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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.

Orlando, FL - Adding extended-release niacin (Niaspan, Abbott) to statin therapy results in a significant regression of atherosclerosis as measured by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), whereas the addition of ezetimibe (Zetia, Merck/Schering-Plough) to statin therapy did not, according to an eagerly anticipated study [1].

The results, from the Arterial Biology for the Investigation of the Treatment Effects of Reducing Cholesterol 6: HDL and LDL Treatment Strategies in Atherosclerosis (ARBITER 6-HALTS) study, were presented today at the American Heart Association 2009 Scientific Sessions and published simultaneously online in the New England Journal of Medicine. Read full article »

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Lipid/Metabolic
Reducing CV Risk: What Add-On Therapies Do You Use?
18 COMMENTS - Jan 27, 2009 15:53 EST
Reducing CV Risk: What Add-On Therapies Do You Use? Click to take the survey and compare answers. The results will help us create future CME programming
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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.
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.
Lipid/Metabolic
Niacin not beneficial in patients at goal with statins: NIA Plaque
17 COMMENTS - Nov 18, 2009 09:00 EST
The addition of niacin to statin therapy in secondary-prevention patients resulted in a significant improvement in lipids but failed to significantly alter atherosclerotic disease progression as measured by MRI. Researchers say it's a win for treating patients to target and suggest this trumps raising HDL.
Lipid/Metabolic
Statins do not eliminate risk of low HDL-cholesterol levels
4 COMMENTS - Nov 17, 2009 14:45 EST
Researchers say a new study shows that statins don't alter the risks associated with low HDL-cholesterol levels and that raising HDL cholesterol 10 mg/dL could prevent an additional eight MIs per 1000 patient-years.
Prevention
Canadian confusion: Primary-care docs lack knowledge of CVD risk factors, prevention
8 COMMENTS - Nov 15, 2009 09:00 EST
Family doctors and general practitioners in Canada are confused about cardiovascular risk assessment in primary prevention, a new survey reveals.
Medscape Medical News
SGR repair bill failure could cool physician support for healthcare reform
Nov 12, 2009 15:00 EST
Now that the US House of Representatives has passed a healthcare reform bill, organized medicine anticipates another vote—possibly next week—on a second bill that would rewrite Medicare's controversial sustainable-growth-rate formula for physician reimbursement.
Lipid/Metabolic
Total- and HDL-cholesterol levels, not triglycerides, predict vascular risk
Nov 12, 2009 10:00 EST
Clinicians can simplify their existing risk-assessment tools by measuring either total- and HDL-cholesterol levels or apolipoproteins, and this assessment can effectively be done in patients who did not fast before the test.
News
What's going to be hot at AHA 2009?
2 COMMENTS - Nov 11, 2009 09:00 EST
Anticipation is building for full trial results from ARBITER 6-HALTS, plus a better understanding of what went wrong with cangrelor in the CHAMPION trials. Also in the lineup are updates from PLATO, RE-LY, ALLHAT, BARI 2D, STICH, CASCADE, POPULAR, HEARTMATE II, and many more. Indeed, this year's "late-breaking" sessions include more than 30 trials over five days.
Prevention
No benefits of aspirin for primary prevention in diabetics, meta-analysis suggests
6 COMMENTS - Nov 10, 2009 17:15 EST
Most guideline documents recommend aspirin for primary prevention in people with diabetes, but a new meta-analysis has found no benefit of the widely used drug across a range of different cardiovascular end points. The results speak to the need for dedicated randomized trials, investigators say.
Medscape Medical News
Low-cholesterol/cancer studies should "dispel lingering doubts" of causal link
Nov 5, 2009 14:15 EST
Two new papers should help put to rest concerns that low serum cholesterol levels may increase cancer risk.
Lipid/Metabolic
Not all metabolic syndrome is created equal: Framingham Offspring analysis
3 COMMENTS - Nov 5, 2009 11:45 EST
The syndrome (defined by ATP III criteria) can predict increased cardiovascular and mortality risk or not, depending on which three of five risk factors contributed to the diagnosis, a cohort study suggests; its investigators caution that their observations are only preliminary.
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Editorial Programs
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
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.
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