CardioExchange Archive

August 21st, 2013

Kaiser Program Yields Big Improvements in Hypertension Control

Larry Husten, PHD

A large percentage of the 65 million people with high blood pressure in the United States do not know they have hypertension or have not succeeded in controlling their hypertension. Although many programs have been proposed, there is little evidence that any method can produce long-term improvement in hypertension control. Now, in a paper published in JAMA, researchers […]

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August 9th, 2013

The Guidelines are Dead. Long Live the Guidelines.

Larry Husten, PHD

Following the recent surprising announcement that the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute would no longer issue guidelines, leaders of the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) have now announced that are “officially assuming the joint governance, management and public distribution” of the enormously influential cardiovascular prevention guidelines, including the much-delayed and much-anticipated hypertension […]

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June 20th, 2013

Hypertension and Cholesterol Guidelines Delayed Again as NHLBI Gets Out of the Guidelines Business

Larry Husten, PHD

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) will no longer issue guidelines, including the much-delayed and much-anticipated hypertension (JNC 8) and cholesterol (ATP 4) guidelines. Instead, the NHLBI will perform systematic evidence reviews that other organizations, including the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, will use as a resource for their own guidelines. The […]

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June 14th, 2013

New European Hypertension Guidelines Released with Simplified Blood Pressure Target

Larry Husten, PHD

New hypertension guidelines from the European Society of Hypertension and the European Society of Cardiology were released in Milan today at the European Meeting on Hypertension & Cardiovascular Protection. The authors of the guidelines write that “despite overwhelming evidence that hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk, studies show that many are still unaware of the condition, that […]

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June 10th, 2013

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: June 10th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include controlling diabetes through surgery or medical management, the risk for diabetes among those taking statins, and aspirin vs. low-molecular-weight heparin for extended VTE prophlyaxis after total hip replacement.

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May 21st, 2013

European Medicines Agency Starts Review of Combined Use of Drugs that Block the Renin-Angiotensin System

Larry Husten, PHD

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said last week that it was initiating a review of the combined use of agents that block the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). The three classes of RAS-blocking drugs (ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and direct renin inhibitors) are used to treat hypertension and congestive heart failure. The EMA said that the review was being performed to […]

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March 25th, 2013

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: March 25th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include the effect of aliskiren on postdischarge mortality and readmissions among those hospitalized for HF, PFO closure, and more.

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March 20th, 2013

Chlorthalidone Associated with More Electrolyte Problems Than Hydrochlorothiazide

The diuretics chlorthalidone and hydrochlorothiazide are similarly effective at preventing cardiovascular events among older adults with hypertension, but electrolyte abnormalities are more common with chlorthalidone, according to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Canadian researchers used healthcare databases to identify nearly 30,000 adults over age 65 recently prescribed varying doses of chlorthalidone or hydrochlorothiazide. […]

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February 18th, 2013

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: February 18th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include the relationship between hospital readmission and mortality rates for those hospitalized with acute MI, HF, or pneumonia, the effects of body size and hypertension treatments on CV event rates, and more.

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February 18th, 2013

St. Jude Raises the Stakes in Renal Denervation with an Outcomes Study

Larry Husten, PHD

The already hot field of renal denervation for resistant hypertension just got a little hotter. With the announcement of a clinical trial powered to detect improvements in cardiovascular outcomes, St. Jude Medical has raised the stakes in the field and demonstrated a new level of commitment to the innovative new technology. For the past few years […]

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