Two large new meta-analyses published in the Lancet provide the first strong evidence demonstrating a cause-and-effect relationship between a specific inflammatory protein and the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Both studies illuminate the role of interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) by focusing on the common Asp 358Ala variant of the IL6R gene. The variant is known to dampen the…
Studies Provide Strongest Evidence To Date For Causative Role of Inflammation in Heart Disease
March 15, 2012 by 4 Comments
Big Drop in Incidence and Fatality of MIs in England
January 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Since 2002 in England the incidence of acute MI has dropped by one-half and the case fatality rate by one-third, according to a new study published in BMJ. The overall decline in deaths from MI are about equally due to improvements in the prevention of MI and the treatment of MI. Kate Smolina and colleagues…
Study Finds MR Superior to SPECT, But Clinical Role Is “Uncertain”
December 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Authors of a new study published online in the Lancet state that multiparametric cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is superior to single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients with suspected coronary heart disease (CHD). But at least one expert states that the future role of the technique in clinical practice remains “uncertain.” John Greenwood and colleagues compared…
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