CardioExchange Archive

November 15th, 2011

After AIM HIGH, What Future for Niacin? A CardioExchange Panel

CardioExchange Editors, Staff

Steve Nissen, JoAnne Foody, Roger Blumenthal, and AIM HIGH author William Boden weigh in on what patients do and don’t remain good candidates for niacin therapy.

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November 15th, 2011

MI FREE: A Free Lunch for Patients and Insurers Alike?

John Ryan, MD

Removing copays increased adherence, decreased events, and saved the sponsoring insurance company a tidy sum. So are the issues with insurance-sponsored studies different from those with pharmaceutical-sponsored ones?

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November 15th, 2011

SATURN Regression Trial: Gorilla Statin and Statin King Battle to a Draw

Larry Husten, PHD

An epic battle comparing the two most potent statins — the reigning king atorvastatin versus “gorilla statin” rosuvastatin — has ended with a quiet draw. Results of SATURN (Study of Coronary Atheroma by InTravascular Ultrasound: Effect of Rosuvastatin Versus AtorvastatiN) were presented at the AHA on Tuesday and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine. Stephen Nicholls and colleagues randomized 1039 […]

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November 15th, 2011

AIM-HIGH: No Benefit for Niacin on Top of Statins

Larry Husten, PHD

The AIM-HIGH investigators aimed for the lofty target of proving the beneficial effects of niacin therapy. They did not succeed. Their findings were presented Tuesday morning at the AHA  and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine. In AIM-HIGH (Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglycerides: Impact on Global Health Outcomes), 3414 […]

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November 13th, 2011

ADOPT Fails to Support Extended Oral Apixaban in High-Risk Post-Discharge Patients

Larry Husten, PHD

Although medically ill patients remain at risk for VTE after hospital discharge, a strategy of extended oral anticoagulation with apixaban did not prove to be successful in the ADOPT (Apixaban Dosing to Optimize Protection from Thrombosis) trial, which was presented by Samuel Z. Goldhaber at the American Heart Association and published simultaneously in the New England […]

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November 12th, 2011

Controversy Over Cholesterol Testing for Children

Larry Husten, PHD

New guidelines from the NHLBI and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all children age 9 to 11 should undergo cholesterol screening. Screening should then be repeated at 17 and 21 years of age. The new guidelines are scheduled to be officially introduced by panel member Patrick McBride at the AHA in Orlando on Sunday. “Previous […]

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November 9th, 2011

Obstructive Lesions Found in Patients with Calcium Scores of Zero

Larry Husten, PHD

A small but significant number of symptomatic patients with calcium scores of zero have obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Todd Villines and colleagues studied 10,037 symptomatic patients without known CAD enrolled in the CONFIRM (Coronary CT Angiography Evaluation for Clinical Outcomes: An International Multicenter) registry who […]

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November 9th, 2011

18 Months After ACCORD, FDA Says Fenofibrate May Not Lower Risk for MI or Stroke

Larry Husten, PHD

Eighteen months after the ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes ) trial found no benefit for the addition of fenofibrate to simvastatin in patients with type 2 diabetes, the FDA has issued a safety communication. The agency changed the label for Trilipix (fenofibric acid, Abbott) and is notifying healthcare professionals that the drug “may […]

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November 4th, 2011

FDA Approves Rivaroxaban for Stroke Prevention in AF

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA has approved rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Johnson & Johnson) for stroke reduction in people with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. The label will include a boxed warning that people should not discontinue taking the drug without talking with a healthcare professional. The FDA will also require that patients getting the drug receive a Medication Guide describing the […]

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November 4th, 2011

AHA and ACC Update Secondary Prevention Guidelines

Larry Husten, PHD

The AHA and ACC have released an update of their guidelines for secondary prevention in patients with heart disease. The guidelines are available in Circulation and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The updated guidelines place a new emphasis on cardiac rehabilitation for patients who have had an MI or CABG. They also stress the importance of diagnosing and […]

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