HomeCirculationVol. 111, No. 3Issue Highlights Free AccessIn BriefPDF/EPUBAboutView PDFView EPUBSections ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload citationsTrack citationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InMendeleyReddit Jump toFree AccessIn BriefPDF/EPUBIssue Highlights Originally published25 Jan 2005https://doi.org/10.1161/circ.111.3.245Circulation. 2005;111:245PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS HAVE LOWER HEALTH STATUS BENEFITS AFTER CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS SURGERY, by Mallik et al.Successful CABG surgery leads to improved survival in selected populations and often dramatic improvement in functional status. Traditional studies of the risk factors for improvement in functional status have focused on measures of diseased severity and comorbid conditions. Mallik et al have studied and documented the impact of preoperative depression. They found that depression is one of the strongest predictors of functional status measured 6 months postoperatively. They suggest that pre- and postoperative treatment of depression be considered to improve the clinical functional result after CABG surgery. See p 271.CHOLESTERYL ESTER TRANSFER PROTEIN TaqIB VARIANT, HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL LEVELS, CARDIOVASCULAR RISK, AND EFFICACY OF PRAVASTATIN TREATMENT: INDIVIDUAL PATIENT META-ANALYSIS OF 13677 SUBJECTS, by Boekholdt et al.The notion that high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is inversely associated with coronary artery disease risk is firmly established. Moreover, environmental determinants of HDL-C levels are also well described. Despite this knowledge, relatively little is known about the genetic determinants of HDL-C levels and the response to lipid-lowering therapy. The article in this issue by Boekholdt and colleagues helps bridge these gaps in knowledge by investigating a common polymorphism of cholesteryl ester transfer protein in a large, well-characterized population. They found significant associations between CETP genotype and HDL-C that were also linked to coronary artery disease risk. They also provide information on the pharmacogenomic implications of this CETP polymorphism for statin therapy. See p 278.VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION AND MORTALITY RISK IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE, by Katz et al.Prior studies have shown that patients with heart failure have endothelial dysfunction, and this abnormality could contribute to pathogenesis, symptoms, and long-term outcome. For example, endothelial dysfunction might increase stiffness of the central aorta and increase the hemodynamic load on the left ventricle. In addition, endothelial dysfunction might impair blood flow to the myocardium and skeletal muscle. In this issue of Circulation, Katz and colleagues examined the relation between endothelial function and prognosis in patients with heart failure. They observed that patients with impaired flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery or decreased levels of exhaled nitric oxide were more likely to die or require urgent heart transplantation during a median follow-up period of 396 days. The predictive value of these measures of endothelial dysfunction remained significant after adjustment for other known predictors of risk. These findings provide new information about the clinical importance of endothelial dysfunction in heart failure patients and may suggest a pathogenic link. See p 310.Visit www.circ.ahajournals.org:Clinician UpdateInnocent Murmurs. See p e20.Images in Cardiovascular MedicineKlippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome. See p e23. Download figureDownload PowerPointReversible Wall Thinning in Hibernation Predicted by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. See p e24.CorrespondenceSee p e26. Previous Back to top Next FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited ByLloyd-Jones D, Leip E, Larson M, D’Agostino R, Beiser A, Wilson P, Wolf P and Levy D (2006) Prediction of Lifetime Risk for Cardiovascular Disease by Risk Factor Burden at 50 Years of Age, Circulation, 113:6, (791-798), Online publication date: 14-Feb-2006. January 25, 2005Vol 111, Issue 3 Advertisement Article InformationMetrics https://doi.org/10.1161/circ.111.3.245 Originally publishedJanuary 25, 2005 PDF download Advertisement