Prevention
Earlier and more aggressive LDL lowering, or better approaches for targeting high-risk individuals?
Aug 18, 2008 17:00 EDT
A review by three renowned experts in cardiology suggests that efforts to treat elevated cholesterol levels are not exploiting the full potential of cholesterol-lowering strategies and current approaches to treatment are simply doing "too little, too late." Two experts, however, say the review ignores practical issues and other markers that are better able to identify high-risk individuals. (Steinberg D et al. Circulation 2008; 118: 672-677.)
Acute coronary syndrome
On-TIME 2 in print: Acute STEMI gains with prehospital triple antiplatelet therapy
1 COMMENT - Aug 15, 2008 16:45 EDT
Adding tirofiban to therapy with clopidogrel, aspirin, and heparin while the patient is in transit to a PCI center improves ST-segment resolution; outcomes may also improve, the trial hinted. (van't Hof AWJ et al. Lancet 2008; 372:537-546.)
MediaPulse
ATLAS trial "flaws"? Wall Street Journal alleges stats do not prove noninferiority of Liberté to Taxus Express
Aug 14, 2008 14:15 EDT
WSJ reporter Keith Winstein alleges that the statistical method used by Boston Scientific to demonstrate noninferiority of its second-generation DES was flawed and that other "standard" statistical methods would suggest that the Liberté is not up to snuff.
Interventional/Surgery
COURAGE quality-of-life analysis: Slim early gains with PCI soon disappear
12 COMMENTS - Aug 13, 2008 17:00 EDT
The angina relief and better quality of life provided by PCI-based management in the controversial trial was modest and temporary, some observers say. But critics maintain, as they have all along, that the deck was stacked against PCI in favor of the strategy based on optimal medical therapy. (Weintraub WS et al. N Engl J Med 2008; 359:677-687.)
View all »
Editorial series
A series of discussions among editorial leaders, developed by theheart.org

Cardiology panels
Clinical trials under the microscope: A critical look at current practice
1 COMMENT - Jul 29, 2008 09:52 EDT
Join Drs Harlan Krumholz, Robert Harrington, Steven Nissen, and Frans Van De Werf as they give clinical trials a spirited going-over, from how they are being conducted to who is conducting them, and get into some of the sticky issues around sponsorship and data management.
Cardiology panels
Heart-failure overview: ACC 2008
Jul 15, 2008 16:33 EDT
Join Dr Melissa Walton-Shirley as she talks to Drs Ileana Piña, Clyde Yancy, and cardiology fellow Eiran Gorodeski about the current state of treatment for decompensated congestive heart failure, why we need to remember the fundamentals, and some exciting data from the PROTECT-1 pilot study.
Dr Clyde Yancy
Cardiology panels
Rethinking hypertension: It's not how low you go, but how you get there
Jun 30, 2008 10:15 EDT
Join Drs Clyde Yancy and Robert Harrington as they discuss the clinical implications of ONTARGET and ACCOMPLISH, why they are reconsidering their skepticism about combination therapies in the treatment of hypertension, and how lowering blood pressure may be more than just a numbers game.
Cardiology panels
Best practices for STEMI patients: TRANSFER-AMI and more
Jun 16, 2008 12:56 EDT
Drs Frans Van de Werf and Gilles Montalescot talk about the results of TRANSFER-AMI, current practice for the treatment of STEMI patients, and ongoing and future trials that they hope will further clarify questions on transfer times for PCI and optimal antithrombin therapies.
Discussion and opinions
Lively, interactive exchanges moderated by thought leaders, staff or contributors to theheart.org

