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(Circulation. 2007;116:585.)
© 2007 American Heart Association, Inc.

Issue Highlights

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

	A DECADE OF SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES IN POST–CARDIAC SURGERY VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE IMPLANTATION: DATA FROM THE SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS’ NATIONAL CARDIAC DATABASE, by Hernandez et al.

 
In this issue of Circulation, Hernandez et al examined the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ National Cardiac Database to assess the trends in the incidence of post–cardiac surgery shock requiring ventricular assist device implantation, survival rates, and risk factors for mortality. During the period 1995–2004, a total of 5735 patients had a ventricular assist device placed (0.3% cardiac surgeries). Overall survival rate to discharge following ventricular assist device placement was 54.1%. Using the earliest period (January 1995–June 1997) for reference, the mortality odds ratio declined to 0.72 (July 1998–December 2000) and eventually to 0.41 (July 2002–December 2004) (P<0.0001). The combined mortality/morbidity odds ratio also declined, to 0.84 and 0.48 over identical periods (P<0.0001). After adjustment for clinical characteristics of patients requiring mechanical circulatory support, the rates of survival to hospital discharge improved, and based upon these results, it can be concluded that the insertion of a ventricular assist device for post–cardiac surgery shock could be an important therapeutic intervention for these patients. See p 606 (editorial p 586).

	STATIN USE IN PATIENTS WITH EXTREMELY LOW LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN LEVELS IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED SURVIVAL, by Leeper et al.

 
Emerging randomized controlled studies support the lowering of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels to <70 mg/dL among patients with coronary heart disease, yet a plateau effect has not yet been found. In this issue of Circulation, Leeper et al provide important observational data that evaluate the safety and efficacy of statin therapy among more than 6000 high-risk patients with an LDL level <60 mg/dL. Mortality outcomes were assessed among subgroups of patients already on statins at . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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