Acute Coronary Syndromes
ACC/AHA focused update of guidelines for STEMI, PCI
7 COMMENTS - Nov 18, 2009 09:00 EST
The latest evidence for the treatment of STEMI and PCI has been incorporated into a fast-track update of US guidelines. But questions remain about the quality of some of the evidence informing the guidelines and about the composition of the writing committees.
Featured news
Clinical cardiology
Cardiologists shocked by new FDA alert on clopidogrel-PPI interaction
Nov 17, 2009 15:45 EST
The FDA has issued a new warning on an interaction between clopidogrel and the PPI omeprazole and other drugs that inhibit the CYP2C19 enzyme, just weeks after the only randomized trial on this issue reported no such interaction.
Lipid/Metabolic
ARBITER 6-HALTS: HDL raising with niacin superior to ezetimibe
53 COMMENTS - Nov 15, 2009 18:00 EST
Extended-release niacin is superior to ezetimibe in its effect on carotid intima-media thickness. While experts say the trial tells clinicians little about ezetimibe, it is a big win for niacin given the substantial regression of atherosclerosis observed at eight and 14 months.
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Editorial series
A series of discussions among editorial leaders, developed by theheart.org

The Cardiology Show
The AHA 2009 Roundup: ARBITER 6-HALTS, PLATO, the two CHAMPIONs, and CASCADE
1 COMMENT - Nov 18, 2009 16:30 EST
Join Drs Valentin Fuster, Roger Blumenthal, Bob Harrington, Judith Hochman, Sanjay Kaul, Suzanne Oparil, Gregg Stone, Lynne Warner Stevenson, and Bruce Wilkoff as they discuss the results of ARBITER 6-HALTS, the PLATO STEMI subanalysis, the two CHAMPIONs, and CASCADE and tackle the issue of too little, too soon in clinical trials today.
Editorial series
New directions for management of patients with atrial fibrillation
Nov 11, 2009 09:50 EST
New agents and interventions are paving the way for revised modalities in the management of patients with atrial fibrillation. Join Drs Alpert and Delascio Lopes for a review of the latest findings and options.
Editorial series
Life and times of leading cardiologists with Rob Califf. Guest: Bob Harrington
2 COMMENTS - Nov 6, 2009 09:50 EST
Raised in a blue-collar neighborhood of Somerville, MA, Dr Bob Harrington was blessed to have a strong family and the Jesuits on his side as he traveled from "Yankee" Boston to Duke University. Join him as he tells his story to Dr Rob Califf.
Editorial series
Clinical research: Comparing regulatory pathways in US and UK
Oct 30, 2009 12:35 EDT
How do regulatory pathways differ in the US and UK? Drs Harrington, Bhatt, and Cleland share their experiences and offer insight on how to support innovative research.
Discussion and opinions
Lively, interactive exchanges moderated by thought leaders, staff or contributors to theheart.org

Topolog
Ezetimibe in ARBITER 6-HALTS: What lessons can we learn?
Nov 16, 2009 17:00 EST
Another trial has failed to show efficacy for ezetimibe. What can we learn from this unfortunate saga?
theheart.org Forum
Discussions among healthcare providers, clinicians, and researchers.
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Medscape Medical News
Stroke incidence related to PCI steady over 15 years
Nov 20, 2009 13:00 EST
Mayo Clinic researchers report that their stroke rate related to PCI has stayed steady for the last 15 years, something they interpret as good news, given that substantially older, sicker patients with more complex anatomy are now undergoing PCI.
Medscape Medical News
ALLHAT investigators report 10-year follow-up and stand by diuretics as first step antihypertensive treatment
Nov 19, 2009 14:00 EST
New 10-year mortality and morbidity data confirm the original trial conclusions, they say, that while amlodipine and lisinopril are not superior to chlorthalidone on any outcome, chlorthalidone is superior to these agents on one or more secondary end points. Full agreement with this conclusion in the community, though, is still hard to come by.
Acute Coronary Syndromes
Oral anticoagulants REDEEMed? Daily dabigatran "safe" with dual antiplatelets after MI
Nov 19, 2009 11:00 EST
A dose-finding study saw what were characterized as low bleeding rates associated with triple-drug antithrombotic therapy that included the oral anticoagulant dabigatran in patients with a recent ACS event and other cardiovascular risk factors.
News
EFFECT: Public reporting of hospital performance improves quality of care?
Nov 19, 2009 10:00 EST
Publicly released report cards based on hospital performance did not result in a measurably greater systemwide improvement in two composite AMI or CHF process-of-care indicators in a Canadian study. But they did appear to stimulate some important changes in delivery of care that could have led to some better outcomes.
Murmurs
Kenneth Baughman killed while jogging at AHA
22 COMMENTS - Nov 19, 2009 08:30 EST
UPDDATED // Dr Kenneth Baughman, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, died Monday morning in Orlando, FL, when he was struck by a car while out for a morning run.
Interventional/Surgery
BARI 2D cost-effectiveness analysis favors medication over PCI for less severe CVD in diabetic patients
1 COMMENT - Nov 18, 2009 15:45 EST
New data from the BARI 2D trial comparing medical therapy vs revascularization in diabetics shows higher up-front costs of revascularization are only partially offset by long-term savings.
Thrombosis Risk
Ticagrelor effects unraveled in new phase 2 trials
Nov 18, 2009 15:00 EST
New and unique phase 2 data add to the growing body of evidence explaining the pharmacologic effects of the new antiplatelet agent ticagrelor.
Imaging
CT-STAT: CT angiography rules out CAD faster and cheaper than standard care
4 COMMENTS - Nov 18, 2009 13:45 EST
The use of coronary CT angiography in the emergency room can successfully triage at-risk chest-pain patients and can do so faster and less expensively than standard diagnostic testing.
Interventional/Surgery
Baseline function data from STICH no help in pinpointing patients who benefit from SVR
Nov 18, 2009 10:45 EST
Measures of left ventricular dysfunction or wall motion identified by different imaging modalities at baseline offer no clues as to whether a subset of patients treated with surgical ventricular reconstruction might benefit from the procedure.
Heart failure
JCHF: Are low doses of carvedilol effective in heart failure?
3 COMMENTS - Nov 18, 2009 09:00 EST
Doses of carvedilol as low as 2.5 mg daily may be effective in Japanese patients with heart failure, according to this study. But experts said the trial was far too small to draw any meaningful conclusions.
Educational partnerships


