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In a study from the Netherlands of 281 selected patients randomized to on- or off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, short-term cardiac outcomes did not differ between groups (Journal Watch Cardiology Jan 11 2002). Now, the investigators present 3-month and 1-year cognitive-outcome data.
Trained psychologists assessed cognitive function with 10 pre- and post-surgery neuropsychological tests. By 3 months, cognitive decline had occurred in 21% of the off-pump group and in 29% of the on-pump group (P=0.15); by 12 months, the rates were 31% and 34%, respectively (P=0.69). No statistically significant between-groups differences were noted at 3 or 12 months in the secondary outcomes of quality of life, stroke rate, and all-cause mortality.