CardioExchange Archive

September 30th, 2014

Genetic Analysis Fails to Support Vitamin D to Prevent Diabetes

Larry Husten, PHD

A vitamin D pill can’t substitute for a healthy diet and sunshine, a new genetic study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology suggests. In recent years many people have been seduced by observational studies that found low levels of vitamin D in people who developed type 2 diabetes. The new study instead suggests that the association […]

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September 30th, 2014

No Difference in Survival Found for Different Aortic Valve Prostheses

Larry Husten, PHD

A new study published in JAMA suggests that younger patients who need aortic valve replacement (AVR) may now be more eligible to receive bioprosthetic valves. Each year about 50,000 people in the U.S. undergo AVR surgery. Older patients generally receive bioprosthetic valves because these valves are less prone to clotting and bleeding complications. Surgeons are often […]

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September 29th, 2014

American Heart Association: Pay More Attention to Radiation in Imaging Procedures

Larry Husten, PHD

The American Heart Association is urging physicians to better understand the risks of radiation in cardiac imaging procedures. When ordering these procedures physicians should understand the appropriate use of each procedure, the radiation dose associated with the procedure, and the risks associated with that dose. Both the risks and benefits should be fully explained and discussed […]

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September 23rd, 2014

ACC and AHA Release New Guideline for Non–ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes

Larry Husten, PHD

A new guideline released today by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association reflects important changes in the last 7 years in the understanding of what is now known as non–ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS). The previous 2007 guideline used different terminology and referred to the same patient population as “unstable angina and […]

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September 22nd, 2014

ACC Withdraws ‘Choosing Wisely’ Recommendation Against Revascularization of Nonculprit Lesions

Larry Husten, PHD

The American College of Cardiology said today that it was withdrawing one of its five recommendations in the “Choosing Wisely” campaign.  In 2012 the ACC recommended that heart attack patients should have only their culprit artery unblocked. It said that patients and caregivers should question whether complete revascularization of all nonculprit lesions in heart attack […]

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September 18th, 2014

FDA Approves New Once-Weekly GLP-1 Receptor Agonist for Type 2 Diabetes

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA said today that it had approved dulaglutide, Lilly’s once-weekly injection to control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. The drug will be marketed under the brand name of Trulicity. The FDA said that the safety and efficacy of dulaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, had been studied in  3,342 type 2 diabetics. The drug […]

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September 15th, 2014

Cheaper Generic Statins Beat Brand-Name Statins in Adherence and Outcomes

Larry Husten, PHD

A large observational study finds that people who received a prescription for a generic statin were more likely to take their pills than people who received a prescription for a brand-name statin. This increased adherence appeared to lead to a small but significant improvement in outcomes. In a paper published in Annals of Internal Medicine, Joshua Gagne […]

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September 15th, 2014

No Endorsement for Routine ECG Screening of Young People

Larry Husten, PHD

In a new scientific statement the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology do not recommend the routine initial use of ECGs to screen young people for underlying congenital or genetic heart disease. More aggressive screening for heart disease in young people is often advocated in response to pressure resulting from the rare but […]

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September 11th, 2014

FDA Approves New Weight Loss Drug

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA announced today that it had approved Contrave, the long-awaited and much-disputed weight loss drug.  Contrave is a combination of two drugs already approved for other indications: naltrexone hydrochloride, which is used to combat alcohol and opioid dependence, and bupropion, which is used to treat depression and seasonal affective disorder and as an aid to smoking cessation treatment. […]

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September 10th, 2014

FDA Advisory Panel Offers Cautious Support for Polypill

Larry Husten, PHD

The controversial polypill took one step closer to reaching the U.S. market after receiving a mostly positive reception from the FDA’s Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee on Wednesday. The idea for the polypill– which in this case would be composed of aspirin, a statin, and one or more blood pressure drugs– has been kicking around for […]

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