CardioExchange Archive

September 11th, 2012

Updated Rhythm Device Guidelines Clarify and Expand CRT Criteria

Larry Husten, PHD

A newly released update of 2008 guidelines for device-based therapy of cardiac arrhythmias contains some much-needed clarification about indications for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The document was developed jointly by the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the Heart Rhythm Society. Highlights of the documents include: The Class 1 recommendation for CRT for patients with […]

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September 10th, 2012

Antihypertensive Use Among Pregnant Women on the Rise

Larry Husten, PHD

Growing numbers of pregnant women are taking antihypertensive drugs that may harm themselves or their babies, according to a new study published in Hypertension. Brian Bateman and colleagues analyzed Medicaid data on more than 1.1 million pregnant women from 2000 to 2007. Overall, 4.4% of the women received antihypertensive medications at some point during their pregnancy. During […]

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September 7th, 2012

News Briefs: Cholesterol Trends, AHA Late-Breakers, FDA Updates On Rivaroxaban And Heartware HVAD

Larry Husten, PHD

Cholesterol Trends The Centers for Disease Control issued a new report with the latest details about the prevalence of cholesterol screening and high blood cholesterol in U.S. adults. Here is their summary of the key findings: …cholesterol screening increased from 72.7% in 2005 to 76.0% in 2009, whereas the percentage of those screened who reported being told […]

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September 6th, 2012

Unrecognized MI: More Prevalent and Dangerous Than Previously Suspected

Larry Husten, PHD

Unrecognized myocardial infarction is more prevalent, and is associated with a worse prognosis, than may be generally understood.

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September 4th, 2012

Danish Survey Finds Clopidogrel Less Effective in Diabetics

Larry Husten, PHD

A large nationwide survey of MI survivors in Denmark provides new information about the efficacy of antiplatelet therapy with clopdiogrel in patients with diabetes. In a paper published in JAMA, Charlotte Andersson reports on 58,851 MI patients, 12% of whom had diabetes and 60% of whom received clopidogrel. As expected, diabetics had a worse outcome than nondiabetics: the composite […]

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September 4th, 2012

CDC: Nearly 36 Million Americans Have Uncontrolled Hypertension

Larry Husten, PHD

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, new data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) show: 30.4% of U.S. adults (an estimated 66.9 million people) have hypertension. Of those with hypertension, 53.5% have uncontrolled hypertension (about 35.8 million people). 39.4% with uncontrolled hypertension (about 14.1 million) are unaware that they have hypertension. 89.4% with […]

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September 4th, 2012

ESC Trials: The Best And The Worst

Larry Husten, PHD

Larry Husten is back from ESC and discussing two trials that exemplify how medicine is supposed to work, and one that exemplifies what can go wrong, especially when commercial interests are at stake.

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August 30th, 2012

ICD Investigation: DOJ Sends Resolution Model to Hospitals

Larry Husten, PHD

Hospitals across the country received emails from the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday containing a proposed “Resolution Model” that will allow the hospitals to begin to settle the long-standing and much-feared DOJ investigation into improper Medicare billing for ICDs. The action appears to confirm an article, published earlier in August in Report on Medicare Compliance, that summarized the […]

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August 29th, 2012

Pilot Study Demonstrates Feasibility of MRI-Guided Catheterization

Larry Husten, PHD

A small pilot study has demonstrated that it may one day be possible to replace x-rays with MRI to guide some cardiac catheterization procedures. As reported in the European Heart Journal, researchers at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood institute (NHLBI) performed x-ray and MRI-guided transfemoral right heart catheterization in 16 patients (4 with shunt, 9 with […]

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August 28th, 2012

WOEST: Get Rid of the Aspirin in Triple Therapy

Larry Husten, PHD

According to current guidelines and clinical practice, PCI patients already taking an oral anticoagulant generally end up on triple therapy comprising the anticoagulant plus clopidogrel and aspirin. However, there is no supporting evidence base for this approach, and the triple-therapy regimen is known to increase bleeding complications. Now a new study — the first randomized […]

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