Scholars@Duke
Maria Grau-Sepulveda

Maria Grau-Sepulveda

Biostatistician, Principal
Duke Clinical Research Institute
maria.grau@duke.edu
2400 Pratt Street, Box 3850, Durham, NC 27705

Selected Publications

Abnormal spirometry 1 year after lung transplantation may identify patients at risk for chronic lung allograft dysfunction in a multicenter cohort.

Journal Article JHLT Open · February 2026 BACKGROUND: Baseline lung allograft dysfunction (BLAD) is the failure to achieve predicted pulmonary function after lung transplantation. BLAD, as defined by abnormal spirometry at 12 months post-transplant (Spiro12M), has been associated with increased mo ... Full text Link to item Cite

Erratum to abstract “Rapid introduction of oral antivirals for COVID-19: implementation of a test and treat program in four African countries”, [International Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 152, Supplement, March 2025, 107706] (International Journal of Infectious Diseases (2025) 152(S), (S1201971224007811), (10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107706))

Journal Article International Journal of Infectious Diseases · October 1, 2025 The Publisher would like to point out that the authorship in the published version of this abstract was incorrect. The listed first author, Martin Martin-Odoom’, should be replaced with Jessica Joseph and all authors should be shown to be on behalf of the ... Full text Cite

Mixed methods implementation research of oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries: a study protocol.

Journal Article BMJ Open · September 18, 2025 INTRODUCTION: There is an absence of real-world evidence, especially from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), on the implementation successes and challenges of COVID-19 Test and Treat (T&T) programmes. In 2022, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir was provided as ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

CD26/DPP-IV inhibitors and associations with chronic lung allograft dysfunction in a multicenter cohort.

Journal Article J Heart Lung Transplant · September 2025 BACKGROUND: CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (gliptins) target proinflammatory pathways that contribute to the development of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). We analyzed longitudinal clinical data from 6 North American lung transplant cent ... Full text Link to item Cite

Evaluating the introduction of COVID-19 oral antivirals through a test and treat program: outcomes from a cohort study in four African countries.

Journal Article Int J Infect Dis · September 2025 INTRODUCTION: Access to oral antivirals like nirmatrelvir/ritonavir to treat COVID-19 remains largely unavailable across Africa. Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia, all members of the COVID Treatment QuickStart Consortium, leveraged existing infrastructure t ... Full text Link to item Cite

Lobectomy vs Sublobar Resection in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database: Importance of Patient Factors and Lymph Node Evaluation.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · May 2025 BACKGROUND: Prospective randomized trials have demonstrated noninferior survival between sublobar resection and lobectomy in healthy patients with non-small cell lung cancer with tumors ≤2 cm. However, some patient attributes are not well represented in ra ... Full text Link to item Cite

Prognosis and Risks for Probable Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction: A Prospective Multicenter Study.

Journal Article Am J Respir Crit Care Med · February 2025 Rationale: Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) hinders lung transplant success. A 2019 consensus refined CLAD diagnosis, introducing probable or definite CLAD based on persistence of lung function decline. Outcomes and risks for probable CLAD remain ... Full text Link to item Cite

Development of a Novel Society of Thoracic Surgeons Aortic Surgery Mortality and Morbidity Risk Model.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · January 2025 BACKGROUND: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (STS ACSD) was expanded in 2017 to include more granular detail on thoracic aortic surgeries. We describe the first validated risk model in thoracic aortic surgery from the STS ACS ... Full text Link to item Cite

Equity in Heart Failure Care: A Get With the Guidelines Analysis of Between- and Within-Hospital Differences in Care by Sex, Race, Ethnicity, and Insurance.

Journal Article Circ Heart Fail · October 2024 BACKGROUND: Disparities in guideline-based quality measures likely contribute to differences in heart failure (HF) outcomes. We evaluated between- and within-hospital differences in the quality of care across sex, race, ethnicity, and insurance for patient ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database Analysis: Comparing Sublobar Techniques in Stage IA Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · September 2024 BACKGROUND: This study compares sublobar resections-wedge resection and segmentectomy-in clinical stage IA lung cancers. It tests the hypothesis that overall survival after wedge resection is similar to segmentectomy. METHODS: Adults undergoing wedge resec ... Full text Link to item Cite

Benchmarking Outcomes of Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With Bicuspid Aortic Valves.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · December 2023 BACKGROUND: The relative roles for transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for bicuspid aortic valve (AV) stenosis are debated. This study analyzes the 5-year longitudinal outcomes of isolated SAVR in bicuspid vs tricuspid AV patients, p ... Full text Link to item Cite

Implementation of Staging Guidelines in Early Esophageal Cancer: A Study of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database.

