CardioExchange Archive

October 28th, 2011

Belgian Study Supports Use of FFR to Guide Therapy in Intermediate LAD Lesions

Larry Husten, PHD

A study published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions suggests that fractional flow reserve (FFR) may be safely used to guide treatment in patients with an intermediate left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) stenosis. Olivier Muller and colleagues report on 730 patients at a single center in Belgium who had a 30% to 70% stenosis in the proximal segment […]

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October 19th, 2011

U.K. Registry Tracks Long-Term TAVI Outcomes

Larry Husten, PHD

The excitement over transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been tempered by the absence of long-term outcomes data and concerns that the procedure may not live up to its initial promise in real-world settings. Now a report from the U.K. TAVI Registry, which keeps track of every TAVI procedure performed in the U.K., sheds new […]

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October 17th, 2011

Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve Might Be Delayed

Larry Husten, PHD

Approval for the highly anticipated Sapien transcatheter aortic heart valve might be delayed for 6 months, until April 2012. The FDA had been expected to reach a decision this month. But now a member of the FDA advisory panel that recommended approval for Sapien, Jeffrey Borer, in a public statement made at the ACC/AATS Heart […]

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October 11th, 2011

Cardiologist Who Accused Famed Surgeon of Misconduct Is Fired by Northwestern University

Larry Husten, PHD

Northwestern University has dismissed the cardiologist who raised troubling questions about Patrick McCarthy, its star cardiac surgeon. The controversy began in 2008 when Nalini Rajamannan, an assistant professor of medicine, accused McCarthy of implanting in one of her patients an experimental annuloplasty ring, the Myxo ring, manufactured by Edwards Lifesciences. McCarthy, who had invented the device, […]

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September 20th, 2011

Significant Declines Observed in Cardiovascular Procedures Performed in Hospitals

Larry Husten, PHD

More evidence is starting to emerge that the overall volume of cardiovascular procedures in U.S. hospitals is in decline. The trend should come as no surprise to those who have been following news about cardiovascular medicine in recent years, as the field has been repeatedly struck by debate, scandal, and controversy related to the potential […]

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September 14th, 2011

Study Sheds Light on Consequences of Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Larry Husten, PHD

Although bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most frequently occurring congenital heart defect, little is known about the long-term prognosis of people with BAV. Now a study published in JAMA shows that although affected people have a low overall rate of aortic complications, their risk is nevertheless about 8 times greater than the risk of those without BAV. Hector […]

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September 12th, 2011

Study Finds Risks and Costs Associated with Infection After Device Implantation

Larry Husten, PHD

A large new study has found significant risks and costs associated with infections following the implantation of CIEDs (cardiovascular implantable electronic devices), including ICDs, CRT-Ds, and pacemakers. In a paper published in Archives of Internal Medicine, Muhammad Sohail and colleagues analyzed Medicare data from more than 200,000 patients admitted for CIED implantation, replacement, or revision in 2007, including  5817 admissions with infection. Infection […]

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September 9th, 2011

Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis: Medical Management or Revascularization?

Allan Brett, MD

Every so often, one of my patients with no history of stroke or transient ischemic attack asks my opinion on what to do about a carotid ultrasound — not ordered by me — showing high-grade stenosis. I am a general internist, and I don’t obtain these studies in patients without a history of cerebrovascular symptoms. Guidelines […]

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August 1st, 2011

Going Beyond COURAGE: NHLBI Funds the ISCHEMIA Study

Larry Husten, PHD

The NHLBI has awarded an $84 million grant to fund the International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches (ISCHEMIA). The trial will randomize 8,000 patients with stable ischemic heart disease and moderate-to-severe ischemia. Two different treatment strategies will be compared: An invasive strategy, consisting of early routine cardiac catheterization followed by revascularization […]

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July 21st, 2011

Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve Receives Strong Support from FDA Advisory Panel

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA Circulatory Systems Devices Panel has given a strong vote of support in favor of the Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve (THV) for use in patients with inoperable severe aortic stenosis and with no comorbidities precluding benefit from correction of the stenosis. By large majorities, the panel voted that the procedure was safe (7-3), that […]

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