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 within the national benchmark of 30 minutes, which is not appreciably better than the authors’ previous analysis in 2005. With recent studies showing no mortality benefit for primary PCI over thrombolytics in low and intermediate… Continue Reading

Three experts weigh in on findings from the ATLAS ACS 2-TIMI 51 and ADOPT trials.

Whether you were in Orlando for AHA.11 or not, you’ll want to check out our 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. VIEWS AND ANALYSIS ROUNDTABLE: After SATURN, What Role for Rosuvastatin? A CardioExchange Panel: Steven Nissen, JoAnne Foody, and Roger Blumenthal answer this question: Reading the results of SATURN in light of the impending arrival of generic atorvastatin, what is the appropriate role of rosuvastatin at this point? ROUNDTABLE:… Continue Reading

With the publication and presentation of negative data from the SATURN trial (see our news summary), CardioExchange convened a panel to answer this question: In light of the data from SATURN and the impending arrival of generic atorvastatin, what is the appropriate role of rosuvastatin at this point? Steven E. Nissen, MD (senior author of SATURN) The SATURN Trial demonstrated statistically significant regression of coronary disease in patients treated with the maximum approved dosages of the two most efficacious statins (atorvastatin and rosuvastatin) administered at their highest approved dosages. Despite… Continue Reading

Steve Nissen, JoAnne Foody, Roger Blumenthal, and AIM HIGH author William Boden weigh in on what patients do and don’t remain good candidates for niacin therapy.

John Mandrola, Eric Prystowsky, and Sanjay Kaul weigh in on PALLAS and the present and future of Multaq.

. . . or almost. Here are some abstract and session titles that have caught my eye so far: Nightmares in the Cath Lab. A session where fellows presented cases gone wrong. I missed this one and sorry I did. Wonder if TCT had anything similar. My Most Challenging Cases: Shock and Awe in the Interventional Suite. Along the same theme — and with presentation titles like Coronary Disaster, Peripheral Disaster, and Structural Disaster — you can only imagine what these talks will be like. I think this shows that… Continue Reading

The AHA Opening Session is something I usually avoid, maybe because I feel a bit uncomfortable in large, dark rooms with flashing lights and very loud music (a setup that seems to favor the visually gifted but audiologically impaired). Admittedly, when the recipients of the Distinguished Scientist awards were paraded across the stage to a majestic melody, I did for a fleeting instant wonder if that’s what it’s like to be at the Academy Awards. All this notwithstanding, a few important themes came through. In addition to a brief overview… Continue Reading

Late breakers and plenaries aside, a few perennial AHA conference sessions are, I think, often overlooked: Early Career Sessions. Not just for early career folk, these sessions allow any attendee to hear scientific luminaries talk about why and how they do what they do. Where else might you catch Joe Loscalzo describing how the early research career often includes a period of “darkness,” among other periods that sound suspiciously like Kubler-Ross stages of grieving? Of course, he’s not trying to depress the audience but simply explaining how hard it is… Continue Reading

About a week ago I was asked to consult on a patient I’ll call Betty. This delightful 92-year-old woman, who lived alone, was admitted during the night with pain in the upper chest and shoulders. She had been feeling this discomfort off and on for 2 days, and when it woke her from sleep, she came to the ER. She also reported a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and mild diabetes treated with oral medication. She was pain-free when I met her, and her exam was unremarkable. Both her troponin and… Continue Reading