CardioExchange Archive

October 22nd, 2010

What Do I Plan to Do with Dabigatran?

Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA

1. Discuss its pros (no need for INR monitoring, less bleeding than coumadin) and cons (cost, dyspepsia) with my atrial fibrillation patients 2. Avoid its use in patients with renal dysfunction (CrCl  <60), liver disease, pregnancy or stroke within the past 6 months 3. Lament the absence of the INR monitoring requirement, which I currently […]

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October 21st, 2010

News Briefs: Recurrent Stroke Prevention Guidelines, Vernakalant Trial Suspended, GSK Investigated, Generic Enoxaparin Takes Off, Kaul Speaks, Midei Sues

Larry Husten, PHD

The American Heart Association published revised recurrent stroke prevention guidelines. The new guidelines state that recurrent stroke may be prevented by carotid angioplasty or by treating metabolic syndrome. The FDA warned about arrhythmias tied to HIV therapy. The FDA today updated the label for Invirase (saquinavir), noting that when used in combination with Norvir (ritonavir) it […]

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October 21st, 2010

INR Home Testing Found Comparable to Point-of-Care Testing

Larry Husten, PHD

Weekly INR self-testing at home is comparable to monthly point-of-care testing, according to results of THINRS (the Home International Normalized Ratio Study), published in the New England Journal of Medicine. David Matchar and colleagues found no difference in the incidence of stroke, major bleeding episode, or death in the 2922 patients taking warfarin who were randomized to […]

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October 21st, 2010

Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off!

Larry Husten, PHD

Some say “dabby-gat-ran.” I say “duh-big-a-tran.” Boehringer Ingelheim wants you to say “pra-dax-a.” One of the most important advances in cardiovascular therapeutics in years is dampened by the inability of cardiologists and other highly educated professionals to agree on how to pronounce “dabigatran.” What do you say? Update: Here’s an official response from a Boehringer spokesperson: “Da-big-a-tran” […]

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October 20th, 2010

Finally: Dabigatran – A New Oral Anticoagulant Is Approved by the FDA

Westby G Fisher, MD

CardioExchange welcomes this guest post reprinted with permission from Dr. Westby Fisher, an electrophysiologist practicing at NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL, and a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. This piece originally appeared on his blog, Dr. Wes. A new era of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation management has arrived. Tuesday, the FDA approved the first new […]

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October 20th, 2010

Dabigatran Is Approved

John Mandrola, MD, FACC

John Mandrola is a cardiac electrophysiologist and blogger on matters medical and general. Here is a recent post from his blog Dr John M. There can only be one cardiology story to discuss today. Tuesday, the FDA approved dabigatran (Pradaxa), an oral anticoagulant for the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation. Previously, the only drug approved to prevent stroke in […]

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October 20th, 2010

FDA Approves Dabigatran for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA announced on Tuesday that it has approved Pradaxa (dabigatran, Boehringer Ingelheim) for the prevention of stroke and blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation. The drug will be available in 75-mg and 150-mg capsules. “Unlike warfarin, which requires patients to undergo periodic monitoring with blood tests, such monitoring is not necessary for Pradaxa,” said […]

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October 19th, 2010

Study Finds Link Between Invasive Dental Treatments and CV Events

Larry Husten, PHD

A new study adds to the evidence linking periodontal disease to cardiovascular events, suggesting a common basis in acute inflammation. In a report in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Caroline Minassian and colleagues analyzed a Medicaid database of 1175 patients discharged with ischemic stroke or MI who had received invasive dental treatment. They observed a […]

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October 13th, 2010

Sequencing Study Identifies Gene Mutations Tied to Hypolipidemia

Larry Husten, PHD

By sequencing all protein-coding regions of the genome in two people with combined hypolipidemia, researchers have identified a gene that may lead to a new method to lower LDL cholesterol. The report by Kiran Musunuru and colleagues, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, has its origins in a study started in 1994 of […]

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October 11th, 2010

Obesity: Good News and Bad News

Larry Husten, PHD

Two new trials and accompanying editorials published online in JAMA offer hope that lifestyle interventions can result in significant weight loss. The bad news: The results are fairly modest, and it is difficult to obtain reimbursement for lifestyle interventions. In one study, Cheryl Rock and colleagues compared usual care with a program that included free prepared […]

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