CardioExchange Archive

February 28th, 2011

What is the Role of CV Screening Tests in Medicine and Legislation?

Larry Husten, PHD

Three papers in Archives of Internal Medicine scrutinize the role of cardiovascular screening tests not only in medicine but in legislation. In the first article, Nicholas Wald and Joan Morris introduce a new interactive tool that determines the detection and false-positive rates of screening tests. The authors illustrate the value of the tool with the examples […]

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February 25th, 2011

FDA Approves Azilsartan Medoxomil (Edarbi) for High Blood Pressure

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA has approved azilsartan medoxomil (Edarbi, Takeda) for the treatment of high blood pressure. The new angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) will be available in 80 mg and 40 mg doses. The recommended dose is 80 mg once daily. The 40 mg dose is used in combination with a diuretic. The FDA said that, in clinical studies, […]

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February 24th, 2011

Study Probes BMI-Associated Risk in Asia

Larry Husten, PHD

The association between BMI and the risk of death in Asia is mostly similar to that seen in people of European origin, but there may be some important differences between populations, suggesting that being underweight may be a more potent risk factor than being overweight in Asia. In a large pooled analysis including more than […]

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February 23rd, 2011

Air Pollution and Cocaine Among MI Triggers Analyzed in Lancet Study

Larry Husten, PHD

Air pollution is a weak cause of MI, increasing risk by only 5%, but because so many people are exposed to polluted air the population effect is quite large. By contrast, cocaine increases MI risk by 23 times, but does not have nearly as large an effect on the population. These are two of the […]

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February 22nd, 2011

Study Finds Nitroglycerin Improves Bone Density

Larry Husten, PHD

A new study raises hope that nitroglycerin may help stem the rising tide of fractures in the elderly. Earlier research with nitrates had suggested the possibility of benefit in this area. Now, in a paper published in JAMA, Sophie Jamal and colleagues report the result of a single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 243 postmenopausal women randomized […]

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February 17th, 2011

Quarter of U.S. Adults 45 and Older Taking Statins

Larry Husten, PHD

One-quarter of U.S. adults age 45 and older are taking statins, and one-half of men ages 65 to 74 are taking these drugs, according to the CDC’s annual report on trends in health statistics. From 1988 to 1994, only 2% of adults age 45 and older were taking statins. High cholesterol levels have been declining, according to […]

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February 15th, 2011

AHA Releases Updated Guidelines for the Prevention of CV Disease in Women

Larry Husten, PHD

Newly published online in Circulation, updated AHA guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in women emphasize practical medical advice. “These recommendations underscore the fact that benefits of preventive measures seen day-to-day in doctors’ offices often fall short of those reported for patients in research settings,” said Lori Mosca, chair of the guidelines writing committee, in […]

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February 3rd, 2011

Lancet Papers Outline Worldwide Trends in Obesity, Hypertension, and Cholesterol

Larry Husten, PHD

Three papers published in the Lancet provide the most detailed view yet of worldwide trends over the last 3 decades in body-mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and cholesterol, and also include numerous details about different regions and countries. Here are a few highlights of the reports from the Global Burden of Metabolic Risk Factors of Chronic […]

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February 2nd, 2011

CDC Details the Persistent Problem of Hypertension and Elevated LDL in the U.S.

Larry Husten, PHD

New data from the CDC show that in the years 2005 to 2008, 31% of adults in the U.S. had hypertension and 33.5% had high LDL cholesterol. The two reports are based on statistics gathered from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and have been published online by Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Of the nearly […]

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February 1st, 2011

New Guidelines Lend More Support for Carotid Stenting

Larry Husten, PHD

Newly issued guidelines provide increased support for carotid stenting as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy, but don’t favor widespread screening or the routine use of ultrasound to assess the risk for stroke. The Guideline on the Management of Patients With Extracranial Carotid and Vertebral Artery Disease, developed by the AHA, the ACC, and multiple other organizations, […]

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