Infective Endocarditis Involving Implanted Cardiac Devices Linked To More Complications
The April 25 issue of JAMA reports that patients with infective endocarditis, an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, who have implanted cardiac devices have a higher rate of complications, including valve infections, heart failure, persistent bacteremia, as well as high in-hospital and 1-year mortality rates, especially if it involves the heart valves. Background information in the study states: "Cardiac electronic devices, including permanent pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), are increasingly implanted worldwide, with estimates of more than 4.
Using PET And CT To Predict Heart Attack
Almost 2.7 million people in the UK suffer from coronary heart disease (CHD), which kills 88, 000 people every year, most of these being caused by heart attacks. Every year, about 124, 000 heart attacks occur in the UK. In an award-winning British Heart Foundation (BHF) research project, scientists from Edinburgh and Cambridge University have tested a new imaging method that could help improve how doctors predict a patient's risk of having a heart attack. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), is the first to demonstrate the potential of combining PET and CT scanning to capture images of the disease processes directly in the coronary arteries, which cause heart attacks.
Subclinical Hyperthyroidism Linked To Higher Atrial Fibrillation And Coronary Heart Disease Risk
A study published in Archives of Internal Medicine reveals that subclinical hyperthyroidism (SCH) may be linked to a greater risk of total mortality, coronary heart disease (CHD) death, as well as incident atrial fibrillation (AF). The findings also indicate that the risk of AF and CHD death is higher when thyrotropin levels are below 0.10 mIU/L. SCH is a relatively common condition defined by low thyrotropin levels with normal concentrations of free thyroxine (FT 4 ) and triiodothyronine (T 3 ).