CardioExchange Archive

September 8th, 2014

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: September 8th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include the PARADIGM-HF trial, sham controls in medical-device trials, the efficacy of β blockers in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation, and more.

---

August 25th, 2014

An Electrophysiology Service Diagnostic Conundrum

Seth Shay Martin, MD and James Fang, MD

A 57-year-old woman with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, long-QT syndrome after ICD implantation, and severe anxiety presents a unique diagnostic challenge.

---

August 11th, 2014

What’s the Next Phase for Digoxin in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation?

Mintu Turakhia, MD MAS

Mintu P. Turakhia discusses his observational study of digoxin use and mortality risk in patients with atrial fibrillation, using data from the TREAT-AF study.

---

August 11th, 2014

Study Offers Little Support for an Old Drug

Larry Husten, PHD

Digoxin is one of the oldest drugs in the cardiovascular arsenal, derived from the foxglove plant and first described in the 18th century by William Withering. It is frequently used in patients with heart failure (HF) and with atrial fibrillation (AF). The few trials supporting its use were performed in HF patients before newer treatments […]

---

June 30th, 2014

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: June 30th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include atrial fibrillation and cryptogenic stroke, higher potency statins and the risk for new diabetes, and more.

---

June 26th, 2014

To Screen or Not for AF: Is That the Question?

Physician's First Watch, CardioExchange Staff

Up to one third of ischemic strokes are of uncertain etiology or “cryptogenic,” meaning that there is no overt explanation such as severe carotid stenosis, intracranial stenosis, or documented atrial fibrillation (AF). For some of these patients, intermittent AF may be present and could explain the ischemic stroke. This issue has been addressed by two […]

---

May 19th, 2014

Hospitalizations for AF Are on the Increase

Larry Husten, PHD

In recent years there has been an explosion of interest in atrial fibrillation (AF). Now a new study published in Circulation finds that hospitalizations for AF are on the increase, and this may have important implications for the delivery and economics of health care in the coming years. Researchers analyzed data  from nearly 4,000,000 hospitalizations in which AF […]

---

April 8th, 2014

NSAID Use Associated with Atrial Fibrillation in Older People

Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the elderly is associated with an increased risk for atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a prospective study in BMJ Open. Using a Dutch cohort designed to investigate risk factors of disease onset in the aged, researchers followed some 8400 people for 13 years. None had AF at baseline (when […]

---

March 24th, 2014

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: March 24th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include non-leg venous thrombosis in critically ill adults, a comparison of factor Xa inhibitors and warfarin for preventing stroke and thromboembolism in atrial fibrillation, and more.

---

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.

---