CardioExchange Archive

April 7th, 2014

Dabigatran Approved for Treatment of DVT and PE

Larry Husten, PHD

Boehringer Ingelheim announced on Monday that the FDA has approved dabigatran (Pradaxa) for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes both deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), and to reduce the risk of recurrent DVT and PE in patients who have been previously treated. All three of the new oral anticoagulants — dabigatran, rivaroxaban (Xarelto), […]

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March 28th, 2014

2014 Atrial Fibrillation Guideline Incorporates New Oral Anticoagulants, Catheter Ablation

Larry Husten, PHD

A new guideline for atrial fibrillation (AF) was released on Friday by the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the Heart Rhythm Society. Among other features, the 2014 Guideline for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation incorporates important new information about the new oral anticoagulants and catheter ablation for the treatment […]

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March 17th, 2014

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: March 17th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include a comparison of the safety and efficacy of the new oral anticoagulants with warfarin in patients with AF, a study on mortality from ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms, and more.

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February 24th, 2014

What Is “Non-Valvular” Atrial Fibrillation?

Shengshou Hu, M.D.

Wes Fisher attempts to figure out what the latest marketing phrase – non-valvular atrial fibrillation – really means.

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December 19th, 2013

Early Doses of Warfarin Paradoxically Associated with Higher Stroke Risk

Patients with atrial fibrillation seem to be at increased risk for ischemic stroke when starting warfarin prophylaxis, according to a case-control study in the European Heart Journal. The study was undertaken after trials of both apixaban and rivaroxaban noted increased stroke risks among patients transitioning to open-label warfarin. This study was funded by the makers of apixaban. […]

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December 18th, 2013

New Trial Confirms Role for Dabigatran in Venous Thromboembolism

Larry Husten, PHD

A new study helps support a role for  the new oral anticoagulant dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim) in patients with venous thrombosis (VTE).  The RE-COVER II trial, published online in Circulation, confirms the finding of the earlier and highly similar RE-COVER trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2009, that dabigatran is as safe and effective as warfarin for […]

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December 5th, 2013

Large Study Finds Favorable Risk-Benefit Profile for the New Anticoagulants

Larry Husten, PHD

A very large new meta-analysis finds a favorable risk-benefit for the new oral anticoagulant drugs in the setting of atrial fibrillation. The findings, published online in the Lancet, were remarkably consistent for all four of the new agents which have been fighting to replace warfarin, which was the only oral anticoagulant available for decades until the arrival of […]

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November 25th, 2013

FDA Reprimands 23andMe, Grants Breakthrough Status to Factor Xa Inhibitor, and Approves Promus Premier Stent

Larry Husten, PHD

It was a busy morning at the FDA. Three new FDA actions may be of considerable interest in the cardiology universe: FDA Halts 23andMe Personal Genome Test: The FDA sent a scathing letter to 23andMe ordering the company to stop selling its Personal Genome Service (PGS) test.  The FDA highlighted two cardiology-related uses of PGS as “particularly concerning,” including […]

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September 18th, 2013

Is Edoxaban the Most Promising of the Novel Anticoagulants?

Samuel Goldhaber, MD

Samuel Z. Goldhaber offers his perspective on the Hokusai-VTE randomized trial comparing edoxaban and warfarin in patients with symptomatic venous thromboembolism.

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September 16th, 2013

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: September 16th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include the AMPLIFY trial, D2B time and mortality among those undergoing primary PCI, and more.

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