Cardiology Commons^™

Papillary Fibroelastoma In Differential Diagnosis Of Left Atrial Appendage Masses, Anthony Alozie, Annette Zimpfer, Andreas Erbersdobler, Felix G Meinel, Pascal M Dohmen, Alper Öner

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Papillary fibroelastomas are benign tumors that usually originate from cardiac valves but may have other endocardial origins. We report the cases of 2 patients in whom left atrial appendage masses were initially diagnosed as thrombus. They were treated for embolic stroke and their symptoms resolved; however, their left atrial appendage masses did not regress. After surgery, histologic analysis of the resected masses revealed papillary fibroelastoma in both cases. We discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas encountered in patients with papillary fibroelastomas and cardiac masses other than thrombus.

Improper Use Of Temporary Epicardial Pacing Wires, Emre Kubat, Isil Tasoz, Kubilay Karabacak, Suat Doganci

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Can Erythropoietin Reduce Hypoxemic Neurological Damages In Neonates With Congenital Heart Defects?, Rita Paroni

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Congenital heart defects (CHD), the most common cause of birth defects with increasing birth prevalence, affect nearly 1% of live births worldwide. Cyanotic CHD are characterized by hypoxemia, with subsequent reduced oxygen delivery to the brain, especially critical during brain development, beginning in the fetus and continuing through the neonatal period. Therefore, neonates with CHD carry a high risk for neurological comorbidities, even more frequently when there are associated underlying genetic disorders. We review the currently available knowledge on potential prevention strategies to reduce brain damage induced by hypoxemia during fetal development and immediately after birth, and the role of …

The Link Between Heart Disease In Low Socioeconomic Communities In America, Khristopher Chea

Nursing | Senior Theses

As a future medical professional in the healthcare field, we continue to see patients admitted for cardiovascular issues. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of mortality among adults living in the U.S. despite advances in treatment throughout the past century. A number of risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity contribute to the significant rise of cardiovascular disease. Research data suggests that there is correlation between cardiovascular disease, low socioeconomic status, and diet. According to the American Phycological Association socioeconomic status is measured by income, educational status, and occupation, and has been shown to be closely …

Covid-19 And Arrhythmias: A Review Of Cardiac Electrophysiology Associated With Sars-Cov-2, Kashmala Khan, Francis Dimtri, Carlos Vargas, Thomas Alexander

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become one of the most recognized viral illnesses to date. Most people infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) have a benign clinical course, but there have also been catastrophic outcomes. Although, notoriously known to affect the respiratory system, extra-pulmonary manifestations have also been established. An increasing number of people have been reported to present with cardiac manifestations, which include but are not limited to arrhythmias. The cardiac conduction system can be damaged by various mechanisms in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we will attempt to briefly describe the arrhythmogenic …

Long-Term Clinical Outcomes Of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention In Saphenous Vein Grafts In A Low To Middle-Income Country, Ghurfan Adnan, Intisar Ahmed, Javed Tai, Maria Ali Khan, Hammad Hasan

Section of Cardiology

Background: Revascularization of saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) is challenging and debated for the last few decades. The percutaneous revascularization of SVGs was reported to have poorer long-term outcomes than native coronary artery revascularization.
Purpose: We aim to study the peri-procedural complications and long-term outcomes of the percutaneous revascularization of SVGs in a low-middle-income country.
Methods: In this retrospective study, we included 110 patients who underwent percutaneous revascularization from January 2011 to March 2020 and followed them retrospectively for long-term outcomes and major adverse cardiovascular events.
Results: The mean age was 71 ±9, and 81% were male. The most common reason …

Managing May-Thurner Syndrome And Associated Complications Throughout Pregnancy And Postpartum, Jessica A. Young, Stephen Zweibach, Nicole L. Plenty, Tiffany Tonismae

OB-GYN

No abstract provided.

