Emir Veledar - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Emir Veledar

Research paper thumbnail of Data Mining Techniques and SAS as a tool for graphical presentation of Principal Components Analysis and Disjoint Cluster Analysis results

... Faculty of Information Technologies, University "Dzemal Bijedic&... more ... Faculty of Information Technologies, University "Dzemal Bijedic" Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina {emir.s, haris ... I. INTRODUCTION Data mining, sometimes referred to as knowledge discovery, is at the intersection of multiple research areas, including Machine Learning, Statistics ...

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions in Patients of Three Age Groups (<60, 60 to 80, and >80 Years) (from the New York State Angioplasty Registry)

The American Journal of Cardiology, 2006

Octogenarians have been under-represented in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) trials desp... more Octogenarians have been under-represented in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) trials despite an increase in referrals for PCI. As the United States population ages, the number of high-risk PCIs in the elderly will continue to increase. This study investigated the effect of age on short-term prognosis after PCI in 3 age groups. Using the 2000/2001 New York State Angioplasty Registry, we compared in-hospital mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs; death, stroke, or coronary artery bypass grafting) in emergency and elective PCI cohorts across 3 age categories of patients: 10,964 patients who underwent emergency PCI (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;60 years of age, n = 5,354; 60 to 80 years of age, n = 4,939; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;80 years of age, n = 671) and 71,176 patients who underwent elective PCI (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;60 years of age, n = 24,525; 60 to 80 years of age, n = 40,869; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;80 years of age, n = 5,782). Patients were considered to have undergone an emergency PCI if they had an acute myocardial infarction within 24 hours, had thrombolytic therapy within 7 days, or presented with hemodynamic instability or shock. Elderly patients had more co-morbidities, including more extensive coronary atherosclerosis, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, and renal insufficiency, and presented more frequently with hemodynamic instability or shock. In the emergency PCI group, in-hospital mortality (1.0% vs 4.1% vs 11.5%, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) and MACEs (1.6% vs 5.2% vs 13.1%, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) increased incrementally by age group. In the elective PCI group, rates of in-hospital complications were considerably lower, with an incremental increase in mortality (0.1% vs 0.4% vs 1.1%, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) and MACEs (0.4% vs 0.7% vs 1.6%, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05). Age was strongly predictive of in-hospital mortality for emergency and elective PCI by multivariate analysis. In conclusion, elective PCI in the elderly has favorable outcome and acceptable short-term mortality in the stent era. Elderly patients, in particular octogenarians undergoing emergency PCI, have a substantially higher risk of in-hospital death.

Research paper thumbnail of Functional Health and Well-Being, Arterial Stiffness and Vascular Dysfunction in Healthy Adults

International Journal of Cardiology, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Abstract 15086: Mean Platelet Volume is an Independent Predictor of Acute Myocardial Infarction and Future Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in Individuals with Coronary Artery Disease

Circulation, Nov 22, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Abstract 16083: Aggregate Risk Score Based on Markers of Inflammation, Immunity, and Thrombosis is an Independent Predictor of Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes

Circulation, Nov 22, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Abstract 15230: Depression is a Stronger Risk Factor for Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease and Major Cardiovascular Events in Young Women than Men and Older Women

Circulation, Nov 22, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of The impact of pruritus on quality of life: the skin equivalent of pain

Archives of dermatology, 2011

To compare the impact of chronic pruritus and chronic pain on quality of life (QoL) using directl... more To compare the impact of chronic pruritus and chronic pain on quality of life (QoL) using directly elicited health utility scores. Cross-sectional study. Convenience sample of patients attending the Emory Dermatology Clinic, Emory Spine Center, and Emory Center for Pain Management, Atlanta, Georgia. Adult men and women (aged ≥ 18 years) experiencing chronic pain or pruritus for 6 weeks or more. The mean utility score of patients with chronic pruritus was compared with that of patients with chronic pain. A regression analysis was performed to determine the impact of the primary predictor variable-symptom type-on the primary outcome variable-mean utility score (a metric representing the impact on QoL). The study included 73 patients with chronic pruritus and 138 patients with chronic pain. The mean (SD) utility among patients with pruritus was 0.87 (0.27) compared with 0.77 (0.31) for patients with pain (P < .01). After symptom severity, duration, and demographic factors were contr...

