Thrombectomy helps prevent thrombus embolization and may be beneficial in primary PCI, according to a new study from Italy published in JACC. You can also see the slide set on our sister site, ClinicalTrialResults.Com….
Uric acid and insulin levels linked to risk of hypertension
January 27, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Small increases in uric acid and insulin levels, even at levels usually considered “normal,” are linked to an increased risk of hypertension, according to a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Commenting on the report for CardioBrief, Franz Messerli……
Krumholz weighs in on NSAIDs in CHF
January 26, 2009 by Leave a Comment
After the previous post on NSAIDs was published earlier today, I received a comment from Harlan Krumholz on the controversy. Here it is:…
Danish researchers recommend avoiding NSAIDs in HF
January 26, 2009 by 1 Comment
NSAIDs are associated with significant increases in death and cardiovascular morbidity, according to a large, new registry study from Denmark in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2009;169(2):141-149)….
Combination of aerobic and strength exercise found best for elderly obese adults
January 26, 2009 by Leave a Comment
The combination of aerobic and strength exercise reduces insulin resistance and improves functional abilities, according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Click to read the Archives press release:…
FDA announces ongoing safety review of clopidogrel
January 26, 2009 by 1 Comment
In an “early communication” posted on its website, the FDA announced today that it was examining the safety of clopidogrel….
Innovative stent company seeks emergency intervention
January 26, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Xtent, a small company developing an innovative drug-eluting stent system featuring customized lengths and diameters, is being seriously threatened by the financial crisis. The company has announced that it will fire 112 of its 121 employees unless it can strike some sort of deal. You can read the story in the Wall Street Journal. Click to…
Stun guns: study raises questions about safety
January 23, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Although promoted as a safe alternative to traditional firearms, a new study published online in the American Journal of Cardiology finds that the incidence of shooting-related deaths increased rather than decreased with the introduction of stun guns. You can also read a press release issued by the University of California, San Francisco….
Drug-eluting stents: are they cost effective?
January 23, 2009 by Leave a Comment
If you take into account the extra expenses associated with late stent thrombosis, drug-eluting stents are not very cost effective, according to a new analysis by a McGill University team in the American Journal of Cardiology….
Pooled analysis shows ezetimibe enhances CRP reduction
January 22, 2009 by Leave a Comment
We still don’t know for sure what the clinical effects of ezetimibe are, but a new pooled analysis in AJC by Pearson et al shows that adding ezetimibe to statins “ignificantly enhanced CRP reductions”….
Pascal Goldschmidt can’t stop running
January 22, 2009 by Leave a Comment
As if his marathon 16 hour workdays aren’t enough, Pascal Goldschmidt, dean of the University of Miami’s hypercompetitive medical school, runs real marathons, according to a feature story in the Miami Herald. Each week Goldschmidt runs with a group of medical students and this Sunday they will run together in the Miami Marathon….
Abbott’s Xience V claims bragging rights as top-selling stent
January 21, 2009 by Leave a Comment
The economy may be in the dumps but today Abbott reported 10% growth in the last quarter. In addition to strong sales for its blockbuster Humira, company growth was fueled by rapidly growing sales of its Xience V drug-eluting stent. According to Abbott, the Xience V became the US market leader in the fourth quarter. The…
How does the media report on cardiovascular genetics?
January 21, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Last week Nature Genetics published– and we duly reported– an important study identifying a newly identified genetic mutation associated with cardiomyopathy that is widely prevalent in India. If you’re interested in the way important studies like this get translated in the media, you should take a look at a recent entry in the Knight Science…
President Obama receives advice from Steve Nissen
January 21, 2009 by Leave a Comment
He may or may not still be a candidate for the top FDA job, but Steve Nissen gives Obama his advice about how to fix the FDA in a commentary in Nature. Nissen’s proposals include an end to FDA secrecy, a fixed 6-year term for the commissioner, and a complete revision of the agency’s funding…
Diastolic dysfunction associated with reduced exercise capacity
January 20, 2009 by Leave a Comment
I’m not sure what’s new or surprising here, but a new report in JAMA (2009;301[3]:286-294) from a team at the Mayo carefully documents the association between diastolic dysfunction and reduced exercise capacity….
