The term decline effect is referred to a diminution of scientifically discovered effects over time. Reasons for the decline effect are multifaceted and include publication bias, selective reporting, outcomes reporting bias, regression to the mean, scientific paradigm shift, overshadowing and habituation, among others. Such effects can be found in cardiovascular medicines through medications (e.g., aspirin, antithrombotics, proton pump inhibitor, beta-blockers, statins, estrogen/progestin, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor etc.), as well as with interventional devices (e.g., angioplasty, percutaneous coronary intervention, stents). The scientific community should understand the various dimensions of the decline effects, and effective steps should be undertaken to prevent or recognize such decline effects in cardiovascular medicines.
Angioplasty ; Aspirin ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Proton Pumps ; Publication Bias ; Stents

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate trends of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor profiles over 17 years in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients at the Mayo Clinic. METHODS: We performed a time-trend analysis within the Mayo Clinic PCI Registry from 1994 to 2010. Results were the incidence and prevalence of CVD risk factors as estimate by the Framingham risk score. RESULTS: Between 1994 and 2010, 25 519 patients underwent a PCI. During the time assessed, the mean age at PCI became older, but the gender distribution did not change. A significant trend towards higher body mass index and more prevalent hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and diabetes was found over time. The prevalence of current smokers remained unchanged. The prevalence of ever-smokers decreased among males, but increased among females. However, overall CVD risk according to the Framingham risk score (FRS) and 10-year CVD risk significantly decreased. The use of most of medications elevated from 1994 to 2010, except for beta-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors decreased after 2007 and 2006 in both baseline and discharge, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the major risk factors improved and the FRS and 10-year CVD risk declined in this population of PCI patients. However, obesity, history of hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, and medication use increased substantially. Improvements to blood pressure and lipid profile management because of medication use may have influenced the positive trends.
Adrenergic beta-Antagonists/therapeutic use ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases/complications/drug therapy/*epidemiology ; Diabetes Complications ; Diabetes Mellitus/diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia/complications/diagnosis ; Hypertension/complications/diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/*statistics & numerical data/trends ; Prevalence ; Registries/statistics & numerical data ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; Time Factors

Personalized medicine is a novel medical model with all decisions and practices being tailored to individual patients in whatever ways possible. In the era of genomics, personalized medicine combines the genetic information for additional benefit in preventive and therapeutic strategies. Personalized medicine may allow the physician to provide a better therapy for patients in terms of efficiency, safety and treatment length to reduce the associated costs. There was a remarkable growth in scientific publication on personalized medicine within the past few years in the cardiovascular field. However, so far, only very few cardiologists in the USA are incorporating personalized medicine into clinical treatment. We review the concepts, strengths, limitations and challenges of personalized medicine with a particular focus on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). There are many challenges from both scientific and policy perspectives to personalized medicine, which can overcome them by comprehensive concept and understanding, clinical application, and evidence based practices. Individualized medicine serves a pivotal role in the evolution of national and global healthcare reform, especially, in the CVDs fields. Ultimately, personalized medicine will affect the entire landscape of health care system in the near future.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Delivery of Health Care ; Genomics ; Health Care Reform ; Humans ; Precision Medicine ; Publications