Peak oxygen consumption and the minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production relation slope in morbidly obese men and women: influence of subject effort and body mass index.

The authors evaluated the minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production relation (VE/VCO2 slope) as a complementary measure to peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2) in 76 patients (mean +/- SD age = 44.3+/-10.8 years, 69.7% female) with morbid obesity (mean +/- SD body mass index [BMI] = 49.4+/-7.0 kg/m(2)), as it is not limited by effort. Nearly one-half (43%) of the patients achieved a peak respiratory exchange ratio <1.10. Mean peak VO2 and VE/VCO2 slope were 17.0+/-3.7 mL/kg/min and 27.8+/-4.0, respectively. Peak VO2 correlated with BMI (r=-0.45, P<.0001), while VE/VCO2 slope did not (r=-0.04, P=.73). There was a linear trend for declining mean peak VO2 (P=.001) but not for VE /VCO2 slope (P=.59) with increasing BMI quintiles. The VE/VCO2 slope is an effort-independent measure that is also independent of BMI and may serve as an adjunctive cardiorespiratory variable when evaluating morbidly obese men and women.

Cardiorespiratory fitness and short-term complications after bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Morbid obesity is associated with reduced functional capacity, multiple comorbidities, and higher overall mortality. The relationship between complications after bariatric surgery and preoperative cardiorespiratory fitness has not been previously studied. METHODS: We evaluated cardiorespiratory fitness in 109 patients with morbid obesity prior to laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Charts were abstracted using a case report form by reviewers blinded to the cardiorespiratory evaluation results. RESULTS: The mean age (+/- SD) was 46.0 +/- 10.4 years, and 82 patients (75.2%) were female. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 48.7 +/- 7.2 (range, 36.0 to 90.0 kg/m(2)). The composite complication rate, defined as death, unstable angina, myocardial infarction, venous thromboembolism, renal failure, or stroke, occurred in 6 of 37 patients (16.6%) and 2 of 72 patients (2.8%) with peak oxygen consumption (Vo(2)) levels < 15.8 mL/kg/min or > 15.8 mL/kg/min (lowest tertile), respectively (p = 0.02). Hospital lengths of stay and 30-day readmission rates were highest in the lowest tertile of peak Vo(2) (p = 0.005). There were no complications in those with BMI < 45 kg/m(2) or peak Vo(2) > or= 15.8 mL/kg/min. Multivariate analysis adjusting for age and gender found peak Vo(2) was a significant predictor of complications: odds ratio, 1.61 (per unit decrease); 95% confidence interval, 1.19 to 2.18 (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Reduced cardiorespiratory fitness levels were associated with increased, short-term complications after bariatric surgery. Cardiorespiratory fitness should be optimized prior to bariatric surgery to potentially reduce postoperative complications.

Caloric expenditure in the morbidly obese using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Total caloric expenditure is the sum of resting energy expenditure (REE) and caloric expenditure during physical activity. In this study, we examined total caloric expenditure in 25 morbidly obese patients (body mass index>or=35 kg/m(2)) using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning and cardiorespiratory exercise testing. Our results show average REE for all individuals was 2027+/-276 kcal/d and mean net caloric expenditure during 30 min of exercise was 115+/-16 kcals. Assuming the mean of all input values, a strict 1500 kcal/d diet combined with 150 min per wk of structured physical activity, the projected weight change was -7% (8.8+/-6.2 kg) for 6 mo. We conclude that morbidly obese individuals should be able to achieve only a modest weight loss by following minimal national guidelines. These data suggest that more aggressive energy expenditure and caloric restriction targets for long periods of time are needed to result in significant weight loss in this population.

