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V Boyko

Publications and source records attributed to V Boyko.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Postpartum depression in an Israeli cohort: demographic, psychosocial and medical risk factors.

Demographic, psychosocial and medical risk factors for postpartum depression (PPD) were studied prospectively in a community cohort of 288 Israeli women. An Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of > or = 10 at 6 weeks postpartum was the criterion for PPD. Psychosocial risk factors were found to be the most potent. Lack of social support, marital disharmony, depressive symptoms during pregnancy, history of emotional problems and prolonged infant health problems were most predictive of PPD. The major role of psychosocial factors in PPD was similar to that found in other countries. The results were somewhat different for new Russian immigrants. These findings indicate that early identification of women at risk for PPD is feasible, and that consideration should be taken of subgroups that may be at heightened risk, or for whom risk factors play different roles.

Adolescent↗

Complete atrioventricular block complicating acute myocardial infarction in the thrombolytic era. SPRINT Study Group and the Israeli Thrombolytic Survey Group. Secondary Prevention Reinfarction Israeli Nifedipine Trial.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the incidence, associated clinical parameters and prognostic significance of complete atrioventricular block (CAVB) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the thrombolytic era and compared them to data from the prethrombolytic era. BACKGROUND: The introduction of new therapeutic modalities to treat AMI, aimed to enhance coronary reperfusion and to limit myocardial necrosis, was expected to decrease the incidence of CAVB and to improve prognosis. However, there are only limited data regarding the incidence and the prognosis of AMI patients with CAVB in the thrombolytic era. METHODS: Data from 3,300 patients from the Israeli Thrombolytic Surveys (prospective, nationwide surveys of consecutive patients with AMI in all 25 coronary-care units in Israel in 1992 and 1996) were analyzed and compared with data from 5,788 patients included in the SPRINT (Secondary Prevention Reinfarction Israeli Nifedipine Trial) Registry (1981 to 1983). RESULTS: During the 1990s, the incidence of CAVB was 3.7% compared with 5.3% in the 1980s, p = 0.0007. In the 1990s, mortality of patients with CAVB was significantly higher than in those without CAVB at 7 days (odds ratio [OR] = 4.05 95% CI [confidence interval] 2.34 to 6.82, 30 days OR = 3.98 [95% CI 2.44 to 6.43] and one-year hazard ratio [HR] = 2.36, [95% CI 1.68 to 3.30]) and similar in thrombolysis-treated and not-treated patients. Mortality of patients with CAVB has not changed significantly between the two periods; seven-day OR = 0.82 (95% CI 0.46 to 1.43); 30-day OR = 0.78 (95% CI 0.45 to 1.33) and one-year HR = 0.79 (95% CI 0.54 to 1.56), respectively, in the 1990s as compared to a decade earlier. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of CAVB complicating AMI is lower in the thrombolytic era than in the prethrombolytic era. Mortality among patients with CAVB is still high and has not declined within the last decade. The AMI patients who develop CAVB in the thrombolytic era have significantly worse prognosis than do patients without CAVB.

Aged↗

Prevalence and prognostic significance of unrecognized systemic hypertension in patients with diabetes mellitus and healed myocardial infarction and/or stable angina pectoris.

