CardioExchange Archive

February 1st, 2011

New Guidelines Lend More Support for Carotid Stenting

Larry Husten, PHD

Newly issued guidelines provide increased support for carotid stenting as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy, but don’t favor widespread screening or the routine use of ultrasound to assess the risk for stroke. The Guideline on the Management of Patients With Extracranial Carotid and Vertebral Artery Disease, developed by the AHA, the ACC, and multiple other organizations, […]

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December 20th, 2010

Dronedarone, Rate Control, and Catheter Ablation Incorporated in Updated AF Guidelines

Larry Husten, PHD

A focused update on the guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation has been released by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and Heart Rhythm Society. Most notably, the new guidelines incorporate recent data from clinical trials evaluating dronedarone, clopidogrel, strict rate control, and catheter ablation. Here are the major highlights: Dronedarone can reduce […]

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December 2nd, 2010

AHA Releases Updated Stroke Prevention Guidelines

Larry Husten, PHD

Here’s the good news, according to Larry Goldstein, the chairman of the statement writing committee for the revised American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of Stroke: “Between 1999 and 2006, there’s been over a 30 percent reduction in stroke death rates in the United States and we think the majority of the […]

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November 15th, 2010

Let’s Bring CLOSURE to This Debate About PFO Treatment

Richard A. Lange, MD, MBA

In this blog, Rick Lange tells us how he would answer FAQs about PFO closure to prevent stroke. The controversy: Based on retrospective and nonrandomized studies, many physicians are convinced that percutaneous patent foramen ovale closure can reduce rates of cryptogenic stroke and transient ischemic attack. Although PFO closure devices are approved for stroke prevention in Europe […]

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November 5th, 2010

Meta-Analysis Turns Up Mixed Results for Vitamin E on Stroke Subtypes

Larry Husten, PHD

In a meta-analysis appearing in BMJ, vitamin E supplements had no effect on the overall rate of stroke but were associated with a small reduction in the risk of ischemic stroke and a slightly larger increase in the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. Markus Schürks and colleagues analyzed data from 9 trials including 118,765 subjects. Although […]

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November 1st, 2010

Rivaroxaban Equals Warfarin in ROCKET AF

Larry Husten, PHD

Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) was as effective as warfarin in patients with AF in the ROCKET AF study, according to an announcement released by Bayer on Sunday ahead of the  trial’s scheduled presentation at the AHA on November 15. ROCKET AF randomized more than 14,000 patients with nonvalvular AF to either rivaroxaban or warfarin. The goal of the […]

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October 21st, 2010

News Briefs: Recurrent Stroke Prevention Guidelines, Vernakalant Trial Suspended, GSK Investigated, Generic Enoxaparin Takes Off, Kaul Speaks, Midei Sues

Larry Husten, PHD

The American Heart Association published revised recurrent stroke prevention guidelines. The new guidelines state that recurrent stroke may be prevented by carotid angioplasty or by treating metabolic syndrome. The FDA warned about arrhythmias tied to HIV therapy. The FDA today updated the label for Invirase (saquinavir), noting that when used in combination with Norvir (ritonavir) it […]

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October 20th, 2010

FDA Approves Dabigatran for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA announced on Tuesday that it has approved Pradaxa (dabigatran, Boehringer Ingelheim) for the prevention of stroke and blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation. The drug will be available in 75-mg and 150-mg capsules. “Unlike warfarin, which requires patients to undergo periodic monitoring with blood tests, such monitoring is not necessary for Pradaxa,” said […]

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