CardioExchange Archive

December 20th, 2012

HPS2-THRIVE: No Benefit, Signal of Harm for Niacin Therapy

Larry Husten, PHD

The largest-ever study of niacin has failed to show a clinical benefit of niacin and even found a strong signal of harm. Merck announced today that the HPS2-THRIVE (Heart Protection Study 2-Treatment of HDL to Reduce the Incidence of Vascular Events) study did not meet its primary endpoint. In that study, the combination of a statin and Merck’s niacin compound, Tredaptive, a combination of extended-release niacin and […]

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September 19th, 2012

An Ad That Doesn’t Tell the Entire Story — Part 2: Niaspan

Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM

A print ad for Niaspan focuses only on how it raises HDL-cholesterol levels, with no mention of the lack of benefit in improving outcomes.

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November 16th, 2011

Experts Clash Over AIM-HIGH

Larry Husten, PHD

Sparks flew at the AHA press conference yesterday when the designated discussant for the AIM-HIGH trial, Australia’s Philip Barter, said that “the design was such that in no way could it test the hypothesis” that niacin therapy may be beneficial. “This trial disturbs me greatly,” he said. The trial co-principal investigator, William Boden, defended his […]

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November 15th, 2011

After AIM HIGH, What Future for Niacin? A CardioExchange Panel

CardioExchange Editors, Staff

Steve Nissen, JoAnne Foody, Roger Blumenthal, and AIM HIGH author William Boden weigh in on what patients do and don’t remain good candidates for niacin therapy.

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November 15th, 2011

AIM-HIGH: No Benefit for Niacin on Top of Statins

Larry Husten, PHD

The AIM-HIGH investigators aimed for the lofty target of proving the beneficial effects of niacin therapy. They did not succeed. Their findings were presented Tuesday morning at the AHA  and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine. In AIM-HIGH (Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglycerides: Impact on Global Health Outcomes), 3414 […]

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May 27th, 2011

AIM-HIGH Halted: A Death Knell for the HDL Hypothesis? Six Experts Weigh In

CardioExchange Editors, Staff

Earlier this week, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute stopped the randomized clinical trial known as AIM-HIGH (Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglycerides: Impact on Global Health). It had been designed to test the addition of high-dose, extended-release niacin to statins in people who were at risk for cardiovascular events, had well-controlled […]

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May 26th, 2011

NHLBI Stops the AIM-HIGH Trial of Niacin

Larry Husten, PHD

The AIM-HIGH (Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglycerides: Impact on Global Health) trial of niacin has been stopped early by the NHLBI. The trial was designed to test the addition of high-dose, extended-release niacin to statins in people at risk for CV events who had well-controlled LDL but low HDL and elevated […]

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