News and views

Three abstracts of outstanding quality were presented for the Young Investigators' Award at the British Society of Heart Failure's 15th Annual Autumn Meeting....

Highlights of the American Heart Association 2012 meeting held on 3rd - 7th November 2012 in Los Angeles, USA, included a win for surgery in people with diabetes and multi-vessel disease, and intriguing results for colchicine and chelation therapy....

This year's 7th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Cardiorenal Forum looked at diabetes and other co-morbidities in relation to cardiorenal disease. The meeting was held at the Royal Institute of British Architects, London, October 5th 2012, and endorsed by the Renal Association and the British Society for Heart Failure. Michael Pope and Hugh McIntyre report on its highlights....

Highlights of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2012 Congress held in Munich, Germany on August 25th–29th included the first ever randomised trial addressing the treatment of patients on anticoagulants who receive a stent, and lots more data on the new percutaneous alternatives to valve surgery – TAVI and MitraClip. More from the congress is featured in our podcast at www.bjcardio.co.uk...

This year's Heart Rhythm Congress (HRC 2012), held in Birmingham from 23rd-26th September, was the largest to date showing the growing interest in this specialty. Drs Janet McComb, André Ng, Henry Purcell, and Andreas Wolff report their highlights from the meeting....

The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) have published new guidelines on the treatment of type 2 diabetes, which are less prescriptive than previous guidelines. They advocate more patient involvement and give guidance on the rational approach to the choice of therapy....

Four years of hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) started soon after the onset of the menopause improved depression and anxiety in healthy women without promoting or worsening cardiovascular disease, the results of the KEEPS study show. ...

Another study has found a slight increase in fasting glucose levels in patients at increased risk of type 2 diabetes taking statins. The study (published in BMJ online 13th September 2012) was conducted by a Finnish group who concluded that their findings suggest statin use “might have unfavourable effects on glucose metabolism and hamper beneficial effects of lifestyle intervention in people at high risk of type 2 diabetes”....

News in brief from the world of cardiology...

Correspondence from the world of cardiology...