CardioExchange Archive

September 1st, 2010

Breathing Easier with Compression-Only CPR

Larry Husten, PHD

A recent NEJM study showed that out-of-hospital, cardiac-arrest patients who received compression-only CPR or traditional CPR had similar survival rates. We asked Mark Link, a member of the AHA Advanced Cardiac Life Support Committee, questions about this latest research. Read what he has to say, then ask him your own questions here.

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August 31st, 2010

Apixaban Beats Aspirin for Stroke Prevention in AF

Larry Husten, PHD

The AVERROES (Apixaban Versus Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) to Prevent Strokes) trial randomized 5600 AF patients who were unable to take warfarin to receive either aspirin or apixaban, a factor Xa inhibitor. (Another trial still underway, ARISTOTLE, is a direct comparison of warfarin and apixaban in AF.) AVERROES was stopped early after the Data Monitoring Committee […]

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August 31st, 2010

Positive Results for Rivaroxaban in EINSTEIN-DVT

Larry Husten, PHD

The EINSTEIN-DVT study tested the effect of the new oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban in the setting of DVT. The open-label, non-inferiority study randomized more than 3,400 patients with acute, symptomatic DVT to either oral rivaroxaban or conventional therapy with enoxaparin followed by warfarin or acenocoumarol for 3, 6, or 12 months, based on the attending physician’s […]

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August 31st, 2010

No Benefits for Low-Dose Heparin Over Standard Heparin in FUTURA/OASIS-8

Larry Husten, PHD

FUTURA (Fondaparinux Trial With Unfractionated Heparin During Revascularization in Acute Coronary Syndromes)/OASIS-8 is the first trial to compare low-dose unfractionated heparin with conventional heparin dosing in PCI patients receiving fondaparinux. Sanjit Jolly and colleagues randomized 2026 non-STEMI high-risk patients undergoing PCI within 72 hours to either low-dose unfractionated heparin or a standard dose of heparin […]

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August 30th, 2010

Study Finds African-Americans at Increased Risk for Stent Thrombosis

Larry Husten, PHD

African-Americans are nearly three times more likely than other races to develop stent thrombosis after receiving a drug-eluting stent, according to a new study appearing in Circulation. Ron Waksman and colleagues analyzed data from a large, single-center registry of 7,236 patients who received a DES and found that African-American race was the single strongest predictor […]

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August 30th, 2010

4-Year Findings from the REACH Registry

Larry Husten, PHD

“Not all atherothrombosis is equal.” That’s the message from the latest findings of the international REACH (Reduction of Atherothrombosis for Continued Health) registry of more than 45,000 patients with “various manifestations” of atherothrombosis. According to the REACH investigators, “easily demarcated subgroups of atherothrombotic patients had widely varying risks [for future ischemic events], ranging from 7% […]

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August 29th, 2010

Genetic Substudies of Large Trials Question Value of Clopidogrel Genotyping

Larry Husten, PHD

Genetic substudies across a broad range of large clinical trials that used clopidogrel raise questions about the clinical utility of clopidogrel genotyping. The substudies come from large and important trials like PLATO, TRITON-TIMI 38, CURE, and ACTIVE A. A genetic substudy of PLATO finds that ticagrelor is superior to clopidogrel irrespective of genetic subtype. Therefore, […]

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August 29th, 2010

Superiority of Dabigatran More Evident in Places Where INR Is Not Well Controlled

Larry Husten, PHD

At last year’s ESC meeting, the RE-LY trial heightened interest in the prospect of dabigatran as a potential replacement for warfarin. Now the RE-LY investigators have analyzed the trial data in an attempt to see whether the local standard of care has an impact on the beneficial effects of switching to dabigatran. In a presentation […]

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August 29th, 2010

Downshifting Heart Rate in HF Found Beneficial

Larry Husten, PHD

In the SHIFT trial, Karl Swedberg and colleagues tested the effects of ivabradine, a selective sinus-node inhibitor, in 6558 patients with heart failure who had a heart rate ≥70 bpm. After a median 23 months of follow-up, the rate of cardiovascular death or hospital admission for worsening heart failure was 24% in the ivabradine group […]

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August 29th, 2010

Alpha Omega Trial Tests Omega-3 Fatty Acids in CV Disease

Larry Husten, PHD

To test the effect of omega-3 fatty acids in cardiovascular disease, Kromhaut and colleagues with the Alpha Omega Trial Group randomized 4837 patients with a history of MI to treatment with one of four margarine preparations: one containing EPA and DHA; one with ALA; one with EPA, DHA, and ALA; or placebo. After 40 months, […]

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