In-depth cardiology coverage by heartwire news team

Features

So long, Plavix, what a ride! Clopidogrel patent expires

8 COMMENTS - May 16, 2012 14:45 EDT

Expiration of the clopidogrel patent draws a close to a "fascinating era" in cardiovascular medicine, say experts, having had its largest impact in the ACS and poststenting settings. Yet even as the patent expires there remain some unanswered questions, particularly given the emergence of platelet function and genetic testing for clopidogrel metabolism.

Features

Life on a 12-hour charge: Seeking community in the LVAD age

Mar 19, 2012 11:45 EDT

For people living with a left ventricular assist device, knowing a few simple tricks can make life a bit easier. Others with LVADs make good teachers, but increasingly, LVAD recipients are looking online for answers to their questions.

Features

Vascular surgeons, interventionalists clash over dueling carotid guidelines

Mar 5, 2012 13:50 EST

The Society of Vascular Surgery's decision to publish its own guidelines on management of extracranial carotid disease after already signing on to a multisociety guidance on carotid disease is not sitting well with leaders of some of the other professional societies.

Features

The doctor will see you now (from the other side of the world)

9 COMMENTS - Feb 10, 2012 12:30 EST

A unique "medical mission" using handheld echo in a remote rural population in India is being hailed as a success after cardiologists around the globe logged on over a two-day period to read the echocardiograms of unseen patients half a world away.

Features

The flap over flavonoids

7 COMMENTS - Feb 2, 2012 15:15 EST

The field of flavonoids and polyphenols continues to attract a massive amount of interest, from researchers and the public alike. But can health really be improved by eating chocolate and drinking red wine?

Features

Biggest cardiology stories of 2011

Dec 21, 2011 12:00 EST

What made headlines in 2011? Everything from novel oral anticoagulants, blockbuster trials stopped early, and a new scrutiny on procedure appropriateness. heartwire reporters called up cardiologists across 11 different subspecialties to ask them what they thought the biggest news was in their field this past year.

Features

Survey says: Most cardiologists support elective PCI sans on-site CABG . . . with caveats

36 COMMENTS - Dec 13, 2011 08:00 EST

Is elective angioplasty without surgical backup on-site safe and effective enough for the US? Where would you send a family member? Sparks flew on both sides of the debate, as captured in a survey conducted jointly by theheart.org and US News & World Report.

Features

Battling Big Tobacco: Physician activism vital on smoking's new frontiers

25 COMMENTS - Nov 28, 2011 15:15 EST

Global leaders in the fight against smoking stress that cardiologists and other physicians must become politically active to help counteract the immense power of the tobacco industry, which is constantly seeking to expand the number of smokers worldwide. Doctors have a voice, and they need to step out of their comfort zone and use it to effect change, say activists.

Features

Part 3: Glory—Is cancer beating cardiovascular disease?

2 COMMENTS - Aug 18, 2011 12:45 EDT

Asked what disease they fear most, people overwhelmingly list cancer over heart disease. In the last of a three-part series, heartwire looks at how much public support, fundraising, and volunteerism the two diseases have garnered in recent years and whether cancer's long stint in the limelight may be what's boosting research opportunities and new therapies as CVD lags behind.

Features

Part 2: Money—Is cancer beating cardiovascular disease?

5 COMMENTS - Aug 16, 2011 12:00 EDT

Heart disease is the number-one killer in most of the Western world, followed closely by cancer. But a close look at just how much money is available to support research in both fields points to some striking disparities.

Features

Drugs, money, and glory: Is cancer beating cardiovascular disease? Part 1

3 COMMENTS - Aug 11, 2011 08:30 EDT

Heart disease is the number-one killer in most of the Western world, followed closely by cancer. But a close look at recent drug approvals and pipeline projects speaks to an explosion of new treatments for killer number two, while heart-disease treatments fall behind.

Features

Cardiac rehabilitation: What works, what doesn't, and why

10 COMMENTS - Jul 28, 2011 08:00 EDT

Attendance at a cardiac rehabilitation program after a cardiac event reduces the risk of death and future events, but uptake is notoriously low. Prohibitive costs, poor communication, and a laissez-faire attitude on the part of physicians are all a part of the problem.

Features

What future for niacin after AIM-HIGH?

19 COMMENTS - Jul 4, 2011 17:15 EDT

It is now a month after the surprise announcement by the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute that it was stopping the AIM-HIGH trial of extended-release niacin for patients with low HDL and high triglycerides because of futility. heartwire asked several lipid experts and general cardiologists if they had changed their practice since the disappointing, albeit preliminary, results were reported.

