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News, opinions and meeting coverage in cardiology.

Does Tylenol Protect Kidneys in Sepsis?

SAN DIEGO -- Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for severe sepsis patients improved renal function but gave mixed signals in terms of changes in the expected oxidative injury mechanism, researchers found in a pilot trial.

Aspirin: FDA Says 'No' Others Say 'Yes'

The FDA issued a message to consumers stating that the evidence does not support the "general" use of aspirin for the primary prevention of heart attacks and strokes.

CardioBuzz: Is Marijuana Bad for Your Heart?

Whether marijuana actually causes cardiovascular problems remains unclear, a situation that was not necessarily helped by a study based on 35 reports of cannabis-related complications in France, a country with about 1.2 million recreational users.

How To Get Medicare To Cover A Spa Trip

Good news for doctors who think their patients need a trip to the spa: Medicare will reimburse, with only two catches.

Missed Doses Cripple Postop DVT Prevention

Missed doses of prophylactic anticoagulation account for much of the deep vein thrombosis that occurs in surgery and trauma patients, a study showed.

Diet Rich in Beans, Lentils, Peas Lowers LDL

People who consumed a serving a day of dietary "pulses" -- beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas -- significantly reduced their low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, a meta-analysis concluded.

ACC: Metformin No Help in MI Recovery

WASHINGTON -- Metformin started soon after reperfusion in the acute setting didn't help cardiac function recover in nondiabetic heart attack patients, a trial showed.

ACC: Gout Drug Tames the Heart

WASHINGTON -- Colchicine may be as effective at reducing multiple recurrences of pericarditis as it is in treating acute episodes and first recurrences.

ACC: Statins Tied to Boost in Men's Sexual Function

WASHINGTON -- Statins appeared to improve erectile function to a clinically meaningful degree, according to a meta-analysis.

CT Appears Safe in Patients With Pacemakers, ICDs

Patients with cardiac rhythm management devices showed no clinically significant major or minor events related to computed tomography imaging over a 10-year period at two large-volume care centers, researchers reported.

FDA OKs Northera for Hypotension

The FDA has approved droxidopa (Northera) for the treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, a rare disease that results in a drop in blood pressure when patients try to stand up.

Ob/Gyns Uneasy With AHA's Take on Stroke in Pregnancy

NEW ORLEANS -- Recent guidelines from the American Heart Association on the management of stroke risk in pregnant women differ significantly from those issued by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, maternal-fetal medicine specialists said here.

Is There a Flaw in This Large Vitamin D Trial?

A co-principal investigator of the VITAL trial addresses the possibility that out-of-study testing of vitamin D levels and initiation of high-dose supplementation could be a limitation, but not a serious one.

CardioBuzz: More Money Needed for Heart Research?

The NIH dedicates a lot of money for research into heart disease and stroke, but it still might not be enough, a new study suggested.

Droxidopa for OH Slammed by FDA Reviewers

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Droxidopa (Northera) is getting a second look by an FDA advisory committee for the treatment of orthostatic hypotension stemming from neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease, but an agency review doesn't look promising for approval.

10 Questions: John P. Erwin, MD

What's the biggest barrier to practicing medicine today? That's just the first of 10 questions the 番茄社区 staff is asking leading clinicians and researchers to get their personal views on their chosen profession. In this series we share their uncensored responses. Here, answers from John P. Erwin, MD, of Scott & White Healthcare in Temple, Texas.

FDA Flags Risk of Nuclear Stress Test Drugs

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Two agents used in cardiac nuclear stress tests may carry a greater risk of heart attack and death than previously believed, the FDA said Wednesday.

Zilver Stent Recalled, System May Break

Cook Medical's Zilver PTX drug-eluting stent for peripheral artery disease has been recalled because of a defect in its associated delivery system, the company and the FDA said.

Withdrawal Not a Problem with Phentermine

Patients taking phentermine long-term to treat obesity don't have to worry about withdrawal when they come off it, researchers found.

Extended Apixaban Stops VTE Recurrence

ATLANTA -- Apixaban taken for an additional year after standard venous thromboembolism (VTE) treatment reduced recurrent events in a placebo-controlled trial, researchers said.

