CardioExchange Archive

July 1st, 2013

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: July 1st

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include studies on aggressive fluid and sodium restriction in acute decompensated HF, the yield of routine cardiac testing in an ED-based chest pain unit, and more.

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June 28th, 2013

More Bad News for HDL Therapies: ASSURE Trial Misses Primary Endpoint

Larry Husten, PHD

The string of bad news for HDL-related therapies continues. Resverlogix yesterday announced that the ASSURE clinical trial had failed to meet its primary endpoint. RVX-208, the drug being studied in the trial, is a novel small molecule that increases production of Apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-1), which raises HDL levels and is thought to enhance reverse cholesterol transport. ASSURE was […]

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June 28th, 2013

FDA Turns Back New Indication for Rivaroxaban to Prevent Stent Thrombosis in ACS Patients

Larry Husten, PHD

Johnson & Johnson said today that it had received a complete response letter from the FDA for the supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for rivaroxaban (Xarelto) for the prevention of stent thrombosis in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Earlier this year the FDA turned down for the second time the sNDA for the  general use of […]

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June 26th, 2013

Some Patients with Minor Stroke or TIA May Benefit from Early Clopidogrel and Aspirin

Larry Husten, PHD

Some people with minor ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) may benefit from dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel, according to a large new study from China published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the immediate period following a TIA or minor stroke, people are at high risk for having a major stroke. […]

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June 25th, 2013

What Will We Count in 30 Years?

Robert L Rosenthal, MD and James De Lemos, MD

From the perspective of today, cardiology 30 years ago was full of wrong ideas and practices. What will cardiology today look like in 30 years? In a paper published in the American Journal of Cardiology entitled “What We Counted,” Robert Rosenthal remembers practices that were once considered dogma but were later proven to be either incorrect […]

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June 24th, 2013

Large NIH Trial Finds No Cardiovascular Benefits for Weight Loss and Exercise in Type 2 Diabetics

Larry Husten, PHD

A large NIH-sponsored trial has found that an intensive lifestyle intervention was no better than standard care in reducing cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes. The results of the Look AHEAD trial were presented today at the American Diabetes Association meeting and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine. A total of 5,145 people with type […]

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June 24th, 2013

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: June 24th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include time to treatment with IV tPA and outcome from acute ischemic stroke, rapid BP lowering in those with acute intracerebral hemorrhage, and more.

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June 24th, 2013

Roller Coaster Path to Approval for Eliquis Uncovered by FDA Documents

Larry Husten, PHD

After the presentation and publication of the pivotal ARISTOTLE trial,  the novel anticoagulant apixaban (Eliquis, Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb) was widely expected to be  a blockbuster. But then it got bogged down at the FDA where initial hopes for a speedy approval were dashed after highly critical reviews. Approval of the drug was delayed for 9 months […]

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June 20th, 2013

Hypertension and Cholesterol Guidelines Delayed Again as NHLBI Gets Out of the Guidelines Business

Larry Husten, PHD

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) will no longer issue guidelines, including the much-delayed and much-anticipated hypertension (JNC 8) and cholesterol (ATP 4) guidelines. Instead, the NHLBI will perform systematic evidence reviews that other organizations, including the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, will use as a resource for their own guidelines. […]

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June 19th, 2013

Top-Line Results: No Cardiovascular Benefits Found For Saxagliptin

Larry Husten, PHD

Top-line results of a large phase 4 study with saxagliptin (Onglyza, Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca) demonstrate that the drug is safe but has no cardiovascular benefits. AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb today announced the top-line results for the SAVOR-TIMI-53 Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial of Onglyza®. The full results are scheduled to presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Amsterdam on September 2 […]

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