March 15th, 2012
Strongest Evidence to Date for Causative Role of Inflammation in Heart Disease
Larry Husten, PHD
Two large new meta-analyses published in the Lancet provide the first strong evidence demonstrating a cause-effect relationship between a specific inflammatory protein and the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Both studies illuminate the role of interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) by focusing on the common Asp358Ala variant of the IL6R gene. The variant is known to dampen the inflammatory effect […]
March 15th, 2012
Hospital Readmission Calculator? There’s an App for That!
Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM
Want to calculate the risk of readmission for MI, heart failure, or pneumonia? There’s an App for that!
March 14th, 2012
Achieving CLOSURE: Final Act of PFO Closure Device Trial
Larry Husten, PHD
Nine years after getting underway, results of the CLOSURE 1 trial of PFO closure for cryptogenic stroke are finally published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
March 14th, 2012
The $800 Million Gamble: Jumping Aboard or Jumping the Gun?
Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA and L. David Hillis, MD
In the CLOSURE I trial (Evaluation of the STARFlex Septal Closure System in Patients with a Stroke and/or Transient Ischemic Attack Due to a Presumed Paradoxical Embolism through a Patent Foramen Ovale), 909 patients with a PFO who had a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA) of unclear etiology were randomly assigned to device […]
March 14th, 2012
Angioplasty Pioneer Geoffrey Hartzler Dead at 65
Larry Husten, PHD
Geoffrey Hartzler, a key figure in the development of interventional cardiology in the United States, has died from cancer at the age of 65. He was one of the first cardiologists to learn the technique of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) from its founder, Andreas Gruentzig. Hartzler then went on to perform the first angioplasty […]
March 13th, 2012
Prominent Japanese Cardiologist Accused of Scientific Misconduct
Larry Husten, PHD
Following accusations by independent bloggers in Japan and Germany, the American Heart Association (AHA) has issued an Expression of Concern about five papers published in AHA journals co-authored by Hiroaki Matsubara, a prominent cardiologist and researcher at Kyoto Prefectural University in Japan. In addition to his many papers exploring the basic science of the renin-angiotensin system, Matsubara was the […]
March 13th, 2012
Join CardioExchange for Cocktails — and Reduce Your Board Prep Anxieties!
CardioExchange Editors, Staff
Join our get together in Chicago and learn about board exam and MOC prep!
March 13th, 2012
Cause for Concern: Heart Disease and Breast Cancer in Young Women
Aakriti Gupta, MD
For ages, myocardial infarction (MI) has been dismissed as an ‘old man’s disease’. However, not only is it one of the leading causes of mortality in old women, it also afflicts a sizeable proportion of young women. Data from the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that more than 10,000 […]
March 12th, 2012
Bad News for Red Meat Lovers
Larry Husten, PHD
New results from studies following more than 120,000 health care professionals link red meat consumption to higher mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. In a paper published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, An Pan and colleagues report findings from up to 22 years of observation among 37,698 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and […]
March 12th, 2012
5 Ways CME Misses the Mark
Behnood Bikdeli, M.D.
Some people critique Continuous Medical Education (CME) programs as spoon-feeding. As a young physician struggling to learn a lot of material, I actually appreciate a bit of ready-to-consume content that I can learn quickly and effectively. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and other reputable institutions provide CME programs that, overall, help to keep physicians […]