Study Counters WHI on Risk of Hormones in Menopause

Hormone therapy may actually help the heart in some respects for newly menopausal women, a randomized trial showed, although the impact on hard outcomes like stroke and breast cancer still remains to be seen.

Cranberry Juice May Help Lower BP a Bit

Cranberry juice modestly lowers blood pressure in healthy adults when consumed daily, a carefully controlled trial showed.

Doctors Say 45 Common Tests 'Overused'

Nine specialty groups have listed tests and treatments that are frequently overused, such as antibiotics for sinus attacks and CT scans for low back pain, in the first phase of a long-term project.

Whitney Houston Autopsy Reveals Heart Disease

The death of Whitney Houston in some ways represents a medical "perfect storm" -- heart disease and a plethora of drugs that can accelerate or aggravate that condition, cardiovascular specialists told 番茄社区.

Shire Quits on Fabry Drug

Shire PLC has withdrawn its U.S. application to market an enzyme replacement therapy for Fabry disease, citing an expected FDA demand for controlled clinical trials.

FDA Adds More Warnings for Lipitor, Crestor, and Zocor

WASHINGTON -- Statins may cause drug-drug interactions for patients taking drugs to treat HIV/AIDS or hepatitis C, according to a new statin warning from the FDA.

FDA Adds Diabetes Warning to Statin Label

WASHINGTON -- The FDA is changing the labeling on statins to include a warning about increased risks of hyperglycemia and transient memory problems, but the agency is no longer recommending routine liver function testing.

Big BP Variation Between Arms Raises Red Flag

A substantial difference in blood pressure from one arm to the other could be a warning sign for overall cardiovascular and mortality risk, a meta-analysis determined.

Researcher Charged With Fabricating Red-Wine Data

A veteran researcher, known for his work on the heart benefits of the red-grape component resveratrol, allegedly fabricated data in 23 papers published over five years, an investigation showed.

Systolic BP That's Too Low After Stroke Not Good Either

Systolic blood pressure that is too low -- as well as too high -- may put patients who have had a noncardioembolic ischemic stroke at risk for another one, researchers found.

Readers Say Vitamin Levels Should Be Checked Yearly

Processed foods, mineral-depleted soil, overcooked vegetables, increased stress levels -- all of these increase the chances of having a vitamin deficiency, according to a vocal majority of 番茄社区 readers who commented on last week's poll.

Pacemaker Inventor Dies at 92

Wilson Greatbatch, credited with inventing the implantable pacemaker in 1958, died earlier this week at the age of 92, his family said.

Cardiologist Who Revealed Echo Errors Out of a Job

MILWAUKEE -- A cardiologist whose research at a national medical meeting revealed that other doctors at her hospital were misreading a substantial number of diagnostic echocardiograms has been fired by that hospital, the Journal Sentinel and 番茄社区 have learned.

AHA: One or Two Drinks May Not Hurt Bypass Patients

CHICAGO -- Having an alcoholic drink does not appear to cause problems for patients following coronary artery bypass graft surgery -- but doctors warn that these patients cannot have more than one or two drinks a day.

AHA: Rivaroxaban Scores Win While Omega-3 Flops

CHICAGO -- Good news and not so good news about investigational treatments for atrial fibrillation are featured in this exclusive InFocus video report from the American Heart Association meeting.

Ornish, Pritikin Cleared for Medicare Payment

Medicare will pay for intensive diet and exercise programs developed under the Ornish and Pritikin brands for reducing cardiovascular event risk, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced.

ACC: Triglycerides Decreased with Rosuvastatin Therapy

ATLANTA -- In a study that specifically scrutinized the effects of statin therapy on triglycerides, researchers said that rosuvastatin (Crestor) significantly reduced the blood lipid that has been linked to coronary artery disease better than placebo.

Ending Statins May Not End Associated Muscle Pains

Patients experiencing muscle pain and weakness as a result of statin treatment may continue to suffer symptoms long after stopping the drugs, French researchers reported.

Plant Sterols Added to Orange Juice May Do the Heart Good

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Plant sterols added to orange juice can significantly reduce markers of cardiovascular risk, researchers here reported.

FDA Cautions on Mixing Ibuprofen and Aspirin

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA issued a caution today about the potential for attenuation of low-dose aspirin's antiplatelet effect when ibuprofen is used concomitantly for pain relief.

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