April 30th, 2013
Anticoagulation Update: New Agent for Urgent Anticoagulation Reversal, Pradaxa Label Revised
Larry Husten, PHD
Here are two small but important changes in the anticoagulation field: FDA approves new product for urgent reversal of anticoagulation. The FDA yesterday approved Kcentra (Prothrombin Complex Concentrate, Human) for the urgent reversal of vitamin K antagonist (VKA) anticoagulation in adults with acute major bleeding. Unlike plasma, which is currently the only available method to […]
April 29th, 2013
Unconventional Analysis Finds Threshold for LDL Reduction with Statins
Larry Husten, PHD
Using an unconventional mathematical approach, a group of Japanese researchers say there may be no good reason to reduce LDL cholesterol more than 40 mg/dl. Their research letter has been published online in JAMA Internal Medicine. According to the authors, members of the ALICE (All-Literature Investigation of Cardiovascular Evidence) Group, most meta-analyses use linear models […]
April 29th, 2013
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: April 29th
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics include the association of perioperative beta-blockade with mortality and CV morbidity following major noncardiac surgery, intestinal microbial metabolism of phosphatidylcholine and CV risk, and more.
April 28th, 2013
Stories from a Heart Transplant Pioneer: Blogging from ISHLT 2013
William Kent Cornwell, MD
From the ISHLT meeting in Montreal, Bill Cornwell shares highlights of the plenary address from Jack G. Copeland, M.D., this year’s recipient of the Pioneer in Transplantation award.
April 26th, 2013
Conflicting Results from Two Trials of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy
Larry Husten, PHD
Two new trials have ended up reporting conflicting results regarding the expansion of the indication for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) for patients without a wide QRS interval. The positive results of the smaller trial seem likely to be undermined by the early stopping of the much larger trial. The first trial, NARROW-CRT, published in Circulation: […]
April 25th, 2013
Another Cleveland Clinic Study Links TMAO to Atherosclerosis
Larry Husten, PHD
A new study from the Cleveland Clinic research group headed by Stanley Hazen offers more evidence in support of the hypothesis that TMAO (trimethylamine-N-oxide) may play a role in the development of heart disease. The new research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, follows closely on a related study published recently in Nature […]
April 24th, 2013
Quinidine In Ireland: Rarely Needed, Hard To Find
Gerard J Fahy, MD, Niamh O'Hanlon, BPharm MSc Grad Dip Risk Mgmt Cert Pharm Prac and John Ryan, MD
Recently in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology Viskin et al published the results of a survey looking at the worldwide availability of quinidine. They found that the drug — the only effective oral antiarrhythmic in Brugada syndrome and idiopathic ventricular fibrillation — is readily available in only 19 countries and is unavailable or […]
April 24th, 2013
Adiposity and Natriuretic Peptides: Where Does the Fat Go?
Ian Neeland, MD
In a study recently published online by JACC, investigators assess the association between natriuretic peptide levels and body-fat distribution. Ian Neeland, the lead author of the study, responds to John Ryan’s questions.
April 24th, 2013
BLOCK HF: CRT Superior to Conventional Pacing in Heart Failure Patients with AV Block
Larry Husten, PHD
Patients with atrioventricular (AV) block generally receive right ventricular (RV) pacing; cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been restricted to patients with a low ejection fraction and a wide QRS duration. However, RV pacing may worsen LV dysfunction in AV block patients with low ejection fractions. Previous studies have raised the possibility that these patients may […]
April 23rd, 2013
Study Suggests Benefit for Beta Blockers During Noncardiac Surgery
Larry Husten, PHD
The use of perioperative beta-blockade for noncardiac surgery has been declining as a result of the controversial POISE study, which turned up evidence for harm associated with extended-release metoprolol in this setting. Now a large new observational study published in JAMA offers a contrary perspective by suggesting that perioperative beta-blockade may be beneficial in low- […]