Clinical Cardiology Alert – September 1, 2007
September 1, 2007
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Aliskiren and Valsartan for Hypertension
Aliskiren is a new class of drugs that directly inhibit renin and is approved in the U.S.A. for the treatment of hypertension. Valsartan is the best selling antihypertensive medication in the world. -
Beta-Blockers for Asymptomatic Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction
Asymptomatic individuals with systolic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction have an increased mortality. Angiotensin converting enzymes inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) favorably affect such patients, but little is known abut the effect of beta-blockers in this group. -
Serial Biomarkers in Heart Failure
Biomarkers such as brain natriuretic peptides (BNP) and troponin have been shown to be of diagnostic and prognostic value in patients with heart failure, but little is known abut the value of serial outpatient measurements. -
ICDs for HCM
This report describes a large group of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) who underwent implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation at 42 referral and nonreferral institutions in the United States, Europe and Australia. -
Management of Ventricular Arrhythmias in ARVD/C
Dalal and his colleagues describe data from the Johns Hopkins Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) registry concerning the efficacy of catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia (VT) in this condition. -
Vulnerable Plaques by CT
The increasing use of 64-slice computed tomography or MSCT is beginning to significantly impact the medical literature. -
Pharmacology Watch
Patients with peripheral artery disease are at high risk for cardiovascular complications. Antiplatelet drugs are routinely prescribed for these patients, but is adding an oral anticoagulant of value? -
Clinical Briefs in Primary Care Supplement