CardioExchange Archive

Hypertension — Good News and Bad: New results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), published in JAMA, show that although hypertension control improved dramatically from1988-1994 to 2007-2008 (from 27.3%  to 50.1%), the overall rate of hypertension increased (from 23.9% to 28.5% ) over the same period. Of note, hypertension control was lower in adults under 40 years of age and in Hispanics.

In an accompanying editorial, Aram Chobanian writes that the improvement in control of hypertension “should be a cause for celebration,” but cautions that the prevalence of hypertension will almost certainly increase. “Although lifestyle changes can reduce BP and the risk of developing hypertension, successful behavioral approaches to modify lifestyles on a population basis have lagged far behind the advances in the drug treatment of hypertension,” he writes. “In the long run, the far superior approach to controlling hypertension and cardiovascular diseases will be prevention rather than treatment.”

Breaking Press Releases from EuroPCR: The EuroPCR meeting is now underway in Paris. Here are some links to company press releases, but beware that these press releases have not undergone peer review:

Abbott’s Groundbreaking Bioresorbable Technology Continues to Demonstrate Exceptional Clinical Results: New Six-Month Data on Abbott’s Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold Reinforces Its Potential to Be the Next Revolution in Interventional Cardiology

NEVO™ Sirolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent Continues to Demonstrate Excellent Safety and Efficacy Outcomes in New Twelve-Month Data

Medtronic’s Resolute® Drug-Eluting Stent Matches Market-Leading Rival in Large Head-to-Head Study: One-Year Clinical Results from Innovative RESOLUTE All Comers Trial Show Excellent Performance for Resolute DES in Challenging Patient Population

New Data Reinforces Safety Profile of Abbott’s Market-Leading XIENCE V® Drug Eluting Stent: In XIENCE V USA Study, XIENCE V Demonstrates Low Blood Clot Rate at One Year in Real-World Patient Population. In SPIRIT V Diabetes Trial, XIENCE V Demonstrates Zero Cases of Stent Thrombosis at One Year in Patients with Diabetes

Abbott’s Investigational MitraClip® System Demonstrates Strong Safety Results and Improved Clinical Outcomes for Common Causes of Leaky Heart Valves: Preliminary Results Also Show MitraClip Device Maintains Durability through Two Years in Patients Treated for Mitral Regurgitation

Edwards SAPIEN Transcatheter Heart Valve Shows Positive One-Year Outcomes in Rigorous Post-Market Study