Research paper thumbnail of Assessment of American Heart Association's Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metrics Among Employees of a Large Healthcare Organization: The Baptist Health South Florida Employee Study

Clinical cardiology, Jan 21, 2015

Healthcare organizations and their employees are critical role models for healthy living in their... more Healthcare organizations and their employees are critical role models for healthy living in their communities. The American Heart Association (AHA) 2020 impact goal provides a national framework that can be used to track the success of employee wellness programs with a focus on improving cardiovascular (CV) health. This study aimed to assess the CV health of the employees of Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF), a large nonprofit healthcare organization. HRAs and wellness examinations can be used to measure the cardiovascular health status of an employee population. The AHA's 7 CV health metrics (diet, physical activity, smoking, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and blood glucose) categorized as ideal, intermediate, or poor were estimated among employees of BHSF participating voluntarily in an annual health risk assessment (HRA) and wellness fair. Age and gender differences were analyzed using χ(2) test. The sample consisted of 9364 employees who participated i...

Research paper thumbnail of A cross-sectional study examining the correlation between sunless tanning product use and tanning beliefs and behaviors

Archives of dermatology, 2012

To establish the effect of sunless tanning products on tanning behaviors and to determine charact... more To establish the effect of sunless tanning products on tanning behaviors and to determine characteristics of sunless tanning product users. A cross-sectional survey study conducted between May 30, 2007, and December 4, 2007. The Emory University campus and surrounding locations in Atlanta, Georgia. Four hundred fifteen community and university-affiliated women. Self-reported use of sunless tanning products and UV radiation tanning methods. Forty-eight percent of participants had used sunless tanning products, 70.6% had tanned in the sun, and 26.0% had used tanning beds at least once in the past year. Most participants (92.7%) believed that tanned skin is more attractive than untanned skin, and 79.2% reported feeling better about themselves when tan. Many sunless tanning product users reported decreased frequency of tanning in the sun (36.8%) or in tanning beds (38%) because of product use. Frequent users were more likely to have decreased their UV radiation exposure. Lighter complex...

Research paper thumbnail of Analyzing recent trends in coronary heart disease (CHD) deaths among the elderly in the United States using data from official statistical sources

Medicinski arhiv, 2010

Total mortality rates and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates are declining in the USA. ... more Total mortality rates and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates are declining in the USA. Accordingly, the oldest individuals (85+ years) comprise the fastest growing segment of the population. How do these declines in mortality apply to and re-apportion other age groups? We examined trends in CHD mortality for the USA population over 25 years of age, focusing on changes occurring among individuals 65-74 and 75-84 years of age.

Research paper thumbnail of How long is the warranty period for nil or low coronary artery calcium in patients new to hemodialysis?

Journal of nephrology

Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is common in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease on... more Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is common in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease on dialysis. A sizeable proportion of patients has no or minimal CAC at the inception of dialysis, but it is unclear how long they remain free of it. For the purpose of this study, 36 incident hemodialysis patients were submitted to sequential chest computed tomography to quantify CAC at baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 30 months. Among them, 15 had absent or minimal CAC score (CACS 0 to 30) and 21 had a CACS>30 at baseline. Overall, the median baseline CACS was 129 (interquartile range [IQR]=0-709) and it increased to 364 (IQR=8.3-1683) at study completion (182% increase). Among the 15 patients with minimal CACS, only 3 progressed and the median CACS increase was 20, as opposed to 15 of 21 patients with a baseline CACS>30 whose median progression was 431 (p<0.02). The 18 patients who had CACS progression were older (68.5 vs. 57.3 years, p=0.0081) and exhibited a poorer control of mineral ...

