CardioExchange Archive

July 28th, 2014

Running: Any Amount Is Good and More May Not Be Better

Larry Husten, PHD

Although there is broad agreement that exercise is beneficial, there has been substantial uncertainty about how much exercise is good for you. Recently some studies have suggested that too much exercise may actually reduce the benefits of exercise. Now a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology finds that even a […]

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July 23rd, 2014

More Questions Raised About Dabigatran

Larry Husten, PHD

Once again, dabigatran (Pradaxa) has raised the wrath of the critics. Several articles (see here, here, and here) and an editorial published today in The BMJ raise more questions and concerns about the drug, which is the first of the new oral anticoagulants. Relying on new evidence along with previously disclosed data, Deborah Cohen, the investigations editor for The […]

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July 21st, 2014

Probiotics May Help Reduce Blood Pressure

Larry Husten, PHD

As interest in probiotics has grown in recent years, some evidence has emerged that probiotics may favorably reduce blood pressure, but trials have been small and inconsistent. Now a meta-analysis published in Hypertension suggests that the blood-pressure lowering effects of probiotics may be genuine. Saman Khalesi and colleagues analyzed data from nine parallel, randomized, controlled trials including 543 […]

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July 21st, 2014

Study Finds Flaws in Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis for DVT

Larry Husten, PHD

In recent years, catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) has been added to the current standard of anticoagulation therapy in some patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The hope was that CDT would help reduce the high rate of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), but now an observational study finds no benefits and some important disadvantages associated with CDT. In a […]

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July 16th, 2014

New Evidence Fuels Concerns About The Safety Of Niacin

Larry Husten, PHD

The string of failures– for HDL therapies in general and for niacin in particular– continues unabated.  The publication of the main results of the HPS2-THRIVE trial, along with new information from the AIM-HIGH trial, provide no evidence of a beneficial effect for niacin but do raise concerns that it may cause serious adverse effects. In HPS2-THRIVE, published […]

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July 8th, 2014

TAVI Explored to Treat Aortic Bioprosthesis Failure

Larry Husten, PHD

With the increasing use of bioprosthetic aortic valves in aortic valve replacement surgery, more and more physicians and patients will inevitably be faced with the dilemma of how best to treat degenerated valves. Although surgical reoperation is considered the best solution, many patients are too old and frail for surgery. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) […]

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July 7th, 2014

HEAT-PPCI: Heparin Beats Bivalirudin in Primary PCI

Larry Husten, PHD

Although there is broad consensus in the medical community that primary PCI is the best treatment for MI patients when it can be delivered promptly, there is no agreement about the best accompanying drug regimen, which usually entails a combination of antiplatelet and antithrombotic drugs. The role of one antithrombotic, bivalirudin (Angiomax, The Medicines Company) has […]

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July 3rd, 2014

Sitagliptin Associated with Increase in Heart Failure Hospitalizations

Larry Husten, PHD

The cardiovascular effects of drugs used for glucose control in patients with diabetes have been a subject of controversy for many years now. More recently, attention has started to focus specifically on the risk for heart failure (HF). Now, an observational study will likely raise new questions about the dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitor sitagliptin (Januvia, Merck). In […]

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June 30th, 2014

Registry Study Offers Reassurance About Newer Drug-Eluting Stents

Larry Husten, PHD

Findings from a large ongoing registry study provide some reassurance about the long-term safety of new-generation drug-eluting stents (DES)  in patients with STEMI who undergo primary PCI. The results are published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. SCAAR (Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry) investigators analyzed data from 34,000 primary PCI patients who […]

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June 25th, 2014

FDA Completes Safety Review of Olmesartan

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA announced on Tuesday that it had completed its safety review of the antihypertensive drug olmesartan (sold as Benicar and other names). The investigation was initiated in 2010 when results from the ROADMAP trial showed that patients with type 2 diabetes taking olmesartan had an increased risk for cardiovascular death. Now the FDA says that […]

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