Howlett JG, Stebbins A, Petrie MC, et al. - Given that patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and left ventricular ejection fraction < 35% experienced reduced all-cause mortality and hospitalization after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the STICH (Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure) trial, researchers determined how first and recurrent hospitalization in these patients was influenced by CABG. Randomization of 1,212 patients was done; 610 were randomized to CABG + optimal medical therapy and 602 to optimal medical therapy alone. Participants were observed over a median duration of 9.8 years. Experts found that a reduction in all-cause, cardiovascular, and HF hospitalizations was brought about by CABG, as revealed in time-to-first-event and recurrent event analyses.