Confirmation of a heart failure epidemic: findings from the Resource Utilization Among Congestive Heart Failure (REACH) study.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to create an automated surveillance tool for reporting the incidence, prevalence and processes of care for patients with heart failure. BACKGROUND: Previous epidemiologic studies suggest that the increasing prevalence of heart failure is a consequence of improved survival coupled with minimal changes in disease prevention. Developing new, efficient methods of assessing the incidence and prevalence of heart failure could allow continued surveillance of these rates during an era of rapidly changing treatments and health care delivery patterns. METHODS: Using administrative data sets, we created a definition of heart failure using diagnosis codes. After adjustment for patients leaving our health system or death, we derived the incidence, prevalence and mortality of the population with heart failure from 1989 to 1999. RESULTS: A total of 29,686 patients of all ages, 52.6% women and 47.4% men, met the definition of heart failure. Mean ages were 71.1 +/- 14.5 for women and 67.7 +/- 14.4 for men, p < 0.0001. Race proportions were 50.5% white, 44.6% African American and 4.9% other race. Incidence rates were higher in men and African Americans across all age groups. There was an annual increase in prevalence of 1/1,000 for women and 0.9/1,000 for men, p = 0.001 for both trends. CONCLUSIONS: Through the feasible and valid use of automated data, we have confirmed a chronic disease epidemic of heart failure manifested primarily by an increase in prevalence over the past decade. Our surveillance system mirrors the results of epidemiologic studies and may be a valid method for monitoring the impact of prevention and treatment programs.

Evaluation of an emergency department-based enrollment program for uninsured children.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We evaluate the effectiveness of an emergency department (ED)-based outreach program in increasing the enrollment of uninsured children. METHODS: The study involved placing a full-time worker trained to enroll uninsured children into Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program in an inner-city academic children's hospital ED. Analysis was carried out for outpatient ED visits by insurance status, average revenue per patient from uninsured and insured children, proportion of patients enrolled in Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program through this program, estimated incremental revenue from new enrollees, and program-specific incremental costs. A cost-benefit analysis and breakeven analysis was conducted to determine the impact of this intervention on ED revenues. RESULTS: Five thousand ninety-four uninsured children were treated during the 10 consecutive months assessed, and 4,667 were treated during program hours. One thousand eight hundred and three applications were filed, giving a program penetration rate of 39%. Eighty-four percent of applications filed were resolved (67% of these were Medicaid). Average revenue from each outpatient ED visit for Medicaid was US135.68 dollars, other insurance was US210.43 dollars, and uninsured was US15.03 dollars. Estimated incremental revenue for each uninsured patient converted to Medicaid was US120.65 dollars. Total annualized incremental revenue was US224,474 dollars, and the net incremental revenue, after accounting for program costs, was US157,414 dollars per year. CONCLUSION: A program enrolling uninsured children at an inner-city pediatric ED into government insurance was effective and generated revenue that paid for program costs.

Outcomes and prognostic factors of systolic as compared with diastolic heart failure in urban America.

We sought to describe a large heart failure (HF) population with respect to systolic and diastolic abnormalities in terms of demographics, echocardiographic parameters, and survival. Using data abstracted from the Resource Utilization Among Congestive Heart Failure (REACH) study, a targeted subpopulation of 3471 patients had electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and clinical data taken from automated sources during the first year of diagnosis. Among the HF population, 1811 (52.2%) had diastolic HF. Prevalence of diastolic HF trended with age, from 46.4% in those less than 45 years to 58.7% in those 85 years or older (p=0.001 for trend). Patients with diastolic HF had a higher mean ejection fraction (55.7% vs. 28.0%), lower left ventricular end-systolic diameter (3.11 vs. 4.74 cm), and lower left atrium:aortic outlet ratio (1.28 vs. 1.38) (p=0.001 for each comparison). Annualized age, sex, and race-adjusted mortality were 11.2% and 13.0% for those with diastolic and systolic HF, respectively (p=0.001). In a large, racially mixed, urban HF population, those with diastolic HF predominate and enjoy better-adjusted survival than counterparts with systolic HF.

Bundle branch block patterns, age, renal dysfunction, and heart failure mortality.

BACKGROUND: The determinants of bundle block patterns and their relationship to mortality in heart failure patients is not completely understood. METHODS: We evaluated 2907 consecutive patients admitted to an intensive care unit with decompensated heart failure over 8 years. Clinical and echocardiographic factors were analyzed using multivariate techniques. All-cause mortality was available on greater than 99.0% of patients at a median of 23 months after discharge. RESULTS: Right and left bundle branch blocks occurred in 211 (7.3%) and 386 (13.2%), p<0.0001. Older age, decreased left ventricular ejection fraction, and renal dysfunction were all found to be independently associated with bundle branch block patterns. Mortality rates for the subgroups of QRS<120 ms, right bundle branch block and left bundle branch block, over a mean follow-up of 23.4+/-2.6 months were 46.1%, 56.8% and 57.7%, p<0.0001 for comparison of QRS<120 ms versus either bundle pattern. Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for age, sex, ejection fraction, and renal function demonstrated graded decrements in survival in those with QRS<120 ms, right bundle branch block and left bundle branch block, p=0.03. CONCLUSIONS: In patients hospitalized with severe heart failure, age, left ventricular dysfunction, and renal dysfunction are associated with bundle branch block patterns. When controlling for these factors, bundle branch block patterns are independently associated with slightly higher all cause mortality after discharge.

