Cardiac Therapy (cardiac + therapy)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Transatrial Access to the Normal Pericardial Space For Local Cardiac Therapy: Preclinical Safety Testing with Aspirin and Pulmonary Artery Hypertension

JOURNAL OF INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 5 2001
TODD C. PULERWITZ M.D.
The reliability, rapidity, and safety of nonsurgical, transatrial pericardial access for local cardiac therapy have been demonstrated in healthy animals. Since many patients take aspirin or have increased right-sided pressures, we evaluated the procedure's safety under these conditions. Transatrial pericardial access was performed in anesthetized pigs following aspirin administration (162 mg po, n = 6) or during experimental pulmonary artery hypertension (n = 4 different animals) and required only 3 minutes following guide catheter positioning. Platelet aggregability testing with arachidonic acid confirmed aspirin effectiveness. Mean pericardial fluid hematocrit was 0.1 ± 0.1% after 2 days of aspirin therapy and 1.9 ± 1.1% at sacrifice 24 hours later (NS). Mean pericardial fluid hematocrit was 1.0 ± 0.5% after 45 minutes of pulmonary artery hypertension and 4.3 ± 0.8% at sacrifice 30 minutes later (NS). Histologic analysis in both groups revealed a small thrombus and localized inflammation at the site of puncture. Neither aspirin use nor pulmonary artery hypertension causes significant bleeding into the pericardial space following transatrial access and thus does not preclude this route for local cardiac drug delivery. [source]


Efficacy of Spironolactone on Survival in Dogs with Naturally Occurring Mitral Regurgitation Caused by Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2010
F. Bernay
Background: Spironolactone, an aldosterone antagonist, has been demonstrated to decrease mortality in human patients when added to other cardiac therapies. Hypothesis: Spironolactone in addition to conventional therapy increases survival compared with conventional therapy in dogs with naturally occurring myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Animals: Between February 2003 and March 2005, 221 dogs were recruited in Europe. Nine dogs were excluded from analysis, leaving 212 dogs with moderate to severe mitral regurgitation (MR) caused by MMVD (International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council classification classes II [n = 190] and III [n = 21]). Methods: Double-blinded, field study conducted with dogs randomized to receive either spironolactone (2 mg/kg once a day) or placebo in addition to conventional therapy (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, plus furosemide and digoxin if needed). Primary endpoint was a composite of cardiac-related death, euthanasia, or severe worsening of MR. Results: Primary endpoint reached by 11/102 dogs (10.8%) in the spironolactone group (6 deaths, 5 worsening) versus 28/110 (25.5%) in control group (14 deaths, 8 euthanasia, 6 worsening). Risk of reaching the composite endpoint significantly decreased by 55% (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.45; 95% confidence limits [CL], 0.22,0.90; log rank test, P= .017). Risk of cardiac- related death or euthanasia significantly reduced by 69% (HR = 0.31; 95% CL, 0.13,0.76; P= .0071). Number of dogs not completing the study for cardiac and other miscellaneous reasons similar in spironolactone (67/102) and control groups (66/110). Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Spironolactone added to conventional cardiac therapy decreases the risk of reaching the primary endpoint (ie, cardiac-related death, euthanasia, or severe worsening) in dogs with moderate to severe MR caused by MMVD. [source]


Transatrial Access to the Normal Pericardial Space For Local Cardiac Therapy: Preclinical Safety Testing with Aspirin and Pulmonary Artery Hypertension

