Archive for February 2011

A new oral drug that does not need monitoring showed benefits over warfarining patients with atrial fibrillation in the phase 3 RE-LY (Randomised Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulation Therapy) trial, suggesting that a viable replacement for warfarin has finally been found. In the trial, dabigatran (Pradaxa) given at a dose of 110 mg was associated with…

A new study has concluded that body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, when accurately measured by trained staff, can actually predict the risk of fatal and non-fatal disease cardiovascular disease (CVD) (Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil 2009; doi: 10.1097/HJR.0b013e328331dfc0). The findings, which emerged from a large prospective study of more than 20,000 Dutch men…

Results from a study presented at the meeting by Dr A Norman, (University of Dundee) support the use of allopurinol as a novel anti-ischaemic agent in patients with angina pectoris. Experimental work has shown that allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor used for treatment of gout, improves “mechano-energetic uncoupling” of the myocardium in heart failure, he…

A novel, catheter-based technique is looking promising for the treatment of refractory hypertension. The autonomic nervous system is known to supply sympathetic nerve fibres to the kidneys. Hyperactivity of these renal sympathetic nerves is associated with the development of hypertension and its progression, as well as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and heart failure. While surgical…

One in eight adult patients in the UK, previously thought to be suffering from epilepsy but in whom this diagnosis was in doubt, in fact had heart rhythm abnormalities commonly found in patients with syncope, results of the REVISE trial have shown. Previous studies have shown that up to 25% of patients thought to be…

Low doses of omega-3 fatty acids did not reduce the overall rate of major cardiovascular events in patients who have had a previous myocardial infarction (MI) in the Alpha Omega Trial. N-3 (or omega-3) fatty acids can be divided in two main classes: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) derived from fish; and alpha-linolenic…

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI) was associated with much better outcomes than standard care in patients with severe aortic disease unable to undergo surgery in the PARTNER trial. Aortic stenosis is associated with a high rate of death (approximately 50% in the first two years after symptoms appear) among untreated patients. While surgical replacement of…

Another breakthrough in anticoagulation therapy appears to be on the horizon with the new oral factor Xa inhibitor, apixaban, having shown a clinically important reduction in stroke and systolic embolism compared with aspirin in high-risk atrial fibrillation (AF) patients unsuitable for treatment with warfarin in the AVERROES (Apixaban Versus Acetylsalicylic Acid to Prevent Stroke) trial.…

Playing active video games such as Wii sport and Wii fit can provide energy expenditures equal to moderate-intensity exercise, according to a new study, sponsored by Nintendo, the maker of the Wii. According to the American Heart Association’s exercise guidelines, light intensity exercise is less than 3 METs; moderate intensity is 3 to 6 METs;…

Crossing your leg over may not be good for your blood pressure! A team from Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, has shown, in a study of 25 subjects, that the mere act of crossing their ankle over their knee, in the sitting position, caused considerable haemodynamic changes. For example, compared to the ‘uncrossed…