REFERENCE: Abstract 2409-5, American College of Cardiolgy New Orleans
The benefits of carotid stenting as compared with surgery have been maintained in real-world settings since USA-approval of the technique in 2004, according to William Gray who reported findings from the EXACT study of 1500 patients to the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. He discussed his conclusions and recommendations with Peter Goodwin.

REFERENCE: Abstract 405-12, American College of Cardiolgy New Orleans
A combination of two antihypertensive agents has given improved blood pressure control in a study with nearly 2000 patients reported to the ACC meeting in New Orleans by a group from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Suzanne Oparil presented findings on the use of the direct rennin inhibitor, aliskiren, combined with the angiotensin receptor blocker, valsartan. She explained to Peter Goodwin how this “dual renin system blockade” gave enhanced blood pressure lowering in patients with mild to moderate hypertension who were followed with ambulatory monitoring.

REFERENCE: Abstract 407-7, American College of Cardiolgy New Orleans
A drug which raises HDL and reduces circulating levels of LDL has nevertheless failed to reduce atherosclerotic progression in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia. This disappointing outcome of a study using the cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor (CETP), torcetrapib, was announced at the American College of Cardiology meeting in New Orleans. John Kastelein discussed the findings, and their implications for therapies targeting HDL, with Peter Goodwin.

REFERENCE: Abstract 405-10, American College of Cardiolgy New Orleans
Improvements in atheroma plaque have been achieved by infusing patients who have acute coronary syndromes with reconstituted high density lipoprotein, HDL, according to investigators from the Canada reporting to the American College of Cardiology annual meeting in New Orleans. Jean-Claude Tardif discussed his group’s findings from the ERASE trial in which they infused patients with a drug containing reconstituted HDL similar to the “baby” form of natural HDL.

REFERENCE: N Engl J Med 2007 356
Reporting from: American College of Cardiolgy New Orleans
Two big studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented simultaneously at the American College of Cardiology meeting in New Orleans have shown that two emerging therapies aimed at reducing risks in patients with coronary disease have failed to do so. The president of the ACC, Steven Nissen, talked with Peter Goodwin about the COURAGE (Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation) trial, in which patients with stable coronary artery disease were randomized to receive optimal medical therapy with or without PCI. He also discussed findings of the ILLUSTRATE (Investigation of Lipid Level Management Using Coronary Ultrasound to Assess Reduction of Atherosclerosis by CETP Inhibition and HDL Elevation) study in which the cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor, torcetrapib was found to have adverse effects when used for modifying lipid profiles among coronary patients.

REFERENCE: Abstract 2402-3, American College of Cardiology New Orleans
Six-months follow-up of patients receiving a new bioabsorbable drug-eluting stent are favourable, according to Patrick Serruys whose group has been investigating the stent which elutes everolimus in a group of 30 patients. During the ACC Annual Meeting in New Orleans he discussed with Peter Goodwin the potential benefits the new device can bring to coronary patients.

REFERENCE: Abstract 1018-148, American College of Cardiology New Orleans
The increased adherence to recommendations and guidelines for drug therapy after myocardial infarction during the last ten years has led to hoped-for improvements in outcomes and prognosis among patients treated. This is the finding of a study presented to the ACC meeting in New Orleans by Soko Setoguchi who discussed her group’s findings with Peter Goodwin.

REFERENCE: Abstract 1020-89, American College of Cardiology New Orleans
The hope of refining treatments for cardiovascular disease by genotyping patients to detect individual sensitivities to particular medical therapies was brought a step closer at the ACC meeting in New Orleans by results from a study using a rapid genothype test. Jeffrey Anderson told Peter Goodwin about the assay they’ve been investigating which indicates required dosing of warfarin.

REFERENCE: American College of Cardiolgy New Orleans, March 24th Late Breaking Trials
An oral thrombin receptor antagonist, SCH 530348 has proved safe and effective, and may be better than conventional anti-coagulation treatments for patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention. Results of the TRA-PCI study were presented at the ACC’s New Orleans meeting by David Moliterno who discussed the new data with Peter Goodwin.

REFERENCE: Keynote Lecture, Perspectives in Lung Cancer Conference, 2-3 March 2007, Seville, Spain
Cell signalling using the Wnt pathway may hold the key to many, if not all, the genetic pathways to cancer, according to David Jablons, who delivered the Keynote Lecture during the Lung Cancer conference in Seville. After his talk he discussed his latest scientific findings with Peter Goodwin.

To listen this episode please go to ASCO Audio Journal of Oncology in Advance Presentations.

REFERENCE: Abstract 13, 14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Los Angeles February 25-28, 2007
In the developing world breastfeeding is the recommended infant feeding method, even for women infected with HIV. While early cessation of breastfeeding reduces HIV transmission to the baby, studies have shown that it increases morbidity and mortality in the infants. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life appears to reduce HIV transmission, as opposed to “mixed” breastfeeding with supplementation with formula or solid foods. Dan Keller spoke with Hoosen Coovadia, who delivered a plenary talk on the subject at the14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Los Angeles.

Abstract Number: 104aLB, 104bLB, 14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Los Angeles February 25-28, 2007
In a population of treatment-experienced HIV-infected subjects, maraviroc plus optimised background antiretroviral therapy provided significantly superior virologic control and increases in CD4 cell counts compared with placebo plus optimized background therapy. There were no clinically relevant differences in the safety profiles between the maraviroc and the placebo treatment groups. These drugs do not attack the virus itself but rather block host cells’ CCR5 cell surface cytokine receptors that HIV interacts with to gain entry into the cell. At the Los Angeles conference Dan Keller heard about the studies from Howard Mayer and Mark Wainberg.