September 29th, 2011
Rivaroxaban Meets Primary Endpoint in ATLAS ACS TIMI 51
Larry Husten, PHD
Bayer AG announced today that in the ATLAS ACS TIMI 51 trial, rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Bayer and Johnson & Johnson) had met the primary efficacy endpoint in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The drug was associated with “a statistically significant reduction in the rate of events for the primary composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction […]
September 29th, 2011
Meta-Analysis Explores Real World CV Risk of NSAIDs
Larry Husten, PHD
A new meta-analysis sheds additional light on the cardiovascular risk of NSAIDs as used in the real world, including low doses of the most popular drugs, over short periods, and in low-risk populations. In a paper published online in PLoS Medicine, Patricia McGettigan and David Henry analyzed data from 30 case-control studies including 184,946 CV events […]
September 28th, 2011
Troponin Elevation in Skeletal Muscle Disease: Vindication for the Consulting Cardiologist?
Beth Waldron, MA
In an elegant study that will resonate with the anecdotal experience of many consulting cardiologists, Jaffe and colleagues provide strongly suggestive evidence that elevations in “cardiac” troponin T may not be quite as specific for cardiac muscle injury as has been claimed (see CardioExchange News blog). Among patients with skeletal myopathies who had elevations in […]
September 28th, 2011
Study Finds Noncardiac Sources of Positive Troponin T Tests
Larry Husten, PHD
Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is not always cardiac specific and in some cases may lead to a false-positive diagnosis of cardiac injury, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The study was prompted by a case seen by a senior clinician at the Mayo Clinic in which a patient, who […]
September 27th, 2011
Experience Counts in Carotid Artery Stenting
Larry Husten, PHD
Experience really does count when it comes to carotid artery stenting, and that may be a big problem, since most current operators do not have substantial experience with the procedure.
September 27th, 2011
Carotid Stenting: How Steep the Learning Curve?
Brahmajee Kartik Nallamothu, MD, MPH
In an observational study involving Medicare patients undergoing carotid stenting between 2005 and 2007, Dr. Brahmajee Nallamothu and colleagues showed that low annual operator volume and early experience are associated with increased 30-day mortality. CardioExchange Interventional Cardiology moderators Rick Lange and David Hillis have posed the following questions to Dr. Nallamothu: RL and DH: Did […]
September 26th, 2011
Statins for Primary Prevention: The Debate Continues
Larry Husten, PHD
Several leading cardiologists have taken issue with the assertion made by Rita Redberg and the editors of the Archives of Internal Medicine that using statins for primary prevention is an example “of the widespread use of medications with known adverse effects despite the absence of data for patient benefit for these indications.” In a research letter published in […]
September 23rd, 2011
Former NEJM Editor Questions Decision to Publish ARISTOTLE
Alison Bass, MLA and BA
The following guest post is reprinted with permission from the blog of Alison Bass. At a Harvard event last night honoring Paul Thacker, a former investigator for Senator Chuck Grassley, someone in the audience wanted to know how the topic of Thacker’s talk — Dollars for Doctors: Who owns your physician? — was related to the soaring cost of medical care […]
September 23rd, 2011
Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) Gets Positive Recommendation for AF and DVT in Europe
Larry Husten, PHD
The European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended that rivaroxaban (Xarelto) be approved for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in AF, according to Bayer HealthCare. CHMP has also recommended the drug’s approval for the treatment of DVT and for the prevention of recurrent DVT and PE following acute DVT. […]
September 22nd, 2011
Dronedarone (Multaq) Gets Another Drubbing in Europe
Larry Husten, PHD
The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended new restrictions on dronedarone (Multaq), Sanofi’s embattled and controversial antiarrhythmic drug. CHMP says that dronedarone should only be used for maintaining sinus rhythm in patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF after successful cardioversion. The drug should no longer be used in […]