Parental hypertension was strongly and independently associated with higher blood pressure levels and the development of hypertension in the adult lifespan. Medscape Medical News
The FDA recommends that healthcare professionals discuss potential risks and benefits of abacavir (Ziagen) and didanosine (Videx) therapy, including myocardial infarction, with HIV-infected patients. Medscape Medical News
The first study on the relationship between coronary artery calcium and coronary events in various racial or ethnic groups has found the calcium score is meaningful in blacks, Hispanics, and Chinese. Medscape Medical News
A new analysis from the TRITON-TIMI 38 trial shows similar significant reductions in stent thrombosis with prasugrel vs clopidogrel irrespective of stent type and stent-thrombosis definition. The risk of stent thrombosis will therefore be another factor that can be considered when weighing which of these antiplatelet agents to use, TRITON investigators said. Heartwire
A small randomized trial opens the door to the prospect of individualized pre-PCI clopidogrel dosage increases to overcome "resistance" to the antiplatelet drug; patients with the titrated dosage increases had fewer clinical events over 30 days. Heartwire
Experts are quibbling over the heparin dose and definitions of bleeding used in the study, but investigators for the study insist that the results are meaningful, particularly in the US, where some clinicians are already substituting bivalirudin for heparin in troponin-negative patients undergoing elective PCI. Heartwire
Investigators report a definite stent thrombosis recurrence in nearly 20% of patients who had an initial event; nearly 15% of patients who had a first stent thrombosis died during follow-up. Heartwire
The largest-ever clinical analysis and comparison of PCI centers with and without surgical backup in the US has shown that PCI facilities without on-site surgery have similar outcomes to centers with traditional backup. Heartwire
