CardioExchange Archive

November 14th, 2011

PALLAS: Poor Results for Dronedarone in Permanent AF

Larry Husten, PHD

After a brief announcement earlier this year that the trial had been terminated early, the full results of PALLAS  (Permanent Atrial Fibrillation Outcomes Study Using Dronedarone on Top of Standard Therapy) have now been presented at the AHA and  published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine. PALLAS shows that dronedarone (Multaq, Sanofi) should not be used in patients […]

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November 14th, 2011

MI FREEE: How Much Do Free Medications Really Cost?

Larry Husten, PHD

Could getting rid of copayments improve adherence to post-discharge medications, leading to better  outcomes and reduced costs? That’s the theory tested by the MI FREEE (Post-Myocardial Infarction Free Rx Event and Economic Evaluation) trial, which was presented at the AHA and  published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine. Niteesh Choudhry and colleagues randomized 5855 post-MI patients […]

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November 13th, 2011

ADOPT Fails to Support Extended Oral Apixaban in High-Risk Post-Discharge Patients

Larry Husten, PHD

Although medically ill patients remain at risk for VTE after hospital discharge, a strategy of extended oral anticoagulation with apixaban did not prove to be successful in the ADOPT (Apixaban Dosing to Optimize Protection from Thrombosis) trial, which was presented by Samuel Z. Goldhaber at the American Heart Association and published simultaneously in the New England […]

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November 13th, 2011

ATLAS ACS 2-TIMI 51: Rivaroxaban Benefits Low-Risk ACS Patients

Larry Husten, PHD

Results of the highly anticipated ATLAS-ACS 2–TIMI 51 trial demonstrate that ACS patients receiving standard therapy, including dual antiplatelet therapy, may benefit from the addition of the factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban, although at the cost of some additional bleeding complications. The Anti-Xa Therapy to Lower Cardiovascular Events in Addition to Standard Therapy in Subjects with Acute Coronary Syndrome  trial was […]

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November 13th, 2011

TRACER: Novel Antiplatelet Vorapaxar Runs Into Trouble in ACS

Larry Husten, PHD

The novel antiplatelet vorapaxar, which blocks the thrombin receptor to inhibit platelet activation, ran into trouble in the TRACER (Thrombin Receptor Antagonist for Clinical Event Reduction in Acute Coronary Syndrome) trial, which was stopped prematurely earlier this year due to safety concerns. TRACER was presented at the AHA by Ken Mahaffey and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine. […]

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November 12th, 2011

Controversy Over Cholesterol Testing for Children

Larry Husten, PHD

New guidelines from the NHLBI and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all children age 9 to 11 should undergo cholesterol screening. Screening should then be repeated at 17 and 21 years of age. The new guidelines are scheduled to be officially introduced by panel member Patrick McBride at the AHA in Orlando on Sunday. “Previous […]

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November 11th, 2011

TAVI at TCT: Enthusiasm Tempered by Poor Transapical Outcomes

Larry Husten, PHD

Continued enthusiasm for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with the Edwards’ Sapien device was tempered somewhat by poor outcomes observed in the group of patients for whom the procedure was performed using the transapical instead of the transfemoral approach. Results of 3 new studies from the PARTNER trials and a controversial new trial, STACCATO, were […]

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November 10th, 2011

The AHA in Orlando: A Preview

Larry Husten, PHD

The AHA 2011 Scientific Sessions start this weekend in Orlando. CardioExchange received a preview of some of the many expected highlights of the meeting from Program Chair Elliott Antman. (Click here to view AHA videos of Antman’s meeting previews.) Antman stressed the sheer size and magnitude of the meeting: 742 individual sessions, 4238 abstracts selected out of […]

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November 9th, 2011

Obstructive Lesions Found in Patients with Calcium Scores of Zero

Larry Husten, PHD

A small but significant number of symptomatic patients with calcium scores of zero have obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Todd Villines and colleagues studied 10,037 symptomatic patients without known CAD enrolled in the CONFIRM (Coronary CT Angiography Evaluation for Clinical Outcomes: An International Multicenter) registry who […]

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November 9th, 2011

18 Months After ACCORD, FDA Says Fenofibrate May Not Lower Risk for MI or Stroke

Larry Husten, PHD

Eighteen months after the ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes ) trial found no benefit for the addition of fenofibrate to simvastatin in patients with type 2 diabetes, the FDA has issued a safety communication. The agency changed the label for Trilipix (fenofibric acid, Abbott) and is notifying healthcare professionals that the drug “may […]

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