CardioExchange Archive

November 21st, 2012

What’s The Best Treatment For Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm?

Larry Husten, PHD

Endovascular repair of AAA (abdominal aortic aneurysm) gained enthusiastic acceptance after initial results from three trials (EVAR 1, DREAM, and OVER) found an early survival advantage for endovascular repair compared to open repair. Some of the enthusiasm waned, however, after long-term results from the first two trials found no difference in survival between the groups […]

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November 20th, 2012

PFO Occluder Devices Don’t Get No RESPECT

L. David Hillis, MD

David Hillis invokes Rodney Dangerfield in considering the findings of a recent trial of a PFO closure device.

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November 19th, 2012

Comprehensive Guidelines for Stable Ischemic Heart Disease Released

Larry Husten, PHD

New comprehensive guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of stable ischemic heart disease have been released by the ACCF/AHA Task Force on Practice Guidelines.

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November 19th, 2012

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: November 19th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include multivitamins and cancer prevention in men, a comparison of atorvastatin with or without a PCSK9 Antibody in primary hypercholesterolemia, type-2 diabetes screening and population mortality over 10 years, and more.

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November 15th, 2012

FDA Approves Zilver PTX Drug-Eluting Stent for Peripheral Arterial Disease

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA today approved Cook Medical’s Zilver PTX stent. It is the first drug-eluting stent (DES) approved for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the superficial femoral and proximal (i.e., above the knee) popliteal artery. The new stent will provide a new treatment option for patients with PAD. Current treatments include exercise, drug […]

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November 15th, 2012

In Acute VTE, Novel Oral Anticoagulants and Conventional Therapy Show Similar Efficacy

Nicholas Downing, MD

Novel oral anticoagulants and vitamin K antagonists offer similar protection against venous thromboembolism recurrence, according to a BMJ meta-analysis. However, one of the newer agents, rivaroxaban, seems to offer better protection against bleeding. The analysis included nine randomized controlled trials comparing apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, or ximelagatran (no longer on the market) with traditional vitamin K […]

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November 15th, 2012

Mysterious Disappearing Paper Finally Crops Up in Journal

Larry Husten, PHD

An article about the potential cardiovascular benefits of transcendental meditation takes a circuitous route to publication.

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November 13th, 2012

Expert Consensus Document Offers Advice on Troponin Tests

Larry Husten, PHD

A newly published document provides practical advice on the use of the popular and potent troponin tests. The Expert Consensus Document on Practical Clinical Considerations in the Interpretation of Troponin Elevations was developed by the American College of Cardiology Foundation in collaboration with several other societies to help address the many complex issues raised by the introduction […]

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November 12th, 2012

Nonfasting Lipid Testing Gains Growing Acceptance

Larry Husten, PHD

Although fasting before a lipid test has long been recommended, a new study and accompanying commentaries make the case that nonfasting lipid levels are acceptable and may even be superior to fasting levels for the assessment of cardiovascular risk. Investigators at the University of Calgary analyzed data from laboratory tests obtained from more than 200,000 […]

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November 12th, 2012

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: November 12th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include multivitamins for the prevention of CVD in men, the TRILOGY ACS trial, statin use and reduced cancer mortality, and more.

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