Editor’s key points † B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a marker of left ventricular systolic dysfunction. † This study confirmed an association between elevated preoperative BNP and perioperative major adverse cardiac events. † The optimum cut-off value for identifying patients at risk of postoperative adverse outcomes remains unclear. Background. The prediction of long-term survival after s...

Abstract Background and Aims Despite its advantages, haemodialysis (HD) is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality morbidity, some studies reporting 48% higher within 2 years of starting HD. Currently, there are no established prognostic models to stratify risk in incident Cardiac biomarkers provide insight into cardiac structure function, including myocyte injury, stress, inflammati...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE It is not known whether racial or ethnic disparities observed with other revascularization procedures are also seen with carotid artery stenting (CAS) and endarterectomy (CEA). METHODS We compared the utilization and outcomes of CAS and CEA across racial/ethnic groups within the CARE Registry between May 2007 and December 2012. RESULTS Between 2007 and 2012, of the 13...

BACKGROUND The optimal initial noninvasive diagnostic testing strategy for stable coronary artery disease (CAD) is unknown. Although American guidelines recommend an exercise stress test as the first-line test, European guidelines suggest that stress imaging (myocardial perfusion imaging or stress echocardiography) or coronary computed tomography angiography may be preferable. Understanding the...

OBJECTIVES Carotid artery stenting is an emerging revascularization alternative to carotid endarterectomy. However, guidelines have recommended carotid artery stenting only if the rate of periprocedural stroke or death is < 6% among symptomatic patients and < 3% among asymptomatic patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare clinical outcomes of symptomatic and asymptomatic patien...

BACKGROUND Data regarding sex-based outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for myocardial infarction are mixed. We sought to examine whether sex differences in outcomes exist in contemporary practice. METHODS AND RESULTS We examined acute myocardial infarction patients undergoing PCI between April 2010 and October 2012 at 210 US hospitals participating in the Treatment with A...

Who could disagree with the seemingly common-sense reasoning that: “We must learn from the things that go wrong.”? Despite major investments to improve patient safety, relatively few evaluations demonstrate convincing reductions in risk, harm, serious error or death. This disappointing trajectory of improvement from learning from errors or Safety-I as it is sometimes known has led some research...