Coronary heart research needs

Hence, it appears that hormone replacement can play a role in modifying certain risk factors associated with coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women, but the actual outcomes (heart attack, death) do not seem to be affected significantly by these hormonal interventions. Clearly, continued research in this area is needed to clarify if hormone replacement therapy can help decrease cardiac morbidity and mortality in certain postmenopausal women.60,121... 

AECAPS/TexCAPS = Air ForceAexas Coronary Atherosclerosis Prevention Study (Downs et ah, 1998) Helsinki = The Helsinki Heart Study (Frick et al., 1 987) LRC-CPPT = The Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial (insull et al., 1984) Oslo = The Oslo Study (Hjermann et ah, 1988) WOSCOPS = The West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (Shepherd et al., 1995) ALLHAT = Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial approximately 13-15% of patients had a history of coronary heart disease (CHD) events are CHD events only WHI = Women s Health initiative RRR = relative risk reduction ARR = absolute risk reduction NNT = number needed to treat NA = not available CEE = conjugated equine estrogen MPA = medroxyprogesterone acetate CARDS = Collaborative Atorvastatin Diabetes Study (presented at the 2004 American Diabetes Association meeting). 

The widespread application suffers from improving but stiU insufficient temporal resolution. Most researchers therefore agree that a reduction in heart rate to lengthen the rest phase of the coronary tree is needed, even using the latest editions of scanner technology. 

The Medical Research Council/British Heart Foundation study controlled the activity of antioxidants in the protection of a large group of patients (10,629) suffering from coronary disease who were treated daily with vitamin supplementation (vitamin E 600 mg, vitamin C 250 mg, and /3-carotene 20 mg). Similar high dosages were used in Age-Related Eye Disease Study (vitamin E 400 Ul, vitamin C 500mg, and /3-carotene 15 mg). In both studies the results were not positive. In these last two studies as in any of the studies reported in Table 9 the OS was measured to determine the real need of an antioxidant therapy. 

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