Archive for November, 2005
Human Growth Hormone: Responses in Severe Heart Failure
Catherine Demers
Recombinent human growth hormone has achieved clinical responses when used for treating heart failure. Catherine Demers of McMaster University told the American Heart Association conference about her findings.
Diabetic Patients: Some Benefits from Fibrates
Anthony Keech
Among nearly 10 000 patients with maturity onset diabetes the use of fenofibrate to lower cholesterol produced a 24 per cent statistically significant reduction of cardiovascular events, but no reduction in the risk of death. Anthony Keech of University of Sydney told AHA delegates about his findings.
COMMENTS
Judith Hochman from New York University told Audio Medica that patients taking aspirin need to take it half an hour before any NSAID in order to avoid drug interactions, and had these comments about the Danish study.
NSAIDs Raise Death Risk post-MI
Gunnar Gislason
As the dust continues to settle on the Vioxx issue, there is naturally a desire to look further at potential cardiovascular risks associated with COX-2 inhibitors and, indeed, other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Gunnar Gislason from Bispebjerg University Hospital has been leading a study aiming to look throughout Denmark for a relationship between the use of these drugs and mortality in people who have had a myocardial infarction.
Lytics before PCI: ASSENT Denied
Frans van der Werf
Near-complete data from the ASSENT-4-PCI trial investigating facilitated PCI (combining both thrombolysis and primary PCI after acute myocardial infarction) has found that PCI alone is a better choice. Frans van der Werf from the University of Leuven in Belgium.
Withholding Abciximab Infusion After Stenting
Olivier Bertrand
The use of abciximab perfusion after stenting was questioned at the American Heart Association meeting in Dallas. The EASY study found bolus administration of glycoprotein 2B3A inhibition was sufficient and gives the possibility of sending patients home early.Olivier Bertrand, Hôpital Laval, Quebec.
Levosimendan Improves Heart Failure Progression
Milton Packer
In the REVIVE trial the inotropic agent levosimendan has improved short-term outcome in acutely decompensated heart failure. Milton Packer from the University of Texas.
COMMENTS
Gordon Tomaselli
Gordon Tomaselli commented on Milton Packer’s findings at the Dallas meeting of the American Heart Association.
Hypertension: Pressure Different at the Centre
Bryan Williams
Bryan Williams, University of Leicester
Measuring blood pressure with a cuff around the arm does not always give a clear picture of what’s happening in the aorta. The CAFE study found differences in aortic pressure lowering between regimens based on beta blockers as compared with calcium antagonists, but no differences in brachial pressure. Leicester University’s Bryan Williams told the AHA.
REPAIR-AMI: Progenitor Cells Regenerate the Heart after Infarction
Volker Schächinger
Regeneration of the heart has been achieved by using bone-marrow derived stem cells after myocardial infarction among 200 patients. Volker Schächinger, University of Frankfurt.
COMMENTS
Gordon Tomaselli
Gordon Tomaselli, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Gordon Tomaselli commented on Volker Schächinger’s findings at the Dallas meeting of the American Heart Association.
AliaIbrahim Zai, Egbert Sondorp, Gill Walt, Lucy Gilson, Ravi Narayan, Richard Horton, Vikram Patel, Willem Van De Put
Astrid Fletcher, Jo Lines, Sari Kovats, Colin Sutherland, Michel Coleman
