CardioExchange Archive

November 17th, 2013

Clinical Lipidology Becomes a Controversial Field

Reva Balakrishnan, MD, MPH

This cardiology Fellow finds heat and light at a lively session on the new prevention guidelines.

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November 15th, 2013

Hypertension Treatment Algorithm Fills in for Missing Guideline

Larry Husten, PHD

When the AHA and the ACC released four updated clinical guidelines earlier this week, a fifth document, the hypertension guideline, was conspicuous by its absence. According to the AHA and the ACC, the authors of the hypertension document have chosen to publish it independently. (No word has yet emerged about their reasons for doing so […]

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November 12th, 2013

After Long Wait, Updated U.S. Cardiovascular Guidelines Now Emphasize Risk Instead of Targets

Larry Husten, PHD

Updated cardiovascular health guidelines were released today by  the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC). The guidelines are designed to provide primary care physicians with evidence-based expert guidance on cholesterol, obesity, risk assessment, and healthy lifestyle. The new guidelines reinforce many of the same messages from previous guidelines, but also represent […]

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November 12th, 2013

Building Quality of Care for Adult Congenital Heart Disease Patients

Michelle Gurvitz, MD MS and Ariane Marelli, MD, FRCP(C), MPH

Michelle Gurvitz and Ariane Marelli discuss their study group’s development of the first set of quality indicators for adult congenital heart disease care.

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November 11th, 2013

Case: An Ironman with a Proximal Circumflex Lesion

John Ryan, MD, JAMES BECKERMAN, M.D. and James Fang, MD

A 48-year-old man who runs 4 to 6 Ironman races per year reports non-exertional chest pain and is referred for a stress echocardiogram. His two sisters suffered MIs and died in their fifties, and his brother underwent CABG at age 49. The patient goes for 17 minutes on the Bruce stress protocol, with lateral and anterolateral wall […]

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November 9th, 2013

Yet Another Blow to Combination Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Blockade

Larry Husten, PHD

ACE inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers have been found to effectively slow progression of kidney disease. It has been theorized that dual blockade of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) might prove even more beneficial, but these hopes have not been realized. Now a new trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine throws further cold water on the once-promising hypothesis. […]

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November 7th, 2013

FDA Seeks to Eliminate Trans Fat from Food in the U.S.

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA said today that it would begin to take efforts to remove trans fat from food in the U.S. The agency has made the “preliminary determination that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat in processed foods, are not ‘generally recognized as safe’ for use in food.” If the FDA’s preliminary determination is made final then manufacturers […]

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November 6th, 2013

Why Amarin Has To Finish Its Big Fish Oil Study

CardioExchange Editors, Staff

The following post is by Matt Herper, who covers science and medicine for Forbes magazine. When a panel of experts appointed by the Food and Drug Administration said the agency should deny Amarin Pharmaceuticals a broader marketing approval for its fish oil pill Vascepa, the company’s shares tanked 60%, making it the worst-performing biotechnology stock on […]

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November 5th, 2013

Should You Be Worried About the Treatment for Low-T?

Larry Husten, PHD

The ubiquitous ads ask: “Should I be worried about Low-T”? But now there’s a good chance there’s a more important question: “Should I be worried about the treatment for low-T?” A new study published in JAMA raises the distinct possibility that testosterone therapy may increase the risk for death, heart attack, and stroke. The findings are hardly definitive, but they may […]

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November 4th, 2013

Healthy Diet in Middle Age Leads to Healthier Old Age

Larry Husten, PHD

New results from a long-running study offer fresh evidence that a “healthy” diet is actually good for you. The study shows that women who followed a healthy diet while in middle age had a much better chance of reaching age 70 without any of the major illnesses or impairments usually associated with old age. In a […]

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