Telomere Length In Young Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction Without Conventional Risk Factors: A Pilot Study From A South Asian Population, Mohit D. Gupta, Manjula Miglani, Ankit Bansal, Vardhmaan Jain, Sameer Arora, Sameer Kumar, Salim S. Virani, Ankur Kalra, Rakesh Yadav, Q Pasha

Office of the Provost

Background: There is need to identify novel markers that lead to an early occurrence of myocardial infarction (MI) in young South Asian population. This population has different risk profile as compared with others. Telomere length is known to be a marker of aging, and shorter telomeres have been reported in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). We aimed to identify the association of telomere length in young nonsmokers and non-diabetic MI patients.
Methods: In a case-control study of 154 subjects (n = 77 cases (ages 18-45 years, non-diabetic, non-smoker patients with MI) and n = 77, age and sex matched healthy controls), DNA …

Early Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Congenital Heart Surgery Programs Across The World: Assessment By A Global Multi-Societal Consortium., Eleftherios M. Protopapas, Mauro Lo Rito, Vladimiro L. Vida, George E. Sarris, Christo I. Tchervenkov, Bohdan J. Maruszewski, Zdzislaw Tobota, Bistra Zheleva, Hao Zhang, Jeffery P. Jacobs, Joseph A. Dearani, Elizabeth H. Stephens, James S. Tweddell, Nestor F. Sandoval, Emile A. Bacha, Erle H. Austin, Kisaburo Sakamoto, Sachin Talwar, Hiromi Kurosawa, Zohair Y Al Halees, Marcello B. Jatene, Krishna S. Iyer, Cheul Lee, Rajesh Sharma, Yasutaka Hirata, Frank Edwin, Jorge L. Cervantes, James O'Brien, James D. St Louis, James K. Kirklin, Covid-19 International Congenital Heart Surgery Taskforce

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic currently gripping the globe is impacting the entire health care system with rapidly escalating morbidities and mortality. Although the infectious risk to the pediatric population appears low, the effects on children with congenital heart disease (CHD) remain poorly understood. The closure of congenital heart surgery programs worldwide to address the growing number of infected individuals could have an unintended impact on future health for COVID-19-negative patients with CHD. Pediatric and congenital heart surgeons, given their small numbers and close relationships, are uniquely positioned to collectively assess the impact of the pandemic on surgical practice …

Comparison Of Figure Of Eight And Traditional Simple Wire Closure Method To Prevent Dehiscence After Sternal Closure, Aleezay Asghar, Khawaja Muhammad Talha, Muneer Amanullah, Syed Shahabuddin

Medical College Documents

Objective: To investigate significant differences, if any, between figure of-eight method and simple wire closure technique in reducing the incidence of infectious and non-infectious sternal dehiscence in patients undergoing sternal closure.
Methods: The systematic review was conducted in the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department at Aga Khan University from 1st December 2015 to 13th December 2017. The review was registered with PROSPERO, the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. Pubmed, Cochrane Library (Wiley) and Scopus databases were searched for articles published up to December 13, 2017. The search was limited to randomised control trials, clinical trials, retrospective cohort studies, journal analyses, systematic …

Availability And Affordability Of Medicines And Cardiovascular Outcomes In 21 High-Income, Middle-Income And Low-Income Countries, Clara Kayei Chow, Tu Ngoc Nguyen, Simone Marschner, Rafael Diaz, Omar Rahman, Alvaro Avezum, Scott A. Lear, Koon Teo, Karen E. Yeates, Khawar Kazmi

Section of Cardiology

Objectives: We aimed to examine the relationship between access to medicine for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) among people at high risk of CVD in high-income countries (HICs), upper and lower middle-income countries (UMICs, LMICs) and low-income countries (LICs) participating in the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study.
Methods: We defined high CVD risk as the presence of any of the following: hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke, smoker, diabetes or age >55 years. Availability and affordability of blood pressure lowering drugs, antiplatelets and statins were obtained from pharmacies. Participants were categorised: group 1-all three drug types …

