August 13th, 2012
Troponin Test May Allow Rapid MI Rule-Out in the Emergency Department
Larry Husten, PHD
More than three-quarters of people with chest pain can be triaged within an hour of arrival at the emergency department with a novel strategy utilizing high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTnT), according to a study from Switzerland published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The strategy is promising, according to an accompanying editorial, but much work remains before […]
August 13th, 2012
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: August 13th
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics include using existing data for new research; normal weight, diabetes, and non-CVD death; cholesterol levels in U.S. kids; statins and diabetes; HDL-C and MI protection; statin treatment; hypertension treatment; clopidogrel and PPIs; and an analysis behind the “innovation crisis” of the pharmaceutical industry.
August 13th, 2012
Universal Screening for Dyslipidemia in Children: A Debate with Equipoise, but Tarnished by Industry Influence
William O Roberts, MD, MS
James H. Stein, MD sounds a clarion about the influence of the medical industry on the debate over whether children should be universally screened for dyslipidemia, as recommended by recent guidelines.
August 13th, 2012
Industry PR Efforts Influence Debate On Cholesterol Screening Guidelines For Children
Larry Husten, PHD
Should a public relations agency that represents a company with a product that would be affected by a guideline offer journalists a chance to interview an expert who has views that might benefit the company?
August 9th, 2012
Reports from JUPITER and Taiwan: Benefits of Statins Outweigh Risk for Diabetes
Larry Husten, PHD
Two new papers provide further evidence that statin use is associated with an increased risk for diabetes, but both studies also find that the benefits of statins still outweigh the risks. In one report, published in the Lancet, Paul Ridker and colleagues analyze data from the JUPITER trial, which compared rosuvastatin to placebo in a primary-prevention population. Among […]
August 9th, 2012
Overview of the New HRS/ACCF Pacemaker Guidelines
Edward J. Schloss, MD
A pithy primer on the 2012 supplement to the 2008 guidelines
August 9th, 2012
Go For a Walk: Can Six-Minute-Walk Distance Predict CV Events?
Alexis L Beatty, MD and John Ryan, MD
In this post, Alexis Beatty discusses her Archives of Internal Medicine study, which found that the Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) improves risk prediction in people with stable coronary heart disease (CHD). CardioExchange’s John Ryan follows up with questions for Beatty about the test. We have a number of simple tools for predicting risk of […]
August 8th, 2012
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: August 8th
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics include heart failure and depression, endoscopic vs. open vein-graft harvest for CABG, linagliptin vs. glimepiride in those with type-2 diabetes, weight gain with smoking cessation, ACE inhibitors and pneumonia risk, and the effect of speech therapy after stroke.
August 8th, 2012
Risks and Benefits of Pediatric VAD Explored
Larry Husten, PHD
Few options besides extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have been available for children with systolic heart failure awaiting transplantation. Now, a report by Charles Fraser, Jr., and colleagues published in the New England Journal of Medicine provides important new information about a ventricular assist device (VAD) designed for children. Trial investigators implanted 48 patients with the Excor Pediatric […]
August 8th, 2012
Feds Turn Corner in ICD Investigation, Hospital Liability Divided into Categories
wpengine
The DOJ has a blueprint for determining liability in its false Medicare false claims investigation involving defibrillator procedures, according to the Report on Medicare Compliance.