CardioExchange Archive

July 8th, 2014

USPSTF Finalizes Recommendations on Carotid Artery Stenosis Screening

Nicholas Downing, MD

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended against screening for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis in the general adult population (grade D recommendation). Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the statement reiterates the group’s 2007 guidance. The harms of screening outweigh the benefits, the task force says. The groups notes that all screening strategies (e.g., […]

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February 24th, 2014

Vitamin Supplements Come Up Short Once Again

Larry Husten, PHD

Once again, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has concluded that there is no good evidence to support the routine use of multivitamins or most individual or combination vitamins by healthy adults to prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer. The USPSTF also recommended against the use of two specific vitamins — beta-carotene and vitamin E. Beta-carotene has been […]

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January 27th, 2014

USPSTF Issues Draft Recommendations on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening

Nicholas Downing, MD

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now says that the evidence is insufficient to weigh the benefits and harms of screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in women aged 65 to 75 who’ve ever smoked. In its previous 2005 guideline the USPFSTF clearly advised against screening for all women. An updated review by the Task Force […]

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October 3rd, 2013

ABI-Based Screening for PAD: Which Guidelines Are Right?

Rita F Redberg, MD, MSc and Mark A. Creager, MD

Rita Redberg and Mark Creager discuss the differences between the USPSTF and the ACCF/AHA guideline recommendations on whether to use the ankle-brachial index to screen patients for peripheral artery disease.

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July 30th, 2012

USPSTF Maintains Recommendation Against ECG Screening of Asymptomatic, Low-Risk Adults

Larry Husten, PHD

The  U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has reaffirmed its 2004 recommendation against ECG screening for asymptomatic adults who are already at low risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). The task force also concluded that there was insufficient evidence to assess the risks and benefits of ECG screening in asymptomatic people at intermediate or high risk for […]

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December 19th, 2011

More Uncertainty About Vitamin D Supplements

Larry Husten, PHD

Although many experts believe that vitamin D deficiency may play a significant role in cardiovascular disease, there is little evidence to support the use of vitamin D supplements for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. In a narrative review published in Annals of Internal Medicine, Cora McGreevy and David Williams write that the few available studies have […]

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June 22nd, 2011

JAMA: Skeptical Perspectives on Consumer Cardiac Tests and Vitamin D

Larry Husten, PHD

Two commentaries published in JAMA offer skeptical perspectives on the roles of direct-to-consumer (DTC) cardiac tests and vitamin D in cardiovascular health. In the first commentary, Kimberly Lovett and Bryan Liang write that DTC screening tests “likely pose more risk than benefit to patients,” and point out that for companies selling these tests there is no requirement […]

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