Journal Article Annals of surgery · October 2023 ObjectiveTo evaluate the adoption and clinical impact of endoscopic resection (ER) in early esophageal cancer.BackgroundStaging for early esophageal cancer is largely inaccurate. Assessment of the impact of ER on staging accuracy is unkno ... Full text Cite

Perioperative Anemia and Transfusions and Late Mortality in Coronary Artery Bypass Patients.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · March 2023 BACKGROUND: Perioperative anemia and transfusions are associated with adverse operative outcomes after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Their individual association with long-term outcomes is unclear. METHODS: Patients aged 65 years and older w ... Full text Link to item Cite

Impact of Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair Availability on Volume and Outcomes of Surgical Repair.

Journal Article J Am Coll Cardiol · February 14, 2023 BACKGROUND: The impact of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) on national surgical mitral valve repair (MVr) volume and outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess the impact of TEER availability on MVr volumes and outcomes for degenera ... Full text Link to item Cite

Long-term outcomes of aortic root operations in the United States among Medicare beneficiaries.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · February 2023 OBJECTIVE: The best method of aortic root repair in older patients remains unknown given a lack of comparative effectiveness of long-term outcomes data. The objective of this study was to compare long-term outcomes of different surgical approaches for aort ... Full text Link to item Cite

Impact of Chest Wall Resection on Mortality After Lung Resection for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · December 2022 BACKGROUND: Lung cancer invading the chest wall is treated with concomitant en bloc lung and chest wall resection (CWR). It is unclear how CWR affects postoperative outcomes of lung resection. We hypothesized that CWR would be associated with increased ris ... Full text Link to item Cite

Outcomes of acute type A aortic dissection during the COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database.

Journal Article J Card Surg · December 2022 PURPOSE: There have been reported reductions of hospital presentation for acute cardiovascular conditions such as myocardial infarction and acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined presen ... Full text Link to item Cite

Risk of Each of the Five Lung Lobectomies: A Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database Analysis.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · November 2022 BACKGROUND: The perioperative risk of pulmonary lobectomy as a solitary procedure has been extensively studied, yet the differences in outcomes between lobes, which have unique anatomy and a different amount of lung parenchyma, are entirely unknown. The pu ... Full text Link to item Cite

Coronary Endarterectomy: Analysis of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database.

Conference Ann Thorac Surg · September 2022 BACKGROUND: Coronary endarterectomy (CE) is an uncommon and often unplanned technique used to approach difficult targets during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We evaluated the outcomes of CABG with CE (CE-CABG) using The Society of Thoracic Surgeo ... Full text Link to item Cite

The STS Participant-Level, Multiprocedural Composite Measure for Adult Cardiac Surgery.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · August 2022 BACKGROUND: Composite performance measures for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Adult Cardiac Surgery Database participants (typically hospital departments or practice groups) are currently available only for individual procedures. To assess overall ... Full text Link to item Cite

Strategies for Mechanical Right Ventricular Support During Left Ventricular Assist Device Implant.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · August 2022 BACKGROUND: Refractory right ventricular failure at the time of left ventricular assist device implantation requires treatment with supplemental mechanical circulatory support. However, the optimal strategy for support remains unknown. METHODS: All patient ... Full text Link to item Cite

Anticoagulation in new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation: An analysis from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database.

Journal Article Heart Rhythm O2 · August 2022 BACKGROUND: New-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common complication after cardiac surgery and is associated with increased long-term stroke and mortality. Anticoagulation has been suggested as a potential therapy, but data on saf ... Full text Link to item Cite

Current Penetration, Completeness, and Representativeness of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · May 2022 BACKGROUND: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD) is the largest cardiac surgical database in the world. Linked data from STS ACSD and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) database were used to determi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Sex Differences in Management and Outcomes of Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients Presenting With Cardiogenic Shock.

Journal Article JACC Cardiovasc Interv · March 28, 2022 OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the sex differences in the risk profile, management, and outcomes among patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS). BACKGROUND: Contemporary clinical data regarding sex d ... Full text Link to item Cite

Aortic Annular Enlargement in the Elderly: Short and Long-Term Outcomes in the United States.

Conference Ann Thorac Surg · October 2021 BACKGROUND: Patient prosthesis mismatch is associated with significant long-term morbidity and mortality after aortic valve replacement, but the role and outcomes of annular enlargement (AE) remain poorly defined. We hypothesized that increasing rates of A ... Full text Link to item Cite

Anticoagulation and amiodarone for new atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting: Prescription patterns and 30-day outcomes in the United States and Canada.

Journal Article The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery · August 2021 ObjectiveWe sought to elucidate national practice patterns regarding anticoagulation and antiarrhythmic medication use at discharge and examine short-term patient outcomes.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed the data of ... Full text Cite

Ablation of atrial fibrillation during coronary artery bypass grafting: Late outcomes in a Medicare population.

