Circulation. 2005;112:1081
(Circulation. 2005;112:1081.)
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.
Issue Highlights
 |
CCL2 POLYMORPHISMS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SERUM MONOCYTE CHEMOATTRACTANT PROTEIN-1 LEVELS AND MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IN THE FRAMINGHAM HEART STUDY, by McDermott et al.
|
|---|
Chemokines are chemoattractants that help direct leukocytes
from circulating blood to sites of inflammation. Previous animal
studies suggest that the chemokine monocyte chemotactic protein-1
(MCP-1) plays an early and critical role in the pathogenesis
of atherosclerosis. Based on analysis of the Framingham Offspring
Study cohort, McDermott and colleagues now report that individuals
with a specific genetic variant in the MCP-1 gene have higher
serum levels of MCP-1 and are twice as likely to have had a
myocardial infarction (odds ratio 2.0). These findings provide
strong support for the importance of MCP-1 in the development
and clinical expression of atherosclerosis in humans and suggest
that MCP-1 might be a therapeutic target. See p
1113.
 |
ANEMIA AND CHANGE IN HEMOGLOBIN OVER TIME RELATED TO MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE: RESULTS FROM VAL-HEFT, by Anand et al.
|
|---|
Cardiovascular function in anemia has been studied extensively
in humans as well as in experimental animals. In severe chronic
anemia, cardiac output is increased and vascular resistance
is decreased, setting the basis for a state of hyperdynamic
circulation, and eventually, "high-output failure." Anemia may
exacerbate preexisting heart failure, and it has been shown
that it is associated with worse symptoms, increased mortality
rate, and increased hospitalization rate in patients with congestive
heart failure. In their study, Anand et al investigated the
prognostic significance not only of the hemoglobin level but
also of changes in hemoglobin level over time. They retrospectively
analyzed more than 5000 patients who participated in the Val-HeFT
trial and followed up for 3 years. They confirmed that lower
hemoglobin levels are associated with increased risk of morbidity
and mortality and demonstrated that hemoglobin decrease over
time is associated with higher risk. What is important is that
an increase in hemoglobin may not be associated with a decrease
in risk compared with no change. It seems that hemoglobin level
in the normal range might be ideal to reduce the risk in these
patients. Multiple mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis
of anemia in heart failure, and more studies are necessary to
assess the potential benefit of correcting anemia in this condition.
See p
1121.
 |
VOLUME-OUTCOME RELATIONSHIPS FOR PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTIONS IN THE STENT ERA, by Hannan et al.
|
|---|
In the stent era, percutaneous coronary artery revascularization
procedures are being performed with increasing frequency on
more complex lesions in patients with significant comorbities.
Patient and clinician demand for these procedures has extended
both the number of cardiac catheterization laboratories able
to offer them and the number of operators who perform these
procedures. Concomitant with this expansion of services, investigators
have identified annual hospital volume and operator volume as
2 criteria that serve as performance benchmarks. In this issue
of Circulation, Hannan et al utilize these criteria to examine
percutaneous coronary artery intervention volume-outcome relationships.
In addition, they determine the influence of both hospital and
operator volume on in-hospital mortality and same-day and same-stay
coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. See p
1171.
Visit http://www.circ.ahajournals.org:
 |
Images in Cardiovascular Medicine
|
|---|
"Stokes-Adams Epilepsy": Sometimes We Need the Electroencephalogram.
See p
e101.
Cardiac Hemangioma. See p e103.
Giant Coronary Aneurysm Formation After Sirolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation in Kawasaki Disease. See p e105.
 |
Correspondence
|
|---|
See p
e108.
Related Articles:
-
CCL2 Polymorphisms Are Associated With Serum Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 Levels and Myocardial Infarction in the Framingham Heart Study
- David H. McDermott, Qiong Yang, Sekar Kathiresan, L. Adrienne Cupples, Joseph M. Massaro, John F. Keaney, Jr, Martin G. Larson, Ramachandran S. Vasan, Joel N. Hirschhorn, Christopher J. ODonnell, Philip M. Murphy, and Emelia J. Benjamin
Circulation 2005 112: 1113-1120.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
"Stokes-Adams Epilepsy": Sometimes We Need the Electroencephalogram
- Óscar Díaz-Castro, Pedro Orizaola, Sofía Vázquez, Carina González-Ríos, Mónica Pardo, Jesus A. Fernández-Lopez, and Dolores Escriche
Circulation 2005 112: e101-e102.
[Extract]
[Full Text]
-
Cardiac Hemangioma
- Stephane Moniotte, Tal Geva, Antonio Perez-Atayde, David R. Fulton, Frank A. Pigula, and Andrew J. Powell
Circulation 2005 112: e103-e104.
[Extract]
[Full Text]
-
Giant Coronary Aneurysm Formation After Sirolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation in Kawasaki Disease
- Steven Siu-Lung Li, Boron Cheung-wah Cheng, and Shuk-han Lee
Circulation 2005 112: e105-e107.
[Extract]
[Full Text]
-
Letter Regarding Article by Winkler et al, "Platelet-Activating Factor Acetylhydrolase Activity Indicates Angiographic Coronary Artery Disease Independently of Systemic Inflammation and Other Risk Factors: The Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study" Response
- Ewa Ninio, Karl Winkler, Michael M. Hoffmann, Andrea Busse Grawitz, Markus Nauck, Bernhard R. Winkelmann, Hubert Scharnagl, Winfried März, and Bernhard O. Böhm
Circulation 2005 112: e108-e109.
[Extract]
[Full Text]
-
Anemia and Change in Hemoglobin Over Time Related to Mortality and Morbidity in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure: Results From Val-HeFT
- Inder S. Anand, Michael A. Kuskowski, Thomas S. Rector, Viorel G. Florea, Robert D. Glazer, Allen Hester, Yann Tong Chiang, Nora Aknay, Aldo P. Maggioni, Cristina Opasich, Roberto Latini, Jay N. Cohn for the Val-HeFT Investigators
Circulation 2005 112: 1121-1127.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
-
Volume-Outcome Relationships for Percutaneous Coronary Interventions in the Stent Era
- Edward L. Hannan, Chuntao Wu, Gary Walford, Spencer B. King, III, David R. Holmes, Jr, John A. Ambrose, Samin Sharma, Stanley Katz, Luther T. Clark, and Robert H. Jones
Circulation 2005 112: 1171-1179.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]