Topolog from theheart.org: a blog by Dr.Topol for cardiologists

JUPITER: How will it change your practice?

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:50:00 -0500

How do you interpret this landmark trial? Will you do CRPs in all patients? Or will you stick to the current guidelines? Will the trial results change your use of statins? Which statins will you use?

See:

JUPITER hits New Orleans: Landmark study shows statins benefit healthy individuals with high CRP levels

Pfizer, Prasugrel and New Cardiovascular Drugs

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:52:00 -0400

This week Pfizer announced its plans to stop CV development; last week the FDA announced they still were not in a position to approve prasugrel. Where is CV drug development headed?

See:

FDA once again postpones decision on prasugrel

Pfizer to drop development of drugs for hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, and heart failure

Putting SYNTAX In Context

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:48:00 -0400

At ESC in Munich, Hot line results from SYNTAX and CARDIA were presented.....what does this mean for deciding about PCI vs CABG?

Statin Induced Myopathy

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:19:00 -0400

Discussion of an important discovery published in NEJM. What are your thoughts on the implications for clinical practice?

See these articles:

CT Angiography: What is the Proper Role and Place?

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:35:00 -0400

Related Articles:

Lessons From Tim Russert

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:21:00 -0400

POISED to Challenge Dogma: Peri-Op Beta Blockade

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:36:00 -0400

What will be the impact on clinical practice of the largest trial of peri-operative beta blockade including over 8,000 patients at 190 centers in 23 countries?

See:

Effects of extended-release metoprolol succinate in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery (POISE trial): a randomised controlled trial

POISE published, debate on perioperative beta blockers continues

POISE raises questions on perioperative use of beta blockers. But does it provide answers?

POISEd to change the guidelines on perioperative use of beta blockers?

Genetic Beta-Blockade

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:23:00 -0400

See paper in Nature Medicine, April 20 2008 by Liggett SB et al A GRK polymorphism that inhibits beta-agrenergic receptor signaling is protective in heart failure

Articles:

A GRK5 polymorphism that inhibits beta-adrenergic receptor signaling is protective in heart failure

"Genetic beta blockade" identified in some blacks

From ACC 2008: Home Automated External Defibrillator Trial (HAT); how does government select what trials to fund?

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:59:00 -0400

Findings from the Home Automated External Defibrillator Trial (HAT) released at ACC show no advantage to owning a personal AED for post-MI patients in lives saved compared to the control arm. This raises several questions: When would an AED work? In the home setting, how would a family member detect malignant ventricular arrythmia? Given these difficulties, isn’t the negative outcome of the trial predictable? And given this, how does government select what trials to fund?

Genomics and Prediction of Cardiovascular Events

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:38:00 -0400

An interesting recent paper by Kathiresan and colleagues address the potential of 9 LDL and HDL Cholesterol genes to predict Death, MI and Stroke events. This topic is discussed and your input on this burgeoning field is solicited.

Kathiresan S, Melander O, Anevski D, et al. Polymorphisms associated with cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular events. N Engl J Med 2008;358:1240-9.

Diabetes and Blood Sugar: The Art of De-Personalized Medicine

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:46:00 -0500

Two major trials--ACCORD and ADVANCE-have discrepant findings with respect to mortality excess in the aggressive Hemoglobin A1C arm. What is the explanation?

Temple of the LDL Cholesterol

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:44:00 -0500

What a week in the field of lipids and CV medicine.....what's next?

Defibrillation Stagnation

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:06:00 -0500

too many cardiology journals??

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:21:00 -0500

Circulation announced 6 more; JACC 2 more.....are they needed?

TRITON

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:34:00 -0500

A Perspective on the Trial

DLS vs DES

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:33:00 -0500

Welcome to AHA 2007

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:57:00 -0400