Conference J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · April 2021 BACKGROUND: This study compares outcomes of patients with preoperative atrial fibrillation undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with or without concomitant atrial fibrillation ablation in a nationally representative Medicare cohort. OBJECTIVES ... Full text Link to item Cite

Less-Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement: Trends and Outcomes From The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database.

Journal Article The Annals of thoracic surgery · April 2021 BackgroundThis study compares outcomes of conventional and less-invasive (LI) approaches for aortic valve replacement (AVR) using The Society of Thoracic Surgeons database.MethodsBetween 2011 and 2017, we identified 122,474 patients under ... Full text Cite

Applicability of US Food and Drug Administration Labeling for Dapagliflozin to Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction in US Clinical Practice: The Get With the Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) Registry.

Journal Article JAMA Cardiol · March 1, 2021 IMPORTANCE: In May 2020, dapagliflozin was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), based on the Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Ad ... Full text Link to item Cite

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes Associated With Oral Anticoagulant Use Among Patients Hospitalized With Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Journal Article JAMA Netw Open · February 1, 2021 IMPORTANCE: Although the use of factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors has increased substantially over the past decade, there are limited data on characteristics and outcomes of FXa inhibitor-associated intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the as ... Full text Link to item Cite

Volume Pledge is Not Associated with Better Short-Term Outcomes After Lung Cancer Resection.

Journal Article J Clin Oncol · October 20, 2020 PURPOSE: We examined the relationship between short-term outcomes and hospitals and surgeons who met minimum volume thresholds for lung cancer resection based on definitions provided by the Volume Pledge. A secondary aim was to evaluate the volume-outcome ... Full text Link to item Cite

Volume-Outcome Association of Mitral Valve Surgery in the United States.

Journal Article JAMA Cardiol · October 1, 2020 IMPORTANCE: Early surgery for severe primary degenerative mitral regurgitation is recommended, provided optimal outcomes are achievable. Contemporary national data defining mitral valve surgery volume and outcomes are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To assess national ... Full text Link to item Cite

Reply: Redo SAVR After Primary TAVR, A Dangerous Sequence?

Journal Article JACC Cardiovasc Interv · September 28, 2020 Full text Link to item Cite

Mortality After Esophagectomy: Analysis of Individual Complications and Their Association with Mortality.

Journal Article Journal of gastrointestinal surgery : official journal of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract · September 2020 BackgroundThe relationship between individual complications and esophagectomy mortality is unclear. The influence of comorbidities on the impact of complications on operative mortality is also unknown. We sought to assess the impact of individual ... Full text Cite

Reoperation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: An Analysis of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database.

Journal Article JACC Cardiovasc Interv · July 13, 2020 OBJECTIVES: This study sought to report the largest series of patients receiving a surgical reoperation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) using the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Adult Cardiac Surgery Database. BACKGROUND: TAVR has be ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Composite Score Rating for Pulmonary Resection for Lung Cancer.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · March 2020 BACKGROUND: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) General Thoracic Surgery Database (GTSD) has developed composite quality measures for lobectomy and esophagectomy. This study sought to develop a composite measure including all resections for lung cancer. ... Full text Link to item Cite

Patient and Hospital Characteristics of Mitral Valve Surgery in the United States.

Journal Article JAMA Cardiol · November 1, 2019 IMPORTANCE: Volume metrics may have relevance in the evaluation of valve center expertise. However, a paucity of data exists regarding the quantity, volume, and geographic location of mitral valve (MV) surgical centers in the United States and the proporti ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Incidence and Outcomes of Surgical Pulmonary Embolectomy in North America.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · May 2019 BACKGROUND: There has been renewed interest in surgical pulmonary embolectomy (SPE) for the treatment of pulmonary embolism, but the real-world incidence and outcomes of SPE have yet to be well described using a large, granular data set. We examined the mo ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Impact of Mitral Disease Etiology on Operative Mortality After Mitral Valve Operations.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · November 2018 BACKGROUND: The pathoetiology of mitral regurgitation (MR) has been suggested as a mediator of outcomes after mitral valve (MV) operations, particularly in ischemic functional mitral regurgitation (IMR). This study examined the independent association of M ... Full text Link to item Cite

Aortic clamping strategy and postoperative stroke.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · October 2018 OBJECTIVE: The effect of aortic clamping strategy on short-term stroke during proximal graft construction for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains undefined. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that partial occluding clamp (POC) tech ... Full text Link to item Cite

Sustained sex-based treatment differences in acute coronary syndrome care: Insights from the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines Coronary Artery Disease Registry.

