| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
- Eggers, Kai M., et al.
(författare)
-
Clinical implications of the change of cardiac troponin I levels in patients with acute chest pain - An evaluation with respect to the Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Clinica Chimica Acta. - : Elsevier BV. - 0009-8981 .- 1873-3492. ; 412:1-2, s. 91-97
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction incorporates elevated cardiac troponin levels (>99th percentile) together with a significant rise/fall of troponins as biochemical criterion. We sought to evaluate the clinical implications of the relative change of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels with respect to the Universal Definition in patients with acute chest pain. Methods: cTnI (Stratus CS) was measured serially in 454 patients within 24 h from admission. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was defined using the criteria adapted to the ESC/ACC consensus document, or corresponding to the Universal Definition together with prespecified cTnI changes of >= 20%, >= 50% and >= 100%. Follow-up was completed after 5.8 years. Results: A peak cTnI level above the 99th percentile together with a cTnI change of >= 20% was found in 160 patients of whom 25 did not have AMI according to the ESC/ACC criteria. These 160 patients had a significantly raised mortality (HR 2.5[95% CI 1.7-3.8]). Higher cTnI deltas were not associated with higher mortalities but identified smaller patient cohorts at risk. Conclusions: The Universal Definition of AMI together with a >= 20% cTnI change appears to improve the discrimination of acute from chronic causes of cTnI release, and allows a reliable identification of patients at risk.
|
|
| 3. |
- Eggers, Kai M., 1962-, et al.
(författare)
-
Growth-differentiation factor-15 for long-term risk prediction in patients stabilized after an episode of non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics. - 1942-3268. ; 3:1, s. 88-96
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Growth-differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) has emerged as a prognostic biomarker in patients with non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome. This study assessed the time course and the long-term prognostic relevance of GDF-15 levels measured repetitively in patients with non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome during 6 months after the acute event. METHODS AND RESULTS: GDF-15 and other biomarkers were measured at randomization, after 6 weeks, and after 3 and 6 months in 950 patients with non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome included in the FRagmin and Fast Revascularization during InStability in Coronary artery disease II study. Study end points were death, recurrent myocardial infarction, and their composite during 5-year follow-up. Median GDF-15 levels decreased slightly from 1357 ng/L at randomization to 1302 ng/L at 6 months (P<0.001). GDF-15 was consistently related to cardiovascular risk factors and biochemical markers of hemodynamic stress, renal dysfunction, and inflammation. Moreover, GDF-15 was independently related to the 5-year risk of the composite end point when measured at both 3 months (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.8 [1.0 to 3.0]) and 6 months (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.3 [1.3 to 4.1]). Serial measurements of GDF-15 at randomization and 6 months helped to identify patient cohorts at different levels of risk, with patients with persistently elevated GDF-15 levels >1800 ng/L having the highest rate of the composite end point. CONCLUSIONS: GDF-15 is independently related to adverse events in non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndrome both in the acute setting and for at least 6 months after clinical stabilization. Therefore, continued research on GDF-15 should be focused on the usefulness of GDF-15 for support of clinical management in acute and chronic ischemic heart disease.
|
|
| 4. |
- Eggers, Kai M., 1962-, et al.
(författare)
-
Myeloperoxidase is not useful for the early assessment of patients with chest pain
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Clinical Biochemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0009-9120 .- 1873-2933. ; 43:3, s. 240-245
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Myeloperoxidase (MPO) has been listed as a potentially useful risk marker in acute coronary syndrome. However, its clinical utility in patients with acute chest pain is not yet defined. DESIGN AND METHODS: MPO (Architect, Abbott Diagnostics) was measured in 120 healthy controls and 303 chest pain patients who had been admitted to the coronary care units of three Swedish hospitals. RESULTS: Chest pain patents had significantly higher median MPO levels compared to healthy controls (120.6 vs. 78. 9 pmol/L; p<0.001). However, MPO was not useful for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (c-statistics 0.61 [95% CI 0.54-0.67]), and Cox regression analysis revealed no independent association between MPO and mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.3 [95% CI 0.8-2.0]) or the composite endpoint (adjusted hazard ratio 1.1 [95% CI 0.8-1.5]) after a median follow-up of 4.9 years. CONCLUSIONS: MPO provided no clinically relevant information in the present population of chest pain patients.
|
|
| 5. |
- Flather, Marcus D., et al.
