theheart.org: Cardiology news, educational programming, and opinions

Interventional/Surgery

Interventional cardiologist Donald Baim dies

4 COMMENTS - Nov 6, 2009 18:22 EST

Interventional cardiologist, Dr Donald Baim, chief medical and scientific officer at Boston Scientific, has died.

Acute Coronary Syndromes

Latest European and US STEMI guidelines compared and contrasted

Nov 6, 2009 17:15 EST

The latest recommendations for the treatment of ST-elevation MI issued by American cardiology associations and the European Society of Cardiology are compared and contrasted in a new paper.

Arrhythmia/EP

Enrollment halts in randomized trial of CPR for out-of-hospital arrest

Nov 6, 2009 16:00 EST

No survival differences after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were seen at a preliminary DSMB review in the ROC PRIMED trial, which compared early vs delayed post-CPR assessment for defibrillation and tested the effectiveness of a device for optimizing intrathoracic pressure during CPR.

heartbriefs

Medicaid access to smoking cessation falls short

Nov 5, 2009 17:30 EST

A national survey shows that although the majority of state Medicaid programs offer coverage for some form of tobacco-dependence treatment, most fall far short of a stated mandate to provide unrestricted access to approved therapies.

heartbriefs

Serum phosphorous, kidney function predict CAC

Nov 5, 2009 17:00 EST

The Spokane Heart Study finds a connection between kidney function, serum phosphorus, and the risk of coronary artery calcification.

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

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.

Medscape Medical News

Prehospital triage "immediately successful" in boosting rates of thrombolytic therapy for stroke

Nov 5, 2009 11:00 EST

Toronto researchers report that a citywide prehospital protocol raised their rates of thrombolytic treatment to among the highest in North America, underlining, they say, the critical importance of organized stroke care.

heartbriefs

Better survival in hospitalized flu patients on statins

Nov 4, 2009 17:30 EST

Statin users hospitalized for influenza experienced a 54% lower risk of death compared with patients not taking statins.

Interventional/Surgery

Off-pump CABG shows no benefit over on-pump approach: ROOBY study

6 COMMENTS - Nov 4, 2009 17:00 EST

A 2203-patient randomized trial of off-pump vs on-pump CABG surgery found no differences in neuropsychological outcomes and worse overall outcomes for the off-pump group at one-year follow-up.

Interventional/Surgery

VELETI in print: Plaque sealing of SVGs a strategy "ahead of its time"?

Nov 4, 2009 15:30 EST

The imaging study was the first to show that stenting a non-flow-limiting stenosis of an SVG may help slow or halt the accelerated atherosclerosis that takes place in these vessels. An accompanying editorial cautions that the study does little more than "infer a trend toward anatomic benefit."

Hypertension

Adding fuel to the J-curve fire; debate is reignited

2 COMMENTS - Nov 4, 2009 14:30 EST

More discussion about the J-curve in hypertension is published this week; one expert believes the undue attention being paid to this subject might discourage doctors from treating high blood pressure aggressively.

heartbriefs

No CV risk reduction with B vitamins posttransplant

Nov 4, 2009 13:15 EST

In keeping with all the other evidence showing no effects of homocysteine-lowering with B vitamins, the FAVORIT study now confirms that this lack of benefit is also seen in renal-transplant recipients.

Prevention

Another in-hospital CV risk marker: 24-hour shifts with overnight on-call duty

1 COMMENT - Nov 4, 2009 09:45 EST

Long work shifts with nighttime on-call duty, with the inevitable interruptions of sleep, are associated with ECG, blood-pressure, and biochemical changes associated with increased cardiovascular risk, suggests a randomized crossover study that hints at a sustained effect on the risk markers if the 24-hour shifts happen too frequently.

Imaging

CAC scoring plus SPECT provide long and short view of cardiac risk

6 COMMENTS - Nov 3, 2009 17:00 EST

UPDATED // An 1126-patient trial shows that SPECT and CAC scoring imaging tests are independent and complementary predictors of short- and long-term cardiac risk, respectively.

MediaPulse

Interventional cardiologist sues hospital under Whistleblower's Act

13 COMMENTS - Nov 3, 2009 15:15 EST

Dr David Gossman has filed a lawsuit claiming that he was fired for complaining about ties between the hospital and some of its senior staff with the medical device company Medtronic.

Interventional/Surgery

US updates advice on perioperative beta-blocker use in noncardiac surgery

5 COMMENTS - Nov 3, 2009 14:30 EST

A US update on the perioperative use of beta blockers for noncardiac surgery is, says the lead author, "similar" to recent European guidance on this issue.

heartbriefs

FDA expands exenatide use; warns of renal-failure risk

Nov 3, 2009 13:15 EST

The FDA has issued a warning about exenatide the same day the agency approved its first-line use along with diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Imaging

CMS set to cut Medicare physician fees for cardiovascular imaging

5 COMMENTS - Nov 3, 2009 11:45 EST

The 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule released by the CMS makes major cuts to several cardiovascular imaging services.

Heart failure

CORONA analysis reopens door for statins in heart failure

Nov 3, 2009 10:45 EST

Statins for heart failure? After they failed to show much effect in two large randomized trials? Yes—maybe; at least in patients with ischemic heart failure who start the drugs early enough, suggests a post hoc analysis based on one of the trials.

Hypertension

Combined home/GP hypertension control program successful in Pakistan

3 COMMENTS - Nov 2, 2009 17:00 EST

A synergistic approach of educating general practitioners about hypertension control together with a program to send lay workers into people's homes to educate them about the management of high blood pressure has proven successful in low- to middle-income households in Pakistan.

Prevention

Advocates build support for Canadian Heart Health Strategy in a difficult environment

Nov 2, 2009 11:15 EST

Supporters of the Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan continue to solicit support from physicians and the public for a comprehensive strategy for improving Canadian's heart health at both the provincial and federal level.

Brain/Kidney/Peripheral

No TREAT: Darbepoetin alfa fails to reduce CV or renal events in anemic diabetics with CKD

Oct 30, 2009 20:41 EDT

No differences were seen between groups, except in strokes, which were twice as high in the active-treatment group. Anticipated improvements in fatigue scores were modest and not clinically meaningful, investigators say.

Interventional/Surgery

Blood type of pig may be factor in longevity of porcine replacement heart valves

Oct 30, 2009 16:45 EDT

Researchers in Ottawa find that the longevity of porcine replacement heart valves may depend partly on whether the blood type of the patient matches the blood type of the valve's "original owner."

Imaging

Imaging study shows plaque regression with niacin vs placebo

11 COMMENTS - Oct 30, 2009 16:00 EDT

Just weeks before ARBITER-HALTS 6 results come out at AHA 2009, an MRI study suggests that niacin is better than placebo in statin-treated patients with low HDL, at least for reducing carotid wall area. Experts say they'd also like to see insights into niacin effects on lipid-rich plaque volumes—the more commonly seen end point with MRI.

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