Larry Husten, PHD
December 22nd, 2010
Apixaban Beats Enoxaparin for Thromboprophylaxis After Hip Replacement
Larry Husten, PHD
In the ADVANCE-3 trial 5,407 hip replacement patients were randomized to receive thromboprophylaxis with either the new oral factor Xa inhibitor apixaban or enoxaparin. The rate of DVT, nonfatal PE, or death from any cause was 1.4% in the apixaban group compared to 3.9% in the enoxaparin group (RR 0.36, CI 0.22-0.54, P<0.001), thereby demonstrating […]
December 20th, 2010
Dronedarone, Rate Control, and Catheter Ablation Incorporated in Updated AF Guidelines
Larry Husten, PHD
A focused update on the guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation has been released by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and Heart Rhythm Society. Most notably, the new guidelines incorporate recent data from clinical trials evaluating dronedarone, clopidogrel, strict rate control, and catheter ablation. Here are the major highlights: Dronedarone can reduce […]
December 17th, 2010
FDA Approves Cryoballoon Ablation Treatment for Paroxysmal AF
Larry Husten, PHD
Medtronic announced today that it has received FDA approval for its Arctic Front® Cardiac CryoAblation Catheter system for the treatment of refractory paroxysmal AF.
December 17th, 2010
FDA Delays Approval of Ticagrelor
Larry Husten, PHD
Despite widespread expectations of an easy approval, the FDA has issued a complete response letter to AstraZeneca for Brilinta (ticagrelor). According to a press release from the company, the FDA has asked for additional analyses of data from the pivotal PLATO trial, but did not request any additional studies. AstraZeneca said it is evaluating the […]
December 15th, 2010
Heart Disease and Stroke in 2011: Mortality Continues to Decline, but Overall Burden Remains High
Larry Husten, PHD
From 1997 to 2007, the death rate from heart disease declined 27.8% and the death rate from stroke declined 44.8%. But inpatient cardiovascular operations and procedures increased during the same period by 27%, and heart disease and stroke cost $286 billion in 2007, more than any other diagnostic group. These are some of the most […]
December 14th, 2010
Study Finds Inverse Correlation Between HDL and Alzheimer’s
Larry Husten, PHD
High levels of HDL are linked to a lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to a new study published in Archives of Neurology. Researchers at Columbia University followed 1,130 Medicare recipients in New York City with no cognitive impairment. After 4,469 person-years of follow-up, they identified 101 cases of AD (89 probable and 12 […]
December 13th, 2010
False-Positive CT Angiogram Leads to Heart Transplant
Larry Husten, PHD
A 52-year old woman with atypical chest pain ended up with a heart transplant after a CT angiogram to “reassure” her sparked a devastating sequence of events. Following a false-positive CT angiogram, the patient underwent coronary angiography and suffered a dissection of the left main coronary artery, followed by emergency CABG, subsequent graft failure, and […]
December 9th, 2010
CDC Demotes Stroke to Fourth Leading Cause of Death
Larry Husten, PHD
Chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD) has replaced stroke as the third leading cause of death in the United States, according to preliminary 2008 statistics published by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. In 2008, there were 133,750 deaths from stroke compared to 141,075 deaths from CLRD. Although the stroke rate has been declining for […]
December 9th, 2010
Meta-Analysis Finds Aromatase Inhibitors Increase Risk for Heart Disease
Larry Husten, PHD
A new meta-analysis has found that postmenopausal women taking aromatase inhibitors (AIs) instead of tamoxifen to treat breast cancer appear to be at increased risk for cardiovascular complications. The results were presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Previous studies suggested that women taking AIs were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, while women taking […]
December 8th, 2010
PROTECT II Study of Impella Stopped Early for Futility
Larry Husten, PHD
The PROTECT II study has been stopped early. The trial had been comparing the Impella circulatory support device to the intra-aortic balloon in high-risk PCI patients. The trial was terminated after an interim analysis by the Data and Safety Monitoring Board, which reached a “futility determination… regarding the primary end-point,” according to a press release […]