Journal Article Clin Cardiol · June 2018 BACKGROUND: Sex-based differences in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) mortality may attenuate with age due to better symptom recognition and prompt care. HYPOTHESIS: Age is a modifier of temporal trends in sex-based differences in ACS care. METHODS: Among 104 ... Full text Link to item Cite

Burden of preoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

Journal Article J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · June 2018 BACKGROUND: This study compares early and late outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with and without preoperative atrial fibrillation in a contemporary, nationally representative Medicare cohort. METHODS: In the Medicare-Linked S ... Full text Link to item Cite

Associations Between Surgical Ablation and Operative Mortality After Mitral Valve Procedures.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · June 2018 BACKGROUND: Surgical ablation (SA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) concomitant to mitral valve repair/replacement (MVRR) improves longitudinal sinus rhythm. However, the risk of adding SA remains a clinical question. This study examined whether the addition o ... Full text Link to item Cite

Contemporary management and outcomes of acute type A aortic dissection: An analysis of the STS adult cardiac surgery database.

Journal Article J Card Surg · January 2018 PURPOSE: Management of acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) is challenging and operative strategies are varied. We used the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (STS ACSD) to describe contemporary surgical strategies and outcomes for AAAD. METHODS: Between ... Full text Link to item Cite

Geographic Variations in Lung Cancer Lobectomy Outcomes: The General Thoracic Surgery Database.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · November 2017 BACKGROUND: Lung cancer ranks as the top cancer killer in the United States. Using The Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (GTSD), the geographic variability of lung cancer lobectomy for operative mortality and major morbidity we ... Full text Link to item Cite

Surgical Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in the United States: Trends and Propensity Matched Outcomes.

Journal Article The Annals of thoracic surgery · August 2017 BackgroundSurgical ablation (SA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) effectively restores sinus rhythm. Incompletely defined risk has previously limited concomitant performance of SA during cardiac operations. The study goals were to define performance t ... Full text Cite

Treatment With Tissue Plasminogen Activator in the Golden Hour and the Shape of the 4.5-Hour Time-Benefit Curve in the National United States Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Population.

Journal Article Circulation · January 10, 2017 BACKGROUND: Earlier tissue plasminogen activator treatment improves ischemic stroke outcome, but aspects of the time-benefit relationship still not well delineated are: (1) the degree of additional benefit accrued with treatment in the first 60 minutes aft ... Full text Link to item Cite

Why are acute ischemic stroke patients not receiving IV tPA? Results from a national registry.

Journal Article Neurology · October 2016 ObjectiveTo determine patient and hospital characteristics associated with not providing IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to eligible patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in clinical practice.MethodsWe performed a retrospective ... Full text Cite

Risks and Benefits Associated With Prestroke Antiplatelet Therapy Among Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated With Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator.

Journal Article JAMA Neurol · January 2016 IMPORTANCE: Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is known to improve outcomes in ischemic stroke; however, many patients may have been receiving antiplatelet therapy before acute ischemic stroke and could face an increased risk for bleeding when ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

The agreement of patient-reported versus observed medication adherence in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Journal Article BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care · 2016 OBJECTIVE: Medication adherence in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) improves glycemic control and is associated with reduced adverse clinical events, and accurately assessing adherence assessment is important. We aimed to determine agreement between two com ... Full text Link to item Cite

Characteristics, Treatments, and Outcomes of Hospitalized Heart Failure Patients Stratified by Etiologies of Cardiomyopathy.

Journal Article JACC Heart Fail · November 2015 OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to describe characteristics, treatments, and in-hospital outcomes of hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients stratified by etiology. BACKGROUND: Whether characteristics and outcomes of HF patients differ by cardiomyopathy et ... Full text Link to item Cite

Lack of impact of electronic health records on quality of care and outcomes for ischemic stroke.

Journal Article J Am Coll Cardiol · May 12, 2015 BACKGROUND: Electronic health records (EHRs) may be key tools for improving the quality of health care, particularly for conditions for which guidelines are rapidly evolving and timely care is critical, such as ischemic stroke. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this ... Full text Link to item Cite

Temporal trends for secondary prevention measures among patients hospitalized with coronary artery disease.

Journal Article Am J Med · April 2015 BACKGROUND: Prior studies have noted that in-hospital adherence to secondary prevention measures varied among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery, percutaneous coronary revascularization, or no intervention. We sought to study contempo ... Full text Link to item Cite

Drip and ship thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke: use, temporal trends, and outcomes.

Journal Article Stroke · March 2015 Background and purposeInterhospital transfer after use of intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) in acute stroke (drip and ship) is increasingly frequent. Small studies have suggested that drip and ship tPA is safe and increases rates ... Full text Cite

Cost-effectiveness of revascularization strategies: the ASCERT study.