Allogeneic Mesenchymal Cell Therapy In Anthracycline-Induced Cardiomyopathy Heart Failure Patients: The Cctrn Seneca Trial, Jay H Traverse, Joshua M Hare, Michael P Murphy, Keith L March, Sohail Ikram, David P Lee, Connor O'Brien, Jean-Bernard Durand, Kathy Miller, Joao A Lima, Mohammad R Ostovaneh, Bharath Ambale-Venkatesh, Adrian P Gee, Sara Richman, Doris A Taylor, Shelly L Sayre, Judy Bettencourt, Rachel W Vojvodic, Michelle L Cohen, Lara M Simpson, Dejian Lai, David Aguilar, Catalin Loghin, Lem Moyé, Ray F Ebert, Barry R Davis, Robert D Simari

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy (AIC) may be irreversible with a poor prognosis, disproportionately affecting women and young adults. Administration of allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (allo-MSCs) is a promising approach to heart failure (HF) treatment.

OBJECTIVES: SENECA (Stem Cell Injection in Cancer Survivors) was a phase 1 study of allo-MSCs in AIC.

METHODS: Cancer survivors with chronic AIC (mean age 56.6 years; 68% women; NT-proBNP 1,426 pg/ml; 6 enrolled in an open-label, lead-in phase and 31 subjects randomized 1:1) received 1 × 10

RESULTS: A total of 97% of subjects underwent successful study product injections; all allo-MSC-assigned subjects received the …

Conference Proceedings: Aurora Scientific Day 2020

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Abstracts published in this supplement were among those presented at the 46th annual Aurora Scientific Day research symposium, held virtually on May 20, 2020. The symposium provides a forum for describing research studies conducted by faculty, fellows, residents, and allied health professionals affiliated with Wisconsin-based Aurora Health Care, a part of the Advocate Aurora Health health system, which publishes the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews.

Identifying Genetic Factors That Contribute To The Increased Risk Of Congenital Heart Defects In Infants With Down Syndrome., Cristina E. Trevino, Aaron M. Holleman, Holly Corbitt, Cheryl L. Maslen, Tracie C. Rosser, David J. Cutler, H Richard Johnston, Benjamin L. Rambo-Martin, Jai Oberoi, Kenneth J. Dooley, George T. Capone, Roger H. Reeves, Heather J. Cordell, Bernard D. Keavney, A J Agopian, Elizabeth Goldmuntz, Peter J. Gruber, James O'Brien, Douglas C. Bittel, Lalita Wadhwa, Clifford L. Cua, Jennifer G. Mulle, Michael P. Epstein, Stephanie L. Sherman, Michael E. Zwick

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD) are a severe congenital heart defect present in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) at a > 2000-fold increased prevalence compared to the general population. This study aimed to identify risk-associated genes and pathways and to examine a potential polygenic contribution to AVSD in DS. We analyzed a total cohort of 702 individuals with DS with or without AVSD, with genomic data from whole exome sequencing, whole genome sequencing, and/or array-based imputation. We utilized sequence kernel association testing and polygenic risk score (PRS) methods to examine rare and common variants. Our findings suggest that the Notch pathway, particularly …

Nondietary Cardiovascular Health Metrics With Patient Experience And Loss Of Productivity Among Us Adults Without Cardiovascular Disease: The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2006 To 2015, Martin Tibuakuu, Victor Okunrintemi, Nazir Savji, Neil J. Stone, Salim S. Virani, Ron Blankstein, Ritu Thamman, Roger S. Blumenthal, Erin D. Michos

Office of the Provost

Background: The American Heart Association 2020 Impact Goals aimed to promote population health through emphasis on cardiovascular health (CVH). We examined the association between nondietary CVH metrics and patient-reported outcomes among a nationally representative sample of US adults without cardiovascular disease.
Methods and Results: We included adults aged ≥18 years who participated in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey between 2006 and 2015. CVH metrics were scored 1 point for each of the following: not smoking, being physically active, normal body mass index, no hypertension, no diabetes mellitus, and no dyslipidemia, or 0 points if otherwise. Diet was not assessed in …

