January 27th, 2014
How “Compelling” Are Coronary Anatomy and Ischemic Burden When Considering an Invasive Strategy?
William Edward Boden, MD
William E. Boden discusses his research group’s post hoc analysis of data from the COURAGE trial.
January 24th, 2014
European Setback for Novel Heart Failure Drug
Larry Husten, PHD
European regulators have dealt a setback to a novel heart failure drug under development by Novartis. The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommended against giving market approval to serelaxin (Reasanz) for the treatment of acute heart failure. The recommendation is based largely on the committee’s analysis of the RELAX-AHF trial, which […]
January 24th, 2014
Stent Remains Available Despite Trial Showing Dangers
Larry Husten, PHD
A leading critic says that the FDA has been remiss for not removing a stent from the market although strong evidence exists that its use leads to more deaths and strokes. The Wingspan intracranial stent, manufactured by Stryker Neurovascular, was approved in 2005 by the FDA through the humanitarian device exemption (HDE) for the rare […]
January 23rd, 2014
Prevention Guidelines in Practice: Vignette 2
Andrew M. Kates, MD
This vignette is the second in our series “Making Sense of the New Prevention Guidelines — The View from Clinical Practice” A 45-year-old man sees you for cardiac risk assessment. His father died at age 42 from a myocardial infarction. He exercises regularly and feels he eats well. He does not smoke. His blood pressure […]
January 23rd, 2014
Survival After MI: When and Where Make a Big Difference
Larry Husten, PHD
Two studies published this week offer fresh evidence that the time and place of a myocardial infarction (MI) make a big difference. 1. MI patients in the United Kingdom are more likely to die than MI patients in Sweden, according to a study published in the Lancet. Researchers in Sweden and the U.K. analyzed data from almost 120,000 Swedish […]
January 22nd, 2014
SERIES: Making Sense of the New Prevention Guidelines — The View from Clinical Practice
Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM
A series of clinical vignettes involving decisions affected by the recently published prevention guidelines (JNC 8, ACC/AHA, ESC)
January 22nd, 2014
Prevention Guidelines in Practice: Vignette 1
John Ryan, MD
A 71-year-old man asks John Ryan about reducing or stopping his hypertension medication
January 21st, 2014
Dangerous Rapid Calcification Observed In Pediatric Patients After Aortic Valve Replacement
Larry Husten, PHD
Pediatric cardiac surgeons at Boston Children’s Hospital are warning the medical community about a potentially fatal problem in children and young adults who received a bioprosthetic valve manufactured by Sorin. The surgeons initially became concerned when a young, asymptomatic patient died suddenly after her valve underwent rapid calcification, only 7 months after a routine follow-up echocardiogram found […]
January 21st, 2014
A Clinical Decision-Making Toolkit from Europe
Héctor Bueno, MD, PhD
Héctor Bueno introduces a new clinical decision-making toolkit, for non-experts and experts in training, developed by the Acute Cardiovascular Care Association of the European Society of Cardiology
January 21st, 2014
Anatomical Burden in CAD Predicts Outcome Better Than Ischemic Burden
In stable coronary artery disease (CAD), anatomical burden (the degree of occlusion found on angiography) and left-ventricular ejection fraction seem better predictors of outcome than either ischemic burden (as measured during stress CT) or initial treatment with medical therapy alone or added PCI. In a substudy of the COURAGE trial, 621 patients underwent both anatomical […]