Larry Husten, PHD
August 29th, 2013
Inexpensive Accelerometer Could Help Monitor Progress After Heart Surgery
Larry Husten, PHD
An inexpensive off-the-shelf fitness monitor can help physicians monitor and perhaps customize their treatment of patients after heart surgery, according to a new study from the Mayo Clinic published in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Although the mobility of patients after surgery has long been recognized as a significant predictor of outcome, the authors of the study note that […]
August 28th, 2013
New Drug Found Safe and Effective in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension — But Does It Save Lives?
Larry Husten, PHD
Macitentan, a new drug for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), appears to be safe and effective, but it is unclear whether it offers any significant advantages over currently available drugs. The drug, a dual endothelin-receptor antagonist, is under development from Actelion as an enhanced version of bosentan (Tracleer). The results of a phase 3 trial, SERAPHIN (Study with an Endothelin […]
August 28th, 2013
American Heart Association Announces Late-Breaking Clinical Trials
Larry Husten, PHD
There are still a few days left in August, and the European Society of Cardiology meeting doesn’t start until this weekend in Amsterdam. Nevertheless, the American Heart Association has released the list of late-breaking clinical trials for its annual meeting in November. Late-Breaking Clinical Trials 1: Acute Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Care Sunday, Nov 17, 2013, 4:00 PM – 5:19 PM […]
August 26th, 2013
New Subcutaneous ICD Said to Pose ‘Existential Crisis’ for Older ICDs
Larry Husten, PHD
Last year the FDA approved Boston Scientific’s subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD), the first ICD that doesn’t use transvenous leads. Those leads are the source of many sophisticated pacing features in today’s ICDs, but they are also the main source of ICD-related complications. FDA approval of the S-ICD was based on a pivotal trial designed to assess the […]
August 21st, 2013
Kaiser Program Yields Big Improvements in Hypertension Control
Larry Husten, PHD
A large percentage of the 65 million people with high blood pressure in the United States do not know they have hypertension or have not succeeded in controlling their hypertension. Although many programs have been proposed, there is little evidence that any method can produce long-term improvement in hypertension control. Now, in a paper published in JAMA, researchers […]
August 15th, 2013
Remote Ischemic Preconditioning Beneficial Before CABG
Larry Husten, PHD
For several decades cardiologists have been intrigued by the concept of ischemic preconditioning. A small body of research has consistently found that brief episodes of ischemia appeared to somehow prepare the body to better handle a major episode of ischemia. Now a new study from Germany holds out the promise that deliberate ischemic preconditioning prior […]
August 15th, 2013
Fuster to Succeed DeMaria as Editor of JACC
Larry Husten, PHD
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has announced that Valentin Fuster will be the next editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). Fuster will succeed the current editor, Anthony DeMaria, beginning in 2014. “JACC has long been committed to bringing the newest and most innovative research to cardiovascular professionals, and Dr. Fuster brings unmatched […]
August 13th, 2013
Observational Study Lends Support to CRT Guidelines
Larry Husten, PHD
A large observational study published in JAMA suggests that patients with left bundle-branch block (LBBB) and longer QRS duration derive the most benefit from a cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D). The findings appear to support current, but often criticized, guidelines from the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and the Heart Rhythm Society, in which a class I […]
August 9th, 2013
The Guidelines are Dead. Long Live the Guidelines.
Larry Husten, PHD
Following the recent surprising announcement that the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute would no longer issue guidelines, leaders of the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) have now announced that are “officially assuming the joint governance, management and public distribution” of the enormously influential cardiovascular prevention guidelines, including the much-delayed and much-anticipated hypertension […]
August 7th, 2013
FDA Panel Recommends Approval of New Pulmonary Hypertension Drug
Larry Husten, PHD
The FDA’s Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee recommended approval for Bayer’s new pulmonary hypertension drug, riociguat. The committee voted 11-0 in favor of approving the drug for two forms of pulmonary hypertension: pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTPH). Bayer proposed an initial dose of 1 mg three times daily and a maximum dose of 2.5 […]
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