Journal Article J Am Coll Cardiol · January 6, 2015 BACKGROUND: ASCERT (American College of Cardiology Foundation and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Collaboration on the Comparative Effectiveness of Revascularization Strategies) was a large observational study designed to compare the long-term effectivene ... Full text Link to item Cite

Chronic kidney disease and bleeding complications after intravenous thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke.

Journal Article Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes · November 2014 BACKGROUND: The safety of intravenous thrombolysis in ischemic stroke (IS) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is uncertain. We assessed whether CKD is associated with bleeding complications after intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator admini ... Full text Link to item Cite

Hospitalized hemorrhagic stroke patients with renal insufficiency: clinical characteristics, care patterns, and outcomes.

Journal Article J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · October 2014 BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of information on clinical characteristics, care patterns, and clinical outcomes for hospitalized intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We assessed characteristics, care processes, and in- ... Full text Link to item Cite

Patterns of care quality and prognosis among hospitalized ischemic stroke patients with chronic kidney disease.

Journal Article J Am Heart Assoc · June 5, 2014 BACKGROUND: Relatively little is known about the quality of care and outcomes for hospitalized ischemic stroke patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We examined quality of care and in-hospital prognoses among patients with CKD in the Get With The Gui ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Concomitant tricuspid valve surgery during implantation of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices: a Society of Thoracic Surgeons database analysis.

Journal Article J Heart Lung Transplant · June 2014 BACKGROUND: Performing concomitant tricuspid valve procedures (TVPs) in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients with significant pre-operative tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is controversial, and no studies have been large enough to definitively guide ... Full text Link to item Cite

Composite outcomes in coronary bypass surgery versus percutaneous intervention.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · June 2014 BACKGROUND: Recent observational studies show that patients with multivessel coronary disease have a long-term survival advantage with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Important nonfatal outcome ... Full text Link to item Cite

Hospital variation in intravenous inotrope use for patients hospitalized with heart failure: insights from Get With The Guidelines.

Journal Article Circ Heart Fail · March 1, 2014 BACKGROUND: Prior claims analyses suggest that the use of intravenous inotropic therapy for patients hospitalized with heart failure varies substantially by hospital. Whether differences in the clinical characteristics of the patients explain observed diff ... Full text Link to item Cite

Angiographic validation of the American College of Cardiology Foundation-the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Collaboration on the Comparative Effectiveness of Revascularization Strategies study.

Journal Article Circ Cardiovasc Interv · February 2014 BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to compare angiographic interpretation of coronary arteriograms by sites in community practice versus those made by a centralized angiographic core laboratory. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study population consisted of 20 ... Full text Link to item Cite

Insurance status and outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage: findings from Get With The Guidelines-stroke.

Journal Article J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · February 2014 BACKGROUND: [corrected] Few studies have examined associations among insurance status, treatment, and outcomes in patients hospitalized for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). METHODS: Through retrospective analyses of the Get With The Guidelines (GWTG)-Stroke ... Full text Link to item Cite

Rethinking the ross procedure in adults.

Journal Article Ann Thorac Surg · January 2014 BACKGROUND: Although questionable durability has tempered enthusiasm for the Ross procedure in the last decade, the perioperative risks of the Ross procedure relative to conventional aortic valve replacement are not well described. The goal of this study i ... Full text Link to item Cite

Relationship of race/ethnicity with door-to-balloon time and mortality in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction: findings from Get With the Guidelines-Coronary Artery Disease.

Journal Article Clin Cardiol · December 2013 BACKGROUND: Prior studies have described racial/ethnic disparities in door-to-balloon (DTB) time for patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We sought to compare DTB time between different racial/ethnic groups undergoing prima ... Full text Link to item Cite

Relationship between sex, ejection fraction, and B-type natriuretic peptide levels in patients hospitalized with heart failure and associations with inhospital outcomes: findings from the Get With The Guideline-Heart Failure Registry.

Journal Article Am Heart J · December 2013 BACKGROUND: In heart failure (HF), there are known differences in plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels between reduced and preserved ejection fraction (EF), but few HF studies have explored sex differences. We sought to evaluate the relationship ... Full text Link to item Cite

Temporal Trends in Patient Characteristics and Treatment With Intravenous Thrombolysis Among Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients at Get With the Guidelines–Stroke Hospitals

Journal Article Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes · September 2013 Background—Substantial efforts over the past decade have increased rates of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) use in the United States. We sought to determine changes in pati ... Full text Cite

Temporal trends in patient characteristics and treatment with intravenous thrombolysis among acute ischemic stroke patients at Get With The Guidelines-Stroke hospitals.

