February 6th, 2013
Genetic Study Identifies Strong Links to Aortic Valve Disease
Larry Husten, PHD
A genetic component is believed to play an important role in valvular heart disease, but the specific genes involved have not been identified. Now an interntional group of researchers has identified genetic variations that increase the risk for valvular calcification. In an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, members of the Cohorts for Heart and Aging […]
February 9th, 2012
The Y Chromosome May Explain Why Men Have Earlier Coronary Disease
Larry Husten, PHD
The earlier onset of coronary artery disease in men has long provoked speculation and research. Now a new study in the Lancet suggests that common variations in the Y chromosome (which is transmitted directly from father to son and does not undergo recombination) may play an important role in the increased risk seen in men. Using genetic […]
September 19th, 2011
“Doc, I Got My Whole Genome Scanned – Now What?”
David Martin, M.D.
What do you do if your patient shows you a commercially produced report of a personal whole genome scan?
July 26th, 2011
Coronary and Cerebrovascular Disease May Differ in Their Heritability
Larry Husten, PHD
Although coronary and cerebrovascular disease usually receive equal weight when family history is assessed as a risk factor, a new study suggests that family history may play a more important role in MI and ACS than in stroke or TIA. In an article published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics, Amitava Banerjee and colleagues report the results of […]
October 7th, 2010
Genome Studies Pool Data to Gain Power
Larry Husten, PHD
Leaders of several genome-wide association studies have agreed to collaborate and combine their data in the hope that by dramatically raising the sample size of their studies, they will “contribute to our understanding of the role of common genetic variation on risk for CAD and MI.” In an article in Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics, Michael Preuss and […]
August 31st, 2010
The CURE for Clopidogrel Genotyping?
Guillaume Pare, MD, MSc
CardioExchange welcomes Guillaume Paré to discuss his team’s work on the utility of clopidogrel genotyping. The researchers genotyped for CYP2C19 alleles associated with loss-of-function or gain-of-function of clopidogrel in some 5,000 patients with ACS or A-fib from two large randomized trials. In both studies, clopidogrel had similar efficacy over placebo regardless of whether patients had […]
August 29th, 2010
Genetic Substudies of Large Trials Question Value of Clopidogrel Genotyping
Larry Husten, PHD
Genetic substudies across a broad range of large clinical trials that used clopidogrel raise questions about the clinical utility of clopidogrel genotyping. The substudies come from large and important trials like PLATO, TRITON-TIMI 38, CURE, and ACTIVE A. A genetic substudy of PLATO finds that ticagrelor is superior to clopidogrel irrespective of genetic subtype. Therefore, according […]
August 11th, 2010
What Do Cardiologists Need to Know About 9p21?
Jeffrey Lance Anderson, MD
CardioExchange welcomes Jeffrey Anderson to discuss his recent editorial in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on the 9p21 locus and CHD. Dr. Anderson and co-author Benjamin Horne carefully evaluated the relationship of 9p21 to CHD and conclude that 9p21 appears to be an initiator of and may be a promoter of CHD, […]
NEJM Journal Watch — Recent Cardiology Articles- Strategies and Criteria for the Diagnosis and Management of Myocarditis
- Sex-Based Disparity in CABG Outcomes: Are We Moving Toward Parity?
- Can Genetic and Social Risk Scores Improve Cardiac Risk Prediction?
- Extensive Ablation vs. Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
- Can a Novel Stent Design Improve Long-Term Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention?