theheart.org - Clinical cardiology

Over 1300 deaths in Mediator scandal in France

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:30:48 EST

The number of deaths attributable to heart-valve insufficiency as a result of the use of benfluorex in France is likely more than double that previously thought, a new investigation finds.

Referring MDs fall short on ICD-indication guidelines

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:15:12 EST

A lot of generalists and some cardiologists apparently don't know some of the fundamental criteria for indication of a primary-prevention device and so may not be referring all patients who might benefit, a survey suggests.

Ten foods provide half of sodium eaten in US

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:06 EST

New estimates of salt consumption from a recent US survey show that 10 food groups provide almost half of the dietary sodium consumed in the country and that 90% of individuals eat more than the recommended daily amount of sodium.

Like father, like son: Y-chromosome variant may explain CAD

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:30:00 EST

New genetic work has unveiled an association between some lineages of the relatively empty male Y chromosome and coronary artery disease. The hypothesis, while "intriguing," requires more research to confirm, says one expert.

Generalists need education on HF treatment

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:00:09 EST

A unique study trying to drill down into why cardiologists seem to gain better outcomes than generalists when treating heart failure has identified a number of reasons that this is the case. But generalists—who treat the majority of HF—have to deal with older and sicker patients, confounding the issue. The authors hope the work will act as a catalyst to improve HF care.

KEEP: Focus on CKD patients with highest SBP

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:30:06 EST

A new, contemporary study in real-world patients with chronic kidney disease finds that those with systolic BPs of 140 mm Hg and higher are at the greatest risk of developing end-stage renal disease. Hence the current "goal" in CKD patients of 130 mm Hg should be revised upward, say the authors, making the target easier to achieve and allowing physicians to focus on other aspects of care.

The flap over flavonoids

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:15:40 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?

New data will shed light on cancer risk from imaging

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00:29 EST

Ongoing epidemiological studies in children who have undergone CT scans should help provide a better understanding of radiation-associated cancer risks from cardiac imaging over the next few years.

Interarm BP differences increase CVD risk

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:15:56 EST

New research indicates that large differences in systolic blood pressure between the right and left arm of 15 mm Hg or more point to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. The findings should add weight to guidelines, which already encourage doctors to measure BP in both arms, say the authors and editorialists.

Don't routinely replace spent ICDs: Proposal

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

It may have little to offer and it might not be what the patient wants, argues a perspective in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Contaminated cardiac drugs kill more than 100 in Pakistan

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:45:35 EST

More than 100 people have died in Pakistan and hundreds more have been hospitalized after having received contaminated cardiac drugs.

Heart attack deaths plummet in three EU nations

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:15:26 EST

New statistics from Denmark, England, and Poland show a roughly 50% drop in deaths due to acute AMI in recent decades.

Cardiologists flagging woeful patient care say they paid with their jobs

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:30:00 EST

An echocardiographer and cardiac surgeon who say their jobs were axed in retaliation after they lodged numerous complaints of substandard patient care at a county hospital in Santa Clara are suing some of their former bosses, including two other cardiologists. The plaintiffs also claim they suffered severe harassment as a result of expressing their concerns. The defendants' attorney says the case "is hotly disputed."

Pay for SGR repeal with war savings, say medical groups

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:45:34 EST

A letter to Rep Dave Camp from 110 medical societies admits that war savings from military pullbacks are a "budget gimmick" but says they could retire SGR debt, another budget gimmick.

PLATO: PPI analysis "raises flag" but should not change practice

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:47 EST

A new analysis of the PLATO study has found that use of a proton-pump inhibitor was independently associated with a higher rate of cardiovascular events but that this was apparent in both the ticagrelor and clopidogrel arms. The finding is likely due to confounding and should not precipitate any change in advice on this subject, says the lead author.

Carotid images don't boost quit rates or cut CV risk factors in smokers

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

A new randomized controlled trial is the latest addition to a contentious field of research trying to establish whether "seeing is believing" when it comes to motivating cardiovascular risk reduction.

Gifts, pep talks have some success post-PCI and in hypertension

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

Some of the first research showing that positive affect interventions—including phone calls to bolster self-affirming thoughts and small gifts—generate some success in post-PCI and hypertensive patients has been published. An editorialist describes the work as "innovative" and calls for many more studies of this kind.

Pillow talk: First AHA advice on sex and CVD

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

The first-ever guidance on sexual activity and cardiovascular disease from the AHA encourages doctors, patients, and their partners to discuss the subject during consultations. The majority of those with heart disease can safely engage in sex, which is important to quality of life, it concludes.

"High-normal" blood pressure linked to AF

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:15:44 EST

Upper-normal levels of blood pressure in otherwise-healthy middle-aged men appear to predict a higher risk for the development of atrial fibrillation in older age, a new study suggests.

