News and views

The first once-daily human glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analogue, liraglutide (Victoza) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been launched in the UK. Described by the manufacturer, Novo Nordisk as “a revolutionary product”, liraglutide works in a unique way - only when glucose levels become too high - to stimulate insulin release and suppress glucagon secretion. A member of the ‘incretin’ drug family, the drug is administered subcutaneously once-daily in adults with T2DM who do not achieve glycaemic control, in combination with metformin or a sulphonylurea (SA), or a combination of metformin and a sulphonylurea, or metformin and a thiazolidinedione (glitazone)....

News in brief from the world of cardiology...

A busy three-day programme comprised this year’s meeting at the ExCel Centre, London, from 1st–3rd June 2009. We report on a few of the meeting’s highlights....

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 fond farewells....

This book largely reflects writers from Italian and German practise on sudden death. It begins with a definition and introduction to sudden death and its causes, which are mainly ischaemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy and the newly-observed channelopathies predominating in the younger age group. The size of this problem is discussed, showing that cardiovascular death is the main killer in developed countries with sudden death as a common mode of death which has been increasing in recent years. This is explained very well. ...

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 →...