July 5th, 2011
Only Half of Nonacute PCIs Deemed Appropriate
Larry Husten, PHD
Only half of all PCIs performed for nonacute cases have a definite indication, according to a report from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry published in JAMA. Paul Chan and colleagues analyzed data from more than half a million PCI procedures performed between July 1, 2009 and September 30, 2010. Out of 500,154 PCIs, they found […]
July 4th, 2011
Meta-Analysis: Increased CV Risk Associated with Varenicline (Chantix)
Larry Husten, PHD
The anti-smoking drug varenicline (Chantix, Pfizer) is associated with an increased risk for serious adverse cardiovascular events, according to a new meta-analysis published in CMAJ. In the meta-analysis, Sonal Singh and colleagues analyzed data from 14 double-blind randomized trials involving 8216 subjects. The rate of serious adverse cardiovascular events was 1.06% (52/4908) among varenicline recipients […]
July 1st, 2011
Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) Gains First FDA Approval for DVT Prevention
Larry Husten, PHD
Rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Janssen) received FDA approval today for the prevention of deep-vein thrombosis in patients undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery. This oral anticoagulant has been approved for use at a 10-mg dose, once daily, for 35 days following hip replacement and for 12 days following knee replacement surgery. The company has also submitted an […]
July 1st, 2011
AF Update: Flecainide Misinformation
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. I have said that the best tool for treating atrial fibrillation (AF) is education. I still strongly believe that, perhaps more than ever. AF presents itself to people in so many different ways […]