Journal Article Circulation. Cardiovascular quality and outcomes · September 2013 BackgroundSubstantial efforts over the past decade have increased rates of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) use in the United States. We sought to determine changes in patient characteristics and rates of tPA use over time among hosp ... Full text Cite

Time to treatment with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator and outcome from acute ischemic stroke.

Journal Article JAMA · June 19, 2013 IMPORTANCE: Randomized clinical trials suggest the benefit of intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) in acute ischemic stroke is time dependent. However, modest sample sizes have limited characterization of the extent to which onset to treatme ... Full text Link to item Cite

Age differences in the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators among older patients hospitalized with heart failure.

Journal Article J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol · June 2013 INTRODUCTION: Practice guidelines recommend the use of ICDs in patients with heart failure (HF) and a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of ≤ 35% in the absence of contraindications. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed an analysis of ICD use among pat ... Full text Link to item Cite

Admission heart rate and in-hospital outcomes in patients hospitalized for heart failure in sinus rhythm and in atrial fibrillation.

Journal Article Am Heart J · April 2013 BACKGROUND: Prior studies have suggested an association between higher heart rate and higher mortality, particularly in chronic heart failure (HF). Whether this relationship holds true in patients hospitalized with HF and differs between patients in sinus ... Full text Link to item Cite

Achievement of guideline-concordant care and in-hospital outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease in teaching and nonteaching hospitals: results from the Get With The Guidelines-Coronary Artery Disease program.

Journal Article Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes · January 1, 2013 BACKGROUND: Secondary prevention therapies improve longitudinal outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease. Previous studies showed that teaching hospitals (THs) more consistently use evidence-based secondary prevention therapies than non-THs (NTHs) ... Full text Link to item Cite

Reperfusion strategies and quality of care in 5339 patients age 80 years or older presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: analysis from get with the guidelines-coronary artery disease.

Journal Article Clin Cardiol · October 2012 BACKGROUND: Data regarding reperfusion strategies, adherence to national guidelines, and in-hospital mortality in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients age ≥80 years are limited. The aim of this study was to determine current reperfusion tren ... Full text Link to item Cite

Calcium, magnesium, and colorectal cancer.

Journal Article Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.) · May 2012 Full text Cite

Comparative effectiveness of revascularization strategies.

Journal Article N Engl J Med · April 19, 2012 BACKGROUND: Questions persist concerning the comparative effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG). The American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) c ... Full text Link to item Cite

Predictors of long-term survival after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery: results from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (the ASCERT study).

Journal Article Circulation · March 27, 2012 BACKGROUND: Most survival prediction models for coronary artery bypass grafting surgery are limited to in-hospital or 30-day end points. We estimate a long-term survival model using data from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database ... Full text Link to item Cite

Prediction of long-term mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention in older adults: results from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry.

Journal Article Circulation · March 27, 2012 BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to develop a long-term model to predict mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention in both patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and those with more stable coronary disease. METHODS AND R ... Full text Link to item Cite

Sex differences in in-hospital mortality in acute decompensated heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction.

Journal Article Am Heart J · March 2012 BACKGROUND: There are no sex-specific survival comparisons between patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced and those with preserved ejection fraction. Large registries noting women have better survival than men combined HF patients with reduced and p ... Full text Link to item Cite

Presence of atrial fibrillation is independently associated with adverse outcomes in patients hospitalized with heart failure: an analysis of get with the guidelines-heart failure.

Journal Article Circ Heart Fail · March 1, 2012 BACKGROUND: It is unclear if the presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) on admission is associated with worse in-hospital outcomes in patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF). This study evaluated the clinical characteristics, management, length of stay ... Full text Link to item Cite

Linking the National Cardiovascular Data Registry CathPCI Registry with Medicare claims data: validation of a longitudinal cohort of elderly patients undergoing cardiac catheterization.

Journal Article Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes · January 2012 BACKGROUND: The National Cardiovascular Data Registry CathPCI Registry was recently linked with longitudinal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) claims data. The degree to which this linked cohort is representative of the overall CathPCI Registry and CMS ... Full text Link to item Cite

Improvement in use of anticoagulation therapy in patients with ischemic stroke: results from Get With The Guidelines-Stroke.

Journal Article Am Heart J · October 2011 BACKGROUND: Anticoagulation therapy reduces thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and has a class I indication for ischemic stroke patients with AF and no contraindications. We determined the patient and hospital level characteris ... Full text Link to item Cite

Quality of care and outcomes in women hospitalized for heart failure.

Journal Article Circ Heart Fail · September 2011 BACKGROUND: Although women account for a significant proportion of heart failure (HF) hospitalizations, data on the quality of care and in-hospital outcomes in women are limited. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined The Joint Commission performance measures, o ... Full text Link to item Cite

Are quality improvements in the get with the guidelines: stroke program related to better care or better data documentation?

