Few treatment guidelines for heart disease are based on rigorous study
Less than 10 percent of the treatment recommendations U.S. doctors rely on to manage care for heart patients are based on evidence gained from multiple large, randomized clinical trials — the gold standard for obtaining scientific data. In fact, the proportion of well-supported recommendations for heart care has actually declined compared to 10 years ago, when an earlier analysis found a similar dearth of rigorous studies supporting treatment guidelines. The latest study, led by the DCRI, appears online March 15 in JAMA.
Catheter ablation more effective at correcting atrial fibrillation
Catheter ablation, a common cardiovascular procedure, appears no more effective than drug therapies in preventing strokes, deaths, and other complications in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, patients who get the procedure experience much greater symptom relief and long-term improvements in the quality of life, including fewer recurrences of the condition and fewer hospitalizations, than those who get only drugs. The findings are from two new studies published in the March 15 issue of JAMA.
Pediatric Trials Network studies lead to FDA approval of acyclovir labeling supplement
Research conducted by the Pediatric Trials Network (PTN) has led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to update the prescribing information, or drug label, of acyclovir to include dosing for infants with Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). The DCRI has acted as the coordinating center for the PTN since 2010 when it received its original funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Blood test for specific metabolites could reveal blocked arteries
Researchers hope to develop a test that could detect early changes in blood flow to the heart.
Interhospital transfer linked to treatment delays, worse outcomes in stroke patients
Patients who were moved between hospitals before receiving endovascular therapy were more likely to experience adverse clinical outcomes.
TRANSFORM-HF team pioneers new type of clinical trial
Heart failure patients have a tendency to accumulate excess fluid in the body, which can lead to debilitating symptoms such as shortness of breath and swelling. Loop diuretic medication, aims to prevent accumulation of this fluid and is the cornerstone treatment for heart failure signs and symptoms. With more than six million Americans affected by heart failure, and about one million hospitalized every year, a new DCRI study called TRANSFORM-HF will directly compare two well-known diuretics – furosemide and torsemide – to determine which is the most effective.