(författare)
-
Improving the management of non-ST elevation acute coronary syndromes : systematic evaluation of a quality improvement programme European QUality Improvement Programme for Acute Coronary Syndrome: The EQUIP-ACS project protocol and design
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Trials. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1745-6215. ; 11, s. 5-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Acute coronary syndromes, including myocardial infarction and unstable angina, are important causes of premature mortality, morbidity and hospital admissions. Acute coronary syndromes consume large amounts of health care resources, and have a major negative economic and social impact through days lost at work, support for disability, and coping with the psychological consequences of illness. Several registries have shown that evidence based treatments are under-utilised in this patient population, particularly in high-risk patients. There is evidence that systematic educational programmes can lead to improvement in the management of these patients. Since application of the results of important clinical trials and expert clinical guidelines into clinical practice leads to improved patient care and outcomes, we propose to test a quality improvement programme in a general group of hospitals in Europe. Methods/Design: This will be a multi-centre cluster-randomised study in 5 European countries: France, Spain, Poland, Italy and the UK. Thirty eight hospitals will be randomised to receive a quality improvement programme or no quality improvement programme. Centres will enter data for all eligible non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome patients admitted to their hospital for a period of approximately 10 months onto the study database and the sample size is estimated at 2,000-4,000 patients. The primary outcome is a composite of eight measures to assess aggregate potential for improvement in the management and treatment of this patient population (risk stratification, early coronary angiography, anticoagulation, beta-blockers, statins, ACE-inhibitors, clopidogrel as a loading dose and at discharge). After the quality improvement programme, each of the eight measures will be compared between the two groups, correcting for cluster effect. Discussion: If we can demonstrate important improvements in the quality of patient care as a result of a quality improvement programme, this could lead to a greater acceptance that such programmes should be incorporated into routine health training for health professionals and hospital managers.
|
|
| 6. |
- Grip, Lars, 1952, et al.
(författare)
-
From European to National guidelines on heart disease
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1401-7431 .- 1651-2006. ; 45:1, s. 3-13
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background/aims. Guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology are important tools for defining and establishing current standards of care for various heart diseases. The aim of the present paper is to describe the process of how these international guidelines may be transformed and implemented at a national level in Sweden. Methods/results. The structure and process behind the national guidelines for heart diseases in Sweden and their relationship to the underlying European guidelines are described and differences between the national and European levels highlighted. We also give examples of how the scientific values of health care measures are weighted against health economic perspectives and integrated in a prioritization process. Compared to the European guidelines, the Swedish national guidelines have a broader economic perspective and aim to ensure that health care is cost effective and provided to all Swedish citizens on equal terms. Discussion. When certain health care measures are implemented, the national process can result in other priorities than could be expected from the European guidelines alone. On the other hand, a forceful implementation may be facilitated by the societal context in which these national guidelines are produced.
|
|
| 7. |
|
|
| 8. |
- Larsson, Stefan, et al.
(författare)
-
Use Of 13 Disease Registries In 5 Countries Demonstrates The Potential To Use Outcome Data To Improve Health Care's Value.
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Health affairs. - : Health Affairs (Project Hope). - 1544-5208 .- 0278-2715. ; 31:1, s. 220-227
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As health care systems worldwide struggle with rising costs, a consensus is emerging to refocus reform efforts on value, as determined by the evaluation of patient outcomes relative to costs. One method of using outcome data to improve health care value is the disease registry. An international study of thirteen registries in five countries (Australia, Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States) suggests that by making outcome data transparent to both practitioners and the public, well-managed registries enable medical professionals to engage in continuous learning and to identify and share best clinical practices. The apparent result: improved health outcomes, often at lower cost. For example, we calculate that if the United States had a registry for hip replacement surgery comparable to one in Sweden that enabled reductions in the rates at which these surgeries are performed a second time to replace or repair hip prostheses, the United States would avoid $2billion of an expected $24billion in total costs for these surgeries in 2015.
|
|
| 9. |
|
|
| 10. |
- Robinson, David, et al.
(författare)
-
Ischemic heart disease and stroke before and during endocrine treatment for prostate cancer in PCBaSe Sweden
- 2012
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Cancer. - Geneve : International union against cancer. - 0020-7136 .- 1097-0215. ; 130:2, s. 478-487
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In observational studies of men with prostate cancer, men on endocrine treatment (ET) have had an increased risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke. However, prostate cancer per se may increase risk of IHD and stroke and men on ET may have been at increased risk already prior to initiation of ET. We assessed the incidence of IHD and stroke in men with prostate cancer before and during different endocrine treatments. The hazard ratio (HR) of IHD and stroke in 39,051 men with prostate cancer vs. a matched control population without prostate cancer was assessed by use of Cox proportion hazard models. An increased risk was found among 30,883 men with prostate cancer who did not receive ET, with a HR of 1.08 (95% CI 1.00–1.18) for IHD and 1.10 (95%CI 1.00–1.21) for stroke. In 8,168 men who initiated ET during the observation period, the risk of IHD was significantly higher (p = 0.014), during ET (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.17–1.67) compared with before initiation of ET (HR of 0.98, 95% CI 0.72–1.33), whereas no such increase was found for stroke. Regardless of treatment, men with prostate cancer had a small increase in risk of IHD and stroke and initiation of ET was associated with a further increase in risk of IHD. Our data underline the importance of a proper indication for ET because many men with low-risk prostate cancer currently receive ET.
|
|
