CardioExchange Archive

June 10th, 2011

TAVR: A Stroke of Genius or Bad Luck?

Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA and L. David Hillis, MD

After presentations at the ACC and American Association for Thoracic Surgery 2011 meetings, the PARTNER A results are finally published. PARTNER A compared  transaortic valve replacement (TAVR, also known as TAVI) with surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with aortic stenosis who were eligible for AVR but considered to be at high surgical risk . At […]

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June 9th, 2011

Pioglitazone (Actos) Suspended in France Over Cancer Concerns

Larry Husten, PHD

Sales of the popular diabetes drug pioglitazone (Actos, Takeda) have been suspended in France after a study carried out by the French health insurance fund (CNAM) found that it may increase the risk of bladder cancer. The French regulatory agency (AFSSAPS) said that new prescriptions for drugs containing pioglitazone may no longer be written, but […]

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June 8th, 2011

SHARP Results Published in Lancet

Larry Husten, PHD

The main results of SHARP (Study of Heart and Renal Protection) have now been published in the Lancet, following their preliminary presentation last November at the American Society of Nephrology meeting. The results are also posted online on the trial’s website. In brief, SHARP randomized 9270 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) — one-third of whom were […]

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June 8th, 2011

FDA Recommends Limiting Use of High-Dose Simvastatin

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA today recommended significant limitations in the use of high-dose (80 mg) simvastatin because of the increased risk for myopathy. The FDA said the 80-mg dose should be used only in people who have been taking the high dose for at least one year and have had no evidence of myopathy. The high dose […]

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June 7th, 2011

Scans or Scams? ProPublica Investigates Heart Check America

Larry Husten, PHD

ProPublica, the nonprofit public interest journalism site, has once again focused on a heart-related topic (for previous ProPublica reports see our stories here and here). This time journalist Marshall Allen reports the results of a detailed investigation of Heart Check America, a chain of imaging centers featuring electron-beam CT calcium scans. The story begins with […]

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June 2nd, 2011

FDA: ARBs Don’t Increase Risk of Cancer

Larry Husten, PHD

Concluding a nearly one-year safety review, the FDA has announced that angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) do not increase the risk of cancer. The FDA initiated the review after a meta-analysis published in Lancet Oncology found a small but statistically significant increase in the risk of cancer among people taking ARBs. The FDA meta-analysis included 31 […]

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June 2nd, 2011

CDC: Death Rates for Heart Disease and Cancer Converge

Larry Husten, PHD

Preliminary data released by the CDC shows that the age-adjusted death rates for heart disease and cancer are converging dramatically. From 1999 through 2009, the death rates for heart disease and cancer declined by 30.8% and 11.9%, respectively. In 1999, the risk for death from heart disease was 31.9% higher than from cancer. By 2009, […]

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June 1st, 2011

More Questions Raised About Biotronik’s Relationships with Cardiologists

Larry Husten, PHD

A story by Barry Meier in the New York Times provides new details about a widening investigation into the suspiciously close relationship of referring cardiologists and implanting electrophysiologists with the upstart heart device manufacturer Biotronik. The story cites examples of exchanges between Biotronik employees and their dealings with the physicians. According to Meier, the company […]

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May 31st, 2011

Biomarkers: Don’t Believe the Hype

Larry Husten, PHD

Watch out for hype when examining the biomarker literature, a new study published in JAMA suggests. John Ioannidis and Orestis Panagiotou first searched the literature and identified highly cited studies of biomarkers that included a relative risk calculation of effect size on a particular outcome. Most of the 35 studies reported cancer- or cardiovascular-related outcomes. […]

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May 27th, 2011

AIM-HIGH Halted: A Death Knell for the HDL Hypothesis? Six Experts Weigh In

CardioExchange Editors, Staff

Earlier this week, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute stopped the randomized clinical trial known as AIM-HIGH (Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglycerides: Impact on Global Health). It had been designed to test the addition of high-dose, extended-release niacin to statins in people who were at risk for cardiovascular events, had well-controlled […]

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