CardioExchange Archive

July 17th, 2013

Stroke Risk Increases with Nonadherence to Antihypertensive Therapy

Larry Husten, PHD

A large new observational study demonstrates that people who don’t take their antihypertensive medications are much more likely to have a stroke. The new study, published in the European Heart Journal, used nationwide prescription, hospital, and mortality records from 73,527 hypertensive patients in Finland. The investigators compared 26,704 patients who were hospitalized for or died of stroke […]

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July 16th, 2013

What You Need To Know About Statins

Huseyin Naci, MHS, PhD Candidate, Jasper Brugts, Md phd msc and Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM

The authors of the largest meta-analysis to date on the side effects of statins discuss their findings and weigh the risks and benefits of statins for primary prevention.

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July 15th, 2013

No Mortality Benefit for Surgery in Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis

Larry Husten, PHD

In the first five years after valve replacement approximately 3-6% of patients will develop prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). These patients are much more likely to die. Now a large observational study — the first of its type — has found that surgery is no better than medical therapy in reducing mortality in these patients. The report from the ICE-PCD […]

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July 15th, 2013

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: July 15th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include the prevalence and extent of obstructive CAD in patients undergoing elective coronary catheterization in NY state and Ontario, medical management after coronary stent implantation, and the Look AHEAD trial.

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July 11th, 2013

Thrombolytic Therapy for Prosthetic Valve Thrombosis in Pregnant Women?

Mehmet Ozkan, Professor of Cardiology, Patricia Casais, MD, PhD and John Ryan, MD

Mehmet Özkan discusses his research group’s study of low-dose, slow-infusion t-PA in pregnant women with prosthetic valve thrombosis. Patricia Casais, a coauthor of the official editorial on the study, also offers her perspective.

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July 9th, 2013

Low Rate of Problems with Statins in Study of Quarter Million Patients

Larry Husten, PHD

A very large analysis of previously published studies finds that statins are generally safe and well tolerated, but helps confirm previous links to a small increased risk for diabetes and elevation of liver enzymes. Some statins were better tolerated than others, and lower-dose statins were better tolerated than high doses. In a paper published in Circulation: […]

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July 9th, 2013

Look AHEAD: More Questions Than Answers

Kasia Lipska, MD, MHS

Reflecting on the LOOK AHEAD trial, an endocrinologist asks some important questions: Should we hold lifestyle interventions to the same high standards of scrutiny as pharmacological interventions? Don’t we already have enough evidence about the impact of lifestyle interventions to implement them in care?

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July 8th, 2013

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: July 8th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include a home-based walking intervention for those with PAD, BNP screening and collaborative care for HF, clopidogrel with aspirin in acute minor stroke or transient ischemic attack, and more.

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July 4th, 2013

FDA: Olmesartan Can Cause Sprue-Like Enteropathy

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA is warning that the angiotensin II receptor blocker olmesartan (marketed as Benicar, Benicar HCT, Azor, Tribenzor, and generics) may cause severe diarrhea. According to an FDA safety announcement, olmesartan “can cause intestinal problems known as sprue-like enteropathy. Symptoms of sprue-like enteropathy include severe, chronic diarrhea with substantial weight loss.” The warning is being added […]

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July 2nd, 2013

Hundreds of Questions About the Integrity of Stem-Cell Research Group

Larry Husten, PHD

Serious questions have been raised about the integrity and validity of research conducted by a well-established German stem-cell research group. An article in the International Journal of Cardiology exhaustively details a multitude of discrepancies and contradictions in papers from the group. Further, the revelation of such widespread misconduct may lead to broader, disturbing questions about the reliability of […]

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