Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: Are Results Maintained at 5 Years of Follow-Up? Weerasooriya R, Khairy P, Litalien J, et al.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2011;57:160-166.
Study Question: What is the long-term efficacy of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of atrial fibrillation (AF)?
Ticagrelor Versus Clopidogrel in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: Results From the PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) Trial
Held C, Åsenblad N, Bassand JP, et al.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2011;Dec 29:[Epub ahead of print].
Study Question: What is the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor and clopidogrel in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG)?
Cardiac Outcomes After Pregnancy in Women With Congenital Heart Disease
Balint OH, Siu S, Mason J, et al.
Heart 2010; 96:1656-1661.
Study Question: What are the frequency and determinants of late cardiac events (LCEs) after pregnancy in women with congenital heart disease?
“Do GRACE (Global Registry of Acute Coronary events) risk scores still maintain their performance for predicting mortality in the era of contemporary management of acute coronary syndromes?”
Abu-Assi E, Ferreira-González I, Ribera A, et al.
Am Heart J 2010;160:826-834.
Study Question: What is the performance of the GRACE risk scores (RS) for risk stratification in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in the era of contemporary management of ACS?
Influence of Age on Associations Between Childhood Risk Factors and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Adulthood: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health Study, the Bogalusa Heart Study, and the Muscatine Study for the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort (i3C) Consortium
Juonala M, Magnussen CG, Venn A, et al.
Circulation 2010;122:2514-2520.
Study Question: Does age influence the association between childhood risk factors and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in adulthood?
Apixaban Versus Enoxaparin for Thromboprophylaxis After Hip Replacement
Lassen MR, Gallus A, Raskob GE, et al.
N Engl J Med 2010;363:2487-2498.
Study Question: What is the relative efficacy and safety of apixaban compared to enoxaparin for thromboprophylaxis following hip replacement?
Variability in the Measurement of Hospital-Wide Mortality Rates
Shahian DM, Wolf RE, Iezzoniet LI, et al.
N Engl J Med 2010;363:2530-2539.
Study Question: What is the clinical rationale, usefulness for informing consumers and practitioners, and statistical method for calculating hospital-wide mortality rates as performance metrics?
Relation Between Renal Function and Response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial—Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (MADIT-CRT)
Goldenberg I, Moss AJ, McNitt S, et al.
Heart Rhythm 2010;7:1777-1782.
Study Question: Are markers of prerenal azotemia associated with the response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)?
Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Dimethylarginine as Predictors for Mortality in Patients Referred for Coronary Angiography: The Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study
Meinitzer A, Kielstein JT, Pilz S, et al.
Clin Chem 2011;57:112-121.
Study Question: Asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, has been linked to cardiovascular risk. What is the clinical role of its structural isomer, symmetrical dimethylarginine (SDMA)?
Secondary Prevention After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: Findings of a National Randomized Controlled Trial and Sustained Society-Led Incorporation Into Practice
Williams JB, DeLong ER, Peterson ED, Dokholyan RS, Ou FS, Ferguson TB Jr, on behalf of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the National Cardiac Database.
Circulation 2011;123:39-45.
Study Question: What are the effects of low-intensity continuous quality improvement (CQI) interventions on secondary prevention adherence after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)?