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of diabetes on five-year outcomes after vein graft interventions performed prior to the drug-eluting stent era

The Journal of invasive cardiology, 2006

The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in 5-year outcomes among diabetic and nondi... more The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in 5-year outcomes among diabetic and nondiabetic patients undergoing saphenous vein graft (SVG) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) prior to the era of distal protection and drug-eluting stents. PCI of native coronary arteries is known to be associated with higher rates of adverse outcomes in diabetic patients compared to nondiabetic patients. However, the impact of diabetes on long-term outcomes after SVG interventions is not as well established. We conducted an evaluation of 5-year outcomes after SVG PCI in the two decades prior to the availability of distal protection devices and drug-eluting stents. Data on 2,556 subjects (1,780 nondiabetic and 776 diabetic) undergoing SVG PCI at Emory Hospital from 1981 to 2001 were collected and entered into a computerized database and analyzed for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Compared to the nondiabetic group, the diabetic group had worse 1-year (87.7% vs. 94.9%; p < 0.0001) a...

Research paper thumbnail of Urban-rural differences in coronary heart disease mortality in the United States: 1999-2009

Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)

Coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality has declined in the past few decades; however, it is uncle... more Coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality has declined in the past few decades; however, it is unclear whether the reduction in CHD deaths has been similar across urbanization levels and in specific racial groups. We describe the pattern and magnitude of urban-rural variations in CHD mortality in the U.S. Using data from the National Center for Health Statistics, we examined trends in death rates from CHD from 1999 to 2009 among people aged 35-84 years, in each geographic region (Northeast, Midwest, West, and South) and in specific racial-urbanization groups, including black and white people in large and medium metropolitan (urban) areas and in non-metropolitan (rural) areas. We also examined deaths from early-onset CHD in females aged <65 years and males aged <55 years. From 1999 to 2009, there was a 40% decline in age-adjusted CHD mortality. The trend was similar in black and white people but was more pronounced in urban than in rural areas, resulting in a crossover in 2007, wh...

Research paper thumbnail of Association between ideal cardiovascular health and carotid intima-media thickness: a twin study

Journal of the American Heart Association, 2014

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently developed the Cardiovascular Health Index (CVHI), a... more The American Heart Association (AHA) recently developed the Cardiovascular Health Index (CVHI), a health metric consisting of 7 modifiable risk factors. The relationship of the CVHI with preclinical markers, such as carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) has not been assessed. We examined 490 male monozygotic and dizygotic twins without overt cardiovascular disease. CIMT was measured using B-mode ultrasonography. Each of the 7 CVHI components (blood pressure, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, body mass index, physical activity, healthy diet, and smoking) was given a point score of 0, 1, or 2 to represent poor, intermediate, or ideal health, respectively. A CVHI summation score was computed (range 0 to 14) and categorized as inadequate (0 to 4), average (5 to 9), or optimum (10 to 14) cardiovascular health. Mixed-model regression was used to examine the association of the CVHI with CIMT. The mean age of the twins was 55.4 years, and 61% were monozygotic. The mean CIMT was 0.75 (± 0....

Research paper thumbnail of UV Radiation Protection by Handheld Umbrellas

Research paper thumbnail of Platelet Activation in Ischemic Heart Disease: Role of Modulators and New Therapies

Novel Strategies in Ischemic Heart Disease, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Describing the State of Mentoring in Academic Dermatology

[Research paper thumbnail of Hematological and biochemical variables strongly predict death at 1-year after percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI)](https://a.academia-assets.com/images/blank-paper.jpg)

Research paper thumbnail of Thiazolidinediones Do Not Reduce 1 Year Event Rates In Diabetic Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Research paper thumbnail of Serum Phosphorus Levels are Associated with Incident Fatal and Non-Fatal Coronary Disease in Men but not in Women in the Community

Research paper thumbnail of Data Mining Techniques and SAS as a tool for graphical presentation of Principal Components Analysis and Disjoint Cluster Analysis results

... Faculty of Information Technologies, University &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Dzemal Bijedic&... more ... Faculty of Information Technologies, University &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Dzemal Bijedic&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina {emir.s, haris ... I. INTRODUCTION Data mining, sometimes referred to as knowledge discovery, is at the intersection of multiple research areas, including Machine Learning, Statistics ...

