Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) news | theheart.org

COMFORTABLE-AMI: Bioerodable polymer DES trumps bare metal in STEMI

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:50:23 EDT

The trial is the first randomized controlled trial to show a safety advantage of a DES, investigators say.

COMPARE II: Nobori biolimus stent matches everolimus stents in all-comers

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:15:12 EDT

While equal to the market-leading Xience/Promus stents in terms of efficacy and safety, the Nobori failed to show an edge where many hope stents with bioerodable polymers will have their niche—in reducing stent thrombosis.

FAME II: FFR pinpoints stable CAD patients who fare worse with OMT

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:00:00 EDT

Preliminary data showing urgent revascularizations to be more than 10 times higher in patients treated with optimal medical therapy instead of PCI were what prompted the data safety and monitoring board to halt FAME II.

Data gathering for Sunshine Act delayed

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:15:19 EDT

The CMS says that drug and device makers will not have to start collecting data on payments to physicians until 2013.

Taking STEMI patients to PCI hospitals saves time and lives

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:45:16 EDT

A new study has found that patients taken directly to a PCI hospital were reperfused an average of 31 minutes faster than patients first taken to a hospital without PCI capability, which was associated with a possible mortality reduction.

Whistleblower suit claiming pioglitazone cover-up implicates Nissen, Cleveland Clinic

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:15:38 EDT

Dr Helen Ge, a former employee at Takeda, alleges she was fired for repeatedly trying to flag as "serious" the congestive heart failure event reports she was reviewing for the company. She has filed a False Claims Act complaint seeking damages and civil penalties from Takeda on behalf of the US government, which has declined to intervene in the case.

Present-day efforts to aid quit-smoking attempts are substandard, says expert

Mon, 07 May 2012 10:15:01 EDT

Smoking-cessation expert Dr Andrew Pipe said that tobacco addiction is the most monumental of the modifiable cardiovascular risk factors but that the clinical approaches to dealing with smokers are "still rooted firmly in the last century and reflect a unique combination of dogma, misconception, and ignorance."

EUROACTION PLUS: Varenicline aids in smoking cessation

Mon, 07 May 2012 09:45:00 EDT

In a follow-up to EUROACTION, with the exception that the patients had the option of receiving varenicline, researchers show that a comprehensive, family-based program can reduce smoking rates in high-risk patients and those with vascular disease.

WHF defends Dubai WCC, reimburses Israelis denied visas

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:35:21 EDT

The World Heart Federation is apologizing to Israeli cardiologists who, at the last minute, were denied visas to attend the WCC 2012 in Dubai. One of the Israelis who attended, however, has spoken out to clarify that he and his colleagues "only have good words to say" about their visit to the Emirate city.

More adverse events seen on dabigatran vs warfarin

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:15:32 EDT

UPDATED // A new study in patents switched from warfarin to dabigatran has shown a high rate of events necessitating discontinuation of the new drug.

Anhedonia, not depression or anxiety, linked with death following ACS

Fri, 04 May 2012 11:45:11 EDT

A psychological condition that results in a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, anhedonia is associated with an increased long-term risk of death in patients with ACS, new research shows.

Bypass moderate coronary lesions? Taking sides in the debate

Fri, 04 May 2012 11:30:07 EDT

When is it worth bypassing moderate coronary lesions? In the pathophysiology of CAD progression, as in politics, whether right or left seems to make a difference.

Ideal blood-pressure goals? "We have no idea"

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:00:36 EDT

Evidence is lacking for many of the issues that need to be addressed in the field of hypertension, not least the ideal blood-pressure goal for different groups of individuals, experts told the ESH meeting this past weekend.

MicroRNAs shown to regenerate cardiac cells

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:00:31 EDT

Researchers at Duke University have successfully demonstrated that fibroblast scar tissue present in the heart after injury can be converted into cardiomyocytes, by injecting the heart with microRNA molecules.

DES or bare-metal stents for primary PCI? New meta-analysis provokes debate

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:30:38 EDT

UPDATED // Long-term outcomes with first-generation drug-eluting stents in primary PCI for STEMI show that they have benefits over and above bare-metal stents, say the authors of a new meta-analysis. But an accompanying editorialist is not so sure.