Few data are available regarding the prevalence and prognostic significance of the triple coexistence of undiagnosed systemic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and prognostic significance of unrecognized hypertension in cardiac diabetic patients previously defined as "normotensives" over a 5-year follow-up period. The study sample comprised 11,515 patients aged 45 to 74 years with a previous myocardial infarction and/or anginal syndrome who were screened but not included in the Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention study. Among them, 9,033 were nondiabetics and 2,482, diabetics. The diabetics were divided into 3 groups: (1) 1,272 normotensives, (2) 152 patients without history of hypertension but with elevated blood pressure ("unrecognized hypertensives"), and (3) 1,058 hypertensives with established diagnosis. The prevalence of both diagnosed and unrecognized hypertension in diabetics pooled together increased from 49% to 69% when World Health Organization and new Joint National Committee-VI criteria were compared. Crude all-cause mortality was lower in nondiabetics than in diabetics (11.2% vs 22.0%; p <0.001). Among diabetics the lowest all-cause mortality was documented for normotensives (19.3%), whereas the highest mortality was observed in unrecognized hypertensives (26.3%, p = 0.003). Both unrecognized and established hypertensives demonstrated a significant stroke-related mortality excess: about four- and threefold increases in cerebrovascular accident-related death, respectively, were observed (p = 0.002). On multivariate analysis, both unrecognized and diagnosed hypertension were consistent predictors of increased all-cause mortality, with a hazard ratio of 1.28 (95% confidence interval 0.90 to 1.82) and 1.24 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.49), respectively. Our findings demonstrate widespread undiagnosed hypertension in diabetic coronary patients; their 5-year mortality was significantly increased compared with normotensives, and tended to be even higher than in diabetics previously identified as hypertensives.

Aged↗

Relation of early and one-year outcome after acute myocardial infarction to systemic arterial blood pressure on admission.

We evaluated whether elevated blood pressure (BP) levels with an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) affect the in-hospital course, short-term, and 1-year outcome. Data were derived from a nationwide survey of 2,212 consecutive patients with AMI. Patients were stratified into 3 groups according to admission BP levels: 1,320 patients had normal BP, 840 patients had high BP, and 52 patients had excessive BP. In-hospital (7 days) course, short-term (30 days), and 1-year outcome was compared between the groups. The 3 groups were similar with respect to age, but patients with excessive BP were more likely to be women and have a history of systemic hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The rate of thrombolytic therapy was similar among the 3 groups, but patients with excessively elevated BP were treated during hospitalization much more often with beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and diuretics. The incidence of stroke, transient ischemic attack, and bleeding complications were comparable in the 3 groups. In-hospital mortality was 5.0% , 4.0%, and 1.9% in the normal, high, and excessively elevated BP groups, respectively (p = 0.19). The short-term rehospitalization or mortality rate was similar among the 3 groups. The 1-year mortality rate was 12.3%, 14.1%, and 10.2% in the normal, high, and excessively elevated BP groups, respectively (p = 0.61). A multivariate logistic regression analysis yielded age, women, and Killip class > or = 2 as the only significant predictors of mortality during follow-up. Thus, with the current medical therapy, excessively elevated BP levels with AMI is not associated with a worse short-term or 1-year outcome.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Are coronary patients at higher risk with digoxin therapy? An ongoing controversy.

Previous reports have yielded contradictory conclusions regarding the safety of digoxin therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The purpose of our study was to determine whether digoxin therapy is associated with increased mortality in patients with chronic coronary artery disease. We analyzed data from 8173 patients who were screened for participation in the Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention (BIP) trial and who survived an acute myocardial infarction at least 6 months prior to the study. Three-year overall mortality of the 451 (15.5%) patients receiving digoxin (according to the judgement of their treating physician) at the time of screening for BIP participation, was 22.4% compared to 8.3% in the patients who did not receive digoxin. Cardiac mortality was 16.2% in the digoxin-treated group, compared to 4.9% in the non-treated patients. The increased risk associated with digoxin remained statistically significant when patients were stratified according to sex, age groups, functional capacity and the presence of hypertension, diabetes or angina. The administration of digoxin to survivors of an acute myocardial infarction in the chronic phase of their disease, is statistically associated with a 30-50% increase in the risk of overall and cardiac mortality during long-term follow-up. A propensity of increased risk of arrhythmias in ischemic coronary patients may explain this finding.