Analysis Of Covid-19 Burden, Epidemiology And Mitigation Strategies In Muslim Majority Countries, Rachel Jardine, James Wright, Zainab Samad, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Section of Cardiology

Background: Muslim majority countries have experienced a considerable burden of COVID-19 infection. However, there has been a relative lack of research comparing COVID-19 outbreaks and responses between Muslim-majority countries.
Aims: This study aimed to analyse COVID-19 burden, epidemiology and mitigation strategies in Muslim-majority countries.
Methods: We use a mixed-methods approach to describe the course of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the Islamic world, highlight the range of non-pharmaceutical interventions used and the speed with which they were implemented, and investigate reasons behind the differing responses between Muslim-majority countries. The number of cases and deaths per million population, and the mean time …

Ionomic Profiling Of Pericardial Fluid In Ischemic Heart Disease, Noman Khan, Satwat Hashmi, Amna Jabbar Siddiqui, Sabiha Farooq, Shahid Ahmed Sami, Nageeb Basir, Syedah Saira Bokhari, Hasanat Sharif, Sanaullah Junejo, Syed Ghulam Musharraf

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Metals are essential cofactors that play a crucial role in heart function at the cell and tissue level. Information regarding the role of metals in the pericardial fluid and its ionome in ischemic heart disease (IHD) is limited. We aimed to determine the association of elements in pericardial fluid and serum samples of IHD patients and their correlation with systolic and diastolic function. IHD patients have been studied with systolic and diastolic dysfunction categorized on the basis of echocardiographic parameters. We measured concentrations of sixteen elements in the pericardial fluid and serum of 46 patients obtained during open heart surgery …

Ruptured Mycotic Reverse Saphenous Vein Graft Aneurysm: A Late Complication Of Mediastinitis, Yasir Bilal Khan, Shiraz Hashmi, Saulat Hasnain Fatimi

Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Reverse saphenous vein graft aneurysm (RSVGA) is a rare complication that occurs after coronary bypass grafting surgery. Mycotic aneurysm of reverse saphenous vein graft is even more rare. We describe the case of a 76-year-old man who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting 10 years back and had mediastinitis four to five months after surgery. He presented with chest pain in July 2017 and was diagnosed as NSTEMI. Angiography showed left main coronary artery disease (90%) with aneurysm of reverse saphenous vein graft to right posterior descending artery(RPDA). Emergent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the left main artery was performed as …

Reorganising For Covid-19 Pandemic: A Review Of Structural Modifications By The Department Of Internal Medicine In Low To Middle-Income Countries, Shakeel Ur Rehman, Muhammad Arslan Ahmed, Ghufran Adnan, Maria Ali Khan

Department of Medicine

Scientists classified the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as a novel coronavirus on January 7, 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged the SARS-CoV-2 outburst a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020. Since its origin, this virus has disrupted the best healthcare systems, economies, and strained financial resources; and for underdeveloped countries' healthcare systems, the virus has become a crisis. To tackle the potential hazards from this virus, our Department restructured the services that not only helped us to cope with the pandemic, but also provided an example to copy for other contemporary institutes. …

Non-Traditional Risk Factors And The Risk Of Myocardial Infarction In The Young In The Us Population-Based Cohort, Chayakrit Krittanawong, Yiming Liu, Dhruv Mahtta, Bharat Narasimhan, Zhen Wang, Hani Jneid, Jacqueline E. Tamis-Holland, Alam Mahboob, Usman Baber, Salim S. Virani

Office of the Provost

Although most prevalent in elderly, myocardial infarction (MI) also affects younger adults. We sought to investigate baseline characteristics in young patients (<55 >years) with MI using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database between 2004 and 2015. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess factors associated with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in young patients. After multivariable analyses adjusted for age, sex, race, family history of atherosclerosis, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease, and current cigarette smoking; novel risk factors such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were associated …

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Evaluation Of Cardiac Masses In Patients With Suspicion Of Cardiac Masses On Echo Or Computed Tomography, Fateh Ali Tipoo Sultan, Syed Waqar Ahmed

