After the discontinuation of clopidogrel, the benefit of DES in reducing target vessel revascularization is maintained but has to be balanced against an increase in late cardiac death or nonfatal MI, possibly related to late stent thrombosis.

No abstract

In a medical ICU, serum calcitonin precursor concentrations are more sensitive and are specific markers of sepsis as compared with serum C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and lactate levels.

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Basel Cardiovascular Research Foundation, and B Braun Medical AG.

iNOS expression occurs in failing human cardiac myocytes and may be involved in the pathophysiology of DCM, IHD, and VHD.

In this study of patients with symptomatic heartfailure, metoprolol CR/XL improved survival, reduced the need for hospitalizations due to worsening heart failure, improved NYHA functional class, and had beneficial effects on patient well-being.

Although the 'intermediate' clinical profile of HFmrEF between HFrEF and HFpEF would support the conclusion that HFmrEF is a distinct clinical entity, we hypothesize that HFmrEF has to be categorized as HFrEF because of the high prevalence of coronary artery disease and the similar benefit of NT-proBNP-guided therapy in HFrEF and HFmrEF, in contrast to HFpEF.

guided by N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been proposed to improve outcome compared with conventional therapy in patients with chronic heart failure in some studies. [1][2][3][4] However, these studies were small (n = 69, 1 n = 220, 2 n=130 3 ), not conclusive, 3,4 had limited follow-up, focused on younger patients, 2,3 and/or have not yet been published in detail. 3,4 The concept of an intensified N-terminal BNP-guided therapy might be particularly attractive in older patients who are less physically active and in whom symptoms are less reliable, but they also may be more susceptible to drug-related adverse effects. Problems of heart failure increase with age. 5 Heart failure is the most common reason for hospitalization in patients aged 65 years or older. 6 Older patients are underrepresented in randomized controlled trials, 7 mainly be-For editorial comment see p 432.