Comparison of Various Strategies for the Prognosis and Outcomes of Ischaemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Smokers: Complete Revascularisation and Smoking Cessation Produces a Superior Outcome.

BACKGROUND: Various therapies have been used to improve the symptoms and prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease. However, comparative studies showing more suitable choices for patients with ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) and who smoke cigarettes are lacking. METHODS: A total of 338 patients were divided into four groups according to whether they received complete revascularisation (CR), and/or underwent smoking cessation (SC). They were followed prospectively for 12 months. The major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs: all-cause mortality, non-fatal MI, non-fatal stroke, repeat revascularisation, and AHF) were the primary endpoint, and decompensation necessitating hospitalisation and the combined endpoint thereof were secondary endpoints. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 12 months, the prevalence of MACCEs was significantly lower in patients receiving CR plus SC (CRSC) than in patients receiving CR only (CR), SC only (SC), and neither R nor SC (NoRSC) (CRSC 4.4% vs. CR 11.9, p<0.05; vs. SC 26.5%, p<0.001; vs. NoRSC 34.5%, p<0.001, respectively). At 12 months, CR plus SC induced the greatest clinical benefits of the secondary outcomes in the CRSC group (49.1% relative increase in LVEF; 89.8% decrease in NT-proBNP level; 30.9% decrease in LVEDD; 38.3% decrease in LVESD; 51.4% decrease in LVEDVi; 51.2% decrease in LVESVi; 96.4% decrease in hs-cTnT level; 93.5% decrease in CK-MB level; 91.1% decrease in hs-CRP level; 94.0% decrease in IL-6 level; 1.9-fold increase in eNOS level; 1.8-fold increase in NO level; 1.3-fold increase in NOS level, all p<0.001). Absence of revascularisation brought about fewer benefits, and those who continued smoking had worse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of CR and SC could be an optimal therapeutic regimen for patients with IDCM who smoke because it improves myocardial blood perfusion and endothelial function.

Borderline Pathological Celebrity Worship and Impulsive Buying Intent: Mediating and Moderating Roles of Empathy and Gender.

The present study constructed a moderated mediation model to examine whether borderline pathological celebrity worship may be associated with higher levels of impulsive buying intent. The mediating role of empathy and the moderating role of gender were also examined. A total of 1,319 participants recruited from a college through the campus network. The results indicated that (1) borderline pathological celebrity worship could positively predict individuals' impulsive buying intent; (2) the predictive effect of borderline pathological celebrity worship on impulsive buying intent could be mediated by empathy; and (3) gender moderated the predictive effect of borderline pathological celebrity worship on impulsive buying intent. Specifically, relatively higher levels of borderline pathological celebrity worship were found to be associated with higher impulsive buying intent among men. However, this was relatively less significant among women. Conclusion: The results contribute to previous findings by demonstrating that borderline pathological celebrity worship could affect impulsive buying intent. Moreover, the mediating role of empathy and the moderating role of gender were also revealed.