostically relevant electrocardiographic (ECG) findings improves prediction of cardiovascular mortality in asymptomatic AS. All patients with baseline electrocardiograms in the SEAS study were included. The primary end point was cardiovascular death. Backward elimination (p > 0.01) identified heart rate, Q waves, and Cornell voltage-duration product as independently associated with cardiovascular death. Multivariate logistic and Cox regression models were used to evaluate if these 3 ECG variables improved prediction of cardiovascular death. In 1,473 patients followed for a mean of 4.3 years (6,362 patient-years of follow-up), 70 cardiovascular deaths (5%) occurred. In multivariate analysis, heart rate (hazard ratio [FIR] 1.5 per 11.2 minute(-1) [1 SD], 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2 to 1.8), sum of Q-wave amplitude (HR 1.3 per 2.0 nun [1 SD], 95% CI 1.1 to 1.6), and Cornell voltage-duration product (FIR 1.4 per 763 mm x ms [1 SD], 95% CI 1.2 to 1.7) remained independently associated with cardiovascular death. Combining the prognostic information contained in each of the 3 ECG variables improved integrated discrimination for prediction of cardiovascular death by 2.5%, net reclassification by 14.3%, and area under the curve by 0.06 (all p <= 0.04) beyond other important risk factors. ECG findings add incremental predictive information for cardiovascular mortality in asymptomatic patients with AS.
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