July 21st, 2011
Carotid IMT Provides Modest Improvement to Risk Prediction
Larry Husten, PHD
Measurement of the maximum intima–media thickness (IMT) of the internal carotid artery (CA) can modestly improve cardiovascular risk prediction, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Joseph Polak and colleagues measured the mean IMT of the common CA and the maximum IMT of the internal CA of 2965 subjects […]
July 21st, 2011
Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve Receives Strong Support from FDA Advisory Panel
Larry Husten, PHD
The FDA Circulatory Systems Devices Panel has given a strong vote of support in favor of the Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve (THV) for use in patients with inoperable severe aortic stenosis and with no comorbidities precluding benefit from correction of the stenosis. By large majorities, the panel voted that the procedure was safe (7-3), that […]
July 20th, 2011
Ticagrelor (Brilinta) Gains FDA Approval
Larry Husten, PHD
With the FDA approval, will you be using this drug in your practice?
July 18th, 2011
Study Suggests Possibility That CETP Inhibitors May Improve Glycemic Control
Larry Husten, PHD
A new analysis of the ILLUMINATE trial raises the possibility that CETP inhibitors like torcetrapib might have the unexpected beneficial effect of improving glycemic control in addition to their intended effect of raising HDL cholesterol. Development of torcetrapib was halted several years ago following the early termination of the large ILLUMINATE trial due to an […]
July 18th, 2011
FDA Releases Briefing Documents for Advisory Panel on the Edwards SAPIEN Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implant
Larry Husten, PHD
The FDA has posted the briefing documents for the much anticipated meeting on Wednesday (July 20) of the Circulatory System Devices Panel for the Edwards SAPIEN transcatheter heart valve (THV) system in patients with severe aortic stenosis who are not eligible for surgical valve replacement, as studied in the PARTNER B trial. Overall, the FDA […]
July 15th, 2011
Panel: Why Don’t Cardiologists Eat Their OATs?
CardioExchange Editors, Staff
In 2006, the Occluded Artery Trial (OAT) showed no benefit of routine PCI in patients with persistently occluded infarct-related arteries that were identified at least one day after an MI. According to a recent study, led by Judith Hochman, OAT has had minimal impact on clinical practice. We asked Hochman and two other experts why […]
July 14th, 2011
Rivaroxaban: The Next Non-Warfarin Oral Blood Thinner
John Mandrola, MD, FACC
An electrophysiologist and blogger places the recent approval of rivaroxaban in the context of the seismic changes that have taken place and that are still expected in the anticoagulant marketplace.
July 14th, 2011
Recurrent Arterial Thrombosis plus GI Bleeding in an Elderly Woman
Faiza Hashmi, MD and James Fang, MD
An 85-year-old woman with a history of hypertension and Crohn’s disease presented with severe pain in the left hand and was admitted to the hospital. Examination revealed a diminished left-radial pulse; arterial Doppler imaging showed a thrombus in the radial artery. The patient underwent surgical thrombectomy. The workup, including a hypercoagulability profile, was negative. Transthoracic […]
July 13th, 2011
Maryland Revokes Medical License of Mark Midei: Doctor Accused of Implanting Unnecessary Stents
Larry Husten, PHD
The Maryland Board of Physicians has revoked the medical license of Mark Midei–the interventional cardiologist accused of implanting hundreds of unnecessary stents at St. Joseph Medical Center in the community of Towson. In its Final Decision and Order the Maryland Board found that Midei was guilty of unprofessional conduct, willfully making a false report, gross overutilization of health […]
July 13th, 2011
Therapeutic Hypothermia Network Provides Benefit to Cardiac Arrest Patients
Larry Husten, PHD
Previous studies have shown that therapeutic hypothermia (TH) improves outcomes in patients who have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). In a new paper published in Circulation, Michael Mooney and colleagues report on their experience with 140 OHCA patients in Minnesota who received treatment within a regional network of care that transfers OHCA patients to a […]