Califf reportedly still in running for FDA commssioner
January 19, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Duke’s Robert Califf’s is being interviewed for the FDA commissioner job, but the leading candidate is still Baltimore Commissioner of Health Joshua Sharfstein, according to an item on the In Vivo Blog. The blog doesn’t cite any sources, but says that Califf is the favorite of FDA insiders, while Sharfstein is the internal favorite in the…
Gene variant found to increase risk of cardiomyopathy seven-fold in South Asians
January 18, 2009 by 1 Comment
A paper in Nature Genetics reports a seven-fold increase in cardiomyopathy in South Asians with a common 25 base pair deletion of the cardiac myosin binding protein C (MYBPC3). The variant occurs more frequently in southern and western India than in the north, and this distribution correlates with higher rates of heart failure in southern India,…
ACC preannouncement season begins with small company’s press release
January 15, 2009 by Leave a Comment
I’d never heard of targeted pulsed electromagnetic field (tPEMF(tm)), or that it might be beneficial in ischemic heart disease, until I ran across the press release below. I’m always wary of press releases like these, especially when they come from tiny precarious companies. Nevertheless, there’s something intriguing about this, but I urge you to exhibit extreme…
FAME pubbed in NEJM: is FFR ready to step into the spotlight?
January 14, 2009 by 2 Comments
One of the most intriguing studies at last fall’s TCT was FAME, which tested the value of fractional flow reserve (FFR) versus conventional angiography for guiding PCI. Now the study has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, accompanied by an editorial written by Stephen Ellis. The use of FFR resulted in a…
Newer antipsychotic agents also cause SCD
January 14, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Newer antipsychotic agents like olanzapine, risperidone, and quetiapine are just as likely to cause sudden cardiac death as older agents such as haloperidol and thioridazine, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In an accompanying editorial, Sebastian Scheeweiss and Jerry Avorn argue that in “the absence of clearly established…
More headaches for PFO closure devices
January 14, 2009 by 1 Comment
PFO closure devices have been having a tough time. First the trials for treatment of migraine ran into all sorts of trouble. (See below.) Now the first trial for prevention of stroke may be in similar hot water. Yesterday, NMT medical issued a press release with a very complicated update on the company’s CLOSURE I clinical…
Senate investigation revealing new details in Avandia case, WSJ reports
January 14, 2009 by 2 Comments
Senator Grassley’s investigation into the Avandia case is turning up new, potentially embarrassing details about GSK’s internal responses to the controversy, according to a story in the Wall Street Journal. In response to the forthcoming Nissen meta-analysis, a GSK consultant wrote: “The numbers are the numbers, the analysis is very similar to our own.” The WSJ…
Exercise found beneficial in PAD patients
January 13, 2009 by Leave a Comment
PAD patients benefit from treadmill exercise, according to a new study published in JAMA. …
Despite negative endpoints, researchers remain committed to lifestyle modifications
January 13, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Despite two negative NHLBI-sponsored trials presented at the AHA last November, researchers remain convinced that lifestyle modification is worthwhile, according to a feature news story in JAMA by Mike Mitka. Both FIT Heart and HF-ACTION failed to reach their primary endpoint, but the researchers, Lori Mosca of Columbia and Chris O’Connor of Duke, make a strong case…
Medtronic acquires AF ablation company
January 12, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Medtronic announced today that it had bought Ablation Frontiers, Inc. The company specializes in radiofrequency catheter ablation for AF. Medtronic appears to be committed to covering the AF field. Last fall it acquired Cryocath, which specialized in cryoablation treatments for AF. You can read the Medtronic press release or the Wall Street Journal story….
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