CardioExchange Archive

October 29th, 2013

Using CAC Scores to Determine the Best Candidates for a Polypill

Anita Vashi, MD, MPH

Khurram Nasir discusses his research group’s JACC study, which examines whether the coronary artery calcium score can be used to determine the target population for a polypill.

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October 28th, 2013

Radiation Dose Linked to Cardiac Risk in Breast Cancer Patients

Larry Husten, PHD

In the past, cardiovascular risk has been linked to the radiation dose received by breast cancer patients. Now, a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine attempts to calculate the cardiac risk of breast cancer patients today undergoing current radiotherapy protocols. David J. Brenner and colleagues calculated the excess cardiac risk for 48 patients who received radiotherapy at New […]

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October 24th, 2013

Surgery Preferable to Stents in Elderly People with Carotid Disease

Larry Husten, PHD

Age should play an important role in choosing a revascularization procedure for people with blocked carotid arteries, according to a new paper published in JAMA Surgery.  Carotid endarterectomy surgery (CEA) is preferable to carotid artery stenting (CAS) in elderly people; for younger patients, the two revascularization procedures are broadly similar. George Antoniou and colleagues analyzed data from 44 studies […]

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October 23rd, 2013

Flu Vaccine May Help Prevent Cardiovascular Events

Larry Husten, PHD

A new meta-analysis published in JAMA offers the best evidence yet that the flu vaccine may help prevent cardiovascular events. Jacob Udell and colleagues analyzed data from five published clinical trials in which 6469 patients were randomized to flu vaccination or placebo (or no treatment). People who received the flu vaccine were significantly less likely than controls to […]

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October 22nd, 2013

No Support for Broad Screening of Chronic Kidney Disease

Larry Husten, PHD

Although taught in  medical school and widely used in clinical practice, broad screening of otherwise healthy people for chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unwarranted, according to new recommendations from the American College of Physicians published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. People with early kidney disease, who are classified as having stages 1 to 3 CKD, usually […]

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October 22nd, 2013

Are Sulfonylureas Dangerous?

Kasia Lipska, MD, MHS

Endocrinologist Kasia Lipska shares her thoughts about a presentation by Craig Currie at this year’s annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

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October 18th, 2013

FDA Approves New Pulmonary Hypertension Drug from Actelion

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA today approved macitentan (Opsumit, Actelion), a new oral endothelin-receptor antagonist that is an enhanced version of the company’s bosentan (Tracleer). The drug is indicated to delay disease progression in patients who have pulmonary arterial hypertension (WHO Group I). Last August the results of the pivotal phase 3 trial, SERAPHIN (Study with an Endothelin Receptor Antagonist in Pulmonary […]

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October 16th, 2013

FDA Advisory Panel: No Expanded Indication for Vascepa Without Outcomes Trial

Larry Husten, PHD

An FDA advisory panel today failed to recommend an expanded indication for Vascepa, the purified EPA fish-oil product from Amarin. Vascepa is currently indicated only for the relatively small number of people with severe hypertriglyceridemia (>500 mg/dL). The proposed new indication would have greatly expanded the patient population eligible to receive Vascepa to the 20% of […]

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October 14th, 2013

The Benefits of Switching From Hydrochlorothiazide to Chlorthalidone: What’s Stopping Us?

Nicholas Bergfeld, BS, BA

Nicholas Bergfeld wonders what it will take to convince the medical community and the government that switching from hydrochlorothiazide to chlorthalidone is effective, economical, and life-saving for patients.

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October 10th, 2013

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease Likely to Increase Despite Gains in Treatment

Larry Husten, PHD

It is the best of times and the worst of times in the battle against cardiovascular disease. On the one hand, mortality rates from cardiovascular disease in the U.S. have dropped by more than half in the last 30 years, likely due in large part to improvements in treatment for elevated blood pressure and cholesterol […]

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