(Press-News.org) Treatment that included early surgical procedures to open blocked arteries resulted in better blood flow to the heart than aggressive medical treatment alone in patients with both diabetes and heart disease, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010.
Previously, researchers in BARI 2D (Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes) found that over five years there were no fewer deaths and heart attacks in people who had medical treatment along with prompt vessel-opening surgery (revascularization) than in those who received only intensive treatment to manage blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels (with surgery performed later only if their condition worsened).
"Even though the main trial showed no difference in clinical outcomes, this study revealed that revascularization had a greater benefit in reducing the extent of ischemia (areas with reduced blood flow), which is often important in controlling symptoms," said Leslee J. Shaw, Ph.D., lead author of the study and professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Ga.
In the current sub-study of BARI 2D, 1,505 participants underwent an imaging procedure that located and measured areas of heart muscle receiving sufficient blood flow. One year into the trial, researchers found:
Fifty-nine percent of revascularization patients and 49 percent of medical patients had normal results with no drug-induced ischemia.
Reductions in blood flow involved 3 percent of the heart tissue in revascularization patients and 9 percent of heart muscle in medical patients.
More ischemia was associated with a greater risk of death or heart attack.
The results indicate the value of scanning patients with diabetes and heart disease who are being managed with medication and lifestyle interventions.
"The benefits of lifestyle and medication take several months, so scanning after a year can provide a barometer of how effective your treatment has been at reducing ischemia," Shaw said. "Because nerves can be damaged by high blood sugar levels, people with diabetes don't always get chest pain when blood flow is reduced. This test can show reductions in blood flow whether or not you have symptoms, and a normal test can be very reassuring."
The BARI 2D trial compared various treatment strategies for patients with both type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
More than 17 million adults in the United States have diabetes, which is one of the strongest risk factors for heart disease.
###Co-authors are: Manuel Cerqueira, M.D.; Maria M. Brooks, Ph.D.; Veronica V. Sansing, M.S.; George A. Beller, M.D.; Rodica Pop-Busui, M.D.; Raymond Taillefer, M.D.; Bernard R. Chaitman, M.D.; Raymond J. Gibbons, M.D.; and Ami E. Iskandrian, M.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute funded the study.
Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding.
NR10-1145 (SS10/Shaw)
Additional resources:
Multimedia resources (animation, audio, video, and images) are available in our newsroom at Scientific Sessions 2010 - Multimedia. This will include audio interview clips with AHA experts offering perspective on news releases. Video clips with researchers will be added to this link after each embargo lifts.
Stay up to date on the latest news from American Heart Association scientific meetings, including Scientific Sessions 2010, by following us at www.twitter.com/heartnews. We will be tweeting from the conference using hashtag #AHA10News.
END
A less invasive procedure for treating a congenital heart defect in children is a safe alternative to traditional surgery with no five-year difference in risk of death and is associated with a 62 percent reduced risk for neurological events (such as strokes or seizures), according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010.
In a study of 580 children with secundum atrial septal defect (ASD), researchers evaluated the long-term safety and effectiveness of transcatheter closure versus traditional surgery. Transcatheter closure is a ...
Fat cells — liposuctioned from a patient's belly — can safely boost heart function after a heart attack, according to a first-of-its-kind study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2010.
"The study suggests that these cells can be safely obtained and infused inside the hearts of patients following an acute heart attack," said Eric (HJ) Duckers, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the small study and head of Molecular Cardiology Laboratory at the Thoraxcenter, Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The treatment reduced the amount ...
Abstract 21829 – Automated remote patient monitoring fails to improve outcomes for heart failure patients
A remote monitoring system didn't help heart failure patients live longer or avoid return trips to the hospital, according to a new study.
The system required heart failure patients to dial into an automated, interactive voice response system daily to enter their weight and answer questions about heart failure symptoms. Clinicians managing patients' heart failure reviewed the information and called patients back to discuss worrisome reports. The remote monitoring ...
Years of research are the basis for the latest drugs and treatments for cardiovascular disease. This discussion will highlight early and pre-clinical research that may well be the foundation of treatments to come. Join us for an informal Q&A with researchers who are passionate about the details of battling cardiovascular disease. We'll discuss a range of topics, from a possible drug target to regulate HDL cholesterol, to injectable goo that boosts heart function, and heart cell "balls" that take cellular therapy to another dimension.
Abstract 21739 —Researchers discover ...
9 a.m. Abstract 18350 – Explanted re-sterilized ICDs are safe, practical for patient use.
Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) removed for upgrades or infection may be reused safely in other patients.
Researchers sent explanted ICDs with 70 percent or more battery life to India, where the devices were carefully cleaned and re-sterilized. They were re-implanted in indigent patients who were at risk of life-threatening arrhythmias but couldn't afford the devices.
Thirty-one patients received explanted, re-sterilized ICDs for standard ICD indications. During ...
Systematic education in rural and suburban communities can significantly shorten onset to hospital arrival times for patients with chest pain, according to study findings to be presented Nov. 16 at the 2010 annual American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions in Chicago.
Time to treatment is the key determinant of outcome in patients with acute heart attacks, or ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Although the total time to reperfusion (chest pain onset to balloon) is critical, the major focus has been on decreasing door-to-balloon (D2B) times since the ...
Contact: Helene R. White, Ph.D.
hewhite@rci.rutgers.edu
732-445-3579
Rutgers University
Andrew Littlefield, Ph.D. Candidate
akl9af@mail.mizzou.edu
573-884-1485
University of Missouri
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
Impulsive behavior in males increases after periods of heavy drinking
New findings indicate that adoelscent males that engage in heavy drinking behavior are more likely to engage in risk-taking behavior
Impulsive behavior is well known to be caused by acute ingestion of alcohol
New findings show that periods of heavy drinking by ...
Energy drinks are commonly consumed by teens and college students
A new study shows that energy drink consumption is strongly associated with increased risks for heavy drinking and alcohol dependence
These results call for more scrutiny regarding the possible negative health effects of energy drinks and public education about the risks of consuming energy drinks with alcohol
A hallmark of college life is staying up late to study for an exam the following morning, and many students stay awake by consuming an energy drink. Also increasing in popularity is the practice ...
Cognitive and behavioral deficits have been found in children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which is extremely difficult to diagnose
New findings indicate that those children, when trained using classical eyeblink conditioning, suffer from deficits in both learning and memory
Using eyeblink conditioning could provide a good model for assessing and diagnosing FAS in children
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is an irreversible disorder in children that affects the learning centers of the brain and results in cognitive and behavioral impairment in the child ...
Adolescence is a time of significant maturation, physically and emotionally
New findings indicate that adolescents who have a family history of alcohol abuse demonstrated significantly decreased neural activity in the frontal lobe
This could present a unique neurobiological vulnerability for adolescents at risk of developing alcohol abuse
The period known as adolescence is a significant time of change for the individual experiencing it. Some of the most significant changes that occur are located within the prefrontal cortex in the brain, which is involved in decision ...
