CardioExchange Archive

August 7th, 2014

Neck Manipulation Linked to Cervical Dissection

Larry Husten, PHD

After a neck adjustment — also known as cervical manipulative therapy and typically employed by chiropractors and other healthcare providers — people are at increased risk for cervical dissections, which can lead to stroke, according to a scientific statement released by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Although a cause-and-effect relationship is far from being proved, the groups say that […]

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August 7th, 2014

Fellows: Want to Blog for CardioExchange at ESC.14?

Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM and John Ryan, MD

CardioExchange editors Harlan Krumholz and John Ryan are looking for fellows to blog for CardioExchange at the European Society of Cardiology Congresses from August 30th through September 3rd in Barcelona, Spain. If you are interested in blogging, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!

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August 7th, 2014

How Should We Evaluate Hospital Care?

Xiao Xu, PhD

Dr. Xiao Xu weighs in on the question of how we should quantify the cost-effectiveness of hospital care.

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August 5th, 2014

Large Analysis Supports Thrombolysis for Stroke

Larry Husten, PHD

Although thrombolysis for ischemic stroke has been widely recognized as beneficial, its use has been limited because of concerns about its effects in patients treated after 3 hours, in older patients, and in patients with mild and with severe strokes. Now a meta-analysis published in the Lancet offers evidence that the use of thrombolysis should be […]

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August 4th, 2014

Plant-Based Diet, Healthy Heart?

Kim Williams, MD and Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM

Kim Williams shares with Harlan Krumholz how a patient inspired him to try a plant-based diet, how it has improved his health, and why he now recommends it to his patients.

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August 4th, 2014

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: August 4th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topic is on the trends in use of ezetimibe after the ENHANCE trial.

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August 4th, 2014

Review Panel Exonerates The BMJ in Statin Kerfuffle

Larry Husten, PHD

An independent review panel has rejected a demand by a prominent researcher that The BMJ retract two controversial articles. The report largely exonerates the journal’s editors from any wrongdoing. As previously reported, Rory Collins, a prominent researcher and head of the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ (CTT) Collaboration, had demanded that The BMJ retract two articles that were highly critical of statins. Although The BMJ issued […]

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August 1st, 2014

Noncardiac Surgery Guidelines Updated

Larry Husten, PHD

The reliability of current guidelines regarding perioperative evaluation and treatment of people undergoing noncardiac surgery has been seriously questioned because of a scandal discrediting Don Poldermans, a Dutch researcher widely published in the field. To address the current uncertainty, U.S. and European medical societies today released updated versions of these guidelines. The European guideline can be […]

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August 1st, 2014

Do Doctors Need a Better Way to Take Notes?

John W McEvoy, MB BCh BAO and John Ryan, MD

CardioExchange’s John Ryan interviews Dr. John W. McEvoy regarding his recent perspective piece on the shortcomings of current electronic health record documentation

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July 31st, 2014

What Does CRISPR’s Success Mean for Cholesterol Control?

Anthony L Komaroff, MD

CRISPR is a new technique for inactivating or editing specific genes. Developed in microorganisms, it also works in mammalian cells, including in vitro human cells and monkey embryos. About 10 years ago, a gene was identified that is critical to production of the LDL cholesterol receptor (LDL-R): PCSK9. Naturally occurring human mutations that enhance the effect […]

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