Arrhythmia/EP
Survival after in-hospital CPR static since 1992
Jul 1, 2009 17:00 EDT
An analysis of Medicare records for over 433 000 patients who received CPR between 1992 and 2005 showed that the rate of survival to hospital discharge hovered at around 18%, in spite of efforts to improve CPR delivery.
Arrhythmia/EP
FDA approves dronedarone for atrial fibrillation
1 COMMENT - Jul 2, 2009 11:45 EDT
Dronedarone is envisioned as a safer alternative to amiodarone, a widely used antiarrhythmic agent in patients with AF.
Clinical cardiology
Progenitor cells identified from human fetal hearts
Jul 1, 2009 13:00 EDT
Human cardiovascular progenitor cells isolated from human fetal hearts can give rise to striated- and smooth-muscle cells as well as endothelial cells, researchers report.
heartbriefs
heartbriefs
View all »
Editorial series
A series of discussions among editorial leaders, developed by theheart.org

Editorial series
Getting to the bottom of BARI 2D
Jun 25, 2009 00:03 EDT
Join Drs Valentin Fuster, William E Boden, and George D Dangas as they discuss the results, plus the evolution of therapy over the last forty years, the mechanisms of coronary artery disease progression in diabetic patients, and what is perhaps one of the most fundamental problems in the field: that patients today are still not treated to target with best medical therapy.
Editorial series
Understanding SYNTAX
Jun 29, 2009 11:00 EDT
Dr Robert Harrington talks to Drs Sanjay Kaul and Harlan Kurmholz about the SYNTAX trial in light of the recent quality-of-life and cost analysis.
Editorial series
After TIPS: What's next for the polypill?
Jun 15, 2009 09:30 EDT
Join Drs Salim Yusuf and Sanjay Kaul for an in-depth discussion on the promise and prospects of the polypill moderated by heartwire's Lisa Nainggolan.
Editorial series
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, athletes, and screening
Jun 5, 2009 09:30 EDT
Is it possible and desirable to envisage a nationwide system to screen athletes for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? Drs Ommen, Maron, and Thompson examine the Italian screening data and review the implications of this model for the US.
Discussion and opinions
Lively, interactive exchanges moderated by thought leaders, staff or contributors to theheart.org

Topolog
Low-dose aspirin for primary prevention
June 17, 2009 at 02.03 PM, EDT
A new meta-analysis questions the use of low-dose aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular events. Given its current wide use, these findings are important and have far-reaching consequences. What are your thoughts?
Heartfelt: News and views from Dr Melissa Walton-Shirley
SOS! Does the FAA really know your pilot's risk of sudden cardiac death?
June 22, 2009 22:56 EDT
THE BOB HARRINGTON SHOW
Episode #10: Comparative effectiveness with Dr Harlan Krumholz
May 11, 2009 16:25 EST
Available on iTunes »
TOPOL & TEIRSTEIN: THE CLICK & RUB SHOW
Episode #2: Dissecting "the cost conundrum": McAllen, Gawande, Obama, and healthcare reform in the US
June 29, 2009 10.30 EST
Available on iTunes »
PRIVATE PRACTICE
Board recertification: Do's and don'ts
June 26, 2009 09:48 EST
THE CLOTBLOG
Rosuvastatin in the prevention of venous thromboembolism
May 29, 2009 11:45 EST
Fellows' Corner
Episode #11: Transradial access for PCI with Drs David Kandzari and Sunil Rao
June 26, 2009 13:15 EST
Available on iTunes »
View all discussions »
Discussion Forum

