February 14th, 2011
How Hospitals View Cardiology Groups
Westby G Fisher, MD
CardioExchange welcomes this guest post, reprinted with permission, from Dr. Westby Fisher, an electrophysiologist practicing at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Illinois, and a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. This piece originally appeared on his blog, Dr. Wes. It is no surprise that hospitals are acquiring cardiology and primary care groups in droves […]
February 11th, 2011
SCAST Trial Provides No Support for Blood Pressure Lowering in Acute Stroke
Larry Husten, PHD
Lowering blood pressure with an angiotensin-receptor blocker in patients with acute stroke and hypertension produces no benefits, according to a new study presented at the International Stroke Conference and published simultaneously online in the Lancet. In the Scandinavian Candesartan Acute Stroke Trial (SCAST), investigators randomized 2029 acute stroke patients in 9 north European countries who had a […]
February 11th, 2011
BCVS 2011
CardioExchange Editors, Staff
Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2011 Scientific Sessions: From Concept to Clinic – Leading Translational Cardiovascular Science New Orleans, LA
February 10th, 2011
What’s Keeping Us from Using FFR?
Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA and L. David Hillis, MD
A recent study of PCI in subjects with multivessel CAD showed that procedure costs were lower when a management strategy based on the results of fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements was employed. The FFR-based strategy resulted in fewer stents used, which more than offset the cost of the FFR pressure wire. Even though FFR-guided PCI […]
February 10th, 2011
Apixaban Better Than Aspirin for Stroke Prevention in AF Patients Unable to Take Warfarin
Larry Husten, PHD
A new trial presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrates that the novel factor Xa inhibitor apixaban is better than aspirin for the prevention of stroke in AF patients who are unable to take warfarin. Stuart Connolly and investigators in the AVERROES (Apixaban […]
February 9th, 2011
Trial Finds Benefit in Wireless Pulmonary Artery Monitoring in HF
Larry Husten, PHD
Results of a new trial suggest that an implanted device that provides continuous wireless sensing of pulmonary artery pressures can reduce hospitalizations in patients with heart failure (HF). In a report published online in the Lancet, William Abraham and members of the CHAMPION (CardioMEMS Heart Sensor Allows Monitoring of Pressure to Improve Outcomes in NYHA Class III Patients) Trial Study Group randomized 550 patients […]
February 9th, 2011
QCOR 2011
CardioExchange Editors, Staff
Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke 2011 Scientific Sessions Washington, DC
February 8th, 2011
FDA Approves First Pacemaker Designed For Use with MRI
Larry Husten, PHD
The FDA has approved Medtronic’s Revo MRI SureScan Pacing System, the first pacemaker designed for safe use during MRI exams. Here is Medtronic’s description in a press release of how the pacemaker differs from traditional pacemakers: “The pacemaker system includes hardware modifications to the device and leads that are designed to reduce or eliminate several […]
February 8th, 2011
Biomarker Levels Post-CABG Strongly Linked to Mortality
Larry Husten, PHD
Creatine kinase (CK-MB) and troponin levels obtained in the first day after CABG are a strong predictor of long-term mortality, according to a new report appearing in JAMA. Michael Domanski and colleagues analyzed data from 7 studies that included 18,908 patients who underwent CABG and for whom data on biomarkers and mortality were available. Mortality was […]
February 7th, 2011
The Fellowship Training Blog Moves Into the Trenches
James De Lemos, MD
Andy and I would like to formally welcome John Ryan, who is a second year fellow at the University of Chicago Medical Center, to the Fellowship Training blog at CardioExchange. John has already made several contributions to the blog. Many of you will remember his blogs at the AHA meeting, where he introduced us to […]