Changes in B-type natriuretic peptide levels in hemodialysis and the effect of depressed left ventricular function.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac neurohormone specifically secreted by the cardiac ventricles in response to volume expansion, pressure overload, and resultant increased wall tension. Previous research has shown elevated BNP levels in patients with volume overload caused by end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This pilot study was designed to describe the relative reduction in BNP that occurs as a result of hemodialysis (HD) in relation to baseline left ventricular function. Hemodialysis patients (n = 34) with ESRD were enrolled in a prospective manner. All patients had blinded serum BNP levels measured at the initiation and termination of HD. Levels of BNP were also measured in the dialysate and any residual urine, if available. In addition, monthly urea reduction ratio (URR) and Kt/V were obtained. The most recent measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by any method was obtained from chart review. The BNP reduction ratio (BNPRR) was calculated by the following expression: pre-BNP-post-BNP/pre-BNP. The mean age was 50.8 years, 50.0% were male, and 55.9% were African American. A mean of 3239.4 mL of fluid was removed during HD. The mean pre-BNP, post-BNP, and change in BNP were 556.3 +/- 451.5 pg/mL, 538.6 +/- 488.3 pg/mL, and -17.6 +/-147.0 pg/mL. Of the 27 patients who had both pre-BNP and post-BNP values in the measurable range (< 1,300 pg/mL), BNP rose in 9 (33.3%) and fell in 18 (66.7%). The BNPRR had the following correlations: volume removed, r = -0.33, P = .07; Kt/V, r = -0.51, P = .01; URR, r = -0.34, P = .09; and change in body weight, r = -0.33, P = .07. The BNPRR was not correlated with time on dialysis or change in blood pressure. A total of 20 patients had LVEF recorded and post-BNP levels in the measurable range. For this group, the BNPRR values stratified by lowest to highest LVEF group were 4.6%, 19.1%, and 21.8%; P = .95 for trend. The BNP values were elevated in ESRD patients and decreased slightly during HD. This change was more pronounced in patients with normal or mildly impaired LVEF. The BNPRR correlated with the volume removed, change in body weight, and Kt/V. Future research with the BNPRR as a potential marker of the adequacy of volume removal in HD is warranted.

Substantial weight gain during adulthood: the road to bariatric surgery.

We sought to examine the relationship of body mass index (BMI) at age 18 years with the degree and rate of rise in body weight during adulthood among the morbidly obese. We evaluated 196 patients with a standard medical history form and a structured interview with questions regarding weight at age 18 years. The study included 40 (20.4%) men and 156 (79.6%) women. The mean BMI was 50.2+/-8.0 kg/m2, range 37.0-80.0 kg/m2. Based on self-reported weight, 133 (67.9%) were overweight/obese (BMI >25 kg/m2) and 68 (34.7%) were obese (BMI > or =30 kg/m2) at age 18 years. The distribution of cumulative weight gain was normal with a mean of 60.8+/-23.7 kg. There was a positive relationship (r=0.36, p<0.0001) between BMI at age 18 years and BMI in adulthood at a mean of 44+/-10.6 years. Independent predictors for cumulative adult weight gain were BMI at age 18 years (p<0.0001); women (p<0.0001); African Americans (p=0.05). These data suggest that modestly overweight young adults can have excessive weight gains during adult life, resulting in morbid obesity and high rates of obesity-related comorbidities.