Cardiotonic Agents↗

Aspirin and mortality in patients treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: a cohort study of 11,575 patients with coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of the possible negative interaction between aspirin and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. BACKGROUND: Several provocative reports have recently suggested that aspirin is unsafe in patients with heart failure and has negative interaction with ACE inhibitors that might attenuate their beneficial effects upon survival. METHODS: We analyzed mortality data of 11,575 patients with coronary artery disease screened for the Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention trial. A total of 1,247 patients (11%) were treated with ACE inhibitors. Of them, 618 patients (50%) used aspirin. RESULTS: Five-year mortality was lower among patients on ACE inhibitors and aspirin than patients on ACE inhibitors without aspirin (19% vs. 27%; p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, treatment with aspirin and ACE inhibitors remained associated with lower mortality risk than using ACE inhibitors only (relative risk [RR] = 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.56 to 0.91). Subgroup analysis of 464 patients with congestive heart failure treated with ACE inhibitors revealed 221 patients (48%) on aspirin and 243 patients not on aspirin. Although clinical characteristics and therapy were similar, patients taking aspirin experienced lower mortality than patients who did not (24% vs. 34%; p = 0.001). After adjustment, treatment with aspirin was still associated with lower mortality (RR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.49 to 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Among coronary artery disease patients with and without heart failure who are treated with ACE inhibitors, the use of aspirin was associated with lower mortality than treatment without aspirin. Our findings contradict the claim that aspirin attenuates the beneficial effect of ACE inhibitors and supports its use in patients with coronary artery disease treated with ACE inhibitors.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗

Long-term (three-year) prognosis of patients treated with reperfusion or conservatively after acute myocardial infarction. Israeli Thrombolytic Survey Group.

OBJECTIVES: This survey sought to assess the frequency of the use of thrombolytic therapy, invasive coronary procedures (ICP) (angiography, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG]), variables associated with their use, and their impact on early (30-day) and long-term (3-year) mortality after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). BACKGROUND: Few data are available regarding the implementation in daily practice of the results of clinical trials of treatments for AMI and their impact on early and long-term prognosis in unselected patients after AMI. METHODS: A prospective community-based national survey was conducted during January-February 1994 in all 25 coronary care units operating in Israel. RESULTS: Among 999 consecutive patients with an AMI (72% men; mean age 63+/-12 years) acute reperfusion therapy (ART) was used in 455 patients (46%; thrombolysis in 435 patients [44%] and primary angioplasty in 20 [2%]). Its use was independently associated with anterior AMI location and hospitals with on-site angioplasty facilities, whereas advancing age, prior myocardial infarction (MI) and prior angioplasty or CABG were independently associated with its lower use. The three-year mortality of patients treated with ART was lower than in counterpart patients (22.0% vs. 31.4%, p = 0.0008), mainly as the result of 30-day to 3-year outcome (12.4% vs. 21.1%; hazard ratio = 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.52 to 1.03). Independent predictors of long-term mortality were: age, heart failure on admission or during the hospitalization, ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation and diabetes. The outcome of patients not treated with ART differed according to the reason for the exclusion, where patients with contraindications experienced the highest three-year (50%) mortality rate. After ART, coronary angiography, angioplasty and CABG were performed in-hospital in 28%, 12% and 5% of patients, respectively. Their use was independently associated with recurrent infarction or ischemia, on-site catheterization or CABG facilities, non-Q-wave AMI and anterior infarct location. In the entire study population, and in patients with a non-Q-wave AMI, performance of ICP was associated with lower 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR] = 0.53, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.98, and OR = 0.21, 0.03 to 0.84, respectively), but not thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: This survey demonstrates the extent of implementation in daily practice of ART and ICP and their impact on early and long-term prognosis in an unselected population after AMI.

Aged↗

Hypertension in diet versus pharmacologically treated diabetics: mortality over a 5-year follow-up.

The natural history of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) differs markedly between patients with diet treated and pharmacologically treated disease. However, the interrelationship between hypertension and these common diabetes types has not been specifically addressed in previous studies. This study was designed to evaluate the prognostic significance and prevalence of hypertension in coronary patients with diet versus pharmacologically treated NIDDM over a 5-year follow-up period. The study sample comprised 11 515 patients aged 45 to 74 years with a previous myocardial infarction and/or anginal syndrome who had been screened but were not included in the Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention study. Among them, 9033 were nondiabetics and 2482, diabetics (987 diet treated and 1495 pharmacologically treated). The prevalence of hypertension among nondiabetics, diet-treated diabetics, and pharmacologically treated diabetics was 31%, 42%, and 43%, respectively. Crude all-cause mortality (CM) was lower in the nondiabetic patients (11.2% versus 22.0%; P<0.001). Among diabetics, 548 patients died: 81 diet treated normotensives (CM 14%); 100 diet-treated hypertensives (CM 24.4%); 205 pharmacologically treated normotensives (CM 24.2%); and 162 pharmacologically treated hypertensive patients (CM 25.0%). Age-adjusted mortality was lowest for the normotensive patients in the diet-treated group and highest for the hypertensive pharmacologically treated patients. Multivariate analysis shows that hypertension is a strong and independent predictor of increased CM in diet-treated but not in pharmacologically treated NIDDM: hazard ratio (HR) was 1.68 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24 to 2.29) for the diet-treated versus 1. 01 (95% CI 0.82 to 1.26) for the pharmacologically treated diabetics. The contribution of hypertension to stroke mortality was substantial for both diet treated and pharmacologically treated NIDDM: hazard ratios were 3.17 (95% CI 1.12 to 8.98) and 2.21 (95% CI 0.72 to 6.77), respectively. The increased risk of mortality associated with hypertension in relatively mild diet-treated NIDDM strongly supports the clinical benefit of early blood pressure control among diabetic patients with ischemic heart disease.

Aged↗

Prognostic significance of cerebrovascular disease in 11,526 chronic coronary artery disease patients. Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention (BIP) Study Group.

Patients with chronic CAD and a history of cerebrovascular events were compared with patients without prior cerebrovascular events to assess the effect of these events on 5-year prognosis. Despite adjustment for older age and higher comorbidity among patients who had experienced a cerebrovascular event, a history of such an event was associated with an increased risk of 1.86 for total mortality.

Aged↗

Effect of beta-blocker therapy in patients with coronary artery disease in New York Heart Association classes II and III. The Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention (BIP) Study Group.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of beta-blocker treatment on a large cohort of patients with coronary artery disease in functional classes II and III according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification. Among 11,575 patients with coronary artery disease screened for participation, but not included in the Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention (BIP) study, 3,225 (28%) were in NYHA classes II and III. In the latter group of patients we compared the prognosis of 1,109 (34%) treated with beta blockers with 2,116 counterparts not receiving beta-blocker therapy. After a mean follow-up of 4 years, all-cause and cardiac mortality rates were significantly lower among beta-blocker users, 9% and 5%, respectively, than among beta-blocker nonusers, 17% and 11%, respectively (p <0.01 for both). After multivariate adjustment, treatment with beta blockers was associated with a lower all-cause mortality risk (hazards ratio [HR] 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49 to 0.78), and a lower cardiac mortality risk (HR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.83) than was no treatment with a beta blocker. Lower total mortality risk was noted among patients in NYHA class II (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.82) and in NYHA class III (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.87) as well as in patients with (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.81) or without (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.45 to 1.09) a previous myocardial infarction. We conclude that beta-blocker therapy in coronary patients in NYHA classes II or III is safe and associated with a lower risk for all-cause and cardiac mortality.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Treatment and outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction and prior cerebrovascular events in the thrombolytic era: the Israeli Thrombolytic National Survey.

