Eugene Braunwald

Bio: Eugene Braunwald is an academic researcher from Brigham and Women's Hospital. The author has contributed to research in topics: Myocardial infarction & TIMI. The author has an hindex of 230, co-authored 1711 publications receiving 264576 citations. Previous affiliations of Eugene Braunwald include Boston University & University of California, San Francisco.

ESC Forum on Drug Eluting Stents European Heart House, Nice, 27-28 September 2007.

Abstract: Drug-eluting stents (DES) were introduced into clinical practice in 2002 in order to reduce restenosis that occurred in 15–25% of patients receiving bare-metal stents (BMS).1–3 Subsequent trials with different types of DES confirmed their efficacy in this regard.4 However, late stent thrombosis was reported as early as 2004, typically in patients discontinuing dual anti-platelet therapy.5 At the European and World Congress of Cardiology in Barcelona 2006, alarming data were presented on a worse long-term prognosis following DES implantation compared with BMS.6,7 As a result both randomized controlled trials and registry data were scrutinized to validate these concerns, bearing in mind the differential values of both types of studies.8,9 Furthermore, the worldwide discussion on the long-term safety and efficacy of DES triggered the European Society of Cardiology together with the European Association for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions to organize a forum on DES. On 27 and 28 September 2007, key opinion leaders in (interventional) cardiology and representatives from industry and regulatory bodies gathered in the European Heart House with the intention to review: (i) the most recent data on the long-term efficacy (reduction of restenosis, re-intervention) and safety (late stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, mortality) of DES and its effects on outcome (survival, event-free survival), (ii) specific indications for DES; (iii) health economical analyses currently performed with DES; (iv) the DES registration process in Europe; (v) current and possible future trial designs. The overall goal was to provide general recommendations to the medical community for the use, clinical development, and future assessment of DES. In several randomized controlled trials comparing sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) or paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) and BMS, increased rates of death or myocardial infarction were observed at follow-up, beyond the first year,6–8,10 while no excess …

Interactions between Changes in the Intensity and Duration of the Active State in the Characterization of Inotropic Stimuli on Heart Muscle

Abstract: The responses of isolated cat papillary muscles and left atrial strips to a variety of procedures were classified systematically according to the induced changes in peak tension (T), mean rate of tension development (δT/δt), and time to peak tension (TTP). Increasing temperature from 25° to 37°C augmented δT/δt but reduced TTP reciprocally so that T remained constant. Increased frequency of contraction, thyroid hormone, and increased temperature markedly augmented δT/δt but shortened TTP, with relatively little alteration in T. Norepinephrine, tyramine, paired electrical stimulation, strophanthidin, and calcium increased T by augmenting ΔT/δt proportionately more than they reduced TTP. Acetylcholine and serotonin augmented T by raising δT/δt with relatively little effect on TTP. Strontium increased T by causing both a prolongation of TTP and an augmentation of δT/Δt. Depression of T in muscles from failing hearts occurred primarily by a reduction of δT/δt, and the negative inotropic effects of hypoxia or pentobarbital resulted from reductions in both δT/δt and TTP. In muscles from hypothyroid cats, depression of δT/δt was partially compensated for by prolongation of TTP. Since δT/δt is related to the intensity of the active state and TTP to its duration, such analysis of these variables should provide a framework for the characterization and quantitative comparison of various types of inotropic stimuli.

Long-term preservation of ischemic myocardium in the dog by hyaluronidase.

Abstract: The administration of hyaluronidase is a promising intervention to protect the ischemic myocardium in man, but evidence of the extent to which it may reduce the ultimate size of an infarct is not well-defined. Hence, open chest, anesthetized dogs were randomized into 10 control dogs which received saline and eight treated dogs which received three doses of hyaluronidase (500 NF units/kg I.V.) at 15 minutes, 2 hours and 24 hours after occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (CAO). Regional myocardial blood flow (RMBF) assessed by the microsphere technique was measured 12 minutes after CAO. The chest was then closed and the dogs were allowed to recover. Twenty-one days after CAO, the hearts were excised, divided into 1 cm thick slices and incubated in triphenyl tetrazolium chloride. Infarct size was then determined by planimetry. The left ventricular myocardium was divided into multiple samples for RMBF analysis. In control dogs 23.2 +/- 2% of the left ventricle was infarcted, compared to only 9 +/- 2.8% (P less than 0.001) in hyaluronidase-treated dogs. RMBF in noninfarcted myocardium directly adjacent to the infarct was similar to that in the normal zone remote from the infarct in the control dogs; however, in the hyaluronidase-treated dogs, blood flow in the myocardium adjacent to the infarct was significantly reduced to 68% of normal (P less than 0.01) in the outer myocardial wall and to 86% of normal (P less than 0.02) in the inner myocardial wall, which indicates that this tissue, at least in some part, was in jeopardy, but was salvaged by hyaluronidase. Epicardial electrocardiographic data showed that three weeks after CAO, Q waves were less frequent and smaller in hyaluronidase compared to untreated dogs. Preservation of the frequency and magnitude of R waves was greater in the hyaluronidase-treated group at three weeks. We conclude that hyaluronidase resulted in long-term preservation of the ischemic myocardium.

Intramural PCO2: a reliable index of the severity of myocardial ischemic injury.

Abstract: The present study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of changes in intramural oxygen (PmO2) and carbon dioxide (PmCO2) tensions shortly after coronary artery occlusion as indices of the severity of myocardial ischemic injury. In 14 open-chest, anesthetized dogs, a 60-min coronary artery occlusion was performed, during which PmO2 and PMCO2 were measured continuously with a mass spectrometer. Regional myocardial blood flow (RMBF) adjacent to the mass spectrometer probes was measured by the xenon-127 washout technique both before and 30 min after coronary artery occlusion. At the end of 60 min of occlusion, the dogs were killed, and biopsies for histological examination of 1-micron-thick sections were obtained from the tissue surrounding each mass spectometer probe. The decline in PmO2 during the 60-min occlusion bore no relationship either to the severity of ischemic injury as assessed by histological examination, or to the reduction of RMBF. In contrast, the magnitude of rise in PmCO2 during the 60 min of occlusion corresponded closely to both the severity of injury assessed histologically and the reduction of RMBF.

