September 28th 2023
Sotatercept is a first-in-class therapy to treat the rare disease pulmonary arterial hypertension. The FDA has assigned a target action date of March 26, 2024.
September 16th 2023
Ticagrelor associated with lower rate of death from vascular causes, MI, and stroke
September 14th 2009In the Study of Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes (PLATO) published in the New England Journal of Medicine, patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who were treated with ticagrelor had significant reductions in the rate of death from vascular causes, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke and no significant increase in the rate of overall major bleeding versus patients treated with clopidogrel.
Emerging risk factors and risk markers for cardiovascular disease: Looking beyond NCEP ATP III
This review discusses emerging risk factors for CVD, including hs-CRP, lipoprotein(a), homocysteine, fibrinogen, homocysteine, and coronary artery calcification.
Clopidogrel plus PPI after hospitalization for ACS leads to increased risk of adverse outcomes
March 12th 2009A retrospective cohort study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association demonstrated that concomitant use of clopidogrel and a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) after hospital discharge for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and rehospitalization for ACS.
Higher continuity of statin use associated with decreased all-cause mortality
March 1st 2009In a retrospective cohort study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, higher continuity of statin treatment was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality among patients with or without coronary heart disease (CHD).
Loop diuretics have mixed effects on fracture risk
February 17th 2009In an analysis of fracture risk associated with loop diuretic use among postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study, investigators demonstrated no significant association between loop diuretic use and fractures or changes in bone mineral density (BMD). With prolonged use of loop diuretics, however, the risk of fracture was modestly increased.
Dronedarone: An antiarrhythmic agent for the management of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter
February 1st 2009Dronedarone, an investigational antiarrhythmic agent being studied for the management of AF and atrial flutter, has a pharmacologic mechanism of action that is similar to that of amiodarone, but dronedarone lacks an iodine moiety, which may result in less thyroid and pulmonary toxicity. Dronedarone is currently pending FDA approval; the agent was granted priority review in August 2008.
Generic CV drugs are clinically equivalent to brand-name drugs
December 15th 2008Evidence supports the clinical equivalence of generic and brand-name cardiovascular drugs, according to a meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Despite this evidence, more than half of the editorials discussing the issue of generic interchangeability that were assessed in this analysis do not support generic substitution for brand-name cardiovascular drugs.
Pneumonia mortality rates lower for statin users
November 13th 2008In a large, population-based cohort study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, current use of statins by patients hospitalized with pneumonia was associated with a decreased risk of death after hospital admission compared with nonusers of statins.
Bivalirudin superior as adjunct antithrombotic therapy in patients with acute MI undergoing PCI
November 1st 2008As a pharmacologic adjunct to stenting in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), bivalirudin monotherapy outperformed the combination of a glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitor and unfractionated heparin (UFH) over 1 year of follow-up, reported investigators at the 2008 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference.
Prasugrel: A novel thienopyridine prodrug for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome
November 1st 2008Prasugrel is a thienopyridine prodrug under FDA review for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) managed with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Clinical trials have demonstrated statistically significant inhibition of platelet aggregation with prasugrel relative to placebo and clopidogrel; however, this improved efficacy outcome entails a significantly increased rate of bleeding.
ARBs demonstrate no beneficial effect on mortality in patients with heart failure
October 1st 2008A systematic search of the literature published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice demonstrated that angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) used as monotherapy or in combination with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are not associated with a beneficial effect on mortality in patients with heart failure (HF).
Dronedarone associated with increased mortality in patients with severe heart failure
August 1st 2008In the Antiarrhythmic Trial with Dronedarone in Moderate to Severe CHF Evaluating Morbidity Decrease (ANDROMEDA) investigators observed that dronedarone, an anti-arrhythmic agent related to amiodarone, was associated with increased mortality in patients who were hospitalized for symptomatic heart failure (HF) (New York Heart Association [NYHA] class II, III, or IV) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction.
Dual receptor antagonist demonstrated to be effective in reducing SBP
June 30th 2008An investigational first-in-class dual angiotensin and endothelin receptor antagonist lowered systolic blood pressure (SBP) in patients with stage 1 and 2 hypertension in a phase 2a trial, reported Joel M. Neutel, MD, associate professor of medicine, University of California, Irvine, and medical director of clinical pharmacology, Orange County Research Center, Tustin, California. These results were presented at the 23rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension, New Orleans, May 14–17, 2008.
Amlodipine plus olmesartan superior to monotherapy in difficult-to-treat hypertensive populations
June 30th 2008The combination of amlodipine and olmesartan was demonstrated to be superior to monotherapy with either agent in difficult-to-treat hypertensive populations in a subgroup analysis of the registrational trial for this combination therapy. These results were presented at the 23rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension, New Orleans, May 14–17, 2008.
Physicians urged to return to statins after announcement of ENHANCE results
May 1st 2008Experts urged a “return to statins” after hearing the final results of the Ezetimibe and Simvastatin in Hypercholesterolemia Enhances Atherosclerosis Regression (ENHANCE) trial, which demonstrated no slowing of carotid atherosclerosis progression with the addition of ezetimibe to simvastatin therapy.
ONTARGET: ARB noninferior to ACE inhibitor in patients with cardiovascular disease
May 1st 2008According to results from the Ongoing Telmisartan Alone and in Combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial (ONTARGET), the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) telmisartan is as effective as the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor ramipril in preventing adverse cardiovascular events in high-risk patients with cardiovascular disease but without heart failure.