Cardiology News & Opinion – theheart.org and Medscape

heartwire News

Brief Atrial Arrhythmias in Device Patients Don't Up Stroke Risk The finding "allows you to not prescribe an anticoagulant to someone who is not going to benefit or is very unlikely to benefit. . . . It allows you not to overreact," the author says.
Heartwire from Medscape, October 19, 2016

Syncope in ER Often Caused by Pulmonary Embolism: Cohort Study Whenever there is the suspicion of PE, patients should be given therapeutic doses of an anticoagulant drug even before they undergo CT angiography or ventilation-perfusion lung scanning.
Heartwire from Medscape, October 19, 2016
Transcarotid TAVR May Often Avoid General Anesthesia Using local anesthesia with conscious sedation might have cut the risk of periprocedural strokes a small transcarotid-TAVR series; the patients had severe peripheral vascular disease.
Heartwire from Medscape, October 18, 2016
HF Patients Steady as Rock With Short-Term High-Dose Caffeine The results "challenge the intuitive notion that caffeine intake should be limited or prohibited in patients with heart disease," the authors say.
Heartwire from Medscape, October 17, 2016
Cut LDL-C for CV Risk-Reduction, but How Matters: Meta-Analysis Treatment needs to be focused on the patients and the goal, which is to reduce the risk factor, LDL cholesterol, and "then one should use all the appropriate tools in one's armamentarium."
Heartwire from Medscape, October 17, 2016

'Robust' Drop in LDL-C From Novel PCSK9 Synthesis Inhibitor
Heartwire from Medscape, October 19, 2016
St Jude Forms Cyber Panel After Claims of Heart-Device Bugs
Reuters Health Information, October 18, 2016
FRISC-II: Early Invasive ACS Treatment Delays Death or MI
Heartwire from Medscape, October 18, 2016
CV Death Can Be Major Competing Risk in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Heartwire from Medscape, October 17, 2016
EULAR Guidelines Updated on CVD Risk Reduction in RA
Medscape Medical News, October 17, 2016
New AHA Statement on Hypertension and Cognitive Function
Medscape Medical News, October 13, 2016
Celecoxib, Nonselective NSAID CV Risk Similar: SCOT Published
Heartwire from Medscape, October 13, 2016

Oct 14 Cardiology News ROCKET-AF controversy revisited, molecular autopsies, wrist heart-rate monitors, hypertension and cognition, and FDA warning on St Jude ICDs are discussed in this week's podcast.
theheart.org on Medscape, October 14, 2016

Columnists

Walking the Path to Health Dr Henry Black speaks with cardiologist Paul Thompson on how the best exercise practices are often the simplest
Medscape Cardiology, September 20, 2016
New Guidelines Recommend NOACs to Prevent VTE US and European guidelines send a clear, unified message on anticoagulation, says Dr Sam Goldhaber.
theheart.org on Medscape, October 3, 2016
AFib Guideline and Cardio-Oncology Expert Consensus Statement at ESC Dr Ileana Piña discusses a new guideline on atrial fibrillation and a consensus statement addressing cardiovascular toxicity in cancer treatment.
theheart.org on Medscape, October 10, 2016
What My Friend With 'Heart Disease' Should Have Been Told Dr Walton-Shirley runs into a friend who has been diagnosed with CAD, or has she? The woman is uncertain what her tests found because she was discharged without a full explanation from her doctor.
theheart.org on Medscape, October 12, 2016
Can Simple Biomarkers Improve Stroke Prediction in AF? Whether a patient with AF needs a blood thinner is as much a "guess" as it was a decade ago, says Dr Mandrola. Could a novel biomarker score developed from the ENGAGE-AF trial replace the CHA2DS2-VASc score?
theheart.org on Medscape, October 14, 2016
Compensation in Cardiology: A 'Sobering' Issue for Women Drs Harrington and Douglas discuss pay disparities for women in cardiology and the importance of leveling the playing field.
theheart.org on Medscape, September 21, 2016
Topol on Physician and Patient Attitudes Toward New Technology Eric Topol discusses results of a new Medscape survey assessing attitudes among both patients and physicians toward new technologies in medicine.
Medscape, October 3, 2016
Two Years After DAPT Trial, We're Still Debating Dr Michelle O'Donoghue asks for your opinion on the use of dual antiplatelet therapy beyond 1 year after stenting.
theheart.org on Medscape, October 19, 2016

Clinical Cases

ECG Challenge: What Is Slowing Her Down? An elderly woman with stable heart disease complains of fatigue and lightheadedness. What is the explanation for these symptoms?
Medscape Cardiology, October 17, 2016
ECG Challenge: Paired QRS Complexes Take a closer look at these QRS complexes on the ECG before you make a diagnosis.
Medscape Cardiology, October 3, 2016

Business of Medicine

Alert Clinton and Trump Tangle on Preserving Medicare In the final presidential debate, Trump said a booming economy would help preserve the nation's entitlement programs, while Clinton proposed higher taxes for the wealthy and corporations plus 'smarter decisions.'
Medscape Medical News, October 20, 2016
'Anemic' Quality Improvement in US Healthcare
Medscape Medical News, October 18, 2016
Healthcare on the Line in Federal, State Elections
Medscape Medical News, October 18, 2016
CMS Promises Doctors Administrative Reform
Medscape Medical News, October 17, 2016

Beating Burnout: Are EHRs the Enemy? Why do physicians hate EHRs and how are they contributing to burnout?
Medscape Business of Medicine, October 19, 2016
Employed or Self-employed: Did You Make the Right Choice? Some physicians think the grass may really be greener if they choose a different practice situation. Are they likely to be right?
Medscape Business of Medicine, October 12, 2016

Today on Medscape

Perspective

Sulfa, Sulfur, Sulfate, Sulfite: Which Causes an Allergy?Learn about the potential for hypersensitivity reactions with sulfa/sulfonamide antimicrobials, and whether cross-reactivity with nonantimicrobials or sulfur-containing compounds should be a concern.
Medscape Pharmacists
A New Diabetes Diagnosis? Maybe We Could Have Addressed This Earlier
Medscape Diabetes & Endocrinology
Are Varicose Veins Hereditary?
Medscape General Surgery
Beating Burnout: Are EHRs the Enemy?
Medscape Business of Medicine

Advisory Board

Site Editorial Director
Tricia Ward

Heartwire News Editor
Steve Stiles

CHIEF CARDIOLOGY CORRESPONDENT
John M. Mandrola, MD

Journalist
Deborah Brauser

Medscape Editor-in-Chief

Eric J. Topol, MD Director, Scripps Translational Science Institute; Chief Academic Officer, Scripps Health; Professor of Genomics, The Scripps Research Institute; Senior Consultant, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, California; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape