August 12th, 2010
CRESCENDO: The Fat Lady Sings for Rimonabant
Larry Husten, PHD
The CRESCENDO (Comprehensive Rimonabant Evaluation Study of Cardiovascular Endpoints and Outcomes) trial, which tested the effects of the endocannabinoid receptor blocker rimonabant for the prevention of cardiovascular events, was terminated early at the request of regulatory agencies in several countries following growing concern that people taking rimonabant were more likely to commit suicide. At the […]
August 11th, 2010
Colder Outdoor Temperatures Linked to Increase in MIs
Larry Husten, PHD
Researchers in the U.K. used data from 84,000 MI hospitalizations to assess the relationship between the risk for MI and ambient temperature. In their report in the British Medical Journal, Krishnan Bhaskaran and colleagues found no change in risk associated with higher temperatures, but observed a significant 2% increase in the risk for MI associated […]
August 11th, 2010
What Do Cardiologists Need to Know About 9p21?
Jeffrey Lance Anderson, MD
CardioExchange welcomes Jeffrey Anderson to discuss his recent editorial in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on the 9p21 locus and CHD. Dr. Anderson and co-author Benjamin Horne carefully evaluated the relationship of 9p21 to CHD and conclude that 9p21 appears to be an initiator of and may be a promoter of CHD, […]
August 10th, 2010
Allopurinol in Gout and Heart Failure
Larry Husten, PHD
Thanassoulis and colleagues analyzed data from 25,000 Canadian heart failure (HF) patients in a paper appearing in Archives of Internal Medicine. They found that patients with a recent or remote history of gout were at high risk for HF readmission or death. Although there was no significant association between allopurinol use in the overall study population, […]
August 10th, 2010
A Family Affair
Juan J. Rivera, MD, MHS
The surplus of specialists and neglect of primary and preventive care in modern American medicine has led to a very sharp focus on individuals, with little regard for families. A perfect example of how this imbalance has detrimental effects at the population level is the childhood obesity epidemic. Many healthcare professionals perceive obesity as an […]
August 9th, 2010
The GP IIb/IIIa Inhibitor Wars: Not Ready To Surrender
Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA and Peter B Berger, MD
Although two recent studies (EVA-MI and SCAAR) report that eptifibatide is as effective as abciximab with respect to myocardial reperfusion and clinical events in patients undergoing primary PCI, the thoughtful and balanced editorial accompanying them points out that the studies “ought not be considered convincing or as level 1 evidence” that the GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors […]
August 9th, 2010
Prior Medication Use Shifts Balance of MIs
Larry Husten, PHD
Patients who present with MI and are taking aspirin, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, or statins are more likely to have a non-STEMI than a STEMI, according to findings from a large Swedish registry published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Lena Björck and colleagues analyzed data from over 100,000 consecutive admissions for MI. Some 61% of STEMI […]
August 9th, 2010
FDA Issues Warning About Inferior Vena Cava Filters
Larry Husten, PHD
The FDA has issued an initial communication informing health professionals that it is evaluating reports of adverse events with the long-term use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters. The FDA “recommends that implanting physicians and clinicians responsible for the ongoing care of patients with retrievable IVC filters consider removing the filter as soon as protection […]
August 6th, 2010
Three Questions about Ticagrelor: Part 4 — Bob Harrington
Sanjay Kaul, MD
PLATO is one of the most impressive trials in recent years, demonstrating substantial benefits for ticagrelor over clopidogrel in a wide population of ACS patients. However, patients enrolled in the US showed no benefit from ticagrelor, and experts have been unable to agree on a cause. Possible factors could include much higher doses of aspirin used in the […]
August 5th, 2010
Three Questions about Ticagrelor: Part 3 — Jonathan Halperin
Sanjay Kaul, MD
PLATO is one of the most impressive trials in recent years, demonstrating substantial benefits for ticagrelor over clopidogrel in a wide population of ACS patients. However, patients enrolled in the US showed no benefit from ticagrelor, and experts have been unable to agree on a cause. Possible factors could include much higher doses of aspirin used in the […]