CardioExchange Archive

March 1st, 2013

ACC and HRS Release Appropriate Use Criteria for ICDs and CRTs

Larry Husten, PHD

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) today published appropriate use criteria for implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The document offers an expert consensus on the appropriateness of  369 separate real-life clinical scenarios in six areas: ICDs for secondary prevention, ICDs for primary prevention, comorbidities, CRT devices, generator replacement, […]

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February 27th, 2013

HPS2-THRIVE Coming Attraction: What Went Wrong with Niacin?

Larry Husten, PHD

In less than two weeks, on March 9, the main results of the HPS2-THRIVE (Heart Protection Study 2-Treatment of HDL to Reduce the Incidence of Vascular Events) study will be presented in San Francisco at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. The results have been eagerly awaited since Merck’s brief announcement in December that the trial had not met its primary endpoint and that it […]

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February 26th, 2013

Mixed Results for Spironolactone in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Larry Husten, PHD

Although the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists spironolactone and eplerenone have been shown to be beneficial in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (EF), their role in  HF patients with preserved EF has not been tested until now. Now the results of the Aldo-DHF study (Aldosterone Receptor Blockade in Diastolic Heart Failure), published in […]

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February 25th, 2013

Large Trial Shows Cardiovascular Benefits of Mediterranean Diet

Larry Husten, PHD

A large new trial offers powerful evidence that a Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. Results of the PREDIMED (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea) study were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine. Investigators in Spain randomized 7447 people at high risk for cardiovascular disease to one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented […]

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February 21st, 2013

Study Casts Doubt on Value of Genetic Testing for Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Larry Husten, PHD

The recent introduction of two drugs specifically targeted to treat people with the rare but dangerous condition of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) has caused increased interest in figuring out the best strategy to identify people with the disorder. Now a new study published online in the Lancet suggests that one of the main screening plans that relies on genetic […]

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February 20th, 2013

New Studies Examine Prolonged Anticoagulation for VTE Recurrence

Larry Husten, PHD

Three studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine provide important new information about the risks and benefits of extended prophylaxis using two of the new oral anticoagulants in patients who have had venous thromboembolism (VTE). In the RE-MEDY and the RE-SONATE trials, the role of dabigatran was examined in patients who had completed at least 3 months […]

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February 20th, 2013

Small Study Explores Expanded Use for TAVI in Native Valve Aortic Regurgitation

Larry Husten, PHD

As transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) gains increasing acceptance, cardiologists and surgeons are exploring additional patient populations who may benefit from the procedure. A new paper in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology provides the first look at the use of TAVI in the small but important group of patients with pure, severe native aortic […]

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February 18th, 2013

St. Jude Raises the Stakes in Renal Denervation with an Outcomes Study

Larry Husten, PHD

The already hot field of renal denervation for resistant hypertension just got a little hotter. With the announcement of a clinical trial powered to detect improvements in cardiovascular outcomes, St. Jude Medical has raised the stakes in the field and demonstrated a new level of commitment to the innovative new technology. For the past few years […]

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February 15th, 2013

Amid Rising Tide of Diabetes More Patients Reach Treatment Goals

Larry Husten, PHD

There’s a glimmer of good news amidst all the recent bad news about diabetes. Although the prevalence of diabetes has doubled over the last generation, more people today are reaching their treatment goals than in the past. New data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), published online today in Diabetes Care, show that efforts to control hemoglobin […]

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February 13th, 2013

FDA Approves Second-Generation MRI-Friendly Pacemaker System from Medtronic

Larry Husten, PHD

Medtronic announced today that the FDA had approved its Advisa DR MRI SureScan, a next-generation pacemaker system specifically designed and tested for use with MRI scanners. The system, which Medtronic said would be launched immediately, includes the Advisa MRI device and two CapSureFix MRI SureScan leads. Medtronic said that more than 100,000 of its first-generation Revo SureScan devices have […]

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