July 12th, 2011
Study Finds High Sodium-Potassium Ratio Strongly Tied to Mortality and CV Disease
Larry Husten, PHD
The separate roles of sodium and potassium in cardiovascular disease have been extensively observed in epidemiologic studies. Now a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine examines their joint effect. Quanhe Yang and colleagues analyzed data from 12,267 adults participating in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. As expected, they found that […]
July 12th, 2011
Pass (Up) the Guidelines, Please
Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA and L. David Hillis, MD
The Occluded Artery Trial (OAT) demonstrated no benefit of routine PCI in persistently occluded infarct-related arteries identified more than 24 hours after MI. These results were incorporated into the revised guidelines for STEMI, NSTEMI, and PCI (published in 2007 and 2008) as a class III recommendation (i.e., not indicated and inappropriate). The senior investigator for […]
July 11th, 2011
OAT Had Little Impact on Clinical Practice
Larry Husten, PHD
Once again, a study finds that cardiologists don’t always pay attention to the literature and guidelines. In 2006, the Occluded Artery Trial (OAT) showed no benefit for routine PCI in patients with persistently occluded infarct-related arteries identified at least one day after an MI. But the study appears to have had minimal impact on clinical […]
July 9th, 2011
Will You Still Use Multaq (Dronedarone)? A CardioExchange Panel
CardioExchange Editors, Staff
Our panel responds to the what the cessation of the PALLAS trial means for dronedarone. Will you still use this drug?
July 7th, 2011
Expert Panel: How Often Is PCI Appropriate?
CardioExchange Editors, Staff
The CardioExchange editors have asked a panel of experts to weigh in on a new study published in JAMA. It showed that nearly all the acute percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry from June 2009 through September 2010 were warranted, according to “appropriate use criteria” for coronary revascularization. However, the study […]
July 7th, 2011
Multaq’s Off Again, On Again, Then Off Again Ride
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. Today was another tough day for Sanofi’s dronedarone antiarrhythmic medication (marketed as Multaq®) […]
July 7th, 2011
ASCEND-HF: No Harm or Benefit with Nesiritide
Larry Husten, PHD
With the publication of the final results of the ASCEND-HF (Acute Study of Clinical Effectiveness of Nesiritide in Decompensated Heart Failure) trial in the New England Journal of Medicine, the once intense controversy over the use — or misuse — of the drug nesiritide in patients with acute decompensated heart failure has finally been resolved. […]
July 7th, 2011
Dronedarone (Multaq) Study for Permanent AF Stopped Early
Larry Husten, PHD
The PALLAS trial of dronedarone (Multaq) for permanent AF has been stopped early, according to a press release issued by Sanofi. PALLAS (Permanent Atrial fibriLLAtion outcome Study using Dronedarone on top of standard therapy) was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase IIIb trial of dronedarone in patients with permanent AF. The company said the discontinuation of the […]
July 7th, 2011
NCDR Report on PCI Appropriateness: A Slap on the Back…or a Slap in the Face?
Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA and L. David Hillis, MD
According to an analysis of data from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR), nearly all (98.6%) acute PCIs (i.e., those done for STEMI, NSTEMI, and unstable angina) were classified as appropriate. For nonacute indications, however, only 50% were classified as appropriate; 38% were of uncertain appropriateness, and 12% were deemed inappropriate. Dig under the hood and […]
July 6th, 2011
Lower Sudden Cardiac Death Rates Observed in Women with Healthy Lifestyles
Larry Husten, PHD
It probably won’t come as a big surprise, but a new study finds that women who live a healthy lifestyle have a lower risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD). In a paper published in JAMA, Stephanie Chiuve and colleagues analyzed data from 81,722 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study. They used 4 factors to […]