News and views

The 2009 American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting was held in Orlando, US, from March 29th–31st 2009. Highlights this year included the first major results from a clinical trial with the much talked about polypill, more good news for statins, to more encouraging results for drug-eluting stents in a real-world setting....

The new antiplatelet agent, prasugrel (Lilly/Daiichi Sankyo), has been approved in the European Union for the prevention of atherothrombotic events in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This follows a positive recommendation from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency at the end of last year. ...

Four different heart-healthy diets showed similar degrees of weight loss in a new study, leading to the conclusion that the type of foods eaten is not as important as generally … Continue reading Calorie reduction key to weight loss with heart healthy diets →...

New evidence has been reported suggesting that use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as omeprazole can reduce the effectiveness of clopidogrel. In a recent study (JAMA 2009; 301:937–44), there was an increased risk of future cardiovascular events in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients taking both clopidogrel and a PPI compared with those taking clopidogrel alone....

There was a 63% increase in the incidence of diabetes in the UK in the ten years between 1996 and 2005, a new study shows. The study, published online in … Continue reading Diabetes rising dramatically in UK →...

News in brief from the world of cardiology...

We continue our series in which Consultant Interventionist Dr Michael Norell takes a sideways look at life in the cath lab…and beyond. In this column, he considers meetings....

“Old age starts with the first fall and death comes with the second.”1 Syncopal events and falls are a major healthcare and cost burden for the National Health Service (NHS). Each year between 35% of community living adults over 65 years and 45% of adults over 80 years have such an event.2 This common medical problem accounts for up to 6% of emergency medical admissions. We have previously shown the potential impact that a dedicated syncope and falls facility for older adults can have enabling an attributable diagnosis and on emergency bed usage.3,4 In this issue Ali et al. (see pages 22–8) further emphasise the need and benefits for the development of rapid access blackout clinics. They describe a comprehensive investigation pathway and highlight the importance of making a correct diagnosis and the implications of an incorrect one. It is still the case that a diagnosis is elusive in up to 40% of cases.4,5 They point out that even in those who do receive a diagnosis it may be incorrect. This is particularly so within the older age group. In relation to the diagnosis of ‘epilepsy’ the authors highlight that up to 100,000 people in the UK live with the moniker but without the condition. This has significant implications for public health including utilisation of inappropriate and expensive therapy. ...

General practitioners (GPs) have become used to asking their patients fairly detailed questions about the traditional risk factors, such as smoking habits, and measuring blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose to allow cardiovascular risk to be calculated. However, few would dream of including an oral examination within an assessment of global cardiovascular risk. Oral health has been viewed as the domain of dentists and has not troubled physicians when considering the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease. ...

We continue our series in which Consultant Interventionist Dr Michael Norell takes a sideways look at life in the cath lab… and beyond. In this column, he considers electronic communication....