BACKGROUND: Patients with a history of stroke presenting with acute myocardial infarction (MI) are often excluded from thrombolytic therapy owing to fear of intracranial hemorrhage. Few data, however, are available on the risks vs the benefits of thrombolysis in patients with an acute MI and a prior cerebrovascular event (PCE). METHODS: Data were derived from 2 nationwide surveys of 2012 consecutive patients with acute MI admitted to all 25 coronary care units in Israel during 1992 and 1994. Thrombolytic therapy was given to patients with a PCE at the discretion of the treating physicians. Outcomes were compared between patients with an acute MI with and without a PCE and between patients with a PCE treated with or excluded from thrombolysis. RESULTS: Patients with a PCE (n = 115 [6%]) were older, with higher rates of atherosclerotic risk factors and in-hospital complications than their counterparts without a prior event (n = 1897). They were treated less often with thrombolysis or mechanical reperfusion. The 1-year mortality rates were higher among patients with a PCE (28% vs 19%, P<.01), but not after multivariate adjustments for clinical characteristics (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-1.55). Patients with an acute MI and a PCE who were treated with thrombolysis (n = 29 [25%]) were compared with 46 patients found ineligible for thrombolysis primarily because of their PCE. The timing of the PCE was comparable in both groups (one fifth in the preceding year), while prior transient ischemic attacks were more prevalent among patients who had undergone thrombolysis. The patients who were treated with thrombolysis (n = 29) were older, had a higher rate of anterior infarction, and, while in the hospital, received aspirin, anticoagulants, and beta-blockers more often than their counterparts (n= 46). In-hospital intracranial hemorrhage did not occur in either group. The 1-year mortality rates were 2-fold higher among patients who had not undergone thrombolysis compared with those who had (33% vs 18%; adjusted hazard ratio, 2.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.78-7.64). CONCLUSIONS: These findings, derived from 2 nationwide surveys of consecutive patients with acute MI, suggest that patients with PCEs have an adverse outcome attributed to their older age and less favorable risk profile. Thrombolytic therapy, however, based on our preliminary data, may be beneficial in selected patients with an acute MI with a nonrecent PCE.

Aged↗

Significance of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation complicating acute myocardial infarction in the thrombolytic era. SPRINT and Thrombolytic Survey Groups.

BACKGROUND: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is considered a frequent complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), associated with increased in-hospital and long-term mortality rates. This notion is based on data collected before thrombolysis and additional modern methods of treatment became widely available, and no information is available on the significance of PAF in the general population with AMI in the thrombolytic era. The aim of the present study was to define the incidence, associated clinical parameters, and short- and long-term prognostic significance of PAF in patients with AMI in the thrombolytic era. METHODS AND RESULTS: A prospective, nationwide survey was conducted of 2866 consecutive patients admitted with AMI in all 25 coronary care units in Israel during January/February 1992, 1994, and 1996 (thrombolytic era [TE]). The data were compared with a previous Israeli study of 5803 patients with AMI hospitalized in 1981 through 1983 (prethrombolytic era [PTE]). Patients in the TE with PAF were older and had a worse risk profile than those without PAF. PAF in the TE was independently associated with increased 30-day (odds ratio, 1.32; 95% confidence interval, 0.92 to 1.87) and 1-year (relative risk, 1.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.05 to 1.68) mortality rates. The incidence of PAF (8.9% and 9.9%) and the 30-day (25.1% and 27.6%) and 1-year (38.4% and 42.5%) mortality rates of patients with PAF were similar in the TE and PTE, although PAF in the TE occurred in older and sicker patients than those in the PTE. After adjustment for conventional risk factors, PAF was associated with significantly lower 30-day (odds ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.44 to 0.94) and 1-year (relative risk, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.54 to 0.88) mortality rates compared with the PTE. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AMI who develop PAF in the TE have significantly worse short- and long-term prognoses than patients without PAF, mostly due to their worse risk profile. After adjustment for confounding factors, patients with PAF in the TE have a better overall outcome than counterparts in the PTE, probably reflecting the better management of patients with AMI in the TE.

Acute Disease↗

Calcium channel blocking agents and risk of cancer in patients with coronary heart disease. Benzafibrate Infarction Prevention (BIP) Study Research Group.