Emergency evaluation of chest pain in patients with advanced kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Increased rates of myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmias, and death occur in patients with chronic kidney disease. We sought to evaluate the processes of care and outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease presenting to an emergency department with chest discomfort. METHODS: We enrolled 817 consecutive patients who underwent evaluation for a possible acute myocardial infarction in a prospective study of cardiac biomarkers. Renal dysfunction did not exclude patients from this study, and baseline renal function and 30-day outcomes were available in 808. Patients were stratified by corrected creatinine clearance rate into quartiles, with those undergoing dialysis (n = 51) as a fifth comparison group. RESULTS: Those patients with advanced renal dysfunction (corrected creatinine clearance rate, <47.0 mL/min [<0.8 mL/s] per 72 kg) or who underwent dialysis had higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, and prior coronary disease. More than 99% of all patients were admitted to a chest pain observation unit or to the hospital. Rates of stress testing were lower as renal dysfunction worsened. Rates of revascularization, however, were similar for all groups. The most frequent in-hospital complication was the development of heart failure, which occurred in 36.5% of those with a corrected creatinine clearance rate of less than 47.0 mL/min per 72 kg. At 30 days, this group had the highest rates of cumulative myocardial infarction, development of heart failure, and death (40.2%). CONCLUSION: Chronic kidney disease is a marker for in-hospital and 30-day outcomes in patients presenting to the emergency department with chest discomfort.

Relationship between obesity and B-type natriuretic peptide levels.

BACKGROUND: The relationships among B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels, body mass index (BMI), and congestive heart failure (CHF) as an emergency diagnosis are unknown. METHODS: Of 1586 participants in the Breathing Not Properly Multinational Study who had acute dyspnea, 1369 (86.3%) had BNP values and self-reported height and weight. Two independent cardiologists masked to the BNP results adjudicated the final diagnosis. RESULTS: Congestive heart failure was found in 46% of participants. Individuals with higher BMIs were younger and had more frequent edema on examination but were equally as likely to have CHF vs noncardiac sources of dyspnea. A nearly 3-fold difference was seen in mean +/- SD BNP values at the low and high extremes of the BMI groupings (516.7 +/- 505.9 vs 176.3 +/- 270.5 pg/mL, respectively; P< .001). The correlations between BMI and log BNP among those with and without CHF were r = -0.34 and r = -0.21, respectively (P< .001 for both). Multivariate analysis for the outcome of log BNP among a small subset with CHF (n = 62) found that Framingham score (P = .002), estimated glomerular filtration rate (P = .007), female sex (P = .03), New York Heart Association functional class (P = .09), and third heart sound (P = .08) were independent predictors. However, BMI was not found to be independently related to log BNP (P = .59). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with and without CHF, BNP levels are inversely related to BMI. When considering demographics, severity of disease, and renal function, BMI is not independently related to BNP levels in a small subgroup when detailed information about CHF severity is known.

Benefits of aspirin and beta-blockade after myocardial infarction in patients with chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: There have been no randomized trials of cardioprotective therapy after acute myocardial infarction in patients with chronic kidney disease who should be largely eligible for aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid; ASA) and beta-blockers (BB) as a base of therapy. METHODS: We analyzed a prospective coronary care unit registry of 1724 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. RESULTS: Usage rates were 52.3%, 19.0%, 15.2%, and 13.5% for ASA and BB (ASA+BB), BB alone, ASA alone, and no ASA or BB therapy. Patients who received ASA+BB were more likely to be male, free of earlier cardiac disease, and recipients of thrombolysis. Conversely, the absence of ASA+BB was observed in patients with heart failure on admission, left bundle branch block, atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, and shock. The combination of ASA+BB was used in 63.9%, 55.8%, 48.2%, and 35.5% of patients with corrected creatinine clearance values of >81.5, 81.5 to 63.1, 63.1 to 46.2, and <46.2 mL/min/72 kg (P <.0001). ASA+BB was used in 40.4% of patients undergoing dialysis. The age-adjusted relative risk reduction for the inhospital mortality rate was similar among all renal groups and ranged from 64.3% to 80.0% (all P <.0001). CONCLUSION: ASA+BB is an underused therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction who have underlying kidney disease.

