CardioExchange Archive

June 22nd, 2011

JAMA: Skeptical Perspectives on Consumer Cardiac Tests and Vitamin D

Larry Husten, PHD

Two commentaries published in JAMA offer skeptical perspectives on the roles of direct-to-consumer (DTC) cardiac tests and vitamin D in cardiovascular health. In the first commentary, Kimberly Lovett and Bryan Liang write that DTC screening tests “likely pose more risk than benefit to patients,” and point out that for companies selling these tests there is no […]

---

June 21st, 2011

Meta-Analysis Examines Risk of Diabetes Associated with Statins

Larry Husten, PHD

Although the cardiovascular benefits of statin therapy are well-characterized, recent studies have raised concerns that intensive statin therapy increases the risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Now, a new meta-analysis published in JAMA provides a more precise estimate of the risk for diabetes associated with statin therapy and also weighs that risk against the cardiovascular […]

---

June 21st, 2011

Study Finds Critical Delay in Most MI Patients Transferred for Primary PCI

Larry Husten, PHD

MI patients who arrive at hospitals unable to perform primary PCI need to be promptly transferred to another hospital in order to receive the full benefits of reperfusion. Unfortunately, these patients often have prolonged door-to-balloon times. A key element in the delay is the time spent at the first hospital, referred to as the door-in […]

---

June 16th, 2011

Advice for New Cardiology Fellows — Part 1: The Learning Curve

John Ryan, MD, Andrew M. Kates, MD and James De Lemos, MD

With July just around the corner and a new generation of cardiologists about to start their training, the CardioExchange editors have asked the fellowship moderators to share their advice about how to face this exciting new challenge. We bring you that advice in a three-part series through the end of June. Part 1 focuses on […]

---

June 16th, 2011

FDA: Varenicline (Chantix) May Increase Risk for CV Events

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA said that the anti-smoking drug varenicline (Chantix) may increase the risk for cardiovascular events in people who already have cardiovascular disease. The new information will be added to the drug’s label and Medication Guide for patients. The FDA does not recommend that people with cardiovascular disease stop taking varenicline, but it says that […]

---

June 16th, 2011

FDA Says Pioglitazone Use Is Linked to Bladder Cancer

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA has issued a safety announcement stating that the use of pioglitazone (Actos) for more than 1 year may be  associated with increased risk for bladder cancer. The FDA announcement follows last week’s suspension of the drug in France and Germany by regulatory authorities in those countries. The FDA said that pioglitazone should not […]

---

June 15th, 2011

NEJM: FDA Officials Explain the New Simvastatin Label

Larry Husten, PHD

In a perspective published in the New England Journal of Medicine, two FDA officials, Amy Egan and Eric Colman, explain in some detail the recent changes made by the FDA regarding simvastatin. They note that in the SEARCH trial, myopathy developed in 52 (0.9%) patients in the 80-mg group compared with only 1 (0.02%) patient […]

---

June 13th, 2011

Increased Mortality Found in MI Patients During Ambulance Diversion

Larry Husten, PHD

MI patients who are diverted to other emergency departments (EDs) while their local EDs are closed have an increased risk for death, according to a new study published in JAMA. Yu-Chu Shen and Renee Hsia analyzed data on all Medicare patients with MI from four California counties who were admitted to the hospital between 2000 […]

---

June 12th, 2011

CardioExchange Panel: Whither High-Dose Simvastatin?

CardioExchange Editors, Staff

Last week, the FDA issued a warning high-dose simvastatin because of the risk of myopathy. CardioExchange got the reactions from a panel we assembled. Whose views do you agree with? What points did our panelists miss? See a similar panel’s reactions the publication of the SHARP Trial here. Given the FDA warning, do you see […]

---

June 10th, 2011

A New Biomarker From the Lungs

Larry Husten, PHD

A new study raises the possibility that a protein produced in the lungs may improve the prediction of cardiovascular disease. In a paper in the European Journal of Cardiology, John Hill and colleagues report on their research with surfactant protein-D (SP-D). Produced in the lungs, SP-D levels increase in the general circulation following lung injury […]

---