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions in Patients of Three Age Groups (<60, 60 to 80, and >80 Years) (from the New York State Angioplasty Registry)

The American Journal of Cardiology, 2006

Octogenarians have been under-represented in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) trials desp... more Octogenarians have been under-represented in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) trials despite an increase in referrals for PCI. As the United States population ages, the number of high-risk PCIs in the elderly will continue to increase. This study investigated the effect of age on short-term prognosis after PCI in 3 age groups. Using the 2000/2001 New York State Angioplasty Registry, we compared in-hospital mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs; death, stroke, or coronary artery bypass grafting) in emergency and elective PCI cohorts across 3 age categories of patients: 10,964 patients who underwent emergency PCI (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;60 years of age, n = 5,354; 60 to 80 years of age, n = 4,939; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;80 years of age, n = 671) and 71,176 patients who underwent elective PCI (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;60 years of age, n = 24,525; 60 to 80 years of age, n = 40,869; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;80 years of age, n = 5,782). Patients were considered to have undergone an emergency PCI if they had an acute myocardial infarction within 24 hours, had thrombolytic therapy within 7 days, or presented with hemodynamic instability or shock. Elderly patients had more co-morbidities, including more extensive coronary atherosclerosis, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, and renal insufficiency, and presented more frequently with hemodynamic instability or shock. In the emergency PCI group, in-hospital mortality (1.0% vs 4.1% vs 11.5%, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) and MACEs (1.6% vs 5.2% vs 13.1%, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) increased incrementally by age group. In the elective PCI group, rates of in-hospital complications were considerably lower, with an incremental increase in mortality (0.1% vs 0.4% vs 1.1%, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) and MACEs (0.4% vs 0.7% vs 1.6%, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05). Age was strongly predictive of in-hospital mortality for emergency and elective PCI by multivariate analysis. In conclusion, elective PCI in the elderly has favorable outcome and acceptable short-term mortality in the stent era. Elderly patients, in particular octogenarians undergoing emergency PCI, have a substantially higher risk of in-hospital death.

Research paper thumbnail of Functional Health and Well-Being, Arterial Stiffness and Vascular Dysfunction in Healthy Adults

International Journal of Cardiology, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Abstract 15086: Mean Platelet Volume is an Independent Predictor of Acute Myocardial Infarction and Future Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in Individuals with Coronary Artery Disease

Circulation, Nov 22, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Abstract 16083: Aggregate Risk Score Based on Markers of Inflammation, Immunity, and Thrombosis is an Independent Predictor of Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes

Circulation, Nov 22, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Abstract 15230: Depression is a Stronger Risk Factor for Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease and Major Cardiovascular Events in Young Women than Men and Older Women

Circulation, Nov 22, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of The impact of pruritus on quality of life: the skin equivalent of pain

Archives of dermatology, 2011

To compare the impact of chronic pruritus and chronic pain on quality of life (QoL) using directl... more To compare the impact of chronic pruritus and chronic pain on quality of life (QoL) using directly elicited health utility scores. Cross-sectional study. Convenience sample of patients attending the Emory Dermatology Clinic, Emory Spine Center, and Emory Center for Pain Management, Atlanta, Georgia. Adult men and women (aged ≥ 18 years) experiencing chronic pain or pruritus for 6 weeks or more. The mean utility score of patients with chronic pruritus was compared with that of patients with chronic pain. A regression analysis was performed to determine the impact of the primary predictor variable-symptom type-on the primary outcome variable-mean utility score (a metric representing the impact on QoL). The study included 73 patients with chronic pruritus and 138 patients with chronic pain. The mean (SD) utility among patients with pruritus was 0.87 (0.27) compared with 0.77 (0.31) for patients with pain (P < .01). After symptom severity, duration, and demographic factors were contr...

