June 10th, 2013
Research During Fellowship: Perspectives from the Protégé and the Mentor
Stephen Archer, MD and John Ryan, MD
In the first part of this post, CardioExchange’s John Ryan writes about the research he performed during his cardiology fellowship under the mentorship of Stephen Archer. In the second part, originally delivered at the Resident Research Day at Queen’s University, at which he is Professor and Head of the Department of Medicine, Archer gives his “elevator […]
June 7th, 2013
FDA Advisory Panel Backs Looser Restrictions on Avandia
Larry Husten, PHD
After two days of deliberation an FDA advisory panel has recommended that the severe restrictions (REMS) placed on rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline [GSK]) be modified. The vote constitutes a modest revival in fortune for the embattled drug and its maker after many years of controversy and bad news. Only 5 panel members voted to continue the current severe […]
June 7th, 2013
“Your Mortality Risk Is 11.827%”
John E Brush, MD
John Brush reflects on what clinicians understand about the concept of probability and how to explain it to patients.
June 4th, 2013
Study Finds More Musculoskeletal Problems in People Who Take Statins
Larry Husten, PHD
An observational study published in JAMA Internal Medicine provides new evidence suggesting that people who take statins are more likely to develop musculoskeletal problems. Ishak Mansi and colleagues analyzed data from 6,967 statin users and an equal number of propensity-matched nonusers who were active-duty soldiers, veterans, and their families in the San Antonio Military Area. They found that […]
June 4th, 2013
With One Big Exception FDA Reviewers Back More Benign View of Avandia Trial
Larry Husten, PHD
The FDA has released a 538-page briefing document for an advisory panel meeting on Wednesday and Thursday that will reassess a key clinical trial and reconsider the fate of the now-tarnished former blockbuster diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline). (Click here for the FDA documents.) As reported last week, the re-adjudication of the RECORD safety trial performed by […]
June 4th, 2013
Day Two At the NLA: Interviewed On The Radio
Reva Balakrishnan, MD, MPH
June 2– The early part of my second day at the NLA conference started out in an exciting way. As a third place winner of the Young Investigators abstract competition I was invited to talk about my research on “Lipid Luminations,”XM radio’s Reach MD station hosted by Dr. Alan Brown. My research, titled “Prevalence of […]
June 3rd, 2013
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: June 3rd
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics include pacemaker or ICD surgery without interrupting anticoagulation, the diagnostic accuracy of conventional or age-adjusted D-dimer cut-off values in older patients with suspected VTE, and ICD shocks.
June 3rd, 2013
How Do Patients with CAD Fare After TAVR?
Sachin Goel, MD and Erica Sarah Spatz, MD, MHS
Sachin Goel discusses his research group’s literature review focusing on patients with coronary artery disease who are evaluated for — and those who undergo — transcatheter aortic valve replacement.
June 3rd, 2013
Waiting For ATP IV In Las Vegas
Reva Balakrishnan, MD, MPH
May 31– Today was the first full day of the National Lipid Association meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a first time attendee, I notice many differences compared to the larger meetings. Firstly, there are ~ 700 people in attendance; this dwarfs in comparison to the AHA and ACC which count attendees in the thousands. […]