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Michael Freeman

Publications and source records attributed to Michael Freeman.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Covered stents for injuries of subclavian and axillary arteries.

INTRODUCTION: Injury to the subclavian and axillary arteries is uncommon. Exposure of these vessels is associated with significant morbidity, and mortality ranges from 5% to 30%. Endovascular methods may offer an alternative approach to these technically challenging injuries. METHODS: We retrospectively studied patients with blunt or penetrating (including iatrogenic) injuries to the subclavian or axillary artery between January 1, 1996 and July 30, 2002. Demographic data, mechanism of injury, concomitant injuries, angiographic findings, and treatment method and outcome were recorded. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients with injury to the subclavian or axillary artery were seen at our institution during the study. Twenty-three patients underwent interventions. Eleven patients required open repair; 12 patients had lesions amenable to endovascular repair. Depending on the preference of the surgeon, 5 patients with injuries amenable to endovascular repair underwent open repair, and 7 underwent endovascular repair. A Wallgraft endoprosthesis was used in all patients; two grafts were required in 1 patient. Endovascular repair was associated with shorter operative time (P =.04) and less blood loss (P =.01). One-year patency was similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Covered stents are a feasible alternative to open repair in properly selected patients with subclavian or axillary artery injury, resulting in shorter procedure time and less blood loss.

Adult↗

Short-term aerobic training and circulatory function in women: age and hormone-replacement therapy.

The physiological basis of training responses in women, and particularly older women, is not well understood. Short-term aerobic training (STAT) was used to probe the effects of age and hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) on women's ability to rapidly change peak uptake ( VO(2max)), plasma volume and cardiac function. A total of 39 females participated in the STAT programme: 15 younger (Y; aged 19-29 years), 12 postmenopausal women undergoing HRT and 12 non-medicating postmenopausal (PM) women (aged 60-75 years). Training consisted of ten sessions of cycling over a 2-week period, which progressed in duration from 20 to 60 min and in intensity from 60-75% of maximum heart rate. Plasma volume (PV; as determined by Evan's Blue dye dilution), VO(2max) (cycle ergometry) and cardiac function (radionuclide ventriculography) were analysed using analysis of covariance or repeated measures ANOVA. All groups demonstrated similar increase in VO(2max) (Y, 13%; PM, 17%; HRT, 13%), but without a significant change in left-ventricular ejection fraction and diastolic function or volumes during supine exercise. PV expansion was observed among the Y group (7%; P <0.05) but not the PM group (2%; P >0.05) or women undergoing HRT (1%; P >0.05). Age and hormone-replacement status did not affect the magnitude of VO(2max) change. This study suggests that STAT improves VO(2max), independent of central adaptations.

Adult↗

Left ventricular performance during acute rate control in atrial fibrillation: the importance of heart rate and agent used.

BACKGROUND: The relation between heart rate and left ventricular function during rate control in atrial fibrillation is incompletely understood. METHODS: Twenty-four patients (age 67 +/- 11 years) with symptomatic recent onset rapid atrial fibrillation and rapid ventricular rate (> 110 bpm) were randomly assigned to receive either intravenous digoxin (13 mcg/kg) or intravenous diltiazem (0.25 mg/kg bolus plus a maintenance infusion). A portable radionuclide detector was used to collect validated measures of relative left ventricular volumes, along with heart rate data, every 15 seconds for 6 hours. RESULTS: Heart rate decreased significantly at 15 minutes and 180 minutes in the diltiazem group (from 133 +/- 18 bpm to 111 +/- 26 bpm [P <.01] to 94 +/- 24 bpm [P <.001]) but not in the digoxin group (from 129 +/- 18 bpm to 126 +/- 17 bpm [P = NS] to 118 +/- 15 bpm [P = NS]). Left ventricular ejection fraction improved in both groups to a similar extent (from 39 +/- 10% to 50 +/- 8%, [P <.05] after diltiazem, and from 38 +/- 8% to 52 +/- 11% [P <.05] after digoxin at baseline vs 180 minutes, respectively). The ejection fraction vs heart rate slope was steeper in the digoxin group than in the diltiazem group (-0.34 +/- 0.18 vs -0.16 +/- 0.17, P =.048) indicating a more pronounced improvement in ejection fraction per unit decrease in heart rate. CONCLUSION: In patients with acute atrial fibrillation, digoxin led to similar improvements in ejection fraction compared to diltiazem despite a slower and less potent heart rate slowing.

