March 31st, 2011
A Delectable Side Benefit of ACC — New Orleans Restaurants
John Ryan, MD
Obviously, the emphasis at ACC is on science and research. However, we all know that these meetings provide unique opportunities for reunions and social events for traveling cardiologists. For me, one of the highlights of any meeting is when my faculty arranges a dinner or when I can get away with others from the stressors […]
March 30th, 2011
Choosing a PARTNER for Life: A or B?
Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA and L. David Hillis, MD
What is TAVI? During Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), a bioprosthetic valve is inserted through a catheter and implanted within the native stenotic aortic valve. The self-expanding CoreValve (Medtronic) and balloon-mounted Edwards SAPIEN (Edwards Lifesciences) valve are approved in Europe and under investigation in the U.S. for TAVI and can be implanted via the transfemoral, subclavian, or […]
March 30th, 2011
FDA Warns Against Repackaging Dabigatran
Larry Husten, PHD
The FDA has issued a safety communication regarding dabigatran (Pradaxa). Because the drug is subject to product breakdown and loss of potency due to moisture, the FDA recommends that it should be dispensed and stored in its original packaging and that consumers avoid using pill boxes or pill organizers with it. Pradaxa is supplied as […]
March 30th, 2011
ACC Preview: A STICH in Time
Eric Jose Velazquez, MD
Eric Velazquez is the principal investigator of the STICH (Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure) trial. He will present the main results of the trial at the Late’Breaking Clinical Trials II session on Monday morning. Velazquez relates the origins of STICH more than a decade ago and discusses some of the fascinating challenges of completing […]
March 30th, 2011
Many Elderly Patients Excluded from Heart Failure Trials
Larry Husten, PHD
Despite the large and growing burden of heart failure in the elderly population, older people are often excluded from heart failure clinical trials. In a paper in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Antonio Cherubini and colleagues examined 251 heart failure trials and found that a quarter of the trials excluded patients by an arbitrary upper […]
March 29th, 2011
Conflicts of Interest in Cardiovascular Guidelines
Larry Husten, PHD
More than half of authors and reviewers of cardiovascular clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have at least one conflict of interest (COI), according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Todd Mendelson and colleagues analyzed the 17 most recent ACC/AHA CPGs through 2008 and found that 56% of the participants reported a COI. The […]
March 28th, 2011
Updated Unstable Angina/Non-STEMI Guidelines Released by ACC & AHA
Larry Husten, PHD
The AHA and ACC have released a focused update of the 2007 guidelines for the management of unstable angina and non-STEMI. The guidelines incorporate new information from recent clinical trials, and deal with controversial topics such as the choice of antiplatelet agents, the use of platelet-function and genetic tests with antiplatelet agents, and the timing […]
March 25th, 2011
A Meeting That Could Change How You Practice
John Ryan, MD
There is a lot on offer this year at ACC in New Orleans. Whether you are going to live the high life and dine at the Commanders Palace, or crank out the karaoke tunes at Cat’s Meow on Bourbon Street, most fellows lucky enough to attend ACC this year will come away with a vision […]
March 25th, 2011
FDA Approves 2 New Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy-Pacemaker Systems From Medtronic
Larry Husten, PHD
The FDA has approved two new cardiac resynchronization therapy-pacemaker (CRT-P) systems manufactured by Medtronic, the company announced. Both the Consulta® and Syncra™ CRT-P systems include an ECG reporting system, which works with the company’s network data monitoring system to offer remote follow-up of heart-failure patients. In addition, the Consulta includes Medtronic’s fluid monitoring system and […]
March 25th, 2011
The Best Tool for Treating Atrial Fibrillation
John Mandrola, MD, FACC
John Mandrola is a cardiac electrophysiologist and blogger on matters medical and general. Here is a recent post from his blog, Dr John M. Today, I would like to tell you about the most effective way to treat the most common heart ailment — atrial fibrillation (AF). It’s not the novel new blood-thinner, dabigatran (Pradaxa). […]