The independent association of renal dysfunction and arrhythmias in critically ill patients.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to quantify the impact of baseline renal dysfunction on incidence and occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias in the coronary ICU. BACKGROUND: Renal dysfunction is an established predictor of all-cause mortality in the ICU setting. We set out to evaluate the independent contributory effect of renal dysfunction to arrhythmias and mortality in this population. DESIGN AND SETTING: We analyzed a prospective coronary care unit registry of 12,648 admissions by 9,557 patients over 8 years at a single, tertiary center. An admission serum creatinine level was available for 9,544 patients. Those patients not receiving long-term dialysis were classified into quartiles of corrected creatinine clearance with cutpoints of 46.2 mL/min/72 kg (group 1), 63.1 mL/min/72 kg, and 81.5 mL/min/72 kg. Dialysis patients (n = 527) were considered as a fifth comparison group (group 5). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Baseline characteristics including older age, African-American race, diabetes, hypertension, history of previous coronary disease, and heart failure were incrementally more common with increasing renal dysfunction strata. There were graded, independent increased risks for accelerated idioventricular rhythm (relative risk [RR], 2.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.40 to 4.20; p = 0.002), sustained ventricular tachycardia (RR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.02 to 4.22; p = 0.04), ventricular fibrillation (RR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.13 to 5.15; p = 0.02), and complete heart block (RR, 3.64; 95% CI, 1.77 to 7.48; p = 0.0004, group 5 vs group 1). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that baseline renal function is a powerful, independent predictor of cardiac arrhythmias in the coronary ICU population.

Congestive heart failure and QRS duration: establishing prognosis study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: There is a lack of epidemiologic information about duration of QRS complex in the general heart failure population. We sought to describe age, sex, and clinical subset specific prevalence of QRS prolongation in this population. METHODS: Data were abstracted from the Resource Utilization Among Congestive Heart Failure Study, which identified 29,686 patients with heart failure from a large, mixed-model managed-care organization during 1989 to 1999. A target population of 3,471 had echocardiographic data and ECG data obtained from automated sources during the first year of diagnosis. Systolic dysfunction was defined as heart failure plus a left ventricular ejection fraction < 45%. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Among the heart failure population, 20.8% of the subjects had a QRS duration > or = 120 ms. A total of 425 men (24.7%) and 296 women (16.9%) had a prolonged QRS duration (p < 0.01). There was a linear relationship between increased QRS duration and decreased ejection fraction (p < 0.01). A prolonged QRS duration of 120 to 149 ms demonstrated increased mortality at 60 months (p = 0.001), when adjusted for age, sex, and race (p = 0.001). Systolic dysfunction was associated with graded increases in mortality across ascending levels of QRS prolongation. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 20% of a generalized heart failure population can be expected to have a prolonged QRS duration within the first year of diagnosis, suggesting that as many as 20% of patients with heart failure may be candidates for biventricular pacing.

Epidemiology of contrast-induced nephropathy.

Decreasing levels of renal function act as a major adverse prognostic factor after contrast exposure with or without percutaneous coronary intervention. In chronic kidney disease, the most important risk factor for the development of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is an estimated glomerular filtration rate

Sorting out the evidence on natriuretic peptides.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac neurohormone released as pre-proBNP and then enzymatically cleaved to the N-terminal-proBNP (NT-proBNP) and BNP upon ventricular myocyte stretch. Blood measurements of BNP and NT-proBNP have been used to identify patients with heart failure (HF). Clinical considerations for these tests include their half-lives in plasma, dependence on renal function for clearance, interpretation of their units of measure, and the rapid availability of the test results. The BNP assay is currently used as a diagnostic and prognostic aid in HF and as a prognostic marker in acute coronary syndromes (ACS). In general, a BNP level less than 100 pg/mL excludes acutely decompensated HF. In the absence of renal dysfunction, NT-proBNP has also been shown to be of diagnostic value in HF, related to HF severity, predictive of sudden death, and prognostic for death in ACS. This article will sort out the literature concerning the use of these peptides in a variety of clinical scenarios.

Ximelagatran: a novel oral direct thrombin inhibitor for long-term anticoagulation.

The ideal anticoagulant agent would have a fixed oral dose without need for dose adjustment, a wider therapeutic window than that of warfarin, and acceptable bleeding risks without the need for routine coagulation monitoring. Ximelagatran is a new oral agent that, when converted to its active form, melagatran, directly inhibits thrombin, thus blocking its activity and modulating several of its key functions. For the prevention of venous thromboembolism after orthopedic surgery, treatment of venous thromboembolism, and prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, clinical trials indicate that ximelagatran meets the criteria for a superior anticoagulant.

