CardioExchange Archive

May 11th, 2011

Optimal Medical Therapy and the Lack of COURAGE

William Borden, MD and John Spertus, MD, MPH

We welcome William Borden and John Spertus to answer questions from CardioExchange Editor-in-Chief Harlan Krumholz about their JAMA paper showing that optimal medical therapy (OMT) for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) did not receive a meaningful boost from the publication of the COURAGE trial, despite the trial’s clear message showing the benefits of OMT. Using […]

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September 8th, 2010

“Cath Lab, We Have A Problem”?

Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA

According to a recently published study, a huge disconnect apparently exists between patients’ and cardiologists’ beliefs about the benefits of PCI. The patients had been referred for coronary angiography and possible PCI, had discussed PCI with a physician, and had provided informed consent. Most patients (~88%) believed that PCI would reduce their risks of MI, whereas most […]

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September 7th, 2010

Patients Still Overestimate Benefits of Elective PCI

Larry Husten, PHD

Patients who undergo elective PCI continue to overestimate the procedure’s benefits, according to a small study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Michael Rothberg and colleagues surveyed 153 patients and 27 cardiologists at a single academic center and found that 88% of the patients thought PCI would reduce their risk for MI and 82% […]

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