Topolog
Statin Induced Myopathy
Jul 31, 2008 15:00 EDT
Discussion of an important discovery just published in NEJM. What are your thoughts on how this will change clinical practice?
Fellows' Corner
WSJ article on Taxus Liberte study: statistical smoking gun or media hype?
Jul 31, 2008 14:55 EDT
theHeart.org Discussion Forum
Varenicline safety concerns: An interview with Dr Serena Tonstad - Melissa Walton-Shirley
May 14, 2008 15:43 EDT
Read about our forum moderator's heroic and sometimes comic efforts to get a smoking ban passed by her city council in tobacco country.
theHeart.org Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
May 14, 2008 15:52 EDT
theheart.org Forum, where discussions among healthcare providers, clinicians, and researchers reflect our common goal of decreasing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality around the world.
Interventional/Surgery
Mixed results for transapical valve procedure prompt new doubts and reassurances
Aug 19, 2008 17:00 EDT
More and more surgeons and interventionalists are getting their hands on the Edwards transcatheter aortic valve, now that it has CE Mark approval in Europe and the PARTNER trial ramps up in the US. Rumors of higher mortality rates with the transapical delivery method are fueling debate over appropriate patient selection, delivery technique, and what the future holds.
Clinical cardiology
Don't end it with WENBIT—details needed on B vitamins, stroke, and cancer
Aug 19, 2008 16:00 EDT
Investigators for WENBIT, now published, say their study is in keeping with others showing no effects of folic acid/vitamin B12 on total mortality or CV events. But a worrying trend toward more cancers among patients taking these supplements needs to be clarified, they say. (Ebbing M et al. JAMA 2008; 300:795-804.)
Lipid/Metabolic
Many US adults, especially high-risk individuals, not at recommended lipid targets
Aug 19, 2008 15:00 EDT
There remains a significant gap in overall lipid control, especially among individuals with cardiovascular comorbidities, say authors of a new study. Less than one in five high-risk individuals are meeting the recommended targets for all lipids, including LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. (Ghandehari H et al. Am Heart J 2008; 156:112-119.)
Prevention
Direct cardiotoxicity from air pollution appreciated as possible hazard
Aug 19, 2008 09:30 EDT
Lab evidence suggests some breathed pollutants may directly impair coronary flow and heart contractility, according to a review. (Simkhovich BZ et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 2008; 52:719-726.)
Prevention
Retinopathy ups CHD risk even without diabetes
2 COMMENTS - Aug 15, 2008 14:15 EDT
A new study has found that retinopathy is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, regardless of whether or not the person has diabetes. (Liew G et al. Heart; published online before print August 12, 2008.)
Interventional/Surgery
FDA and Boston Scientific recall NexStent carotid stent system
Aug 15, 2008 12:45 EDT
The FDA and Boston Scientific announced a class 1 recall of the NexStent Monorail, NexStent carotid stent, and Monorail delivery system, distributed between June 2007 and May 2008, because the tip of the stent-delivery system may detach.
Interventional/Surgery
Less TVR with DES vs bare-metal stents at two years in real-world setting
1 COMMENT - Aug 15, 2008 10:00 EDT
Two-year "real-world" follow-up of patients has shown that those treated with drug-eluting stents have lower target-vessel revascularization rates than those treated with bare-metal stents, but the absolute benefit is less than observed in clinical trials. (Anstrom KJ et al. Arch Intern Med 2008; 168:1647-1655.)
Brain/Kidney/Peripheral
New ONTARGET analysis provokes debate about treating those at high renal risk
Aug 14, 2008 18:30 EDT
A new analysis of renal outcomes in ONTARGET has shown that those taking a combination of telmisartan and ramipril fared worse than those taking either drug alone. But the results do not provide much help when it comes to determining whether one very small subgroup—those with overt nephropathy—benefit from the combination or not. (Mann JFE et al. Lancet 2008; 372:547-553.)
Prevention
Overall healthy lifestyle dramatically reduces stroke risk
Aug 14, 2008 18:00 EDT
A new analysis combining the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and the Nurses' Health Study confirms that in addition to preventing chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, an overall healthy lifestyle is associated with a significantly decreased stroke risk. (Chiuve SE et al. Circulation; published online before print August 12, 2008.)
Interventional/Surgery
Bivalirudin costs more, but adds no overall benefit compared with UFH in elective PCI: ISAR-REACT 3 published
Aug 14, 2008 11:30 EDT
Further studies may clarify whether one therapy may be better in specific subgroups of elective PCI patients pretreated with clopidogrel or whether a lower heparin bolus would produce different results. In the meantime, the lead investigator for ISAR-REACT 3 says UFH's low price makes it the clear choice. (Kastrati A et al. N Engl J Med 2008; 359:688-696.)
Acute coronary syndrome
AHA publishes statement on integrating prehospital ECGs into care for ACS patients
Aug 13, 2008 18:00 EDT
The central challenge, say the authors, will not be in the acquisition of the ECG, but rather in using and integrating the diagnostic information obtained by EMS personnel into existing systems of care. (Ting HH et al. Circulation 2008; published online before print August 13, 2008.)
quote
Most popular news
  1. Children of Colorado cardiologist among victims in Oregon plane crash
  2. New update on infective-endocarditis prophylaxis: Now a class IIa recommendation
  3. Smoking influences antiplatelet response to clopidogrel
  4. First ARB/CCB combo approved for initial therapy
  5. Routine shock-energy testing in primary-prevention ICDs questioned—again
  6. IV antihypertensive clevidipine approved in the US
  7. Vytorin misses primary end point in SEAS study
  8. Gary Francis on the move to the University of Minnesota
  9. Real-time 3D transesophageal echo will "revolutionize" diagnostics, surgical planning, and percutaneous procedures
  10. Choosing quality vs quantity of life in heart failure: Decisions often made early
Poll
Do you think it should be mandatory for new diabetes drugs to undergo cardiovascular outcome trials?
See: FDA advisory committee recommends cardiovascular safety studies for diabetes drugs
Yes
No

Vote
button
Previews
Featured CME
View all »
Info from Industry
Promotional educational programs

Features
Features
Letting the genome out of the bottle: Unraveling the genetics of heart disease
3 COMMENTS - Jun 23, 2008 17:00 EDT
The past year has seen an explosion in genomewide-association studies unearthing common genetic variants that increase the probabilities of getting many complex diseases. But what is the state of play in cardiology? Despite the first genetic test for MI, experts say there is still a long way to go in the hunt for genetic determinants of cardiovascular disease.
Features
Attack of the clones? Cardiology journals multiply in 2008
2 COMMENTS - May 13, 2008 16:15 EDT
That thud could be the sound of eight new journals landing on your desk, offspring of JACC and Circulation that focus on specific areas of cardiology. Boosters say they are good for the field, but others question how much they're needed.