PHYSICIANS OFFICE NEWS BRIEFS
ejection fraction of 35 percent or less, NRR of
18.6 per minute or greater was significantly
associated with cardiac mortality (P < 0.001)
and non-sudden cardiac death (P = 0.009), but
not sudden cardiac death (P = 0.595).
"Among patients with left ventricular
ejection fraction ≤35 percent, i.e., implantable
cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) candidates,
increased NRR identifies a group of patients
with frequent non-sudden cardiac death, i.e.,
a mode of death likely not ICD preventable,"
the authors write. "Independent validation of
this new risk stratification approach is
necessary before it can be incorporated into
clinical decision-making."
S
Jeff Cain, M.D., said in a statement.
Dysfunction in the brain's stress
response system may be an important factor
in the memory and thinking problems
experienced by people with Alzheimer's
disease and other dementias, according to a
report published online March 19 in Nature.
Harvard researchers found that when the
system is working normally, it can protect the
brain from Alzheimer's-related proteins. But if it
malfunctions, important areas of the brain
begin to deteriorate, The New York Times
reported. Specifically, a protein called REST
helps protect brain cells in healthy seniors
from aging-related stresses, but levels of the
protein are much lower in important brain
regions in people with Alzheimer's and other
dementias. The protein could offer a target for
the development of new drugs for dementias,
according to The Times.
"This is an extremely important study," LiHuei Tsai, Ph.D., d