theheart.org Forum, where discussions among healthcare providers, clinicians, and researchers reflect our common goal of decreasing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality around the world.
Clinical cardiology
ACC aghast at proposed cuts to cardiology payments in Medicare physician fee schedule for 2010
Jul 3, 2009 14:00 EDT
The CMS announced its planned 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule this week, which includes proposals that could result in cuts ranging from 10% to more than 40% in Medicare payments for various cardiology services, says the ACC.
Arrhythmia/EP
Barriers to optimal termination of resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest identified
Jul 1, 2009 10:30 EDT
Insurance-reimbursement rules, state laws, and the public's false perceptions of survival after cardiac arrest may impede emergency medical workers from using best resuscitation attempts, a study finds.
Lipid/Metabolic
New meta-analysis: Statins of benefit in primary prevention
9 COMMENTS - Jun 30, 2009 19:01 EDT
A new meta-analysis including some of the more contemporary statin trials has found that the agents significantly improve survival and reduce coronary and cardiovascular end points in primary-prevention populations, a benefit that extends to all subgroups. But the exact cost/benefit equation for each group remains to be determined.
Clinical cardiology
CRP, other biomarkers, not clinically useful to predict CVD risk
4 COMMENTS - Jun 30, 2009 16:00 EDT
Screening for contemporary biomarkers, such as CRP, will not add much to conventional cardiovascular risk factors in terms of helping to predict future events in the primary-prevention setting, say the authors of a new study.
Clinical cardiology
Cardiac rhythms synchronize with music
Jun 30, 2009 14:45 EDT
Music, particularly pieces that contain crescendos or gradual increases in volume, elicits synchronized cardiovascular and respiratory responses in young people, a new study finds.
Clinical cardiology
Anxiety, depression, linked to angina frequency
Jun 30, 2009 10:45 EDT
New research shows that ischemic heart disease patients who suffer significant anxiety have close to a fivefold increased risk of experiencing frequent angina and those with depression have more than a threefold increased risk for these episodes.
Murmurs
Mainly medical unknowns regarding Michael Jackson's apparent cardiac arrest
4 COMMENTS - Jun 29, 2009 17:45 EDT
With concerns raised about the use of prescription painkillers in Jackson's death, as well as the stress he was under with an impending world tour, Dr Douglas Zipes, from the ACC, and Dr Vinay Nadkarmi, from the AHA, both weigh in on some of the speculation for heartwire.
Hypertension
Wolves in sheep's clothing: Don't ignore white-coat and masked hypertension
1 COMMENT - Jun 29, 2009 16:00 EDT
White-coat hypertension and masked hypertension should not be regarded as benign, say the authors of a new 10-year study. The risk of developing sustained hypertension is higher in people with the above two conditions than in those who have normal blood pressure, they found.
Murmurs
Cardiologist gets 10 years for performing unnecessary interventions
Jun 26, 2009 15:45 EDT
Mehmood Patel, an interventional cardiologist from Louisiana, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for performing unnecessary invasive interventional procedures and falsifying patient records.
Clinical cardiology
CVD risks of HIV infection underestimated
Jun 26, 2009 12:00 EDT
HIV infection per se is an independent risk factor for preclinical atherosclerosis, with the magnitude of the effect being similar to that of known risk factors, such as smoking and diabetes, a new study has shown.
The Heart of a Woman
Drs. Hayes and Foody and a committee of experts address the gaps and correct the misconception that CVD is more common in men than women.
  • Primary and Secondary Prevention of CVD and Stroke in Women
    Primary Prevention in Women: The Role of Lipids
    Jul 2, 2009 00:00 EDT
    The role of lipids in women for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease is a challenging issue for all providers. Join Drs. Foody, Mora, and Welty as they discuss limitations to current risk stratification models, recent clinical trial data, and the changing paradigm in the management of lipids in women.
  • Foundational programs
    Battle of the Sexes: Disparities in the Care of Men & Women With CVD
    1 COMMENT - May 29, 2009 00:00 EDT
    Despite increased awareness of CVD in women, contemporary studies demonstrate gender differences in outcomes. Differences in age and comorbidities account for some, but not all of these disparities. Join Dr. Foody as she discusses these issues with Drs. Mieres and Redberg.
View all programs »
Most popular news
From 7 June to 13 June 2009
  1. EMEA issues warning on possible clopidogrel-PPI interaction, but is there really a problem?
  2. Heart-attack prevention bill, mandating coverage for CAD screening, passes quietly in Texas
  3. MADIT-CRT results: CRT-D reduces mortality and morbidity in NYHA 1 or 2 HF
  4. CT angiography does not reliably predict functional significance of lesions
  5. Wide variations in EP practice across Europe
  6. Some surprises in update to European hypertension guidelines?
  7. PR-interval prolongation increases risk of atrial fibrillation and pacemaker implantation
  8. HCTZ a "paltry" antihypertensive, with no effect on outcomes, new analysis suggests
  9. Framingham analysis: Look beyond LVEF in heart-failure management
  10. More details on arrhythmias associated with sleep apnea
Conference coverage
Click here to view news, discussions, and opinions relating to a specific conference
button
Previews
View all CME programs >>
View all »
Info from Industry
Features
Editorial series
Life and times of leading cardiologists with Rob Califf. Guest: Steve Nissen
1 COMMENT - Jun 1, 2009 10:20 EDT
Join Dr Robert Califf for a probing and personal interview with Dr Steven Nissen, about his activist days at the University of Michigan and the development of IVUS, to how he ended up at the Cleveland Clinic and what he thinks about the future of medicine in America.
Features
Peeling the onion: Is more conflict of interest disclosure getting us closer to the truth?
5 COMMENTS - Apr 24, 2009 17:00 EDT
The debate over just how individuals, institutions, professional societies, and scientific publications should divulge potential conflicts of interest—and indeed just what constitutes a conflict—shows no sign of abating. Across the spectrum of interests, people are asking whether efforts towards transparency are truly helping advance the cause of healthcare and medical innovation, and what, if anything, could be done better.