Contemporary look at VTE after joint surgery

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

One in 100 patients who have knee-replacement surgery and one in 200 who undergo hip replacement will have a venous thromboembolic event in the hospital, despite receiving modern anticoagulant prophylaxis, a new review shows. These numbers will help inform patients and clinicians, say the authors, but an editorialist notes that to get a better picture, it will be necessary to look at a longer postsurgery time frame.

Resveratrol scientists react to Das fraud scandal: "Research will continue"

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:20:01 EST

As the controversy over the research fraud allegations against Dr Dipak Das enters its third day, researchers told heartwire what the news means for the field of resveratrol research and, more pressingly, an upcoming scientific meeting.

FDA: CardioGen-82 problems site-specific

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:15:04 EST

The generators, used in cardiac nuclear scans, were recalled by the manufacturer last summer, and the FDA previously found fault with manufacturing processes. Now the FDA says the excessive radiation cases appear to have occurred only at specific clinical sites and were unrelated to any manufacturing deficiencies.

Red-wine researcher charged with photo-editing fraud

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:30:31 EST

A University of Connecticut investigation found Dr Dipak K Das guilty of falsifying and fabricating images that appeared in published research.

Very low risk of cardiac arrest and sudden death in long-distance running events

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

Despite the high-profile deaths of seemingly healthy runners at marathons in the past few years, new data show that the risk of cardiac arrest and sudden death during marathon and half-marathon running races is actually quite low.

Statins cost four times more in US than UK

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:00:38 EST

UPDATED // Based on 2005 numbers, American private insurers paid as much as 400% more for statins than the UK government was paying over the same period. Even for statins sold as brand-name drugs in both countries, US costs were at least double.

Inactivity is a universal risk factor for heart attack

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:40:42 EST

New findings from the INTERHEART study show that being physically active during leisure and work time protects against MI. The message is simple, say the authors: incorporate as much physical activity into daily life as is possible. Not surprisingly, those who own a TV and car have a higher risk of MI, they also show.

Pulmonary hypertension in kids differs from adult PAH

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:30:00 EST

A new registry of children with pulmonary hypertension is helping to differentiate the pediatric population with this disease from the adult one and should aid in better diagnosis and treatment of this condition in kids, say the authors.

GWTG improves AMI care in Asian Americans

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

The new data suggest that among participating hospitals in the GWTG program, equitable quality care for many performance measures can be attained across racial and ethnic groups, including Asian Americans, say researchers.

Aspirin in primary prevention: New meta-analysis finds bleeding outweighs benefits for most

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:00:46 EST

But there may be a case for aspirin treatment in certain individuals at high risk of heart disease or with a family history of cancer.

Aortic stenosis grading system misses rare, high-risk group

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

A new study has examined the clinical outcomes of asymptomatic aortic-stenosis patients classified by valve area plus flow-gradient patterns instead of the older, inherently inconsistent system based on separate area, gradient, and flow measurements.

Bereavement triggers MI, new study finds

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

Bereaved people are 21 times more likely to suffer an MI the day after the death of a significant other, and this heightened risk remains for as long as a month afterward, new research finds. Healthcare providers, the bereaved themselves, and their family and friends need to recognize this heightened risk, say the authors.

UK's NICE wants more data on rivaroxaban in AF

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:50:00 EST

The UK drugs cost-efficacy watchdog, NICE, has asked for more data from Bayer before it will sanction use of rivaroxaban for stroke prevention in atrial-fibrillation patients.

Excess calories, not proportion of dietary protein, key in causing obesity

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:15:33 EST

Excessive food intake, rather than the mix of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, has been implicated in causing obesity and is key in treating it.

RESPECT PFO/stroke trial completes enrollment

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:00:32 EST

After eight years of sluggish patient accrual, the RESPECT trial looking at the Amplatzer device for the prevention of cryptogenic stroke has finally collected enough events for the trial to be stopped.

BRCA1 cancer gene affects cardiac function

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST

Canadian researchers have discovered that the BRCA1 gene is implicated in cardiac function, at least in mice. The findings may also have implications for cancer sufferers who have mutations in this gene: they may be at increased risk of heart disease and more likely to suffer cardiotoxicity from chemotherapy.

Rivaroxaban filed for ACS in US and EU

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:30:58 EST

The factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban has been filed for approval for the additional indication of secondary prevention in acute coronary syndrome in both the US and EU.

Bariatric surgery reduces CV events, but mechanisms remain a mystery

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

The latest data from the Swedish Obese Subjects study show that bariatric surgery reduces the risk of cardiovascular events and CV death among obese individuals, compared with usual care. But weight loss is not the reason behind this reduced risk, meaning that guidelines that use BMI to determine who will get such surgery need updating, say the authors and an editorialist.

Enoxaparin prophylaxis doesn't cut mortality in acute-care setting

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:00:02 EST

Antithrombotic prophylaxis remains important in this group for other reasons, but don't expect it to necessarily prevent death, according to researchers.