Aged↗

Positron emission tomography and recovery following revascularization (PARR-1): the importance of scar and the development of a prediction rule for the degree of recovery of left ventricular function.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether the extent of viability or scar is important in the amount of recovery of left ventricular (LV) function, and to develop a model for predicting recovery after revascularization that could be tested in a randomized trial. BACKGROUND: F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is used to define viable myocardium in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and severe LV dysfunction and to guide revascularization decisions. Whether this approach improves clinical outcomes has not been tested in a randomized trial. Before doing so, an objective model for prediction of recovery is required. METHODS: A total of 82 patients with CAD and an ejection fraction (EF) < or =35% had FDG PET perfusion imaging before revascularization. Complete follow-up was available on 70 patients (86%). Patients had radionuclide angiograms at baseline and three months post-revascularization. RESULTS: Diabetes (p = 0.029), time to operation (p = 0.008), and scar score (p = 0.001) were significant independent predictors of the change in EF. Previous coronary artery bypass graft confounded the effect of age. There was a significant interaction between the perfusion tracer used and mismatch score (p = 0.02). The multivariable prediction model incorporating PET and clinical variables had a goodness of fit with p = 0.001. Across tertiles of scar scores (I, small: 0% to 16%; II, moderate: 16% to 27.5%; III, large: 27.5% to 47%), the changes in EFs were 9.0 +/- 1.9%, 3.7 +/- 1.6%, and 1.3 +/- 1.5% (p = 0.003: I vs. III), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with severe LV dysfunction, the amount of scar was a significant independent predictor of LV function recovery after revascularization. A combination of PET and clinical parameters predicts the degree of recovery. This model is being applied in a large randomized controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of therapy guided by FDG PET.

Aged↗

Nutritional supplementation with MyoVive repletes essential cardiac myocyte nutrients and reduces left ventricular size in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Congestive heart failure depletes the myocardium of carnitine, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and taurine--substances known to influence mitochondrial function and cell calcium. We hypothesized that feeding patients a nutritional supplement that contained carnitine, CoQ10, and taurine would result in higher myocardial levels of these nutrients and improve left ventricular function. METHODS: Forty-one patients who underwent aortocoronary artery bypass with an ejection fraction < or =40% at referral were randomly assigned to a double-blind trial of supplement or placebo. Radionuclide ventriculography was performed at randomization and before surgery. Surgical myocardial biopsies, adjusted for protein content, were analyzed for carnitine, CoQ10, and taurine levels. RESULTS: The groups were well matched. Minor exceptions were supplement group versus placebo group for digoxin use (7 vs 0, respectively; P =.009) and age (62 +/- 11 years vs 69 +/- 5 years, respectively; P =.04). There were significantly higher levels in the treated group compared with the placebo group for myocardial levels of CoQ10 (138.17 +/- 39.87 nmol/g wet weight and 56.67 +/- 23.08 nmol/g wet weight; P =.0006), taurine (13.12 +/- 4.00 micromol/g wet weight and 7.91 +/- 2.81 micromol/g wet weight; P =.003), and carnitine (1735.4 +/- 798.5 nmol/g wet weight and 1237.6 +/- 343.1 nmol/g wet weight; P =.06). The left ventricular end-diastolic volume fell by -7.5 +/- 21.7 mL in the supplement group and increased by 10.0 +/- 19.8 mL in the placebo group (P =.037). CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation results in higher myocardial CoQ10, taurine, and carnitine levels and is associated with a reduction in left ventricular end-diastolic volume in patients with left ventricular dysfunction before revascularization. Because the risk of death for surgical revascularization is related to preoperative left ventricular end-diastolic volume, supplementation could improve outcomes.

Aged↗