OBJECTIVES: This analysis sought to estimate the risk ratio for cancer incidence and cancer-related mortality associated with the use of calcium channel blocking agents (CCBs) in a large group of patients with chronic coronary heart disease (CHD). BACKGROUND: Recent publications contend that the use of short-acting CCBs may double the risk of cancer incidence and possibly increase mortality in hypertensive patients. METHODS: Cancer incidence data were obtained for 11,575 patients screened for the Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention (BIP) study, one-half of whom were treated at the time of screening with CCBs, over a mean follow-up period of 2.8 years. Cause-specific mortality was available through September 1996 (mean follow-up 5.2 years). The statistical power of detecting an odds ratio > or = 1.5 (given the cancer incidence rate of 2.1 in the nonusers of CCBs) was 0.91. The power declined to 0.77, 0.54 and 0.41, with declining odds ratios of 1.4, 1.3 and 1.25, respectively. RESULTS: Of 246 incident cancer cases, 129 occurred among the users (2.3%) and 117 among nonusers of CCBs (2.1%). After adjustment for age, gender and smoking, the odds ratio estimates for all cancers combined was 1.07 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83 to 1.37) for CCB users relative to nonusers. The adjusted risk ratio for all-cause mortality for age, gender and smoking and pertinent prognostic clinical characteristics was estimated at 0.94 (95% CI 0.85 to 1.04). The adjusted risk ratio for cancer-related mortality was 1.03 (95% CI 0.75 to 1.41). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CHD treated with CCBs exhibited a similar risk of cancer incidence and total and cancer-related mortality compared with nonusers of CCBs. This analysis provides a certain assurance that CCB use in middle-aged and elderly patients with CHD is not associated with a meaningful difference in cancer incidence and related mortality.

Aged↗

Comparison of coronary calcium in stable angina pectoris and in first acute myocardial infarction utilizing double helical computerized tomography.

Although coronary calcium is invariably associated with atherosclerosis, its role in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic coronary syndromes remains unclear. Utilizing double helical computerized tomography we evaluated the coronary calcium patterns in 149 patients: 47 with chronic stable angina (SAP) compared with 102 patients surviving a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Prevalence of coronary calcium was 81% among the AMI patients and 100% in the stable angina patients. The 547 calcific lesions identified in the AMI patients and the 1,242 lesions in the stable angina patients were categorized into 3 groups according to their extent: mild, intermediate, and extensive. The age-adjusted percentages of the highest level of calcification among AMI versus stable angina patients were: mild 18% vs 3%, intermediate 49% vs 18%, and extensive lesions 33% vs 79%, respectively (p < 0.01). In the AMI group, 73 culprit arteries were identified: 16 (22%) had no calcium detected, whereas 30 (41%) had mild lesions, 20 (27%) had intermediate forms, and only 7 (10%) had extensive lesions. The age-adjusted mean of the natural logarithm transformation of total calcium scores +1 was significantly lower in patients with AMI than in those with SAP (4.1 [95% confidence interval 3.7 to 4.4) vs 5.3 [95% confidence interval 4.8 to 5.8]). Thus, double helical computerized tomography demonstrates that extensive calcium characterizes the coronary arteries of patients with chronic stable angina, whereas a first AMI most often occurs in mildly calcified or noncalcified culprit arteries.

Aged↗

Evidence that whitefly-transmitted cowpea mild mottle virus belongs to the genus Carlavirus.

Two strains of whitefly-transmitted cowpea mild mottle virus (CPMMV) causing severe (CPMMV-S) and mild (CPMMV-M) disease symptoms in peanuts were collected from two distinct agro-ecological zones in India. The host-range of these strains was restricted to Leguminosae and Chenopodiaceae, and each could be distinguished on the basis of symptoms incited in different hosts. The 3'-terminal 2500 nucleotide sequence of the genomic RNA of both the strains was 70% identical and contains five open reading frames (ORFs). The first three (P25, P12 and P7) overlap to form a triple gene block of proteins, P32 encodes the coat protein, followed by P12 protein located at the 3' end of the genome. Genome organization and pair-wise comparisons of amino acid sequences of proteins encoded by these ORFs with corresponding proteins of known carlaviruses and potexviruses suggest that CPMMV-S and CPMMV-M are closely related to viruses in the genus Carlavirus. Based on the data, it is concluded that CPMMV is a distinct species in the genus Carlavirus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Effects of aspirin treatment on survival in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients with coronary artery disease. Israeli Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention Study Group.