Journal Article Circulation. Cardiovascular quality and outcomes · September 2011 BACKGROUND- Increased compliance with performance measures could reflect better care or better data documentation. We examined trends in the documentation of eligibility criteria, treatment contraindications, and missing data in the Get With The Guidelines ... Full text Cite

Serum salicylate levels and risk of recurrent colorectal adenomas.

Journal Article Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · April 2011 BackgroundIntake of aspirin is associated with reduction in risk of colorectal adenoma and carcinoma. Some plants contain salicylates, and individuals not taking aspirin may have measurable salicylate levels. However, the association between serum ... Full text Cite

Authors' reply.

Journal Article Lung India · April 2011 Full text Link to item Cite

Timeliness of tissue-type plasminogen activator therapy in acute ischemic stroke: patient characteristics, hospital factors, and outcomes associated with door-to-needle times within 60 minutes.

Journal Article Circulation · February 22, 2011 BACKGROUND: The benefits of intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) in acute ischemic stroke are time dependent, and guidelines recommend an arrival to treatment initiation (door-to-needle) time of ≤60 minutes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from ac ... Full text Link to item Cite

Association between folate levels and CpG Island hypermethylation in normal colorectal mucosa.

Journal Article Cancer prevention research (Philadelphia, Pa.) · December 2010 Gene-specific promoter methylation of several genes occurs in aging normal tissues and may predispose to tumorigenesis. In the present study, we investigate the association of blood folate levels and dietary and lifestyle factors with CpG island (CGI) meth ... Full text Cite

Baseline plasma total homocysteine and adenoma recurrence: results from a double blind randomized clinical trial of aspirin and folate supplementation.

Journal Article Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · October 2010 BackgroundElevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) is an accepted marker of functional folate deficiency but may have independent effects on colorectal neoplasia risk. It is uncertain whether plasma tHcy is associated with risk at the low levels ... Full text Cite

Circulating folate, vitamin B12, homocysteine, vitamin B12 transport proteins, and risk of prostate cancer: a case-control study, systematic review, and meta-analysis.

Journal Article Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · June 2010 BackgroundDisturbed folate metabolism is associated with an increased risk of some cancers. Our objective was to determine whether blood levels of folate, vitamin B(12), and related metabolites were associated with prostate cancer risk.Methods ... Full text Cite

Cyclooxygenase-2 polymorphisms, aspirin treatment, and risk for colorectal adenoma recurrence--data from a randomized clinical trial.

Journal Article Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · October 2009 Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the production of prostaglandins, potent mediators of inflammation. Chronic inflammation plays an important role in the development and progression of colorectal cancer. Aspirin inhibits COX-2 ac ... Full text Cite

The association of lifestyle and dietary factors with the risk for serrated polyps of the colorectum.

Journal Article Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · August 2009 Some serrated polyps of the colorectum are likely preinvasive lesions, evolving through a newly recognized serrated pathway to colorectal cancer. To assess possible risk and protective factors for serrated polyps and particularly to explore differences in ... Full text Cite

Global DNA hypomethylation (LINE-1) in the normal colon and lifestyle characteristics and dietary and genetic factors.

Journal Article Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · April 2009 BackgroundGlobal loss of methylated cytosines in DNA, thought to predispose to chromosomal instability and aneuploidy, has been associated with an increased risk of colorectal neoplasia. Little is known about the relationships between global hypom ... Full text Cite

Folic acid and risk of prostate cancer: results from a randomized clinical trial.

Journal Article Journal of the National Cancer Institute · March 2009 Data regarding the association between folate status and risk of prostate cancer are sparse and conflicting. We studied prostate cancer occurrence in the Aspirin/Folate Polyp Prevention Study, a placebo-controlled randomized trial of aspirin and folic acid ... Full text Cite

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use after 3 years of aspirin use and colorectal adenoma risk: observational follow-up of a randomized study.

Journal Article Journal of the National Cancer Institute · February 2009 BackgroundFrequent use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been shown to reduce the risk of colorectal adenomas in randomized trials. We examined the persistence of the protective effect after the cessation of randomized aspirin t ... Full text Cite

Colorectal adenomas in a randomized folate trial: the role of baseline dietary and circulating folate levels.

Journal Article Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · October 2008 The Aspirin/Folate Polyp Prevention Study is a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of aspirin use and folic acid supplementation and incidence of colorectal adenomas in individuals with a history of these lesions. The trial showed that folic acid suppleme ... Full text Cite

Vitamins B2, B6, and B12 and risk of new colorectal adenomas in a randomized trial of aspirin use and folic acid supplementation.

