Tag Archives: NICE

New drugs for diabetes A new DPP-4i for the management of type 2 diabetes, alogliptin (Vipidia®) has been launched by Takeda in the UK following data from EXAMINE, an outcome trial conducted in high risk acute coronary syndrome patients (see Br J Cardiol 2013;4:131) where the drug significantly reduced glucose levels and also demonstrated cardiovascular safety. Alogliptin and the fixed-dose combination product alogliptin and metformin (Vipdomet®) are now available in the UK. Alogliptin is licensed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults aged 18 years and older to improve glycaemic control in combination with other glucose-lo

Introduction Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac dysrrhythmia, whose sequelae include stroke, heart failure and poor quality of life.1 In parallel with an ageing population, the prevalence of AF is increasing, with persistent or permanent forms affecting 10–15% of the population over the age of 75 years.2-6 The effective management of AF has been a source of recurring debate, leading to the publication of combined American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/European Society of Cardiology (ACC/AHA/ESC), and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines in 2006.7,8 In addition to evidenc

New editorial board member Dr Ketan Dhatariya We are delighted to welcome Dr Ketan Dhatariya to our editorial board. Dr Dhatariya is a consultant in diabetes, endocrinology and general medicine at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich. He is also a senior lecturer at the University of East Anglia, and an assistant professor of medicine at St George’s University, Grenada, in the West Indies. He has published on a wide variety of diabetes- and endocrine-related subjects, including diabetes-related foot disease. He serves as meetings secretary for the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists, and medical secretary for the Spec

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Estimates suggest there will be more than 46,000 cases of acute DVT in England and Wales during 2012, which will rise to nearly 50,000 cases by 2016, due in part to the ageing population. Professor Carole Longson, NICE Health Technology Evaluation Centre Director, said: “For many people, using warfarin is difficult because of the need for regular monitoring with blood tests, dosing adjustments, and the need to be careful about their diet because of warfarin’s interaction with certain foods. Because rivaroxaban does not require frequent blood tests to monitor treatment it represents a potential benefit for many people who have had a DVT, p

EVINCI study completed The prevalence of “significant” coronary artery disease in patients with chest pain symptoms is lower than expected in Europe, according to preliminary findings from the The EValuation of INtegrated Cardiac Imaging (EVINCI) study. Once the final analysis is completed, the EVINCI study is expected to demonstrate that performing adequate non-invasive imaging screening of patients with suspected coronary artery disease could safely avoid invasive procedures in 75 out of 100 patients.  The study will have sufficient power to answer the question of which is the most cost-effective non-invasive imaging strategy for the j

UK cholesterol awareness low Millions of people in the UK hold incorrect beliefs about the risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to HEART UK research. The research, which tested 1,177 people on their knowledge and concerns about high cholesterol, revealed that more than 40% of respondents wrongly thought that raised cholesterol resulted from drinking too much, while almost 60% did not know that the condition can be inherited. Almost half the population have never had a cholesterol check and only 2% of those surveyed named high cholesterol as their biggest health concern. The top health worry for people was cancer, even though CVD i

Future improvements Ongoing improvements were also showcased at the NHSI event. These included the reduction of strokes attributable to atrial fibrillation (AF) through use of the Guidance on Risk Assessment for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation (GRASP-AF) risk management tool. Used by GP practices to identify patients registered for AF, it highlights patients with a CHADS2 score of 2 or more not currently receiving anticoagulant treatment. Identified patients can be reviewed for suitability for anticoagulation, to reduce overall stroke mortality. NHSI is committed to increasing GRASP-AF use from 830 to 2,000 GP practices by April 2012

SAPIEN valve positive results Clinicians have achieved successful one-year outcomes in high-risk or inoperable patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement during the first two years since release of the valve (Sapien®, Edwards) commercially, according to results presented at the Euro PCR 2001 meeting in Paris, France. Despite high predicted mortality and multiple co-morbidities in many of these patients, survival at one year was 76% in the 1,038 patients treated as part of Cohort I (first year of commercialisation), and 77% in the 1,269 patients treated as part of Cohort II (second year of commercialisation).  Since November