Rise of "hard-core" smokers warrants tailored approaches

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:30:11 EDT

Tobacco-control legislation, a powerful tool for reducing the number of smokers the world over, may also have the unintended consequences of driving up the numbers of so-called "hard-core smokers"—long-term smokers who say they've never attempted to quit and have no intention of trying to do so.

Moderate alcohol consumption post-MI lowers risk of mortality

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:00:37 EDT

Drinking up to two drinks per day was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, but the relationship was U-shaped and diminished if individuals drank to excess.

ApoA size independently associated with MI

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:30:40 EDT

The relationship between apoA and MI exists even after adjustment for lipoprotein (a).

Roche recalls two troponin I assays

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:15:27 EDT

The US Food and Drug Administration issued a class I recall today for the Elecsys troponin I and Elecsys troponin I STAT immunoassays because of concerns about falsely low results.

Topol is most influential physician executive in new US poll

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:00:09 EDT

Dr Eric Topol, editor in chief of theheart.org, has been voted the number one most influential physician executive of 2012 in a poll run by Modern Healthcare, a US publication covering healthcare business news and research.

Court dismisses Mark Midei's defamation suit

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:00:43 EDT

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that Midei's suit against St Joseph Medical Center and its parent organization—seeking $60 million in compensation, plus up to $540 million in other costs and damages—has been dismissed.

Diabetes/statin link probed in EFFECT cohort

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:00:44 EDT

Digging into five years' worth of follow-up data, investigators found no differences in new-onset diabetes related to statin dose.

ACE inhibitors better ARBs in new meta-analysis in hypertensives

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:45:41 EDT

UPDATED WITH COMMENTARY // ACE inhibitors reduced deaths by 10% in a new meta-analysis in hypertensive patients already receiving good, contemporary therapy. In contrast, ARBs had a neutral effect on all-cause mortality. The researchers say the findings provide additional support for the use of ACE inhibitors as first-line treatment for high blood pressure.

Cutting, taxing salt would trim CVD deaths by 3% in half the world

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:30:10 EDT

A new study modeling the impact of a mere 10% reduction in sodium content in processed foods, combined with adding a 40% tax to salty products in 19 low- and middle-income countries, could lead to 250�000 fewer deaths per year.

Hands off my wife! Bahrain AED survey points to CPR barriers

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:00:49 EDT

Controversial findings from a small, survey-based study conducted in the Middle East suggest that Arab men would "not accept" men of other nationalities performing CPR, chest compressions, or applying an AED on a female companion.

Lung cancer? Yep, but smokers, globally, are less aware of CVD risks

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:30:10 EDT

Even more striking, smokers were largely unaware that secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart disease and stroke among nonsmokers, a number that spiked even higher when nonsmokers were questioned.

Marked gender disparities in CVD treatment, outcomes seen in CREATE registry

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 02:00:00 EDT

Not only are women experiencing ACS in India less likely to receive appropriate care, they are also more likely to die following treatment, a new analysis shows.

Tough sell: WCC 2012 course coaxes trainees toward preventive cardiology

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:15:57 EDT

How to convince young doctors to get involved in CVD prevention, when other areas of cardiology are so alluring—and more lucrative? That's a central conundrum underpinning a trainee course that kicked off this year's meeting, in a region where soaring CV risk factors make it a life-and-death question.

Italian soccer player dies on the pitch

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:00:03 EDT

An Italian soccer player died of cardiac arrest during a match, just a few weeks after a player in England survived a similar incident.

Decision aid leads more patients to skip stress tests

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EDT

Cardiac stress testing in patients at low risk for acute coronary syndrome leads to false-positive test results, so researchers have developed a pictograph that explains patients' risk of acute coronary syndrome and their choices of management.

Hospitals launch medical practices to lure well-insured

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EDT

America's hospitals are busier than ever expanding into new and affluent geographic markets to lure well-insured patients, a strategy that could drive up costs as well as jeopardize independent physician practices, according to a new study.

PCI bests meds in stable CAD, but message is "do better meds"

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:30:00 EDT

Is optimal medical therapy a pipe dream, at least right now? An analysis of clinical-practice data from NY State reopens the COURAGE-oriented debate.

Dr Gary Gibbons named director of the NHLBI

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:30:00 EDT

Currently at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Gibbons will begin his new role as director of the NHLBI this summer. He is taking over for Dr Susan Shurin, who was named acting director after Dr Elizabeth Nabel left in January 2010.