Section of Cardiology

Objectives: In recent years, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has emerged as an important tool in the identification and characterization of cardiac masses. No imaging data on cardiac masses are available from Pakistan. We aimed to review the clinical presentation, CMR findings, and outcome of patients referred for CMR due to suspicion of cardiac masses on echocardiogram or computed tomography (CT).
Material and methods: We reviewed all the patients referred for CMR at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 2011 to March 2020, with the suspicion of cardiac mass on echocardiogram and/or CT. Only those with the confirmed diagnosis …

Stroke In Young Adults: Current Trends, Opportunities For Prevention And Pathways Forward, Tamer Yahya, Mohammad Hashim Jilani, Safi U. Khan, Reed Mszar, Syed Zawahir Hassan, Michael J. Blaha, Ron Blankstein, Salim S. Virani, Michelle C. Johansen

Office of the Provost

Cardiovascular disease remains a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in the US and elsewhere, and stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Despite recent success in diminishing stroke incidence in the general US population, in parallel there is now a concerning propensity for strokes to happen at younger ages. Specifically, the incidence of stroke for US adults 20-44 years of age increased from 17 per 100,000 US adults in 1993 to 28 per 100,000 in 2015. Occurrence of strokes in young adults is particularly problematic as these patients are often affected by physical disability, depression, cognitive impairment and …

Frequency Of Intraoperative Hypotension After The Induction Of Anesthesia In Hypertensive Patients With Preoperative Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, Fahad Salim, Fazal Hameed Khan, Muhammad Nasir, Rashid Ali, Ayesha Iqbal, Amir Raza

Department of Anaesthesia

Introduction: The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is an important target in the treatment of hypertension. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors block the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II. ACE inhibitors not only treat hypertension but also decrease morbidity and mortality in heart failure patients and in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The discontinuation of ACE inhibitors before the surgery is still controversial. To assess the current magnitude of the problem in our population, we aimed to conduct this study, which evaluated the frequency of intraoperative hypotension after the induction of anesthesia in controlled hypertensive patients with preoperative ACE inhibitors.
Material and …

Secondary Prevention Of Cardiovascular Diseases In India: Findings From Registries And Large Cohorts, Hasan Rehman, Ankur Kalra, Ajar Kochar, Angad S. Uberoi, Deepak L. Bhatt, Zainab Samad, Salim S. Virani

Section of Cardiology

Several registries and quality improvement initiatives have focused on assessing and improving secondary prevention of CVD in India. While the Treatment and Outcomes of Acute Coronary Syndromes in India (CREATE), Indian Heart Rhythm Society-Atrial Fibrillation (IHRS-AF), and Trivandrum Heart Failure (THF) registries are limited to collecting data, the Tamil Nadu-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (TN-STEMI) program was aimed at examining and improving access to revascularization after an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The Acute Coronary Syndromes: Quality Improvement in Kerala (ACS-QUIK) study recruited hospitals from the Kerala ACS registry to assess a quality improvement kit for patients with ACS while the Practice …

Flash Pulmonary Edema: A Case And Review Of Left Ventricular Non-Compaction Cardiomyopathy, Paula J. Watts, Oliver S. Garbo, Wendy Barrett, Michael Kopstein, Ryan Maybrook, Dmitriy Scherbak

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy is an uncommon type of cardiomyopathy caused by malformation of the myocardium during embryogenesis. This results in trabeculations within the ventricular wall that can affect the left and, less commonly, right ventricles. Presentation ranges from clinically asymptomatic to life-threatening arrhythmias. It is a rare and relatively unknown form of cardiomyopathy, though thought to be underdiagnosed. Prevalence is increasing due to improvements in imaging and awareness. Management is similar to that of other cardiomyopathies including angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, diuretics, automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator placement and cardiac transplantation. We present a case of a …

Incidental Discovery Of Anomalous Left Coronary Artery Arising From The Pulmonary Artery In A Coronavirus Disease-2019 Patient: A Blessing In Disguise, Masood Ghori, Rizwan Ahmed

