A new analysis of the ILLUMINATE trial raises the possibility that CETP inhibitors like torcetrapib might have the unexpected beneficial effect of improving glycemic control in addition to their intended effect of raising HDL cholesterol. Development of torcetrapib was halted several years ago following the early termination of the large ILLUMINATE trial due to an…

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The FDA has posted the briefing documents for the much anticipated meeting on Wednesday (July 20) of the Circulatory System Devices Panel for the Edwards SAPIEN transcatheter heart valve (THV) system in patients with severe aortic stenosis who are not eligible for surgical valve replacement, as studied in the PARTNER B trial. Overall, the FDA…

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The Maryland Board of Physicians has revoked the medical license of Mark Midei–the interventional cardiologist accused of implanting hundreds of unnecessary stents at St. Joseph Medical Center in the community of Towson. In its Final Decision and Order the Maryland Board found that Midei was guilty of unprofessional conduct, willfully making a false report, gross overutilization of health…

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Previous studies have shown that therapeutic hypothermia (TH) improves outcomes in patients who have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). In a new paper published in Circulation, Michael Mooney and colleagues report on their experience with 140 OHCA patients in Minnesota who received treatment within a regional network of care that transfers OHCA patients to a…

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The separate roles of sodium and potassium in cardiovascular disease have been extensively observed in epidemiologic studies. Now a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine examines their joint effect. Quanhe Yang and colleagues analyzed data from 12,267 adults participating in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. As expected, they found that…

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Once again, a study finds that cardiologists don’t always pay attention to the literature and guidelines. In 2006, the Occluded Artery Trial (OAT) showed no benefit for routine PCI in patients with persistently occluded infarct-related arteries identified at least one day after an MI. But the study appears to have had minimal impact on clinical…

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With the publication of the final results of the ASCEND-HF (Acute Study of Clinical Effectiveness of Nesiritide in Decompensated Heart Failure) trial in the New England Journal of Medicine, the once intense controversy over the use — or misuse — of the drug nesiritide in patients with acute decompensated heart failure has finally been resolved….

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The PALLAS trial of dronedarone (Multaq) for permanent AF has been stopped early, according to a press release issued by Sanofi. PALLAS (Permanent Atrial fibriLLAtion outcome Study using Dronedarone on top of standard therapy) was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase IIIb trial of dronedarone in patients with permanent AF. The company said the discontinuation of the…

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It probably won’t come as a big surprise, but a new study finds that women who live a healthy lifestyle have a lower risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD). In a paper published in JAMA, Stephanie Chiuve and colleagues analyzed data from 81,722 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study. They used 4 factors to…

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Only half of all PCIs performed for nonacute cases have a definite indication, according to a report from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry published in JAMA. Paul Chan and colleagues analyzed data from more than half a million PCI procedures performed between July 1, 2009 and September 30, 2010. Out of 500,154 PCIs, they found…

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