Medical societies list 45 dubious tests, therapies

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EDT

The American College of Cardiology is one of nine societies that each identified five tests and procedures that are common but often unnecessary, running up the cost of care and sometimes harming a patient's health.

heartwire's Lisa Nainggolan picks up AHCJ award

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:15:00 EDT

Nainggolan's feature story "Lost in transition: The looming epidemic of grown-up congenital heart disease" has placed third in the Association of Health Care Journalists' annual journalism awards in the trade-publication category.

Sleep-deprived doctors safely perform PCI in small, single-center study

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EDT

In this single-center study, researchers did not find any evidence that middle-of-the-night procedures adversely affect the safety and efficacy of PCIs performed the next day by the same operator.

CPR may save people with unshockable arrhythmias

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:30:25 EDT

The 2010 American Heart Association cardiopulmonary-resuscitation guidelines emphasize uninterrupted chest compressions, an approach shown in several studies to save lives of people in so-called "shockable" cardiac arrest. A new study evaluates the benefits of this approach for "unshockable" cardiac arrest.

New analysis extends dabigatran MI signal to other thrombin inhibitors

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EDT

A new meta-analysis of trials of dabigatran and its almost-forgotten, long-lost cousin, ximelagatran, shows that there is a signal of increased MI with use of direct thrombin inhibitors. The novel findings were dissected and digested at the ACC Scientific Sessions earlier this week.

Antipsychotics linked to MI risk in dementia patients

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:30:12 EDT

Antipsychotic medications are associated with a modest and time-limited increase in risk for MI in elderly patients with dementia.

RAPID GENE: Point-of-care genetic test singles out clopidogrel nonresponders

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:00:42 EDT

Patients in the RAPID GENE test, randomized to undergo point-of-care gene testing, then given prasugrel instead of clopidogrel if found to be carriers of the CYP2C19*2 allele, were significantly less likely to demonstrate high on-treatment platelet reactivity seven days post-PCI.

BCIS-1: IABP associated with a long-term reduction in mortality

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:30:52 EDT

Researchers report that the elective use of IABP during PCI was associated with a 34% reduction in the risk of death after a median follow-up of 51 months. They were cautious in interpreting the data, however, noting that further studies are needed to determine if the finding is real.

ROMICAT II: CT-first ACS strategy matches current practice

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EDT

UPDATED WITH COMMENTARY // Results of the 1000-patient ROMICAT II trial provide more evidence that screening chest-pain patients with computed tomography saves time without a noticeable risk of accidentally discharging a patient having a heart attack, but it does not appear to save money.

IMMEDIATE: EMS-given GIK fails to slow unstable angina's march to MI

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EDT

UPDATED WITH COMMENTARY // Out-of-hospital glucose-insulin-potassium, administered by emergency medical services in the first hours of a suspected ACS event, failed to reduce the progression of unstable angina to MI and was not associated with an improvement in 30-day survival rates. Still, the researchers are excited that GIK reduced infarct size and don't think that GIK should be abandoned just yet.

ASCERT CABG, PCI analysis: Lower mortality with surgery

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EDT

UPDATED WITH COMMENTARY // Four-year survival was significantly better with bypass surgery than PCI for patients with two- and three-vessel stable CAD. Did the analysis adequately control for risk, or does that miss the point?

Most ICD implants appropriate, more detailed chart notes may be needed

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EDT

An audit of a suburban New York hospital highlighted a gap between national coverage determination directives for ICD implants and clinical practice based on medical judgment and more updated professional society guidelines. Despite this, less than 2% of implants were deemed inappropriate at the hospital.

CCTA-first ER strategy safely discharges more patients: ACRIN/PA

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EDT

UPDATED // Most patients presenting to the emergency department with suspected acute coronary syndrome are not suffering from it, so CCTA, with its high negative-predictive value, is an attractive option as an initial screening tool.

MI in pregnancy "a different entity"

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 07:30:14 EDT

MI in pregnancy or in the postpartum period creates a host of issues that are different from a conventional heart attack, data from a new survey of such cases show.

C-PORT E nine-month results: Elective PCI doesn't need surgery safety net

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EDT

UPDATED WITH INTERVIEW // Consistent with the trial's already-reported six-week outcomes, the rate of major adverse complications at nine months was about the same regardless of the presence of on-site cardiac surgery.

