April 22nd, 2010
Endomyocardial Biopsy versus Gene-Expression Profiling
Larry Husten, PHD
Endomyocardial Biopsy versus Gene-Expression Profiling: It may be possible to replace routine endomyocardial biopsy with gene-expression profiling in some cardiac-transplant patients, according to a new study presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine. The IMAGE Study Group randomized […]
April 21st, 2010
• The IOM Passes the Salt to the FDA
• Promising Results for Novel Dual DES
Larry Husten, PHD
The IOM Passes the Salt to the FDA: The Institute of Medicine released a report, “Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States,” that urges the FDA to set “new government standards for the acceptable level of sodium.” The goal, according to the report, “is to slowly, over time, reduce the sodium content of […]
April 21st, 2010
Small Steps Lead to Big Reduction in Risk for Overweight Mayo Clinic Cardiologist
Larry Husten, PHD
CardioExchange welcomes this guest post reprinted with permission from CardioBrief, a blog written by the news editor of CardioExchange, Larry Husten, PhD. Small Steps Lead to Big Reduction in Risk for Overweight Mayo Clinic Cardiologist: Moderate changes in lifestyle can lead to big reductions in risk, as reported in a feature story in the Wall […]
April 20th, 2010
• Add Sugar, Add Risk
• Fill the Plavix Prescription, or Else…
Larry Husten, PHD
Add Sugar, Add Risk: People with diets that contain large amounts of added sugars (e.g., high-fructose corn syrup) have lower HDL levels and higher triglyceride levels, according to a new report from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) appearing in JAMA. “Monitoring trends in consumption and understanding the effect added sugars have on […]
April 19th, 2010
Will the FDA Halt Avandia Safety Study?
Larry Husten, PHD
The Wall Street Journal reports that the FDA might terminate TIDE, the ongoing study testing the cardiovascular safety of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone. Alicia Mundy and Jennifer Corbett Dooren write that the agency could also choose to pull rosiglitazone from the U.S. market entirely. But the FDA won’t reach any decision until after an advisory panel […]
April 16th, 2010
Board Examinations, Again…
John Mandrola, MD, FACC
CardioExchange welcomes this guest post reprinted with permission from Dr. John M, a blog by private-practice electrophysiologist and CardioExchange member, Dr. John Mandrola. It was a brightly lit wide open room with many cubicles arranged on the periphery. The test takers were grown-ups, but all carried that worried student look. The secretary at the desk […]
April 16th, 2010
FDA Permits Boston Scientific to Resume Sales of Most ICDs
Larry Husten, PHD
FDA Permits Boston Scientific to Resume Sales of Most ICDs: Following a 30-day suspension of sales of Boston Scientific ICDs and CRT-Ds, the FDA has given the company a green light to resume sales of most, but not all, of these devices. The suspension occurred after the company made significant manufacturing changes without following FDA […]
April 15th, 2010
Prostate Cancer and Endocrine Therapy Linked to Increased Risk of Thromboembolic Disease
Larry Husten, PHD
Prostate Cancer and Endocrine Therapy Linked to Increased Risk of Thromboembolic Disease: To assess the risk of thromboembolic disease in men with prostate cancer, Mieke Van Hemelrijck and colleagues analyzed data from the National Prostate Cancer Register in Sweden. They report, in a paper published online in Lancet Oncology, that men with prostate cancer had […]
April 14th, 2010
• Final Results of ARBITER 6-HALTS
• Malpractice and Regional Variation
Larry Husten, PHD
The final results of the ARBITER 6-HALTS trial, which provoked an explosion of controversy upon initial publication last November, have now been published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The trial compared ezetimibe to extended-release niacin in high-risk patients already taking statins. Villines et al. report the CIMT results on 315 patients […]
April 13th, 2010
• Financial Worries Lead to Delays in Seeking Care for MI
• Valve-in-Valve Approach to Fixing Failing Bioprosthetic Valves
Larry Husten, PHD
Financial Worries Lead to Delays in Seeking Care for MI: Nearly 40% of patients in a registry of 3,721 U.S. acute MI patients were without insurance or were insured but had financial concerns. These patients were more likely to delay seeking care than patients who were insured without financial concerns, according to a report by […]