Journal Article Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · August 2008 BackgroundFolate, other vitamin B cofactors, and genes involved in folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism all may play important roles in colorectal neoplasia. In this study, we examined the associations between dietary and circulating plasma level ... Full text Cite

Effect of calcium supplementation on fracture risk: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Journal Article The American journal of clinical nutrition · June 2008 BackgroundThe effect of supplementation with calcium alone on risk fractures in a healthy population is not clear.ObjectiveThe objective was to determine whether 4 y of calcium supplementation would reduce the fracture risk during treatme ... Full text Cite

Irritable bowel syndrome: patients' attitudes, concerns and level of knowledge.

Journal Article Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · June 2007 BackgroundIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common, chronic disorder that reduces patients' quality-of-life. Although highly prevalent, little is known about patients' understanding of this disorder.AimTo evaluate the knowledge, fears a ... Full text Cite

Prolonged effect of calcium supplementation on risk of colorectal adenomas in a randomized trial.

Journal Article Journal of the National Cancer Institute · January 2007 BackgroundCalcium supplementation has been shown to decrease the risk of recurrence of colorectal adenomas in randomized trials. However, the duration of this protective effect after cessation of active supplementation is not known.Methods Full text Cite

Ornithine decarboxylase polymorphism modification of response to aspirin treatment for colorectal adenoma prevention.

Journal Article Journal of the National Cancer Institute · October 2006 BackgroundPrevious research suggests that the G315A single-nucleotide polymorphism in the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) gene may be a genetic marker for risk of colorectal neoplasia and may also modify the association of aspirin use with risk. ... Full text Cite

Physicians' attitudes and practices in the evaluation and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

Journal Article Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology · August 2006 ObjectiveIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder characterized by abdominal discomfort and disordered bowel habits. Despite the high prevalence of IBS, little is known about how physicians perceive this condition. The aims of our study ... Full text Cite

Effect of NSAIDs on the recurrence of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Journal Article International journal of cancer · August 2006 Experimental studies have consistently shown a protective effect of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) against nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC). However, little human epidemiological research has been done in this regard. We used data from the Ski ... Full text Cite

Evaluation of a fast track unit: alignment of resources and demand results in improved satisfaction and decreased length of stay for emergency department patients.

Journal Article Quality management in health care · July 2006 BackgroundEmergency departments (EDs) are struggling with overcrowding. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement recently concluded that reducing delays is critical to improving all aspects of emergency care. To reduce cycle times and improve pati ... Full text Cite

Chemoprevention in gastrointestinal cancers: current status.

Other Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology · March 2006 Chemoprevention, pharmacological intervention for disease prevention, aims to intervene in pathways that lead to clinical disease before the disease occurs. Cancer chemoprevention is a relatively new field, but for gastrointestinal cancers, clinical trials ... Full text Cite

K-ras mutations in incident sporadic colorectal adenomas.

Journal Article Cancer · March 2006 BackgroundAlthough K-ras is the most frequently mutated protooncogene in colorectal carcinoma, the specific role and timing of K-ras mutations in colorectal carcinogenesis remains controversial. In the current study, the authors investigated assoc ... Full text Cite

Fat, fiber, meat and the risk of colorectal adenomas.

Journal Article The American journal of gastroenterology · December 2005 ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the relationship between fat, fiber, and meat intake, and risk of colorectal adenoma recurrence.MethodsWe determined adenoma recurrence and dietary intake for 1,520 participants in two rando ... Full text Cite

Interaction of calcium supplementation and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the risk of colorectal adenomas.

Journal Article Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · October 2005 BackgroundCalcium and aspirin have both been found to be chemopreventive against colorectal neoplasia. However, the joint effect of the two agents has not been well investigated.MethodsTo explore the separate and joint effects of calcium ... Full text Cite

Risk of prostate cancer in a randomized clinical trial of calcium supplementation.

Journal Article Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · March 2005 BackgroundIn some studies, high calcium intake has been associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, but no randomized studies have investigated this issue.MethodsWe randomly assigned 672 men to receive either 3 g of calcium carb ... Full text Cite

Vitamin D, calcium supplementation, and colorectal adenomas: results of a randomized trial.

Journal Article Journal of the National Cancer Institute · December 2003 BackgroundCalcium and vitamin D both appear to have antineoplastic effects in the large bowel. Although these nutrients are inter-related metabolically in bone and in the normal intestine, their potential interactions in large-bowel carcinogenesis ... Full text Cite

Neoplastic and antineoplastic effects of beta-carotene on colorectal adenoma recurrence: results of a randomized trial.

Journal Article Journal of the National Cancer Institute · May 2003 BackgroundIn two large, randomized prevention trials, supplementation with beta-carotene increased the risk of lung cancer. Subjects in these studies were predominantly cigarette smokers, and the adverse effects were concentrated among those who a ... Full text Cite