Research paper thumbnail of Assessment of American Heart Association's Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metrics Among Employees of a Large Healthcare Organization: The Baptist Health South Florida Employee Study

Clinical cardiology, Jan 21, 2015

Healthcare organizations and their employees are critical role models for healthy living in their... more Healthcare organizations and their employees are critical role models for healthy living in their communities. The American Heart Association (AHA) 2020 impact goal provides a national framework that can be used to track the success of employee wellness programs with a focus on improving cardiovascular (CV) health. This study aimed to assess the CV health of the employees of Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF), a large nonprofit healthcare organization. HRAs and wellness examinations can be used to measure the cardiovascular health status of an employee population. The AHA's 7 CV health metrics (diet, physical activity, smoking, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and blood glucose) categorized as ideal, intermediate, or poor were estimated among employees of BHSF participating voluntarily in an annual health risk assessment (HRA) and wellness fair. Age and gender differences were analyzed using χ(2) test. The sample consisted of 9364 employees who participated i...

Research paper thumbnail of A cross-sectional study examining the correlation between sunless tanning product use and tanning beliefs and behaviors

Archives of dermatology, 2012

To establish the effect of sunless tanning products on tanning behaviors and to determine charact... more To establish the effect of sunless tanning products on tanning behaviors and to determine characteristics of sunless tanning product users. A cross-sectional survey study conducted between May 30, 2007, and December 4, 2007. The Emory University campus and surrounding locations in Atlanta, Georgia. Four hundred fifteen community and university-affiliated women. Self-reported use of sunless tanning products and UV radiation tanning methods. Forty-eight percent of participants had used sunless tanning products, 70.6% had tanned in the sun, and 26.0% had used tanning beds at least once in the past year. Most participants (92.7%) believed that tanned skin is more attractive than untanned skin, and 79.2% reported feeling better about themselves when tan. Many sunless tanning product users reported decreased frequency of tanning in the sun (36.8%) or in tanning beds (38%) because of product use. Frequent users were more likely to have decreased their UV radiation exposure. Lighter complex...

Research paper thumbnail of Analyzing recent trends in coronary heart disease (CHD) deaths among the elderly in the United States using data from official statistical sources

Medicinski arhiv, 2010

Total mortality rates and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates are declining in the USA. ... more Total mortality rates and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates are declining in the USA. Accordingly, the oldest individuals (85+ years) comprise the fastest growing segment of the population. How do these declines in mortality apply to and re-apportion other age groups? We examined trends in CHD mortality for the USA population over 25 years of age, focusing on changes occurring among individuals 65-74 and 75-84 years of age.

Research paper thumbnail of How long is the warranty period for nil or low coronary artery calcium in patients new to hemodialysis?

Journal of nephrology

Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is common in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease on... more Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is common in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease on dialysis. A sizeable proportion of patients has no or minimal CAC at the inception of dialysis, but it is unclear how long they remain free of it. For the purpose of this study, 36 incident hemodialysis patients were submitted to sequential chest computed tomography to quantify CAC at baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 30 months. Among them, 15 had absent or minimal CAC score (CACS 0 to 30) and 21 had a CACS>30 at baseline. Overall, the median baseline CACS was 129 (interquartile range [IQR]=0-709) and it increased to 364 (IQR=8.3-1683) at study completion (182% increase). Among the 15 patients with minimal CACS, only 3 progressed and the median CACS increase was 20, as opposed to 15 of 21 patients with a baseline CACS>30 whose median progression was 431 (p<0.02). The 18 patients who had CACS progression were older (68.5 vs. 57.3 years, p=0.0081) and exhibited a poorer control of mineral ...

