CardioExchange Archive

December 13th, 2012

Hypertension And Smoking Top List Of Global Risk Factors

Larry Husten, PHD

Worldwide, hypertension and tobacco smoking are the single largest causes of death and disability, according to findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (GBD 2010), the largest ever assessment and analysis of global health and disease. In an unprecedented move, the Lancet devoted an entire issue to the study, including seven separate articles and eight comments. GBD 2010 […]

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December 12th, 2012

FDA: Small, Nonsignificant Risk from Chantix

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA today updated its safety review of the smoking cessation drug varenicline (Chantix, Pfizer). A large meta-analysis, which the FDA had required Pfizer to perform, found a higher rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients taking varenicline than in patients taking placebo. However, the increase in risk was very small and did not achieve statistical significance. […]

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December 12th, 2012

State of the Heart: AHA Publishes Year-End Statistical Update

Larry Husten, PHD

Although deaths from cardiovascular disease have been declining for many years, continued progress is threatened by disturbing trends in U.S. lifestyles. That’s the clear message from the American Heart Association’s year-end report, “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update 2013,” published in Circulation. “Americans need to move a lot more, eat healthier and less, and manage risk […]

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December 11th, 2012

No Surprise: Smoking and Sudden Cardiac Death Closely Tied

Larry Husten, PHD

Compared with women who never smoked, the risk of sudden cardiac death was significantly elevated in current smokers (relative risk 2.44) and former smokers (1.40). Quitting helps: by 20 years the risk for ex-smokers was similar to women who had never smoked.

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December 8th, 2012

Prolonged Anticoagulation with Apixaban Beneficial in Venous Thromboembolism

Larry Husten, PHD

A new study suggests that extending anticoagulant therapy for an additional year may be beneficial after patients with venous thromboembolism complete their initial course of therapy. The results of AMPLIFY-EXT (Apixaban after the Initial Management of Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Vein Thrombosis with First-Line Therapy-Extended Treatment) were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society […]

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December 7th, 2012

Should Body Weight Influence Choice of Antihypertensive Therapy?

Larry Husten, PHD

The hypertension field has been troubled by repeated observations that normal weight patients have more cardiovascular (CV) events than obese patients. Now a new analysis of a large hypertension trial confirms this finding but also suggests that it may be explained by either an adverse effect of diuretics or a protective effect of calcium-channel blockers in non-obese hypertensives. […]

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December 5th, 2012

Aspirin Resistance May Not Be Real

Larry Husten, PHD

Is it resistance or pseudoresistance? According to a new study published in Circulation, aspirin resistance may be a myth, an artifact of the enteric coating of most aspirin tablets. The coating, which is designed to prevent gastrointestinal side effects caused by aspirin, may delay or conceal the effects of the drug, the study suggests, but the antiplatelet effects will […]

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December 3rd, 2012

The Role of Social Media in Fighting Childhood Obesity

Larry Husten, PHD

“More parental involvement and more interaction with counselors and peers was associated with greater success rates for overweight children and teens who participated in an online intervention.”

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November 29th, 2012

Following Earlier Recall, Ranbaxy Halts Manufacturing of Atorvastatin

Larry Husten, PHD

Ranbaxy, the often-troubled manufacturer of generic drugs, will temporarily stop manufacturing generic atorvastatin. On November 9, 2012, the company announced a voluntary recall of some lots of atorvastatin because of possible contamination with glass particles. An FDA statement today said that Ranbaxy will discontinue making the drug “until it has thoroughly investigated the cause of the […]

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November 28th, 2012

Statins and Exercise: Independently Beneficial, Even Better in Combination

Larry Husten, PHD

It’s no secret that statins and exercise are good for people with dyslipidemia. Now a study published in the Lancet offers fresh evidence suggesting that the two may be independently beneficial, and that the two together may yield greater benefits than either alone. U.S. researchers analyzed data from 10,043 people with dyslipidemia treated at either of two Veterans Affairs […]

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