CardioExchange Archive

June 18th, 2013

FDA Raises Concerns About the Cybersecurity of Medical Devices

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA has raised concerns about the vulnerability of medical devices to cyberattack. In one dramatic instance, reported by the Wall Street Journal, a VA catheterization laboratory in New Jersey was temporarily closed after malware infected the lab’s computer devices. The FDA last week recommended that device companies and medical facilities “take steps to assure that appropriate safeguards […]

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June 17th, 2013

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: June 17th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include a stroke care improvement program in England and waste and harm in the treatment of mild hypertension.

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June 17th, 2013

Douglas Zipes: Portrait of the Electrophysiologist as a Novelist

Douglas P Zipes, MD, John Ryan, MD and Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM

Renowned electrophysiologist Douglas Zipes discusses his second career as a writer of thrillers.

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June 14th, 2013

New European Hypertension Guidelines Released with Simplified Blood Pressure Target

Larry Husten, PHD

New hypertension guidelines from the European Society of Hypertension and the European Society of Cardiology were released in Milan today at the European Meeting on Hypertension & Cardiovascular Protection. The authors of the guidelines write that “despite overwhelming evidence that hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk, studies show that many are still unaware of the condition, […]

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June 13th, 2013

Too Much, Too Fast? Cross-Country Skiing and Heart Arrhythmias

Larry Husten, PHD

When it comes to exercise, it may be true that you can do too much or go too fast. It might seem counterintuitive, but a new study finds that among cross-country skiers, the risk for having a cardiac arrhythmia is highest in those who race the fastest or most often. Although lack of exercise is […]

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June 13th, 2013

A Wiki World for Physicians

C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. and John Ryan, MD

CardioExchange’s John Ryan interviews Harvard Medical School professor C. Michael Gibson, founder and editor-in-chief of WikiDoc.org, a “living textbook of medicine” online. Ryan: Why did you create WikiDoc? Gibson: Innovation increases as free and open access to information grows. Our mission statement is that “Healthcare is enriched when medical information flows freely.” Traditional textbooks, typically in paper […]

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June 11th, 2013

People with Sleep Apnea at Increased Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death

Larry Husten, PHD

Although people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have an increased risk for death and cardiovascular disease, the relationship between OSA and sudden cardiac death (SCD) has not been clear. Now a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology provides evidence that OSA is in fact associated with an increase in the risk […]

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June 10th, 2013

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: June 10th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include controlling diabetes through surgery or medical management, the risk for diabetes among those taking statins, and aspirin vs. low-molecular-weight heparin for extended VTE prophlyaxis after total hip replacement.

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June 10th, 2013

Research During Fellowship: Perspectives from the Protégé and the Mentor

Stephen Archer, MD and John Ryan, MD

In the first part of this post, CardioExchange’s John Ryan writes about the research he performed during his cardiology fellowship under the mentorship of Stephen Archer. In the second part, originally delivered at the Resident Research Day at Queen’s University, at which he is Professor and Head of the Department of Medicine, Archer gives his “elevator […]

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June 7th, 2013

FDA Advisory Panel Backs Looser Restrictions on Avandia

Larry Husten, PHD

After two days of deliberation an FDA advisory panel has recommended that the severe restrictions (REMS) placed on rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline [GSK]) be modified. The vote constitutes a modest revival in fortune for the embattled drug and its maker after many years of controversy and bad news. Only 5 panel members voted to continue the current severe […]

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