Features

Lost in transition: The looming epidemic of grown-up congenital heart disease

4 COMMENTS - Apr 12, 2011 08:00 EDT

Where once they died young, these days most of the 1% of children worldwide born with congenital heart defects now survive to adulthood and need to be followed long term. The majority, however, fall off the radar when they become young adults, in part due to a lack of doctors skilled in adult congenital heart disease.

Features

Betty Crocker, Coke, and CardioSmart at ACC 2011: If CV prevention gets a boost, does it matter who pays?

12 COMMENTS - Apr 2, 2011 13:30 EDT

There's no subterfuge here—the ACC announced its new corporate partners back in 2010 and insists it has solid disclosure and protection policies in place. But as the second annual ACC CardioSmart Health Fair throws open its doors to some of America's highest-risk citizens, some are asking whether the hundreds of thousands of dollars donated by a fast-food restaurant and soda company, among others, lead to more harm than good.

Features

Dick Cheney's 30-year CHD odyssey approaches transplantation crossroad

19 COMMENTS - Mar 31, 2011 09:15 EDT

The former vice president was recently implanted with a left ventricular assist device, but was it for bridge therapy, destination therapy, or "bridge to decision"? How suitable would he be for transplantation? Three expert observers discuss his case with heartwire.

Features

Echo system in your pocket: Rich in potential, niche uses for now

12 COMMENTS - Mar 14, 2011 16:00 EDT

Impressively capable for imaging and undeniable cool as technology, the current generation of smart-phone-sized ultrasound devices may be a leap forward for some uses, but experts warn they aren't a substitute for fully featured echo systems.

Features

As quinidine fades, doctors ask Big Pharma to put patients before profits

5 COMMENTS - Mar 10, 2011 14:30 EST

The situation has gotten so bad that one physician recently couriered quinidine to a colleague halfway around the world who couldn't access it in his own country. Should companies continue to make drugs known to be effective, even if doing so is not good business?

Features

Fear of radiation from cardiac imaging outpaces knowledge about the risks

9 COMMENTS - Jan 25, 2011 15:30 EST

The growth of cardiac imaging is fueling concern over radiation exposure, especially for newer imaging modalities such as CT angiography and for so-called "episodes of care." Some experts are raising radiation alarms for other, older tests, while others point out that pinning down the true cancer risks from any type of test is more guesswork than science.

Features

Experts compare new oral anticoagulants preparing to battle for the warfarin market

22 COMMENTS - Dec 14, 2010 16:30 EST

It seems likely that there will be two new oral anticoagulants available in the not-too-distant future that can be used as an alternative to warfarin in the prevention of stroke in AF patients. But how do the two new agents compare with each other, and what about other possible indications and the host of other similar agents in development?

Features

Phone it in: Remote monitoring could offer peace of mind for patients with "recalled" ICD leads

6 COMMENTS - Dec 2, 2010 15:45 EST

Implantable defibrillator checks conducted remotely, usually over phone lines or cellular networks, are an especially efficient way to keep tabs on device performance and any arrhythmic events. They also help cut down on office visits and may offer a particular advantage for patients with Sprint Fidelis leads or any others subject to a "recall" or safety advisory. So why isn't remote monitoring of ICDs done more often?

Features

Now you see me, now you don't: The bioabsorbable stent in clinical practice

2 COMMENTS - Nov 8, 2010 14:15 EST

Bioabsorbable stents have been hailed as a solution to problems that dog metallic stents, but not everybody is sure what role the vanishing scaffolds will one day play in clinical practice. Some experts see a more expansive role for the devices, such as implanting the bioabsorbable stents into vulnerable arteries that wouldn't today meet criteria for stenting. Others, however, envision using the stents only in a minority of patients.

Features

Diet drug dilemma: If CVD drops tomorrow are risks justified today?

5 COMMENTS - Oct 20, 2010 09:30 EDT

Obesity experts say physicians and drug regulators need to sit up and take notice: the pharmacy shelves are all but bare of weight-loss drugs. Some say soaring BMIs mean certain risks should be deemed acceptable—even in "healthy" obese subjects—to prevent progression to more serious disease down the road. But it's a tough sell.

Features

Kill or cure? Atkins diet debated in diabetes

146 COMMENTS - Oct 18, 2010 13:15 EDT

The Atkins diet is always the subject of controversy when it comes to scientific claims. The latest assertion by one proponent is that it can help treat diabetes, mostly because people can lose weight easily while on this diet. But others argue that there are better options to lose weight and that Atkins is far too restrictive to stay on long term. And perhaps most important, they question the safety of this diet.

Features

A script for the show: Live cases in cardiology get a code of conduct

9 COMMENTS - Oct 6, 2010 17:00 EDT

Cardiology societies that feature live case demonstrations at their meetings have teamed up to pen a thoughtful statement and code of conduct that they hope will be adopted by a wider range of meetings, even as other medical groups have actually pulled back on use of live broadcasts.