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a serious congenital malformation. Reports about asymptomatic, incidentally discovered ALCAPA in adults are scarce. We describe a patient with no known pre-existing cardiac condition admitted to our hospital with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and was incidentally found to have ALCAPA. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of incidentally discovered ALCAPA in a COVID-19 patient and highlights the importance of appropriate investigation of the coronary status by Multidetector Cardiac Computed Tomographic Angiography (MDCCTA) in individuals with asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction. The presentation …

Associations Between High-Density Lipoprotein Particles And Ischemic Events By Vascular Domain, Sex, And Ethnicity: A Pooled Cohort Analysis, Kavisha Singh, Alvin Chandra, Thomas Sperry, Parag H. Joshi, Amit Khera, Salim S. Virani, Christie M. Ballantyne, James D. Otvos, Robin P F. Dullaart, Eke G. Gruppen

Office of the Provost

Background: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration (HDL-C) is an established atheroprotective marker, in particular for coronary artery disease; however, HDL particle concentration (HDL-P) may better predict risk. The associations of HDL-C and HDL-P with ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) among women and Blacks have not been well studied. We hypothesized that HDL-P would consistently be associated with MI and stroke among women and Blacks compared with HDL-C.
Methods: We analyzed individual-level participant data in a pooled cohort of 4 large population studies without baseline atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: DHS (Dallas Heart Study; n=2535), ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities; n=1595), MESA …

Understanding Of Metals Dysregulation In Patients With Systolic And Diastolic Dysfunction In Ischemic Heart Disease, Noman Khan, Satwat Hashmi, Amna Jabbar Siddiqui, Sabiha Farooq, Shahid Ahmed Sami, Nageeb Basir, Syeda Saira Bokhari, Hasanat Sharif, Sanaullah Junejo, Hesham R. El-Seedi, Syed Ghulam Musharraf

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the leading cause of death and chronic disability in the world. IHD affects both the systolic and diastolic function of the heart which progressively leads to heart failure; a structural and functional impairment of filling or ejection of blood from the heart. In this study, the progression of systolic and diastolic dysfunction characterized according to their echocardiographic parameters including left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), grades of diastolic dysfunction and ratio between early mitral inflow velocity and mitral annular early diastolic velocity (E/e'), were correlated with differential regulation of various metals in patients sera samples (n …

Efficacy And Safety Of Bempedoic Acid For Prevention Of Cardiovascular Events And Diabetes: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis., Xing Wang, Yu Zhang, Huiwen Tan, Peng Wang, Xi Zha, Weelic Chong, Liangxue Zhou, Fang Fang

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Bempedoic acid is an oral, once-daily, first-in-class drug being developed for the treatment of hyperlipidemia. However, evidence of bempedoic acid use for the prevention of cardiovascular events and diabetes is lacking. Thus, we aim to evaluate the benefit and safety of bempedoic acid use for the prevention of cardiovascular events and diabetes.

METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials with no language restriction from inception until March 3, 2020. Pairs of reviewers independently identified randomized controlled trials comparing the use of bempedoic acid with placebo or no treatment for primary prevention of cardiovascular …

Evaluation Of Aspirin And Statin Therapy Use And Adherence In Patients With Premature Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, Dhruv Mahtta, David J. Ramsey, Mahmoud Al Rifai, Khurram Nasir, Zainab Samad, David Aguilar, Hani Jneid, Christie M. Ballantyne, Laura A. Petersen, Salim S. Virani

Section of Cardiology

Importance: Studies on the use of and adherence to secondary prevention therapies in patients with premature and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) are lacking.
Objective: To evaluate and compare aspirin use, any statin use, high-intensity statin use, and statin adherence among patients with premature or extremely premature ASCVD compared with patients with nonpremature ASCVD.
Design, setting, and participants: This multicenter cross-sectional study used the clinical and administrative data sets of the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify adult patients with at least 1 primary care visit in the VA health care system between October 1, 2014, and …