NIH Halts Large Cardiovascular Inflammation Reduction (CIRT) Trial

The NHLBI has put an early stop to the large Cardiovascular Inflammation Reduction (CIRT) Trial. The NHLBI action was based on a recommendation from the trial’s Data and Safety Monitoring Board. The action was not based on any substantive safety concerns. “Sometime in late March or early April the NHLBI informed me that there were no substantive…

Click here to continue reading…

Imaging Studies Offer New Insights Into Inflammation In CV Disease

–Preliminary evidence that colchicine may reduce coronary plaque. Interest in inflammation has risen considerably in the cardiology community as a result of the recent CANTOS trial. The large 10,000 patient trial validated the role of inflammation by demonstrating the efficacy of canakinumab— a monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin-1β— in reducing cardiovascular events in people with…

Click here to continue reading…