CardioExchange Archive

August 20th, 2012

TNF Inhibitors Linked to Reduction in MI for Psoriasis Patients

Larry Husten, PHD

Psoriasis patients who take TNF inhibitors have a significant reduction in the risk for myocardial infarction (MI), according to a retrospective cohort study published in Archives of Dermatology. Although previous research suggested that the anti-inflammatory effects of methotrexate, an older therapy, may be beneficial in this population, the cardiovascular effects of TNF inhibitors had not been […]

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August 16th, 2012

Children Should Have Their Cholesterol Checked

Samuel S. Gidding, MD

Dr. Samuel Gidding responds to a recent post by Dr. James Stein about the value of universal lipid screening for children age 9 to 11 years.

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August 13th, 2012

Universal Screening for Dyslipidemia in Children: A Debate with Equipoise, but Tarnished by Industry Influence

William O Roberts, MD, MS

James H. Stein, MD sounds a clarion about the influence of the medical industry on the debate over whether children should be universally screened for dyslipidemia, as recommended by recent guidelines.

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August 13th, 2012

Industry PR Efforts Influence Debate On Cholesterol Screening Guidelines For Children

Larry Husten, PHD

Should a public relations agency that represents a company with a product that would be affected by a guideline offer journalists a chance to interview an expert who has views that might benefit the company?

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August 9th, 2012

Reports from JUPITER and Taiwan: Benefits of Statins Outweigh Risk for Diabetes

Larry Husten, PHD

Two new papers provide further evidence that statin use is associated with an increased risk for diabetes, but both studies also find that the benefits of statins still outweigh the risks. In one report, published in the Lancet, Paul Ridker and colleagues analyze data from the JUPITER trial, which compared rosuvastatin to placebo in a primary-prevention population. Among the 17,603 […]

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August 7th, 2012

Survey Finds Significant Drop in Cholesterol Levels in Youths

Larry Husten, PHD

New data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), published in JAMA, show significant and perhaps surprising  improvements over the last 20 years in the lipid profile of youths aged 6-19 years. Among the key lipid parameters measured by the survey from 1988-1994 to 2007-2010: Total cholesterol decreased from 165 mg/dL to 160 mg/dL (p<0.001) Prevalence of […]

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August 6th, 2012

Hydrochlorothiazide and Nifedipine Linked to Increased Risk for Lip Cancer

Larry Husten, PHD

The antihypertensive drugs hydrochlorothiazide and nifedipine have been linked to a significantly increased risk for lip cancer in a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The link is plausible, write the authors, since the drugs are known to be photosensitizing. Using a large cohort from the Kaiser Permanente system, researchers at Kaiser Permanente […]

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July 30th, 2012

USPSTF Maintains Recommendation Against ECG Screening of Asymptomatic, Low-Risk Adults

Larry Husten, PHD

The  U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has reaffirmed its 2004 recommendation against ECG screening for asymptomatic adults who are already at low risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). The task force also concluded that there was insufficient evidence to assess the risks and benefits of ECG screening in asymptomatic people at intermediate or high risk for […]

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July 27th, 2012

FDA Approves New Prescription Fish Oil Pill

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA has approved a new prescription formulation of fish oils for treating very high triglyceride levels. The drug will be sold under the brand name Vascepa. According to Amarin, the manufacturer, it will be indicated as an adjunct to diet to reduce triglyceride levels in adult patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia (>500 mg/dL). Vascepa contains ultra-purified ethyl EPA, an […]

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July 26th, 2012

ESC Position Paper: Population-Based Strategies to Reduce CV Deaths

Larry Husten, PHD

About half of all cardiovascular deaths could be prevented by implementing population-level changes, according to a position paper from the European Society of Cardiology published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Torben Jørgensen and colleagues maintain that population-level interventions are much more effective than current strategies that seek to reduce individual risk. Population-based strategies include taxation, legislation, and […]

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