  • What Happened at CCC 2009?

    A University of Alberta Perspective
    Drs. Armstrong, Ezekowitz, and Welsh as they discuss the latest data to come out of the 2009 sessions of the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, from Edmonton, Alberta.


  • What Happened at ESC 2009?

    DUKE Heart Center and DUKE Clinical Research Institute
    Drs. Rao, Alexander, Newby, and O'Connor discuss RE-LY, PLATO, and MADIT-CRT.


  • What Happened at ESC 2009?

    Mayo Clinic
    Drs. Gibbons and Jaffe discuss Antiplatelet therapy in ACS, Atrial Fibrillation, Higher dose clopidogrel and aspirin and CRT therapy in patients with Class I or II heart failure.


  • What Happened at HFSA 2009?

    Cleveland Clinic
    Drs. Young, Starling, and Mountis discuss the latest on cardiac resynchronization, ICDs, exercise and heart failure, women in clinical trials, and guidelines.

Most popular
  1. Cardiologists shocked by new FDA alert on clopidogrel-PPI interaction
  2. Kenneth Baughman killed while jogging at AHA
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  4. ACC/AHA focused update of guidelines for STEMI, PCI
  5. Niacin not beneficial in patients at goal with statins: NIA Plaque
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  7. FAIR-HF: Symptom improvement, functional gains follow correction of iron deficiency in heart failure
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  9. JCHF: Are low doses of carvedilol effective in heart failure?
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  1. ARBITER 6-HALTS: HDL raising with niacin superior to ezetimibe
  2. Kenneth Baughman killed while jogging at AHA
  3. Niacin not beneficial in patients at goal with statins: NIA Plaque
  4. Canadian confusion: Primary-care docs lack knowledge of CVD risk factors, prevention
  5. ACC/AHA focused update of guidelines for STEMI, PCI
  6. ASTRAL finds no benefit of revascularization over medical therapy alone for renal-artery stenosis
  7. Experienced operators can switch easily and rapidly to radial-access PCI: RAPTOR
  8. Reducing CV Risk: What Add-On Therapies Do You Use?
  9. CASCADE: No significant benefit of clopidogrel in reducing graft disease after CABG
  10. Statins do not eliminate risk of low HDL-cholesterol levels
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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.
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Info from Industry
Also on theheart.org
Editorial series
Life and times of leading cardiologists with Rob Califf. Guest: Bob Harrington
2 COMMENTS - Nov 6, 2009 09:50 EST
Raised in a blue-collar neighborhood of Somerville, MA, Dr Bob Harrington was blessed to have a strong family and the Jesuits on his side as he traveled from "Yankee" Boston to Duke University. Join him as he tells his story to Dr Rob Califf.
The Cardiology Show
Best of Barcelona: PLATO and RE-LY
Sep 2, 2009 11:15 EDT
Dr Valentin Fuster returns to the city where he was born for a scintillating discussion with Drs Fox, Gershlick, Marrouche, Messerli, Spaulding, Vergheugt, Virmani, and Yancy about the miracle of RE-LY and the striking success of ticagrelor in the PLATO study.