CardioExchange Archive

January 29th, 2014

What’s the Best Blood Transfusion Protocol for Anemic ACS Patients?

Sunil Rao, MD

Sunil V. Rao discusses his editorial about TRANSFUSION-2, a study of the platelet and inflammatory effects of blood transfusions in ACS and non-ACS patients with anemia.

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December 2nd, 2013

ACP Recommends Conservative Treatment for Heart Patients with Anemia

Larry Husten, PHD

The American College of Physicians (ACP) is recommending more conservative use of transfusions and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) in anemia patients with heart disease. But the authors of the new clinical practice guidelines, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, acknowledge that the evidence base is too flimsy to support firm conclusions. “Overall,” wrote the authors, “despite the epidemiologic and […]

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March 10th, 2013

Another Negative Trial of Darbepoetin Alfa

Larry Husten, PHD

For more of our ACC.13 coverage of late-breaking clinical trials, interviews with the authors of the most important research, and blogs from our fellows on the most interesting presentations at the meeting, check out our Coverage Headquarters. Once again a trial testing the erythropoiesis-stimulating agent darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp, Amgen) has produced a negative result. Results of […]

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January 16th, 2013

No Benefit of Darbepoetin Alfa in Heart Failure Patients with Anemia

Larry Husten, PHD

The bad news continues for Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa), Amgen’s long-acting erythropoietin-stimulating agent. The company today announced the top-line results of a large phase 3 heart-failure trial of the drug and said that the trial had failed to meet its primary endpoint. The RED-HF (Reduction of Events With Darbepoetin Alfa in Heart Failure) Trial, which started in 2006, had randomized 2278 […]

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September 15th, 2010

TREAT Analysis: Target Dosing Is Tricky

Larry Husten, PHD

A new analysis of TREAT (Trial to Reduce Cardiovascular Events with Aranesp Therapy) is raising questions about the use of target-based strategies for the treatment of anemia in people with chronic kidney disease. (Last year, the main TREAT results showed that treatment with darbepoetin alfa was not beneficial – and was associated with an increase in the […]

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