CardioExchange Archive

April 6th, 2015

Bringing Clarity and Consensus to the Treatment of Hypertension in Patients with CAD

Elliott Antman, MD

AHA President Elliott Antman discusses the recent scientific statement from the AHA/ACC/ASH on the treatment of hypertension in patients with existing CAD.

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April 2nd, 2015

Global Cardiovascular Deaths Continue to Rise Despite Gains in Prevention and Treatment

Larry Husten, PHD

Improvements in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease haven’t been able to prevent a worldwide rise in cardiovascular deaths in a growing and aging population, according to the authors of a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Using mortality data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013, the authors set out to “disentangle” […]

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March 30th, 2015

How Do You Like Them Apples?

Larry Husten, PHD

An apple a day does not appear to keep the doctor away but, a new study semi-seriously suggests, it may keep the pharmacist away. Although apples have long been considered a healthy snack, whether eating apples actually reduces healthcare use has not been assessed until now. In a paper published in JAMA Internal Medicine researchers examined […]

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March 27th, 2015

Fighting the Contradiction: A Hospital Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Smokers

Jean-Pierre Usdin, MD

Jean-Pierre Usdin is frustrated with his “Tobacco-Free” hospital’s accommodations for smokers that encourage them to keep smoking instead of supporting them to quit.

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March 17th, 2015

Vitamin D Supplements Do Not Appear to Lower Blood Pressure

wpengine

Vitamin D supplements do not effectively lower blood pressure, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis in JAMA Internal Medicine. Low serum vitamin D levels have previously been associated with elevated blood pressure and cardiovascular events.

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March 17th, 2015

ACP Recommends Against Screening Asymptomatic Adults for Cardiac Disease

The American College of Physicians has recommended that clinicians should not screen low-risk, asymptomatic adults for heart disease.

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March 15th, 2015

More Information Emerges About the PCSK9 Inhibitors

Larry Husten, PHD

New information emerged today about two new cholesterol-lowering drugs that have been attracting a lot of attention. Data about the PCSK9 inhibitors — evolocumab, under development by Amgen, and alirocumab, under development by Sanofi and Regeneron — were presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting in San Diego and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine. […]

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March 9th, 2015

The Coffee Conundrum – What Do You Say to Your Patient?

John Ryan, MD

John Ryan presents a scenario based on a recent study’s findings that people who consume moderate amounts of coffee may be less likely to have atherosclerosis.

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March 2nd, 2015

Moderate Coffee Consumption Linked to Lower Coronary Calcium

Larry Husten, PHD

The relationship of coffee and cardiovascular disease has been difficult to assess. Although early studies found a possible increased risk associated with heavy coffee consumption, more recent studies have found the opposite. Now a new study published in Heart finds that people who consume moderate amounts of coffee may be less likely to have atherosclerosis. In a […]

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February 23rd, 2015

Study Links Sauna Use to Better Health — In Finland

Larry Husten, PHD

Spending more time in the sauna may lead to a longer and healthier life — at least if you live in Finland, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Finnish researchers analyzed data from the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. The new analysis focused on 2,315 middle-aged men who had 1, 2-3, or 4-7 […]

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