CardioExchange Archive

May 4th, 2015

Increased Mortality Risk Found With Digoxin

Larry Husten, PHD

For more than 200 years physicians have been trying to figure out how and when to use digoxin. Although it has a narrow therapeutic window and potentially dangerous interactions with other drugs, it is endorsed by current guidelines and widely given to patients with heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF). However, there have been no […]

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April 16th, 2015

FDA Approves New Heart Failure Drug

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA on Wednesday approved ivabradine (Corlanor), Amgen’s new heart failure drug. The drug has been available for several years in Europe, where it is sold by Servier under the brand names of Corlentor and Procoralan. Ivabradine was approved for the reduction of hospitalization from worsening heart failure. It is indicated for use in stable heart-failure patients who are in sinus rhythm, have a resting […]

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February 26th, 2015

Exploring Sex Differences in the Use of Mechanical Circulatory Support for Advanced Heart Failure

Jennifer Cook, MD

Jennifer L. Cook discusses differences between men and women in the use of ventricular assist devices for advanced heart failure.

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February 12th, 2015

Insights About the Use of IV Fluids in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure

Behnood Bikdeli, M.D. and Larry Allen, MD, MHS

Behnood Bikdeli and Larry Allen discuss a retrospective study of the potential risks of IV fluids for patients hospitalized with heart failure who were treated with loop diuretics.

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February 4th, 2015

To Shock or Not to Shock — That Is the Question

Joseph G Akar, MD/PhD and Jehad Al Buraiki, MD

Jehad Al Buraiki and Joseph G. Akar offer differing perspectives, from each side of the Atlantic, on cardiac resynchronization-pacemaker therapy.

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January 29th, 2015

FDA Approves Right Percutaneous Single Access Heart Pump

Larry Husten, PHD

Abiomed has announced that it received FDA approval for its Impella RP System, the first percutaneous single access heart pump that provides support to the right side of the heart. The approval, under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE), is based on results of the single-arm Recover Right study, in which 30 patients were enrolled. The […]

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January 15th, 2015

Low-Quality Discharge Summaries May Have Consequences

Leora Horwitz, MD

Leora Horwitz discusses her research group’s study of the association between the quality of discharge summaries and risk for readmission for heart failure.

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January 5th, 2015

Screening Heart-Failure Patients for Cognitive Impairment at Discharge

Eiran Gorodeski, MD, MPH

Eiran Gorodeski discusses his research group’s study of cognitive-impairment screening for patients who are hospitalized for heart failure.

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November 24th, 2014

European Review Confirms Increased Risk with Ivabradine

Larry Husten, PHD

Following a review provoked by troubling findings that emerged from a large clinical trial, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is making several recommendations intended to lower the risk of heart problems linked to the heart-rate-lowering drug ivabradine. The drug is marketed by Servier in Europe under the brand names of Corlentor and Procoralan and is indicated for […]

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November 21st, 2014

Encouraging Results for Two New Drugs for Hyperkalemia

Larry Husten, PHD

Two new agents under development may help curb and prevent hyperkalemia, the common and serious side effect of drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), which are the cornerstones of the treatment of chronic kidney disease and heart failure. In a phase 3 study, published online in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers first randomized 753 […]

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