May 13th, 2014
The Effect of Incarceration on the Epidemiology of Heart Disease
Emily Wang, MD, MAS
Emily Wang discusses how studies of health outcomes are compromised when subjects, particularly black men, are incarcerated and can no longer be followed.
May 13th, 2014
FDA Study Provides Some Reassurance About Boehringer Ingelheim’s Pradaxa
Larry Husten, PHD
In the latest development in its ongoing review of the new oral anticoagulant dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim), the FDA today offered largely reassuring news about the sometimes controversial drug. The FDA study of over 134,000 Medicare patients found that dabigatran was associated with a reduced risk for ischemic stroke, bleeding in the brain, and death, compared with […]
May 12th, 2014
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: May 12th
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topic is the influence of healthy candidate bias when assessing clinical effectiveness for ICDs.
May 12th, 2014
My Recent ABIM Maintenance of Certification Experience
John E Brush, MD
John Brush describes his positive experience with the ABIM’s maintenance of certification process, and explains why he thinks the petition against it asking for the wrong thing.
May 9th, 2014
Routine Defibrillation Testing Not Required During ICD Implantation
Larry Husten, PHD
Although commonly performed, routine defibrillation testing has never been shown to be safe or necessary. Now a new study, presented yesterday at the Heart Rhythm Society meeting in San Francisco, offers evidence that although routine testing is generally safe it may increase complications without producing any improvement in outcomes. In the SIMPLE (Shockless Implant Evaluation) trial, sponsored […]
May 8th, 2014
Novel Antiplatelet Agent Vorapaxar Gains FDA Approval
Larry Husten, PHD
The FDA today approved vorapaxar (Zontivity), Merck’s once-troubled platelet receptor antagonist, to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, cardiovascular death, and revascularization procedures. The drug is approved for use in people with a history of MI or peripheral arterial disease. The approval represents an amazing turnaround for a drug that has experienced nearly as many […]
May 8th, 2014
Orbital Atherectomy Revisited
Kush Agrawal, MD
Kush Agrawal recounts a live case demonstration of orbital atherectomy that he observed at the CRT symposium.
May 8th, 2014
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: May 8th
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics include darapladib for preventing ischemic events in stable CHD, the DAMASCENE analysis, a review of John Brush’s new book, and more.
May 6th, 2014
FDA Approves New Omega-3 Supplement
Larry Husten, PHD
The FDA has approved a new omega-3 supplement for the treatment of adults with severe hypertriglyceridemia, defined as triglyceride levels 500 mg/dL or higher. The drug, which will be marketed under the brand name of Epanova, is manufactured by AstraZeneca, which acquired the drug when it purchased Omthera Pharmaceuticals in 2013. AstraZeneca said that Epanova is the first […]
May 5th, 2014
Physical Activity Improves Heart Rate Variability In The Elderly
Larry Husten, PHD
A new study in Circulation offers fresh evidence that physical activity is beneficial to the heart in people aged 65 and older. Benefits were observed both in elderly people who reported the highest amount of overall physical activity and in those who increased their physical activity over time. U.S. researchers evaluated heart rate variability (HRV) […]