December 13th, 2010
Preconceptions
Westby G Fisher, MD
CardioExchange welcomes this guest post, reprinted with permission, from Dr. Westby Fisher, an electrophysiologist practicing at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Illinois, and a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. This piece originally appeared on his blog, Dr. Wes. One more to see after cases were completed. It had been a long […]
December 9th, 2010
CDC Demotes Stroke to Fourth Leading Cause of Death
Larry Husten, PHD
Chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD) has replaced stroke as the third leading cause of death in the United States, according to preliminary 2008 statistics published by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. In 2008, there were 133,750 deaths from stroke compared to 141,075 deaths from CLRD. Although the stroke rate has been declining for […]
December 9th, 2010
Meta-Analysis Finds Aromatase Inhibitors Increase Risk for Heart Disease
Larry Husten, PHD
A new meta-analysis has found that postmenopausal women taking aromatase inhibitors (AIs) instead of tamoxifen to treat breast cancer appear to be at increased risk for cardiovascular complications. The results were presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Previous studies suggested that women taking AIs were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, while women […]
December 9th, 2010
The Language of Medicine: Getting to the Heart of Physician-Patient Communication
CardioExchange Editors, Staff
CardioExchange welcomes this guest post, reprinted with permission, from an anonymous medical resident. The post originally appeared on her blog, A Medical Resident’s Journey. An article in the Wall Street Journal, Taking Medical Jargon Out of Doctor Visits, emphasizes that the use of medical jargon leads to poor communication between physicians and patients, and consequently leads […]
December 8th, 2010
ROCKET-AF: Stroke Prevention and Beyond!
Manesh R. Patel, MD
The ROCKET-AF trial, which was recently presented at AHA, showed that the experimental factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban was as effective as warfarin in preventing stroke in 14,264 AF patients and did not increase their risk of bleeding. CardioExchange welcomes one of the trial’s investigators, Manesh Patel of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, to answer our […]
December 8th, 2010
Third Time’s the Charm: FDA Panel Finally Backs an Obesity Pill
Larry Husten, PHD
Following rejections earlier this year of two previous anti-obesity drugs, the FDA’s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs advisory committee has recommended approval for Contrave, the combination of sustained-release formulations of naltrexone and buproprion from Orexigen Therapeutics. The committee voted 13-7 in favor of the drug, saying that the benefits of Contrave outweighed its risks. The committee […]
December 6th, 2010
Meta-Analysis: Daily Aspirin Reduces Cancer Deaths
Larry Husten, PHD
A new analysis finds that long-term aspirin use reduces deaths from several common cancers. Previous studies had only shown a convincing benefit in colorectal cancer. In the new meta-analysis, appearing online in the Lancet, Peter Rothwell and colleagues combined data from more than 25,000 patients enrolled in long-term randomized trials of aspirin. They showed that […]
December 6th, 2010
Ticagrelor Gets European Approval
Larry Husten, PHD
Ticagrelor has received approval for marketing in Europe, according to AstraZeneca. The drug, which will go under the brand name of Brilique in Europe, will not be available in most European countries until the second half of 2011, the company said. A decision about the approval of ticagrelor in the U.S., where it will be […]
December 3rd, 2010
When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted
Andrew M. Kates, MD
One of the joys of running a fellowship program is watching Fellows mature and complete their training. The end of this process, of course, is the beginning of one’s professional career. For many of you Fellows, as you finish your training, you will be recruited as never before. For the first time in your career, […]
December 1st, 2010
Study Links Tricyclic Antidepressants to Increased Risk for CVD
Larry Husten, PHD
A survey from Scotland has found an increased risk for cardiovascular disease in people taking tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). In an article in the European Heart Journal, the researchers write that they failed to find any increased risk with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Nearly 15,000 Scottish adults without known histories of CVD were followed for […]
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