Determinants of coronary vascular calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Vascular calcification (VC) is a recognized process involved in senescence and atherosclerosis. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are conditions associated with metabolic disorders related to soft tissue calcification. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of the literature confined to patients with CKD or ESRD with clinical observations of VC. Case reports of calciphylaxis were excluded. We identified 30 studies over 20 years: 11 prospective cohort, 7 cross-sectional, 11 case-control, and 1 retrospective cohort; n = 2918 subjects, mean age 51 years, 59% men and 41% women. Imaging methods used included: x-ray 43%, computed tomography 30%, ultrasound 17%, and other methods 10%. RESULTS: The most consistent determinants of VC were older age and dialysis vintage. Eight analyses determined a relationship between VC and measures of calcium-phosphate balance while 20 analyses specifically did not find such a relationship. Three studies suggested the degree of calcium loading, treatment with phosphate binders, or treatment with vitamin D analogues were related to VC. When taken into consideration, the lipid profile (primarily low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, elevated low-density lipoprotein, and elevated total cholesterol) were predictive factors in four analyses. CONCLUSIONS: VC is a common observation in CKD and ESRD and is mainly related to age, length of time on dialysis therapy, and possibly dyslipidemia. The calcium-phosphorus balance and its related treatments are likely not related to this unique form of vascular calcification. Further research into the determinants and potential treatments for vascular calcification is warranted.

Performance of multiple cardiac biomarkers measured in the emergency department in patients with chronic kidney disease and chest pain.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the individual components of a cardiac multimarker panel in the detection of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with chest pain across a spectrum of renal dysfunction. METHODS: A total of 817 consecutive patients evaluated for a possible AMI in the emergency department (ED) enrolled in a prospective study of cardiac biomarkers assessed using a point-of-care device with myoglobin (MYO), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and creatine kinase myocardial band (CK-MB), recorded at 0, 1.5, 3, and 9 hours. This study did not exclude patients on the basis of renal dysfunction. Baseline renal function was available in 808 patients. Patients were stratified by corrected creatinine clearance (CorrCrCl) into quartiles, and those on dialysis (n = 51) were considered as a fifth comparison group. Those patients with advanced renal dysfunction (CorrCrCl < 47/mL/min/72 kg) or on dialysis had higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, and prior coronary disease. Agreement for the diagnosis of AMI was required of two independent cardiologists using criteria based on history, electrocardiogram, and central laboratory assessment of serial cardiac markers. RESULTS: More than 99% of all patients were admitted to a chest pain observation unit or the hospital. Mean MYO levels were elevated in the presence of renal dysfunction in those with and without myocardial infarction. Both MYO and CK-MB were correlated with CorrCrCl, (r = -0.36, p < 0.01, and r = -0.10, p = 0.01, respectively), while cTnI was not (r = -0.10, p = 0.12). Using multiple receiver operating characteristic curve testing, cTnI was found to be the most consistent marker across all strata of renal dysfunction, including end-stage renal disease on dialysis. The authors did not find a trend for false-positive cTnI and renal dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: A point-of-care, rapid cardiac biomarker strategy utilizing cTnI is applicable and superior to MYO or CK-MB in the evaluation of chest pain in patients with renal dysfunction.

Mortality benefit of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors after cardiac events in patients with end-stage renal disease.

UNLABELLED: HYPOTHESIS/INTRODUCTION: The risks and benefits of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) after cardiac events are unknown. We sought to determine the independent effect of ACE inhibitors (ACE-I) on long-term mortality in ESRD patients after cardiac events. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analysed a prospective coronary care unit registry and identified 527 ESRD patients, 368 with complete data on medications prescribed, over eight years at a single, tertiary centre. RESULTS: The overall mean age was 64.4+13.8 years with 54.9% men, and 59.2% African-American. A total of 143/386 (37.0%) were prescribed ACE-I during the hospital stay for cardiac reasons, including congestive heart failure (CHF) 52.8% and acute coronary syndromes (ACS) 47.2%. There were no significant differences in the rates of hypotension or arrhythmias in those who were treated with ACE-I versus those who were not. Survival analysis over three years, adjusted for known confounders, demonstrated a 37% reduction in all-cause mortality in those who received ACE-I, (p=0.0145). CONCLUSIONS: In the setting of coronary care unit admission for CHF and ACS, ESRD patients selected for ACE-I, did not have increased rates of adverse haemodynamic or arrhythmic complications. The use of ACE-I conferred an independent mortality reduction over long-term follow-up.