JOURNAL OF INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 5 2001
TODD C. PULERWITZ M.D.
The reliability, rapidity, and safety of nonsurgical, transatrial pericardial access for local cardiac therapy have been demonstrated in healthy animals. Since many patients take aspirin or have increased right-sided pressures, we evaluated the procedure's safety under these conditions. Transatrial pericardial access was performed in anesthetized pigs following aspirin administration (162 mg po, n = 6) or during experimental pulmonary artery hypertension (n = 4 different animals) and required only 3 minutes following guide catheter positioning. Platelet aggregability testing with arachidonic acid confirmed aspirin effectiveness. Mean pericardial fluid hematocrit was 0.1 ± 0.1% after 2 days of aspirin therapy and 1.9 ± 1.1% at sacrifice 24 hours later (NS). Mean pericardial fluid hematocrit was 1.0 ± 0.5% after 45 minutes of pulmonary artery hypertension and 4.3 ± 0.8% at sacrifice 30 minutes later (NS). Histologic analysis in both groups revealed a small thrombus and localized inflammation at the site of puncture. Neither aspirin use nor pulmonary artery hypertension causes significant bleeding into the pericardial space following transatrial access and thus does not preclude this route for local cardiac drug delivery. [source]


Efficacy of Spironolactone on Survival in Dogs with Naturally Occurring Mitral Regurgitation Caused by Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2010
F. Bernay
Background: Spironolactone, an aldosterone antagonist, has been demonstrated to decrease mortality in human patients when added to other cardiac therapies. Hypothesis: Spironolactone in addition to conventional therapy increases survival compared with conventional therapy in dogs with naturally occurring myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Animals: Between February 2003 and March 2005, 221 dogs were recruited in Europe. Nine dogs were excluded from analysis, leaving 212 dogs with moderate to severe mitral regurgitation (MR) caused by MMVD (International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council classification classes II [n = 190] and III [n = 21]). Methods: Double-blinded, field study conducted with dogs randomized to receive either spironolactone (2 mg/kg once a day) or placebo in addition to conventional therapy (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, plus furosemide and digoxin if needed). Primary endpoint was a composite of cardiac-related death, euthanasia, or severe worsening of MR. Results: Primary endpoint reached by 11/102 dogs (10.8%) in the spironolactone group (6 deaths, 5 worsening) versus 28/110 (25.5%) in control group (14 deaths, 8 euthanasia, 6 worsening). Risk of reaching the composite endpoint significantly decreased by 55% (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.45; 95% confidence limits [CL], 0.22,0.90; log rank test, P= .017). Risk of cardiac- related death or euthanasia significantly reduced by 69% (HR = 0.31; 95% CL, 0.13,0.76; P= .0071). Number of dogs not completing the study for cardiac and other miscellaneous reasons similar in spironolactone (67/102) and control groups (66/110). Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Spironolactone added to conventional cardiac therapy decreases the risk of reaching the primary endpoint (ie, cardiac-related death, euthanasia, or severe worsening) in dogs with moderate to severe MR caused by MMVD. [source]


An algorithm to identify antidepressant users with a diagnosis of depression from prescription data

PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 1 2009
Helga Gardarsdottir PharmD
Abstract Purpose Antidepressants are used for many indications besides depression. This makes investigating depression treatment outcomes in prescription databases problematic when the indication is unknown. The aim of our study is to develop an algorithm to identify antidepressant drug users from prescription data that suffer from depression. Methods Data for deriving the algorithm were obtained from the Second Dutch National Survey of General Practice, carried out in 2001 by The Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), and for validation the Integrated Primary Care Information (IPCI) database was used. Both sets included adults receiving their first antidepressant drug in 2001 (n,=,1855 and 3321, respectively). The outcome was a registered diagnosis of depression. Covariates investigated for developing the algorithm were patient and prescribing characteristics, and co-medication. Results The predictive algorithm included age, SSRI prescribed on the index date, prescribed dose, general practitioner as prescriber and the number of antidepressant prescriptions prescribed plus medication for treating acid related disorders, laxatives, cardiac therapy or hypnotics/sedatives prescribed in the 6 months prior to index date. The probability that the algorithm correctly identified an antidepressant drug user as having a depression diagnosis was 79% with a sensitivity of 79.6% and a specificity of 66.9%. Conclusion In conclusion, we developed and validated an algorithm that can be used to compose cohorts of patients treated with antidepressants for depression from prescription databases. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]