Analysis slams use of clopidogrel loss-of-function gene test; proponents fire back

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:30:00 EST

A new meta-analysis and especially an accompanying editorial argue against current use of CYP2C19 genotyping to define risk of subsequent CV events in patients considered for clopidogrel. Proponents of the test defend its use and describe what they see as flaws in the study.

Congress postpones Medicare pay cut

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:30:15 EST

UPDATED // After the Senate had overwhelmingly approved the plan and a tumultuous few days among House Republicans, this morning Congress voted to put off a steep cut in Medicare physician reimbursements that was to take effect on January 1, 2012.

CMS announces DRGs under scrutiny as part of trial prepayment audit program

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:45:54 EST

The recovery audit contractor prepayment program is to be implemented January 2012 in 11 states, including some of the most populous, and will focus first on selected DRGs often associated with claims errors.

FDA approves new combination for hypertension

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:45:34 EST

The new agent is the first fixed-dose therapy in the US to combine an angiotensin-receptor blocker with the diuretic chlorthalidone.

First data to show antihypertensive therapy prolongs life

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:00:25 EST

The first-ever long-term data from a high-blood-pressure trial, the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program, reveals that people taking the antihypertensives lived longer free from cardiovascular disease and died less often from CV causes. The results should help encourage patients to comply with medication and doctors to prescribe it, say the researchers.

Increasing heart rate over time linked with heart disease mortality

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST

Despite the adverse effects of an increase in resting heart rate over time, individuals who lowered their resting heart rate did not have a lower risk of ischemic heart disease, a finding that suggests the association is not linear.

ALTITUDE halted: Adverse events when aliskiren added to ACE, ARB therapy

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:20:02 EST

Data and safety monitors for ALTITUDE noted that patients in the trial taking aliskiren instead of placebo on top of ACE or ARB therapy experienced an increased incidence of nonfatal stroke, renal complications, hyperkalemia, and hypotension.

Overeating, salt, the real culprits in stroke risk

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:15:41 EST

The quality and quantity of a person's diet are more important determinants of stroke risk than the foods and nutrients consumed.

Improving BP in middle age pays off later

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:30:20 EST

Most studies of lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease that have focused on BP look at one index point, so researchers have examined multiple pooled studies to see how changes in BP over time during middle age affect lifetime risk.

FDA puts new warnings on dronedarone

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:00:31 EST

CORRECTED // The FDA is warning atrial-fibrillation patients taking dronedarone about the risks of the drug in patients with permanent AF.

Combining wireless sensors and genomics for CVD prevention?

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:00:31 EST

Monitoring an individual's risk for MI in the future would ideally first take into account his or her genome sequence or other biomarkers and then might use an implanted nanosensor smaller than a grain of sand. In an excerpt from his new book, The Creative Destruction of Medicine, theheart.org's editor in chief offers a glimpse of what that might look like.

Hospital admissions predict readmission for heart failure

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:15:00 EST

New research indicates that initial hospital admission rates predict readmission rates for CHF in the US and that these figures vary greatly by region. It's time to reduce incentives to use hospital services, say researchers.

Riata ICD lead "alert" is now a class I recall

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:30:00 EST

The US FDA has designated a recent physician advisory letter relating to St Jude Medical's Riata family of ICD leads as a class I recall, the most serious. The letter, issued last month, warned doctors that more leads than it first thought were affected by a problem related to insulation failure.

AHA Statistics: New year, same trends

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:00:12 EST

The new annual update on the state of America's heart health is out and provides some encouraging news about outcomes while underscoring the severity of the country's problems with obesity and poor fitness.

Vitamin D fails again to affect CV mortality

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:15:40 EST

Three-year follow-up from a British study adds to accumulating evidence that vitamin-D supplementation does not have an impact on cardiovascular mortality. Only large ongoing trials, the results of which are not expected for a number of years, will resolve this issue once and for all, say the researchers.

AF following TAVI associated with higher risk of stroke

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST

A small study indicates that even a very short episode of AF following TAVI might be associated with an increased risk of stroke. The findings have implications for antithrombotic therapy after TAVI, say the authors and accompanying editorialists.

TACT study of chelation therapy again in spotlight

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:15:57 EST

The TACT study, investigating the chelation therapy EDTA in coronary heart disease patients, is once again the subject of controversy, this time in an article published yesterday in the Chicago Tribune.

New evidence addresses ADHD meds and adult CVD risk

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:30:56 EST

A large observational study provides reassuring news on the safety of medications for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in middle-aged adults, researchers say.

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

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:00:00 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.

Chewing khat increases risk in cardiac patients

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST

Researchers in the Middle East are warning doctors about the practice of chewing khat leaves, previously described as a "smokeless gun," which they have shown results in worse outcomes among ACS patients. Far from being benign, this plant contains constituents similar to amphetamines, but neither physicians nor users understand the risks, they say.