March 14th, 2015
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March 14th, 2015
Assessing the Diagnostic PROMISE of CT Angiography
Pamela S. Douglas, MD
Pamela S. Douglas discusses the PROMISE randomized comparison of CT angiography with functional exercise testing in more than 10,000 patients with chest pain.
March 14th, 2015
DAPT ‘Approaching the Point of Diminishing Returns’?
Larry Husten, PHD
After a myocardial infarction (MI), patients remain at high risk for recurrent events. The precise role of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) to lower this risk has been the subject of considerable disagreement. Now a new study offers fresh evidence that prolonged DAPT can lower risk over a long period, but only at the cost of […]
March 14th, 2015
FDA Approves Watchman Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device for AF
Larry Husten, PHD
The FDA has approved Boston Scientific’s long-delayed Watchman Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device. According to the company, the Watchman is indicated as an alternative to long-term warfarin therapy for the reduction of thromboembolism from the left atrial appendage in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation at increased risk for stroke and systemic embolism. Although an alternative to […]
March 10th, 2015
First Good Look at TAVR in The Real World
Larry Husten, PHD
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is one of the most important advances in cardiovascular medicine in recent years. Although it is associated with significant risks, TAVR can offer some patients a less invasive alternative to traditional aortic valve replacement surgery. Because of early concerns about potential overuse and misuse of TAVR, many observers have been eagerly […]
March 9th, 2015
How Appropriate Are Appropriate Use Criteria for Coronary Angiography?
Harindra C Wijeysundera, MD, PhD
Harindra C. Wijeysundera discusses his research group’s use of registry data from Ontario, Canada, in applying the 2012 appropriate use criteria for diagnostic catheterization.
March 9th, 2015
Appropriate Use Criteria for Diagnostic Catheterization are Weak
Larry Husten, PHD
Appropriate use criteria (AUC) are designed to help make sure that medical procedures and interventions are performed in patients most likely to benefit and, in turn, are not performed on people unlikely to gain benefit. Now a new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that the AUC for one very widely performed procedure, diagnostic cardiac […]
March 9th, 2015
The Coffee Conundrum – What Do You Say to Your Patient?
John Ryan, MD
John Ryan presents a scenario based on a recent study’s findings that people who consume moderate amounts of coffee may be less likely to have atherosclerosis.
March 9th, 2015
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: March 9th
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics include the effects of low BP in cognitively impaired elderly patients taking antihypertensive drugs and the effects of blood-pressure lowering on CV risk according to baseline BMI.
March 5th, 2015
Has Lab Testing Become a Blood Sport for Cardiac Surgery Patients?
Colleen G. Koch, MD
A study of nearly 1900 cardiac surgery patients at Cleveland Clinic suggests blood is being drawn with surprisingly high frequency.