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Early Invasive Strategy for Acute Coronary Syndrome May, or May Not, Improve Outcomes
January 8, 2016
Clinical question: Does an early invasive strategy for acute coronary syndrome improve short-term outcomes? Bottom line: According to this real-world observational study, an early invasive strategy—coronary angiogram within 72 hours of presentation—is associated with lower risks of short-term car
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Coronary CT Angiography, Perfusion Imaging Effective for Evaluating Patients With Chest Pain
November 4, 2015
Clinical question: When evaluating the intermediate-risk patient with chest pain, should coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) be used instead of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI)? Background: CCTA has been shown in prior randomized controlled trials to save time and money compared to
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Heart Disease Linked to Loud Noise
October 30, 2015
NEW YORK - People with long-term exposure to loud noise at work or in leisure activities may be at increased risk of heart disease, a U.S.
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Medicare Tests New Quality Measure: Readmission Rates for Heart Failure
October 6, 2015
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has wrapped up a test run of a new measure for readmission of heart failure patients as the federal agency tries to educate hospitals and hospitalists before formally including it as a quality metric in fiscal year 2018. The trial concludes O
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Hospitalists Can Earn CME Credits for Acute Coronary Syndrome Performance Improvement
October 6, 2015
Approximately 1.7 million patients are hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and 600,000 die of an acute myocardial infarction. Although ACS is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, a broad range of clinical strategies can affect outcomes if implemented effectively.
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Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography, Radionuclide Stress Testing Similar for Evaluation of Chest Pain
October 5, 2015
Clinical question: Is coronary computed tomography angiography better than stress testing for detecting coronary artery disease? Bottom line: For the evaluation of chest pain in intermediate-risk patients, coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is comparable with myocardial perfusion ima
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Racial, Economic Disparities in Life Expectancy after Heart Attack
September 28, 2015
After a heart attack, black patients typically don't live as long as whites - a racial difference that is starkest among the affluent - according to a new U.S.
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CHADS2 Variant Calculates Stroke Risk in Heart Failure Patients
September 18, 2015
NEW YORK - A variant of the CHADS2 score that's used to estimate ischemic stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is also modestly accurate in heart failure patients, even in those without AF, researchers say. The variant, CHA2DS2-VASc, calculates stroke risk based on 10 possible point
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7 Hours of Sleep Can Reduce Heart Disease
September 15, 2015
Too little sleep, or poor-quality sleep, may be linked to early markers of heart disease in asymptomatic healthy adults, a new study from South Korea suggests. More than 47,000 men and women completed a sleep questionnaire and underwent assessments of coronary artery calcium and plaque as well as
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Mortality Risk in Patients Older than 75 Presenting with Non-ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome
September 9, 2015
Clinical question: Is there a score that will predict the mortality rate in elderly patients presenting with a non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)? Background: Although they represent only 9% of patients in clinical trials, patients over the age of 75 make up one third of patients wit