CardioExchange Archive

August 26th, 2012

First Detailed Look At Why Aliskiren Failed To Gain ALTITUDE

Larry Husten, PHD

This once-promising renin inhibitor was no better than placebo when it came to the composite outcome, but showed worrisome trends, especially when it came to stroke.

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August 26th, 2012

TRILOGY at ESC: No Advantage for Prasugrel Over Clopidogrel in Medical ACS Patients

Larry Husten, PHD

The newer antiplatelet agent prasugrel was no better than the old standby clopidogrel for treating patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who are not undergoing revascularization. The results of the TRILOGY ACS (Targeted Platelet Inhibition to Clarify the Optimal Strategy to Medically Manage Acute Coronary Syndromes) trial were presented by Matt Roe at the European Society of […]

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August 25th, 2012

New Universal Definition of MI Unveiled at ESC 2012

Larry Husten, PHD

The new definition specifies the troponin levels required to make a diagnosis of myocardial infarction in various situations.

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August 24th, 2012

Topol: The Clinical Trial World Is “Contrived”

Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM

Eric Topol says it’s time to “get rid of the randomized trial.” What do you say?

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August 22nd, 2012

NHLBI Announces 7000-Patient Trial to Test Inflammation Hypothesis

Larry Husten, PHD

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has announced the launch of a large clinical trial testing the inflammation hypothesis. Paul Ridker is the principal investigator of the trial, which will be known as  the Cardiovascular Inflammation Reduction Trial (CIRT). CIRT will enroll 7,000 patients who are stable following a heart attack but are at high risk for […]

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August 21st, 2012

Cardiovascular Risk Prediction: Two More Studies, Little Progress

Larry Husten, PHD

Two studies published in JAMA provide new data — and, perhaps, some additional clarity — about using additional markers to help improve risk prediction for coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In one study, Joseph Yeboah and colleagues used data from 1330 intermediate-risk participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)  to analyze the prognostic […]

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August 20th, 2012

TNF Inhibitors Linked to Reduction in MI for Psoriasis Patients

Larry Husten, PHD

Psoriasis patients who take TNF inhibitors have a significant reduction in the risk for myocardial infarction (MI), according to a retrospective cohort study published in Archives of Dermatology. Although previous research suggested that the anti-inflammatory effects of methotrexate, an older therapy, may be beneficial in this population, the cardiovascular effects of TNF inhibitors had not been […]

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August 20th, 2012

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: August 20th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include studies on the benefits of drug-eluting vs. bare-metal stents, using walking speed and blood pressure measurements to predict mortality in the elderly, stroke and bleeding in AF with chronic kidney disease, and the diagnosis and management of peripheral artery disease.

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August 20th, 2012

Why Is the National Library of Medicine Still Indexing Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine?

Kevin Lomangino, BA

Kevin Lomangino asks why the curator of PubMed continues to index Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine after the journal engaged in questionable editorial practices that promote commercial interests.

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August 15th, 2012

Observational Study Fills Gaps in Understanding AF Patients with Kidney Disease

Larry Husten, PHD

Although people with atrial fibrillation (AF) and people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at elevated risk for stroke and other vascular events, people with both conditions have not been well studied, since those with CKD have been excluded from most clinical trials of stroke prevention for AF. The problem is further compounded because the […]

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