CardioExchange Archive

April 16th, 2015

FDA Approves New Heart Failure Drug

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA on Wednesday approved ivabradine (Corlanor), Amgen’s new heart failure drug. The drug has been available for several years in Europe, where it is sold by Servier under the brand names of Corlentor and Procoralan. Ivabradine was approved for the reduction of hospitalization from worsening heart failure. It is indicated for use in stable heart-failure patients who are in sinus rhythm, have a resting […]

---

April 15th, 2015

Diabetes Drugs Get Neither Restrictions Nor Endorsements from FDA Committee

Larry Husten, PHD

Two diabetes drugs survived a meeting of the FDA’s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee on Tuesday. Rejecting recommendations from critics that the drugs should either be withdrawn or get new restrictions on use, the committee voted against any harsh measures, recommending only that information from two neutral clinical  trials be added to the drugs’ labels. The two trials were […]

---

April 14th, 2015

Study Adds to Evidence Linking Divorce and MI

Larry Husten, PHD

A new study shows that after a divorce, people have an increased lifetime risk for myocardial infarction. Although previous studies have found that MIs occur more frequently in people who are divorced, this is the first study to prospectively examine the lifetime relationship between divorce and MI. In a paper published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and […]

---

April 6th, 2015

Weight-Loss Programs: Slim Evidence and Thin Results

Larry Husten, PHD

A new study concludes that some weight-loss programs may be slightly better than other programs but that in the long run none of the programs have been able to show a substantial weight loss over a sustained period. For even the best programs, an editorialist writes, “weight loss is modest and likely below patients’ expectations.” In […]

---

April 6th, 2015

Cardiac Arrest During Exercise in Middle-Aged People

Larry Husten, PHD

Dropping dead while exercising is a common fear, especially among middle-aged men. Unfortunately there have been limited data on the precise rate of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in middle-aged people and little understanding about the medical history of the victims of SCA. Now a new study fills in some important gaps in knowledge and shows that this […]

---

April 2nd, 2015

Global Cardiovascular Deaths Continue to Rise Despite Gains in Prevention and Treatment

Larry Husten, PHD

Improvements in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease haven’t been able to prevent a worldwide rise in cardiovascular deaths in a growing and aging population, according to the authors of a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Using mortality data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013, the authors set out to “disentangle” […]

---

March 31st, 2015

New Consensus for Managing Hypertension in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Larry Husten, PHD

There’s been a lot of drama in the hypertension field over the past few years. Initially sparked by the decision of the National Institutes of Health to halt its sponsorship of national guidelines, the subsequent appearance of multiple guidelines with divergent recommendations led to even more controversy and discussion. Now, however, the appearance of a […]

---

March 30th, 2015

How Do You Like Them Apples?

Larry Husten, PHD

An apple a day does not appear to keep the doctor away but, a new study semi-seriously suggests, it may keep the pharmacist away. Although apples have long been considered a healthy snack, whether eating apples actually reduces healthcare use has not been assessed until now. In a paper published in JAMA Internal Medicine researchers examined […]

---

March 24th, 2015

FDA Grants Premarket Approval to AbioMed Heart Pump

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA said on Tuesday that it had approved Abiomed’s Impella 2.5 System. According to the company, it is is the first hemodynamic support device to gain FDA approval for use during high risk PCI procedures. The miniature blood pump is designed for temporary use in patients with severe symptomatic coronary artery disease and diminished (but stable) […]

---

March 23rd, 2015

Putting PROMISE in Greater Context

Daniel Mark and Larry Husten, PHD

The PROMISE trial, which was presented and discussed in a Journal Club forum at ACC.15, prompted some interesting discussion when CardioExchange covered it as a news story on March 14. Dr. Daniel B. Mark, one of the PROMISE investigators, now sheds further light on the trial in response to questions from CardioExchange news writer Larry Husten. […]

---