CardioExchange Archive

March 1st, 2011

CV Device Trials Still Fail To Include More Women

Larry Husten, PHD

Women continue to be significantly underrepresented in trials of cardiovascular devices, according to a study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Sanket Dhruva and colleagues performed a systematic review of the PMA applications for 78 high-risk cardiovascular medical devices submitted to the FDA from 2000 to 2007. Despite repeated attempts to call attention to the […]

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February 25th, 2011

FDA Approves Azilsartan Medoxomil (Edarbi) for High Blood Pressure

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA has approved azilsartan medoxomil (Edarbi, Takeda) for the treatment of high blood pressure. The new angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) will be available in 80 mg and 40 mg doses. The recommended dose is 80 mg once daily. The 40 mg dose is used in combination with a diuretic. The FDA said that, in clinical […]

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February 23rd, 2011

Air Pollution and Cocaine Among MI Triggers Analyzed in Lancet Study

Larry Husten, PHD

Air pollution is a weak cause of MI, increasing risk by only 5%, but because so many people are exposed to polluted air the population effect is quite large. By contrast, cocaine increases MI risk by 23 times, but does not have nearly as large an effect on the population. These are two of the […]

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February 22nd, 2011

Study Finds Nitroglycerin Improves Bone Density

Larry Husten, PHD

A new study raises hope that nitroglycerin may help stem the rising tide of fractures in the elderly. Earlier research with nitrates had suggested the possibility of benefit in this area. Now, in a paper published in JAMA, Sophie Jamal and colleagues report the result of a single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 243 postmenopausal women randomized […]

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February 18th, 2011

A Case of Clopidogrel Nonresponsiveness?

Tariq Ahmad, MD, MPH and James Fang, MD

This latest installment in our case discussion series is submitted by Tariq Ahmad, MD, MPH. We encourage members to submit cases that they believe warrant discussion. Selected cases will be presented to the community, and case authors will receive a $100 Amazon gift card. A 70-year-old woman presents to the ED with an anterior STEMI. […]

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February 17th, 2011

Quarter of U.S. Adults 45 and Older Taking Statins

Larry Husten, PHD

One-quarter of U.S. adults age 45 and older are taking statins, and one-half of men ages 65 to 74 are taking these drugs, according to the CDC’s annual report on trends in health statistics. From 1988 to 1994, only 2% of adults age 45 and older were taking statins. High cholesterol levels have been declining, according to […]

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February 17th, 2011

Unreasonable Expectations for Quality Improvement

John E Brush, MD

At a recent committee meeting, my hospital’s administration announced new quality measures and targets. Striving for top performance, the board of the hospital system set the bar extraordinarily high. The bonuses of senior management are tied to achieving the targets, so the announcement had everyone’s attention. One target that caught my interest was for achieving […]

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February 15th, 2011

Study Sheds Light on Racial Disparities in Hospital Readmissions

Larry Husten, PHD

Although many studies in recent years have explored the issue of racial disparities in health care, a new study scrutinizes the effect of race on hospital readmissions, an area that has not been previously examined. In a report appearing in JAMA, Karen Joynt and colleagues examined Medicare data to study readmissions after hospitalizations for acute […]

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February 14th, 2011

How Hospitals View Cardiology Groups

Westby G Fisher, MD

CardioExchange welcomes this guest post, reprinted with permission, from Dr. Westby Fisher, an electrophysiologist practicing at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Illinois, and a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. This piece originally appeared on his blog, Dr. Wes. It is no surprise that hospitals are acquiring cardiology and primary care groups in droves […]

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February 11th, 2011

SCAST Trial Provides No Support for Blood Pressure Lowering in Acute Stroke

Larry Husten, PHD

Lowering blood pressure with an angiotensin-receptor blocker in patients with acute stroke and hypertension produces no benefits, according to a new study presented at the International Stroke Conference and published simultaneously online in the Lancet. In the Scandinavian Candesartan Acute Stroke Trial (SCAST), investigators randomized 2029 acute stroke patients in 9 north European countries who had a […]

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