The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure: the JNC 7 report.

Abstract: "The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure" provides a new guideline for hypertension prevention and management. The following are the key messages(1) In persons older than 50 years, systolic blood pressure (BP) of more than 140 mm Hg is a much more important cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor than diastolic BP; (2) The risk of CVD, beginning at 115/75 mm Hg, doubles with each increment of 20/10 mm Hg; individuals who are normotensive at 55 years of age have a 90% lifetime risk for developing hypertension; (3) Individuals with a systolic BP of 120 to 139 mm Hg or a diastolic BP of 80 to 89 mm Hg should be considered as prehypertensive and require health-promoting lifestyle modifications to prevent CVD; (4) Thiazide-type diuretics should be used in drug treatment for most patients with uncomplicated hypertension, either alone or combined with drugs from other classes. Certain high-risk conditions are compelling indications for the initial use of other antihypertensive drug classes (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers, β-blockers, calcium channel blockers); (5) Most patients with hypertension will require 2 or more antihypertensive medications to achieve goal BP (<140/90 mm Hg, or <130/80 mm Hg for patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease); (6) If BP is more than 20/10 mm Hg above goal BP, consideration should be given to initiating therapy with 2 agents, 1 of which usually should be a thiazide-type diuretic; and (7) The most effective therapy prescribed by the most careful clinician will control hypertension only if patients are motivated. Motivation improves when patients have positive experiences with and trust in the clinician. Empathy builds trust and is a potent motivator. Finally, in presenting these guidelines, the committee recognizes that the responsible physician's judgment remains paramount.

Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions

Abstract: The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions is the official document that describes in detail the process of preparing and maintaining Cochrane systematic reviews on the effects of healthcare interventions.

Atherosclerosis — An Inflammatory Disease

Abstract: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. Because high plasma concentrations of cholesterol, in particular those of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, are one of the principal risk factors for atherosclerosis,1 the process of atherogenesis has been considered by many to consist largely of the accumulation of lipids within the artery wall; however, it is much more than that. Despite changes in lifestyle and the use of new pharmacologic approaches to lower plasma cholesterol concentrations,2,3 cardiovascular disease continues to be the principal cause of death in the United States, Europe, and much of Asia.4,5 In fact, the lesions of atherosclerosis represent . . .

Lifetime Prevalence and Age-of-Onset Distributions of DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication

Abstract: Context Little is known about lifetime prevalence or age of onset of DSM-IV disorders. Objective To estimate lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the recently completed National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Design and Setting Nationally representative face-to-face household survey conducted between February 2001 and April 2003 using the fully structured World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Participants Nine thousand two hundred eighty-two English-speaking respondents aged 18 years and older. Main Outcome Measures Lifetime DSM-IV anxiety, mood, impulse-control, and substance use disorders. Results Lifetime prevalence estimates are as follows: anxiety disorders, 28.8%; mood disorders, 20.8%; impulse-control disorders, 24.8%; substance use disorders, 14.6%; any disorder, 46.4%. Median age of onset is much earlier for anxiety (11 years) and impulse-control (11 years) disorders than for substance use (20 years) and mood (30 years) disorders. Half of all lifetime cases start by age 14 years and three fourths by age 24 years. Later onsets are mostly of comorbid conditions, with estimated lifetime risk of any disorder at age 75 years (50.8%) only slightly higher than observed lifetime prevalence (46.4%). Lifetime prevalence estimates are higher in recent cohorts than in earlier cohorts and have fairly stable intercohort differences across the life course that vary in substantively plausible ways among sociodemographic subgroups. Conclusions About half of Americans will meet the criteria for a DSM-IV disorder sometime in their life, with first onset usually in childhood or adolescence. Interventions aimed at prevention or early treatment need to focus on youth.

Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure

Abstract: The National High Blood Pressure Education Program presents the complete Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. Like its predecessors, the purpose is to provide an evidence-based approach to the prevention and management of hypertension. The key messages of this report are these: in those older than age 50, systolic blood pressure (BP) of greater than 140 mm Hg is a more important cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor than diastolic BP; beginning at 115/75 mm Hg, CVD risk doubles for each increment of 20/10 mm Hg; those who are normotensive at 55 years of age will have a 90% lifetime risk of developing hypertension; prehypertensive individuals (systolic BP 120-139 mm Hg or diastolic BP 80-89 mm Hg) require health-promoting lifestyle modifications to prevent the progressive rise in blood pressure and CVD; for uncomplicated hypertension, thiazide diuretic should be used in drug treatment for most, either alone or combined with drugs from other classes; this report delineates specific high-risk conditions that are compelling indications for the use of other antihypertensive drug classes (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor blockers, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers); two or more antihypertensive medications will be required to achieve goal BP (<140/90 mm Hg, or <130/80 mm Hg) for patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease; for patients whose BP is more than 20 mm Hg above the systolic BP goal or more than 10 mm Hg above the diastolic BP goal, initiation of therapy using two agents, one of which usually will be a thiazide diuretic, should be considered; regardless of therapy or care, hypertension will be controlled only if patients are motivated to stay on their treatment plan. Positive experiences, trust in the clinician, and empathy improve patient motivation and satisfaction. This report serves as a guide, and the committee continues to recognize that the responsible physician's judgment remains paramount.