CardioExchange Archive

January 29th, 2013

ESC Gives a Shot in the Arm to Radial Access for PCI Procedures: A New Default?

Larry Husten, PHD

Radial access is now the preferred approach for percutaneous coronary interventions, according to a consensus document from the European Society of Cardiology and other European organizations and published online in EuroIntervention. However, at least one prominent U.S. interventional cardiologist thinks the “hard benefits” of radial access “are more controversial,” though he supports increased use of the newer approach. […]

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January 28th, 2013

Study Warns Against Dual Blockade of Renin-Angiotensin System in Heart Failure and Hypertension

Larry Husten, PHD

The enormous success of ACE inhibitors in hypertension and heart failure spurred hope that adding a second drug to block the renin-angiotensin system would yield improved outcomes. Although definitive evidence supporting dual blockade of the renin-angiotensin system has never been found, more than 200,000 patients in the U.S. currently receive this therapy. Now a large new meta-analysis […]

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January 22nd, 2013

Trials of Niacin and AF Device Will Headline American College of Cardiology Program

Larry Husten, PHD

Two big trials will highlight this year’s American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting in March in San Francisco. First is the PREVAIL trial testing Boston Scientific’s long-anticipated Watchman left atrial appendage closure device for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Second is the detailed presentation of the controversial failed HPS2-THRIVE trial of extended-release niacin and laropiprant. The […]

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January 16th, 2013

No Benefit of Darbepoetin Alfa in Heart Failure Patients with Anemia

Larry Husten, PHD

The bad news continues for Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa), Amgen’s long-acting erythropoietin-stimulating agent. The company today announced the top-line results of a large phase 3 heart-failure trial of the drug and said that the trial had failed to meet its primary endpoint. The RED-HF (Reduction of Events With Darbepoetin Alfa in Heart Failure) Trial, which started in 2006, had randomized 2278 […]

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January 16th, 2013

FDA Releases Warning Letter to St. Jude About ICD Leads

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA on Tuesday released the full text of a warning letter sent last week to St. Jude Medical. The company had previously disclosed the existence of the letter in an SEC filing but did not make clear the full extent of the FDA warning. The letter from the FDA is the latest in a series of setbacks and challenges […]

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January 15th, 2013

Large Meta-Analysis Finds No Harm Associated with Eggs

Larry Husten, PHD

No food has had more ups and downs over the last century or so than the common egg. Following a long period in which eggs were ubiquitous and highly regarded, eggs fell from favor with the rise of concerns over cholesterol. Currently, the American Heart Association recommends that people restrict dietary cholesterol to 300 mg per day, which […]

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January 14th, 2013

Atrial Fibrillation Linked to Increased Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death

Larry Husten, PHD

Although atrial fibrillation (AF) is well known to be associated with an increase in the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease, a similar association with sudden cardiac death (SCD) has been suspected but not demonstrated in the past. Now, a new study examining data from two large population studies offers evidence that AF is […]

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January 11th, 2013

Merck Starts to Suspend Worldwide Availability of Tredaptive

Larry Husten, PHD

In the wake of the negative HPS2-THRIVE study announced last month, Merck said today that it was beginning to suspend the worldwide availability of Tredaptive, its combination of extended-release niacin and laropiprant. Merck described its decision as being “aligned” with that of the European Medicines Agency’s  Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC), which recommended on Thursday that drugs containing extended-release niacin and laropiprant should be suspended. The drug […]

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January 10th, 2013

Acute Kidney Injury Associated With Dual Antihypertensive Therapy And NSAIDs

Larry Husten, PHD

NSAIDs seem to increase the risks for acute kidney injury when taken along with antihypertensive therapy consisting of a diuretic plus an ACE inhibitior or an ARB.

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January 9th, 2013

Observation Units for Heart Failure Could Reduce Unnecessary Hospitalizations

Larry Husten, PHD

Two new papers published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology propose that most heart failure (HF) patients who present to the emergency department (ED) don’t need to be hospitalized and can be safely managed in an observation unit. Currently, the vast majority of HF patients  who show up in the ED are hospitalized. In the first […]

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