Predicting the risk of death in patients with known coronary artery diseaseFebruary 14, 2006The extent of anatomic coronary artery disease, along with age and the presence of diabetes, is a strong predictor of subsequent death due to any cause and due to coronary artery disease (CAD). However, there is currently interest in whether measuring blood levels of markers of low-grade inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CPR), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and serum amyloid A (SAA) protein, can help in identifying patients at risk of CAD and in improving prognostic estimates. In this study of over 1000 patients who underwent coronary angiograms and were followed for an average of 8.5 years, several biomarkers emerged as potentially clinically useful. Increases in the risk of death were associated with increasing levels of plasma CPR, IL-6, SAA and total homocysteine (tHcy). The researchers found that in the presence of known CAD, IL-6 and tHcy were the strongest independent markers of subsequent CAD-related and all-cause death. In an accompanying editorial commentary, Gordon Lowe of the University of Glasgow evaluates these findings in light of the current hypothesis that inflammatory markers and homocysteine play a causal role in CAD, and he argues that there is as yet insufficient evidence to support their use in routine cardiovascular risk assessment. Canadian Medical Association Journal |
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| Related Coronary Artery Disease Current Events and Coronary Artery Disease News Articles Vitamin B niacin offers no extra benefit to statin therapy in seniors already diagnosed with CAD The routine prescription of extended-release niacin, a B vitamin (1,500 milligrams daily), in combination with traditional cholesterol-lowering therapy offers no extra benefit in correcting arterial narrowing and diminishing plaque buildup in seniors who already have coronary artery disease, a new vascular imaging study from Johns Hopkins experts shows. New study links vitamin D deficiency to cardiovascular disease and death While mothers have known that feeding their kids milk builds strong bones, a new study by researchers at the Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City suggests that Vitamin D contributes to a strong and healthy heart as well - and that inadequate levels of the vitamin may significantly increase a person's risk of stroke, heart disease, and death, even among people who've never had heart disease. Early end to key study on benefits of niacin, a B vitamin, in keeping arteries open was premature Heart experts at Johns Hopkins are calling premature the early halt of a study by researchers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Washington Hospital Center on the benefits of combining extended-release niacin, a B vitamin, with cholesterol-lowering statin medications to prevent blood vessel narrowing. Learning the risks for stroke - and taking action With this theme in mind, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) emphasises that most of the risks for stroke are also the major risks for coronary heart disease - and thus the object of the ESC's far-reaching prevention programme. Obesity may hinder optimal control of blood pressure and cholesterol Obese patients taking medications to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol levels are less likely to reach recommended targets for these cardiovascular disease risk factors than their normal weight counterparts, according to new research presented at the 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress hosted by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. South Asian Canadians failing to get exercise message Exercise is a wonderful way of boosting heart health, but it's proving to be a tough sell in Ontario South Asian communities, Dr. Milan Gupta told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Calcium scans may be effective screening tool for heart disease A simple, non-invasive test appears to be an effective screening tool for identifying patients with silent heart disease who are at risk for a heart attack or sudden death. New type of sirolimus-eluting stent demonstrates superior results A new type of sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) successfully showed significantly greater neointimal suppression than the paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) with greater vessel wall integrity surrounding the stent, confirming the finding of superiority of the SES over the PES stent for the trial's primary endpoint of in-stent late loss. Comprehensive cardiac CT scan may give clearer picture of significant heart disease A team of researchers led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) radiologists has developed a computed-tomography-based protocol that identifies both narrowing of coronary arteries and areas of myocardial ischemia - restricted blood flow to heart muscle tissue - giving a better indication of clinically significant coronary artery disease. Endothelin-Related Drugs Benefit Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension Recent research to block the effects of endothelin, a powerful substance that constricts blood vessels and stimulates cell growth, has led to successful treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension and provides hope for treating other chronic diseases. More Coronary Artery Disease Current Events and Coronary Artery Disease News Articles |
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