American Heart Association
Many reported cases of sudden cardiac death not related to arrhythmias
NEW ORLEANS — Only about half of presumed cases of sudden cardiac death were proven by postmortem investigation to be cases of sudden arrhythmic death, according to the results of the POST SCD study, presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.
SMAC-AF: Atrial arrhythmias not reduced with aggressive BP treatment
NEW ORLEANS — Aggressive BP treatment did not reduce atrial arrhythmias after ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing catheter ablation, according to the results of the SMAC-AF trial, presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions.
VIDEO: Expert discusses results of three important interventional cardiology trials
NEW ORLEANS — In this Cardiology Today video exclusive, C. Michael Valentine, MD, discusses the results of the FUTURE, PIONEER AF-PCI and GARY late-breaking clinical trials presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.
Betrixaban associated with reduced stroke risk vs. enoxaparin in acutely ill patients
NEW ORLEANS — In patients hospitalized for an acute medical illness, betrixaban, a novel Factor Xa inhibitor, was associated with reduced all-cause stroke and ischemic stroke compared with enoxaparin, according to a substudy from the APEX trial.
VIDEO: IMPACT trial assesses prevention strategies for patients with CVD risk factors
NEW ORLEANS — In this video exclusive, Eugenia Gianos, MD, co-clinical director of the NYU Langone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, discusses results of the IMPACT trial on prevention consults for patients having a CV procedure.
Heartburn medication may increase ischemic stroke risk
NEW ORLEANS — Proton pump inhibitors, used to treat heartburn and reduce stomach acid, may elevate risk for ischemic stroke, according to a presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.
ATHENA-HF: High-dose spironolactone does not benefit patients with acute HF
NEW ORLEANS — The ATHENA-HF trial, designed to assess the safety and efficacy of high dose mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist therapy in patients with acute HF, did not meet its primary or secondary endpoints, according to results presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.
CETP loss-of-function variant fails to affect CVD risk
NEW ORLEANS — Despite altering lipid metabolism, a loss-of-function variant of the CETP gene did not affect risk for occlusive CVD, ischemic stroke or major coronary events, according to a presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.
Generic HF drug prices vary widely
NEW ORLEANS — The prices of three generic drugs used to treat HF — carvedilol, digoxin and lisinopril — vary considerably at the retail pharmacy level.
Comprehensive approach to hypertension control lowers BP
NEW ORLEANS — Implementation of a multilevel comprehensive intervention program was associated with reductions in BP at 18 months among low-income patients with hypertension in Argentina, according to data presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.