May 31st, 2012
Women at Increased Risk for Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation
Larry Husten, PHD
Among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), women have a higher risk than men of having a stroke, according to a new study published in BMJ. The increased risk was mostly found in women over 65 years of age and in women with multiple risk factors. Leif Friberg and colleagues analyzed data from more than 100,000 Swedish patients […]
May 31st, 2012
Reality Check: Stem Cell Science According To Perez Hilton
John Ryan, MD
Celebrity Blogger Perez Hilton recently ran a news story about stem cell research with the headline: “Scientists Convert Skin Cells Into Beating Heart Muscle!” According to the report, “the tissue could one day be used to treat” heart failure. Sites such as PerezHilton.com (which is among the top 150 most visited sites in the US), and Patientslikeme.com […]
May 30th, 2012
Reality Check: Do Reporters Spin Trial Results?
Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM
Do reporters spin trial results – or do some reporters just not understand the science well enough to report results accurately? I was thumbing through Nature Reviews/Cardiology when I happened on this headline in the section on Research Highlights: Vorapaxar beneficial in setting of prior MI, but not in patients who have experienced stroke. This […]
May 29th, 2012
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: Week of May 28th
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics include treating obstructive sleep apnea, using aspirin for VTE, and prothrombotics.
May 29th, 2012
Two-Hour ADP Can Safely and Rapidly Discharge Low-Risk Patients
Martin Than, MBBS, John Ryan, MD and James De Lemos, MD
John Ryan, Martin Than, and James de Lemos discuss Martin’s new study, which examines the use of an accelerated 2-hour diagnostic protocol to determine which patients with chest pain in the ED are low-risk and can be discharged early.
May 29th, 2012
More Evidence Against Tight Glycemic Control
Steven Coca, DO, MS
Along with tight blood pressure control and RAAS blockade, most nephrologists recommend tight glycemic control (i.e., HbA1C < 7) for patients with type 2 diabetes, with the goals of reducing incident CKD or CKD progression. Data from observational studies has shown that tight glycemic control is associated with less albuminuria. Thus, conventional wisdom has been […]
May 24th, 2012
Aspirin Found to Prevent Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism
Larry Husten, PHD
Aspirin can help prevent the recurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after discontinuation of anticoagulation therapy, according to results of the WARFASA (the Warfarin and Aspirin) study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Following 6 to 18 months of oral anticoagulation, 403 patients with first-time unprovoked VTE were randomized to aspirin (100 mg daily) or placebo for […]
May 24th, 2012
The Next Phase in Outcomes Research: PCORI-Funded Projects
Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute is distributing $120 million in research grants for comparative effectiveness studies. Learn about PCORI’s mission and the funding opportunities.
May 23rd, 2012
FDA Advisory Committee Recommends Against ACS Indication for Rivaroxaban
Larry Husten, PHD
The FDA’s Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee voted today against adding an indication for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) to the label of the anticoagulant rivaroxaban (Xarelto). The vote was 6 to 4 against approval, with 1 abstention. The advisory panel spent most of the day trying to reconcile diametrically opposed views of the pivotal ATLAS ACS […]
May 23rd, 2012
Panel: Azithromycin and Cardiovascular Risk
Paul Sax, MD, Joseph S. Ross, MD, MHS and Jeffrey Lance Anderson, MD
Three experts offer perspective on a large database study showing an association between azitrhromycin use and increased risk for cardiovascular death.