July 31st, 2012
TAVI: Belgian Researchers Slam Evidence Base and Overuse in Europe
Larry Husten, PHD
The growing and enthusiastic adoption of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in Europe has no justification, according to three researchers who performed a health technology assessment for the Belgian government. In a paper published in BMJ, the authors from the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre conclude that TAVI should only be used in patients “who are deemed inoperable […]
July 30th, 2012
USPSTF Maintains Recommendation Against ECG Screening of Asymptomatic, Low-Risk Adults
Larry Husten, PHD
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has reaffirmed its 2004 recommendation against ECG screening for asymptomatic adults who are already at low risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). The task force also concluded that there was insufficient evidence to assess the risks and benefits of ECG screening in asymptomatic people at intermediate or high risk for […]
July 30th, 2012
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: July 30th
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics include the ROMICAT-II study, articles on n-3 fatty acids and basal insulin for preventing CV events in those with dysglycemia, citicoline for acute ischemic stroke, hypertension misperceptions and medication adherence, and more.
July 30th, 2012
And The Survey Says: You Are Thinking About Retirement
Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM
I saw a news item today with an alarming statistic about the number of doctors who plan to retire in the next decade. We all have days where work can be frustrating – but the article indicated that 45% of cardiologists planned to retire in the next decade. I was thinking about what the natural […]
July 27th, 2012
DES in Patients at Low Risk for TVR: Is the Benefit Worth the Cost? (Part II)
Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA, L. David Hillis, MD and Patrick Serruys, MD, PhD
In a recent article in Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers performed an analysis of current use of drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients at various levels of risk for target-vessel revascularization (TVR), and estimated the cost and clinical outcomes of using BMS rather than DES in patients at low risk (see News). To gauge reaction to […]
July 27th, 2012
FDA Approves New Prescription Fish Oil Pill
Larry Husten, PHD
The FDA has approved a new prescription formulation of fish oils for treating very high triglyceride levels. The drug will be sold under the brand name Vascepa. According to Amarin, the manufacturer, it will be indicated as an adjunct to diet to reduce triglyceride levels in adult patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia (>500 mg/dL). Vascepa contains ultra-purified ethyl […]
July 26th, 2012
ESC Position Paper: Population-Based Strategies to Reduce CV Deaths
Larry Husten, PHD
About half of all cardiovascular deaths could be prevented by implementing population-level changes, according to a position paper from the European Society of Cardiology published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Torben Jørgensen and colleagues maintain that population-level interventions are much more effective than current strategies that seek to reduce individual risk. Population-based strategies include taxation, legislation, […]
July 25th, 2012
ROMICAT-II Provokes Opposing Views on CT Angiography in the ED
Larry Husten, PHD
For patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes (ACS), CT angiography (CTA) compared to standard treatment can reduce the time in the emergency department (ED), according to results of the ROMICAT-II (Rule Out Myocardial Infarction/Ischemia Using Computer-Assisted Tomography) trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. However, CTA resulted in more tests being performed and increased radiation exposure. […]
July 25th, 2012
DES in Patients at Low Risk for TVR: Is the Benefit Worth the Cost? (Part I)
Gregg W Stone, MD, John A. Bittl, M.D., David Kandzari, MD, Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA and L. David Hillis, MD
In a recent article in Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers performed an analysis of current use of drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients at various levels of risk for target-vessel revascularization (TVR), and estimated the cost and clinical outcomes of using BMS rather than DES in patients at low risk (see News). To gauge reaction to […]
July 24th, 2012
The Academic Squeeze Play
Shengshou Hu, M.D.
With fewer grant-funding opportunities for academic cardiologists, Wes Fisher takes an educated guess about where they may go.