BACKGROUND
Guidelines recommend nonstatin lipid-lowering agents in patients at very high risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) if low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) remains ≥70 mg/dL on maximum tolerated statin treatment. It is uncertain if this approach benefits patients with LDL-C near 70 mg/dL. Lipoprotein(a) levels may influence residual risk.
OBJECTIVES
In a post hoc analysis of the ODYSSEY Outcomes (Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcomes After an Acute Coronary Syndrome During Treatment With Alirocumab) trial, the authors evaluated the benefit of adding the proprotein subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor alirocumab to optimized statin treatment in patients with LDL-C levels near 70 mg/dL. Effects were evaluated according to concurrent lipoprotein(a) levels.
METHODS
ODYSSEY Outcomes compared alirocumab with placebo in 18,924 patients with recent acute coronary syndromes receiving optimized statin treatment. In 4,351 patients (23.0%), screening or randomization LDL-C was <70 mg/dL (median 69.4 mg/dL; interquartile range: 64.3–74.0 mg/dL); in 14,573 patients (77.0%), both determinations were ≥70 mg/dL (median 94.0 mg/dL; interquartile range: 83.2–111.0 mg/dL).
RESULTS
In the lower LDL-C subgroup, MACE rates were 4.2 and 3.1 per 100 patient-years among placebo-treated patients with baseline lipoprotein(a) greater than or less than or equal to the median (13.7 mg/dL). Corresponding adjusted treatment hazard ratios were 0.68 (95% confidence interval [Cl]: 0.52–0.90) and 1.11 (95% Cl: 0.83–1.49), with treatment-lipoprotein(a) interaction on MACE (
P
interaction
= 0.017). In the higher LDL-C subgroup, MACE rates were 4.7 and 3.8 per 100 patient-years among placebo-treated patients with lipoprotein(a) >13.7 mg/dL or ≤13.7 mg/dL; corresponding adjusted treatment hazard ratios were 0.82 (95% Cl: 0.72–0.92) and 0.89 (95% Cl: 0.75–1.06), with
P
interaction
= 0.43.
CONCLUSIONS
In patients with recent acute coronary syndromes and LDL-C near 70 mg/dL on optimized statin therapy, proprotein subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibition provides incremental clinical benefit only when lipoprotein(a) concentration is at least mildly elevated. (ODYSSEY Outcomes: Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcomes After an Acute Coronary Syndrome During Treatment With Alirocumab;
NCT01663402
)
The clinical features of patients with basal-cell carcinoma (BCC) living in temperate and tropical Australia were studied. In the temperate zone the patients were considerably older on average, men outnumbered women and there were differences between the sexes in the site of the prevalent BCC. In the tropics the patients were significantly younger on average, the male-to-female ratio approached unity and there were no differences between the sexes with regard to the site of the BCC.
IntroductionIn-line fluid warmers are an established treatment for delivering warmed intravenous (IV) fluid in the hospital setting. Recently their potential application within the pre-hospital setting has been highlighted to potentially reduce mortality and morbidity. Currently ambulance paramedics only administer warmed fluid to patients assessed as hypothermic, and this fluid is subject to further cooling on exposure to ambient environmental conditions. This review examined the peer-reviewed literature to determine the available evidence for in-line fluid warmer effectiveness and potential inclusion in pre-hospital emergency care.MethodsA review of the electronic literature, including the Medline and Ebscohost databases was conducted using the terms “intravenous fluid warmers” “hypothermia”, “ trauma”, “ fluid”, “coagulopathy”, “ acidosis”, “hypothermia and trauma patients”, “accidental hypothermia”, “lethal triad” and “trauma care”. Articles were included if they represented a study of in-line fluid warmers within the surgical, general hospital or pre-hospital emergency care settings. Articles not available in English or as full text were excluded.ResultsThe review identified 23 relevant articles for analysis. Of note, up to 40% of trauma patients with signs of hypoperfusion were reported to arrive at hospital in a hypothermic state post-incident. Hypothermia plays a significant role in contributing to the ‘triad of death’- a condition that results in poor patient outcomes and high mortality rates.ConclusionThis review identified that current pre-hospital practice does not prescribe warmed fluid to the normothermic trauma patient. The review also identified that there is a need for in-line fluid warmers in ambulance practice to prevent or limit hypothermia and reduce patient morbidity and mortality associated with trauma.
Squamous cell carcinoma (scc) of the skin was studied in two similar populations, one living in the temperate zone of Australia, the other living in the tropics. In the tropics, the patients were significantly younger, the man to woman ratio approached unity, and women had significantly more sccs on the legs. In the temperate zone, men had significantly more on the head and neck, but women had significantly more on the upper and lower limbs.
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