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Newer-Generation DES: Promising Two-Year Results vs Taxus For Xience V and Nobori
Enduring clinical results suggest that the newer platforms, with limus-type drugs, may offer an edge over the first DES on the market.
Heartwire, May 2008
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BART Closes the Book on Aprotinin
Results from the trial--halted last year due to safety concerns--clearly point to increased deaths in high-risk CABG patients randomized to aprotinin instead of a lysine-analog antifibrinolytic.
Heartwire, May 2008
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Debating IVUS for Routine Clinical Use: Can Optimizing Stent Placement With IVUS Improve Clinical Outcomes?
Proponents say intravascular ultrasound can reduce stent underexpansion and improve placement--things that should translate into less stent thrombosis/restenosis. But in the absence of large randomized clinical trials, others argue the technology is too expensive, prolongs procedures, and requires too much expertise to use on a routine basis.
Heartwire, May 2008
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CME
New MESA Data Show Obesity Is Not Inevitable
A new look at the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis has found that 30% to 50% of blacks, whites, and Hispanics, but only 5% of Chinese Americans, are obese, showing that obesity is not inevitable.
Medscape Medical News, May 2008
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CME
Hypertension and Hyperlipidemia Are Also Risk Factors for Retinal Vascular Disease
High blood pressure and high cholesterol levels are risk factors for both cardiovascular disease and retinal vein occlusion.
Medscape Medical News, May 2008
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Inferior Vena Cava Filters Can Be Used in Pregnancy
Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement intended to prevent thromboembolic events seems safe during pregnancy for mother and fetus and "may be tentatively supported," clinicians from the UK report in the May issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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Disputed Echo Results From MIST I Require Regulatory Attention, Article States
Dr Jonathan Tobis argues that the FDA and the MHRA in the UK should step in to clear up the "mist of confusion" created by the disparate residual-shunt data reported officially and unofficially for MIST I. While the FDA is refusing to comment, the UK agency says it has reviewed the data and found no sign of safety or efficacy problems with the STARflex device.
Heartwire, May 2008
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Generic Clopidogrel Imminent, This Time in Europe
A generic version of clopidogrel is expected to be available soon in Germany and then other European countries, according to an announcement from Swiss pharmaceutical company Schweizerhall.
Heartwire, May 2008
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FDA Backpedals on Warnings in Echo-Contrast Labeling
Warnings and contraindications imposed late last year have been softened after the agency heard from the medical community.
Heartwire, May 2008
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CME
Anticoagulant and Antiplatelet Therapy for Endoscopic Procedures Reviewed
Guidelines have been issued regarding proper anticoagulant and antiplatelet treatment of patients who undergo endoscopic procedures.
Medscape Medical News, May 2008
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Diabetic Retinopathy Strongly Associated With Coronary Artery Calcium
Results of a study reveal a "rather striking" association between diabetic retinopathy, particularly proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and the presence and extent of coronary artery calcium (CAC), a reliable indicator of atherosclerosis, researchers report in the May issue of Diabetes Care.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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Thiazide-Related Increase in Blood Glucose Depends on BMI
Patients who are started on treatment with thiazides for hypertension have an overall increase in fasting blood glucose, and the magnitude of the increase correlates with body mass index (BMI), according to findings published in the April issue of the American Journal of Hypertension.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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CME
Detection of Carotid Bruit Can Help Identify Patients at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease
According to a new study, carotid bruits detected by auscultation might serve as markers for heart disease but not as indicators of carotid lesions and the subsequent risk for stroke.
Medscape Medical News, May 2008
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CME/CE
Age-Related Pulmonary Crackles May Interfere With Diagnosis of Heart Failure
A study identifies characteristics of pulmonary crackles in elderly patients to better diagnose heart failure.
Medscape Medical News, May 2008
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CME
ICDs in Children: Better Patient Selection Needed
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators delivered more inappropriate shocks in children than they did in adults.
Medscape Medical News, May 2008
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Calcification Score Predicts Amputation With Peripheral Arterial Disease
The tibial artery calcification (TAC) score, assessed by multidetector CT, can identify patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) who are at high risk for amputation, new research shows.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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PCI Safe During Continuing Anticoagulant Therapy
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be conducted safely during uninterrupted oral anticoagulant treatment, according to Finnish researchers.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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Sildenafil May Protect Heart in Muscular Dystrophy
Sildenafil and other phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors may delay or even reverse cardiac damage associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, according to animal research reported in the May 13 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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Physical Therapists Better Than Robots in Helping Stroke Survivors Regain Mobility
In ambulatory stroke survivors who still have moderate to severe gait impairment after 6 months, therapist-assisted training prompts greater improvement in walking ability than does training provided by a robotic device, according to an article in the June issue of Stroke, posted online on May 8.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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Cilostazol as Effective as Aspirin in Prevention of Recurrent Stroke
Results of a randomized pilot trial suggest that cilostazol, a PDE3 inhibitor, is as effective as aspirin in preventing recurrent stroke, with significantly lower rates of bleeding.
Medscape Medical News, May 2008
