June 6th, 2011
Smoking Found to Be ‘Potent’ Risk Factor for Symptomatic PAD in Women
Larry Husten, PHD
The latest report on the 40,000 women enrolled in the Women’s Health Study provides further demonstration that smoking is a “potent” risk factor for symptomatic peripheral artery disease. The paper, by David Conen and colleagues, appears in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Here are the age-adjusted incidence rates per 1000 person-years of follow-up: never smoked: […]
June 5th, 2011
PARTNER A Results Published in NEJM
Larry Husten, PHD
Following its initial presentation at the ACC meeting in March, the results of PARTNER A have now been published online in the New England Journal of Medicine, in conjunction with a presentation at the Transcatheter Valve Therapies meeting in Vancouver. As reported previously, 699 high-risk older patients with severe aortic stenosis were randomized to either transcatheter aortic […]
June 2nd, 2011
FDA: ARBs Don’t Increase Risk of Cancer
Larry Husten, PHD
Concluding a nearly one-year safety review, the FDA has announced that angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) do not increase the risk of cancer. The FDA initiated the review after a meta-analysis published in Lancet Oncology found a small but statistically significant increase in the risk of cancer among people taking ARBs. The FDA meta-analysis included 31 […]
June 2nd, 2011
CDC: Death Rates for Heart Disease and Cancer Converge
Larry Husten, PHD
Preliminary data released by the CDC shows that the age-adjusted death rates for heart disease and cancer are converging dramatically. From 1999 through 2009, the death rates for heart disease and cancer declined by 30.8% and 11.9%, respectively. In 1999, the risk for death from heart disease was 31.9% higher than from cancer. By 2009, […]
June 2nd, 2011
Small Study Suggests Possible Benefits of Fish-Oil Supplements for PCI Patients
Larry Husten, PHD
A small study from Poland raises the possibility that supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids may have beneficial effects when given to PCI patients already taking aspirin and clopidogrel. The investigator-initiated study randomized 54 PCI patients to either 1 g per day of n-3 PUFA daily or placebo for one month. The results have been published […]
June 1st, 2011
More Questions Raised About Biotronik’s Relationships with Cardiologists
Larry Husten, PHD
A story by Barry Meier in the New York Times provides new details about a widening investigation into the suspiciously close relationship of referring cardiologists and implanting electrophysiologists with the upstart heart device manufacturer Biotronik. The story cites examples of exchanges between Biotronik employees and their dealings with the physicians. According to Meier, the company […]