October 8th, 2010
Analysis of ADVANCE Explores Role of Hypoglycemia
Larry Husten, PHD
A new analysis of the ADVANCE (Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron Modified Release Controlled Evaluation) trial sheds light on the role of hypoglycemia in recent trials of glucose control. In a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine, the ADVANCE investigators report that 2.1% of 11,140 patients with type 2 diabetes […]
October 7th, 2010
Rolofylline Fails in Heart-Failure Trial
Larry Husten, PHD
In a report in the New England Journal of Medicine, Massie and colleagues randomized 2033 patients hospitalized with acute heart failure and impaired renal function to receive intravenous roloflylline or placebo. Earlier studies had suggested that the use of an adenosine A1-receptor antagonist might be beneficial in this patient population. There was no difference between […]
October 7th, 2010
Genome Studies Pool Data to Gain Power
Larry Husten, PHD
Leaders of several genome-wide association studies have agreed to collaborate and combine their data in the hope that by dramatically raising the sample size of their studies, they will “contribute to our understanding of the role of common genetic variation on risk for CAD and MI.” In an article in Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics, Michael Preuss and […]
October 7th, 2010
Case Closed: What’s at the Heart of this Patient’s Problem?
CardioExchange Editors, Staff
We’ve wrapped up part II of our latest case: A 53-year-old smoker with a history of diverticulitis and prior GI bleeding presents with lightheadedness and bright red blood per rectum. James Fang tells us his recommendations, and Anju Nohria tells us how the patient actually fared. Are you surprised by the outcome? Share your thoughts […]
October 6th, 2010
Study Finds No Evidence for Clopidogrel-Omeprazole Interaction
Sanjay Kaul, MD and Larry Husten, PHD
A large clinical trial has found no evidence that omeprazole interferes with the cardiovascular efficacy of clopidogrel. COGENT (Clopidogrel and the Optimization of Gastrointestinal Events Trial) randomized 3873 patients eligible for dual antiplatelet therapy to receive aspirin, clopidogrel, and either omeprazole or placebo. The COGENT investigators had planned to enroll 5000 patients, but the trial […]
October 6th, 2010
The Skinny on Drug-Eluting Stents (DES)
Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA
(“All we want are the facts, ma’am.” –Joe Friday, Dragnet) Having trouble keeping up with DES and the recent stent studies? Want a brief tutorial? To learn the top six things every cardiologist should know about DES, read on… 1. What they do. DES are superior to both bare-metal stents and angioplasty in reducing the […]
October 5th, 2010
Has Subgroup Exuberance Led to Misleading Advertising?
CardioExchange Editors, Staff
Harlan Krumholz’s latest Journal Club installment, which focuses on subgroup analyses from TRITON-TIMI 38, has generated great comments, including Harlan’s own new observation about how these subgroup data are being misused in advertising. Read what he has to say and share your own thoughts here. So I am perusing my current issue of JACC and […]
October 5th, 2010
Compression-Only CPR Gains More Support
Larry Husten, PHD
There’s more evidence to encourage widespread adoption of chest compression-only CPR by nonmedical responders. Bentley Bobrow and colleagues analyzed data from 4415 adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who did not receive CPR from a medical professional. After adjusting for baseline differences, the survival rate did not differ between people who received conventional CPR from lay […]
October 4th, 2010
Gene Expression Test Brings Modest Improvement to Patient Classification
Larry Husten, PHD
A gene expression test can improve the prediction of CAD but may not be clinically useful, according to results of the Personalized Risk Evaluation and Diagnosis in the Coronary Tree (PREDICT) study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The PREDICT investigators, led by Eric Topol, evaluated a gene expression test based on 23 genes […]
October 4th, 2010
Study Finds Deep Ties Between Sleep and Weight Loss
Larry Husten, PHD
A good night’s sleep might be a key to losing weight. In a crossover study among 10 overweight people, Arlet Nedeltcheva and colleagues compared the effects of 2 weeks of dieting with 8.5 or 5.5 hours of sleep each night. They found that during the sleep curtailment period, weight loss came more from lean body […]