May 17th, 2012
Azithromycin Associated with Cardiovascular Death
Physician's First Watch, CardioExchange Staff
The antibiotic azithromycin — which may have proarrhythmic properties — is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular death, according to a retrospective cohort study in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study, in a Medicaid population, included nearly 350,000 azithromycin prescriptions, 1.4 million control periods without antibiotic prescriptions, and 1.8 million prescriptions for other […]
May 16th, 2012
Robert Hauser, ICD Watchdog, Offers Viewpoint On Riata Controversy At HRS
Edward J. Schloss, MD
The St. Jude Riata ICD lead controversy took center stage at last week’s Heart Rhythm Scientific Sessions in Boston, as previously reported here. Near the end of the meeting a leading figure in the field, Dr. Robert Hauser, of the Minneapolis Heart Institute, summarized the current state of the Riata crisis and discussed its broader […]
May 16th, 2012
Changes in Air Pollution During Beijing Olympics Tied to Inflammatory Biomarkers
Nicholas Downing, MD
Reductions in air pollution during the Beijing Olympics were associated with decreases in certain biomarkers of inflammation and thrombosis in healthy young adults, according to a JAMA study. Researchers measured levels of air pollutants in 2-week periods before, during, and after the Olympics, and also measured blood levels of cardiovascular disease biomarkers in 125 healthy […]
May 15th, 2012
No Benefit Found for Exercise Echocardiography in Asymptomatic Patients Following CABG Or PCI
Larry Husten, PHD
Routine exercise echocardiography in asymptomatic patients after revascularization does not lead to better outcomes, according to a new study published in Archives of Internal Medicine. Although guidelines generally discourage the practice, post-revascularization stress tests are still commonly performed. Serge Harb and colleagues performed exercise echocardiography on 2105 patients after CABG surgery or PCI and followed […]
May 15th, 2012
Xience Stents Gain European Nod for 3-Month Dual Antiplatelet Therapy
Larry Husten, PHD
The biggest drawback to drug-eluting stents has been the requirement for prolonged dual antiplatelet (DAPT) therapy following stent implantation to prevent stent thrombosis and other potential complications. The precise length of DAPT has been the subject of considerable discussion and research. Now the Xience Prime and Xience V everolimus-eluting stents have received the CE Mark […]
May 15th, 2012
Returning to Detroit, William O’Neill Heads to Henry Ford Hospital
Larry Husten, PHD
Interventional cardiology leader William O’Neill is leaving the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to become the medical director of the new Center for Structural Heart Disease at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. The new center will focus on new minimally invasive treatments for heart failure and heart valve disease. Prior to going to Miami in […]
May 14th, 2012
Revascularization in New York State: High Questionable Rates for PCI but Not CABG
Larry Husten, PHD
A large study looking at real-world use of elective coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) and stenting (PCI) in New York State finds that nearly two thirds of PCI procedures have inappropriate or uncertain indications. By contrast, 90% of CABG procedures were deemed appropriate and 1.1% inappropriate. In a paper published in the Journal of the American […]
May 14th, 2012
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: Week of May 14th
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week Richard discusses studies of glucose, insulin, and potassium for MI, elective PCI with and without surgical standby, and varenicline and CV risk.
May 12th, 2012
HRS 2012: More Clarity on DOJ ICD Investigation, ‘Incidental PCIs’ Still Excluded
Edward J. Schloss, MD
Thursday morning at Heart Rhythm Scientific Sessions 2012, Suneet Mittal MD of Columbia University gave a detailed account of his group’s experience with a Department of Justice investigation of ICD implantation outside of NCD guidelines. The talk served to amplify and clarify points made in his perspective in JACC written with Jonathan Steinberg MD, in March 2012. Not […]
May 11th, 2012
A ‘Brilinta’ Theory on Why Ticagrelor Doesn’t Work as Well in the U.S.
Harry Peled, md
Harry Peled wonders whether intermediate-dose aspirin may simply be so effective that it obviates the need for a P2Y12-receptor antagonist.