Burton Sobel, a towering scientist and cardiologist, died at home on May 3 at the age of 75. Sobel had been treated in the past for prostate cancer and had suffered a recurrence, but it is not known if this was the immediate cause of his death. Sobel was among the most powerful and influential…

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This week’s topics include fibrinolysis or primary PCI in STEMI, the effect of lower sodium intake on health, and the effect of increased potassium intake on CV risk factors and disease.

CardioExchange’s Rick Lange and David Hillis ask Frans Van de Werf, principal investigator for the STREAM study, about his study group’s findings and their implications for clinical practice. THE STUDY In the STREAM trial, investigators compared two treatment strategies in STEMI patients presenting early after symptom onset who were unable to undergo primary PCI within…

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For more of our ACC.13 coverage of late-breaking clinical trials, interviews with the authors of the most important research, and blogs from our fellows on the most interesting presentations at the meeting, check out our Coverage Headquarters. Although primary PCI has emerged as the best treatment for STEMI, most patients don’t receive this treatment within…

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The latest analysis of 2009 CMS data for 13,776 STEMI patients of door-in to door-out (DIDO) time by Herrin and colleagues does not bring encouraging news. After many years of hard work to reduce DIDO time for patients who present at facilities without primary PCI capability, only a small fraction of patients (<10%) are transferred…

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Fewer than 10% of STEMI patients eligible for PCI who arrive at a hospital without PCI capability are transferred within the recommended times, according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Although dramatic improvements in door-to-balloon times have been achieved in recent years in PCI-capable hospitals, the new report suggests that…

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