Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is the result of an autoimmune response to pharyngitis caused
by infection with group A Streptococcus. The long-term damage to cardiac valves caused by …

Objectives : We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine if pre-operative
brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) (ie, BNP or N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-…

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), principally ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke, are
the leading cause of global mortality and a major contributor to disability. This paper reviews …

Background Reliable and timely information on the leading causes of death in populations,
and how these are changing, is a crucial input into health policy debates. In the Global …

Background Measurement of the global burden of disease with disability-adjusted life-years
(DALYs) requires disability weights that quantify health losses for all non-fatal …

Background Rheumatic heart disease remains an important preventable cause of
cardiovascular death and disability, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. We …

Aims Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) accounts for over a million premature deaths annually;
however, there is little contemporary information on presentation, complications, and …

Background Testing of factor Xa inhibitors for the prevention of cardiovascular events in patients
with rheumatic heart disease–associated atrial fibrillation has been limited. Methods We …

Severe malaria by Plasmodium falciparum is a potentially fatal disease, frequently unresponsive
to even the most aggressive treatments. Host organ failure is associated with acquired …

Background Cardiopulmonary bypass initiates a systemic inflammatory response syndrome
that is associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality. Steroids suppress inflammatory …