September 6th, 2012
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: September 6th
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics includes studies on aspirin plus clopidogrel in patients with recent lacunar stroke and the risk of coronary events in patients with either CKD or diabetes.
September 6th, 2012
Unrecognized MI: More Prevalent and Dangerous Than Previously Suspected
Larry Husten, PHD
Unrecognized myocardial infarction is more prevalent, and is associated with a worse prognosis, than may be generally understood.
September 4th, 2012
Danish Survey Finds Clopidogrel Less Effective in Diabetics
Larry Husten, PHD
A large nationwide survey of MI survivors in Denmark provides new information about the efficacy of antiplatelet therapy with clopdiogrel in patients with diabetes. In a paper published in JAMA, Charlotte Andersson reports on 58,851 MI patients, 12% of whom had diabetes and 60% of whom received clopidogrel. As expected, diabetics had a worse outcome than nondiabetics: the […]
September 4th, 2012
CDC: Nearly 36 Million Americans Have Uncontrolled Hypertension
Larry Husten, PHD
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, new data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) show: 30.4% of U.S. adults (an estimated 66.9 million people) have hypertension. Of those with hypertension, 53.5% have uncontrolled hypertension (about 35.8 million people). 39.4% with uncontrolled hypertension (about 14.1 million) are unaware that they have hypertension. 89.4% […]
September 4th, 2012
ESC Trials: The Best And The Worst
Larry Husten, PHD
Larry Husten is back from ESC and discussing two trials that exemplify how medicine is supposed to work, and one that exemplifies what can go wrong, especially when commercial interests are at stake.
August 30th, 2012
ICD Investigation: DOJ Sends Resolution Model to Hospitals
Larry Husten, PHD
Hospitals across the country received emails from the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday containing a proposed “Resolution Model” that will allow the hospitals to begin to settle the long-standing and much-feared DOJ investigation into improper Medicare billing for ICDs. The action appears to confirm an article, published earlier in August in Report on Medicare Compliance, that summarized the […]
August 30th, 2012
Was That an MI or Not? The Stuff of Controversy
Stewart Mann, DM (Oxon), FRCP(UK), FRACP
Stewart Mann recounts the highlights of several ESC sessions in which the Universal Definition of MI Task Force discussed the deliberations behind their latest version.
August 28th, 2012
Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: August 28th
Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP
This week’s topics include studies on biolimus-eluting stents vs. bare-metal stents, risk markers to improve CV event prediction, common carotid intima-media thickness and CV risk prediction, aspirin with alteplase for acute ischemic stroke, and lipid-lowering therapy (and its benefits and harms) in patients with CKD.
August 28th, 2012
WOEST: Get Rid of the Aspirin in Triple Therapy
Larry Husten, PHD
According to current guidelines and clinical practice, PCI patients already taking an oral anticoagulant generally end up on triple therapy comprising the anticoagulant plus clopidogrel and aspirin. However, there is no supporting evidence base for this approach, and the triple-therapy regimen is known to increase bleeding complications. Now a new study — the first randomized […]
August 27th, 2012
The Return of Vorapaxar, This Time for Post-MI Patients
Larry Husten, PHD
The once highly promising novel antiplatelet agent vorapaxar, widely thought to be dead on arrival after unacceptably high serious bleeding rates were found in two large clinical trials, has now returned to active duty. On Sunday the drug’s sponsor, Merck, announced that it would seek approval of the drug, with a narrower indication than originally planned, based on new […]
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