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of diabetes on five-year outcomes after vein graft interventions performed prior to the drug-eluting stent era

The Journal of invasive cardiology, 2006

The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in 5-year outcomes among diabetic and nondi... more The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in 5-year outcomes among diabetic and nondiabetic patients undergoing saphenous vein graft (SVG) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) prior to the era of distal protection and drug-eluting stents. PCI of native coronary arteries is known to be associated with higher rates of adverse outcomes in diabetic patients compared to nondiabetic patients. However, the impact of diabetes on long-term outcomes after SVG interventions is not as well established. We conducted an evaluation of 5-year outcomes after SVG PCI in the two decades prior to the availability of distal protection devices and drug-eluting stents. Data on 2,556 subjects (1,780 nondiabetic and 776 diabetic) undergoing SVG PCI at Emory Hospital from 1981 to 2001 were collected and entered into a computerized database and analyzed for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Compared to the nondiabetic group, the diabetic group had worse 1-year (87.7% vs. 94.9%; p < 0.0001) a...

Research paper thumbnail of Urban-rural differences in coronary heart disease mortality in the United States: 1999-2009

Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)

Coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality has declined in the past few decades; however, it is uncle... more Coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality has declined in the past few decades; however, it is unclear whether the reduction in CHD deaths has been similar across urbanization levels and in specific racial groups. We describe the pattern and magnitude of urban-rural variations in CHD mortality in the U.S. Using data from the National Center for Health Statistics, we examined trends in death rates from CHD from 1999 to 2009 among people aged 35-84 years, in each geographic region (Northeast, Midwest, West, and South) and in specific racial-urbanization groups, including black and white people in large and medium metropolitan (urban) areas and in non-metropolitan (rural) areas. We also examined deaths from early-onset CHD in females aged <65 years and males aged <55 years. From 1999 to 2009, there was a 40% decline in age-adjusted CHD mortality. The trend was similar in black and white people but was more pronounced in urban than in rural areas, resulting in a crossover in 2007, wh...

Research paper thumbnail of Association between ideal cardiovascular health and carotid intima-media thickness: a twin study

Journal of the American Heart Association, 2014

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently developed the Cardiovascular Health Index (CVHI), a... more The American Heart Association (AHA) recently developed the Cardiovascular Health Index (CVHI), a health metric consisting of 7 modifiable risk factors. The relationship of the CVHI with preclinical markers, such as carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) has not been assessed. We examined 490 male monozygotic and dizygotic twins without overt cardiovascular disease. CIMT was measured using B-mode ultrasonography. Each of the 7 CVHI components (blood pressure, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, body mass index, physical activity, healthy diet, and smoking) was given a point score of 0, 1, or 2 to represent poor, intermediate, or ideal health, respectively. A CVHI summation score was computed (range 0 to 14) and categorized as inadequate (0 to 4), average (5 to 9), or optimum (10 to 14) cardiovascular health. Mixed-model regression was used to examine the association of the CVHI with CIMT. The mean age of the twins was 55.4 years, and 61% were monozygotic. The mean CIMT was 0.75 (± 0....

Research paper thumbnail of UV Radiation Protection by Handheld Umbrellas

Research paper thumbnail of Platelet Activation in Ischemic Heart Disease: Role of Modulators and New Therapies

Novel Strategies in Ischemic Heart Disease, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Describing the State of Mentoring in Academic Dermatology

[Research paper thumbnail of Hematological and biochemical variables strongly predict death at 1-year after percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI)](https://a.academia-assets.com/images/blank-paper.jpg)

Research paper thumbnail of Thiazolidinediones Do Not Reduce 1 Year Event Rates In Diabetic Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Research paper thumbnail of Serum Phosphorus Levels are Associated with Incident Fatal and Non-Fatal Coronary Disease in Men but not in Women in the Community