INFUSE-AMI: Intracoronary abciximab, not thrombectomy, reduces infarct size

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EDT

UPDATED WITH COMMENTARY // The intracoronary administration of abciximab delivered to the infarct lesion site resulted in a significant, albeit modest, reduction in infarct size in patients presenting with a large anterior STEMI, new research shows.

BRIDGE ACS: Quality initiative leads to more evidence-based ACS care

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EDT

BRIDGE-ACS evaluated how a coordinated education strategy could improve the Brazilian hospitals' adherence to evidence-based medicine for acute coronary syndromes.

TAVI registry updates ADVANCE the field, raise hopes for lower stroke rates

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:25:34 EDT

Low stroke rates in two registries tracking outcomes for the two leading transcatheter valves are raising hopes that the cerebrovascular events that concerned people in the pivotal PARTNER trial may not necessarily represent the real-world occurrence of this problem going forward.

GIFT exome analysis unearths two new genes related to platelet function

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:20:38 EDT

A different kind of genetic analysis, whole exome sequencing, of some of the participants in the GRAVITAS trial has led to the discovery of two new genes believed to be critical to platelet function. This novel approach holds much promise in general for the assessment of response to drugs, says the researcher.

TRA 2�P-TIMI 50: Future possible for vorapaxar in patients with prior MI?

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EDT

UPDATED WITH COMMENTARY // The novel antiplatelet agent may have a net clinical benefit in selected secondary-prevention patients, particularly those with a prior MI without a history of stroke or TIA and who weigh over 60 kg. But many experts not involved in the trial were concerned about the bleeding risk with the drug, with suggestions that it may not be suitable for general availability.

Everolimus DES: Stent-thrombosis advantage vs bare-metal stents in meta-analysis

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:45:02 EDT

Stents like the widely used Xience V showed a lower rate at one year and at other time points compared with bare-metal stents and some other drug-eluting stents in 50�000-patient meta-analysis.

Cardiologists are happy(ish), married non-tweeters, survey reveals

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:00:00 EDT

Cardiologists, for the most part, drive Japanese cars, believe in a higher power, and are moderately savvy when it comes to social media. Those are just some of the cardiology pearls from a recent "lifestyle survey" of physicians.

Poor prognosis for big between-arm BP differences in primary care

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:30:29 EDT

The first research to look specifically at how interarm differences in systolic blood pressure in a primary-care setting relate to future outcomes has found that those with a double-digit difference have a threefold increased risk of death over 10 years.

Circulating endothelial-cell test may predict plaque ruptures

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EDT

A group at Scripps Translational Science Institute is developing a blood test that uses circulating endothelial cells to spot a plaque rupture in progress.

Renal patients with ACS don't benefit from antiplatelets

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:30:36 EDT

In the first-ever meta-analysis to mine antiplatelet trials for specific data on kidney-disease patients, researchers find that there is little evidence of benefit for agents such as clopidogrel in renal patients with acute coronary syndrome, but there is a risk of harm from major bleeding. Those at risk for or with stable coronary disease do appear to gain from antiplatelets, however, in the form of fewer MIs.

Nonphysicians pinpoint those at high CVD risk in rural India

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EDT

Employing nonphysician healthcare workers to go into villages in India, spot those at high risk of CVD, and recommend appropriate therapies holds promise as a way of tackling the CVD epidemic affecting the country, say the authors of a new study.

What's going to be hot at ACC 2012

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:00:51 EDT

There are 18 late-breaking clinical trials, many addressing unresolved issues with already-approved products or procedures. Outside the main tent, the program offers debates, live and taped cases, a new Q&A series with "legends" in cardiology, plus a novel gambit for attracting attendees to the exposition: a "thought leaders' theater" located in the exhibit hall.

Soccer star's cardiac arrest�prompts screening questions

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:00:00 EDT

The dramatic collapse and resuscitation attempts following the cardiac arrest of a 23-year-old UK soccer player, Fabrice Muamba, this weekend have prompted calls for wider cardiac screening of athletes here. But as a top-class player, Muamba is likely to have been screened, experts told heartwire, with one theorizing that his arrest was likely caused by a rare condition.