PURPOSE: The benefit of aspirin treatment among diabetic patients with chronic coronary artery disease is not well established. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of aspirin on cardiac and total mortality in a large cohort of diabetic patients with established coronary artery disease and to compare it with the effect of aspirin in nondiabetic counterparts. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this observational study among patients screened for participation in the Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention Study, the effects of aspirin treatment in 2,368 non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients with coronary artery disease were compared to those in 8,586 nondiabetic patients. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated with proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Fifty-two percent of diabetic patients and 56% of nondiabetic patients reported aspirin therapy. After 5.1 +/- 1.3 (mean +/- SD) years of follow-up, the absolute benefit per 100 patients treated with aspirin was greater in diabetic patients than in nondiabetic patients (cardiac mortality benefit: 5.0 versus 2.1, and all-cause mortality benefit: 7.8 versus 4.1). Overall cardiac mortality among diabetic patients treated with aspirin was 10.9% versus 15.9% in the nonaspirin group (P < 0.001), and all-cause mortality was 18.4% and 26.2% (P < 0.001). After adjustment for possible confounders, treatment with aspirin was an independent predictor of reduced overall cardiac (HR = 0.8; 95% CI: 0.6-1.0) and all-cause mortality (HR = 0.8; 95% CI: 0.7-0.9) among diabetic patients, similar to those in nondiabetic patients. CONCLUSION: Treatment with aspirin was associated with a significant reduction in cardiac and total mortality among non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients with coronary artery disease. The absolute benefit of aspirin was greater in diabetic patients than in those without diabetes.

Aged↗

Nifedipine and cancer mortality: ten-year follow-up of 2607 patients after acute myocardial infarction.

Recent publications contended that the use of short-acting calcium antagonists may double the risk of cancer incidence and possibly increase mortality in hypertensive patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk ratio for cancer mortality associated with nifedipine in a large population of patients post-myocardial infarction. Cancer mortality data, over a 10-year period, were obtained on 2607 hospital survivors of acute myocardial infarction who were screened, but not included, in the Secondary Prevention Reinfarction Israeli Nifedipine Trial (SPRINT I) study. In this group of patients, 526 (20%) were on nifedipine, according to their treating physicians' decision. In the cohort of screened patients not included in SPRINT I, there were 22 (4.2%) cancer-related deaths in the patients on nifedipine compared with 114 (5.5%) in the group not treated with nifedipine (P = 0.23). In multivariate analysis, the 10-year cancer mortality risk ratio associated with nifedipine therapy was 1.06 (95% CI 0.52-2.18). The current analysis shows no evidence of an increased risk of cancer mortality in a large number of patients treated at baseline with nifedipine.

Aged↗

Long-term mortality follow-up of hospital survivors of a myocardial infarction randomized to nifedipine in the SPRINT study. Secondary Prevention Reinfarction Israeli Nifedipine Trial.

This study was intended to determine the 5-year mortality of 2138 post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients who took part in the Secondary Prevention Reinfarction Israeli Nifedipine Trial (SPRINT). In the framework of the SPRINT study, 1065 patients were randomly assigned 30 mg/d nifedipine therapy, for a mean 10-month follow-up period, and 1073 received placebo. No information is available concerning treatment after the first year. One-year postdischarge mortality was 5.0% in the placebo group and 5.9% among patients receiving nifedipine (P = 0.37). Mortality rates after 5 years of follow-up in patients previously randomized to 1 year of nifedipine therapy and placebo were 18.4% and 18.3%, respectively. The 5-year mortality risk ratio associated with randomization to nifedipine over 1 year, adjusted for age, gender, past MI, angina, diabetes, hypertension, MI location, and therapy, was 1.00 (95% CI: 0.81-1.22). Our results do not support an association between nifedipine therapy and a late harmful effect on long-term mortality.

Adult↗