ACC 2019: Oral anticoagulants underused, aspirin overused to treat atrial fibrillation in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease
Only approximately half of patients with chronic kidney disease and atrial fibrillation were treated with oral anticoagulants (OACs), and this proportion decreased significantly as kidney disease became more severe.
ACC 2019: Benefits and drawbacks of high-sensitivity troponin use in low-risk patients with chest pain
High-sensitivity troponin, an assay that is relatively new in the U.S., allows providers to assess low-risk chest pain patients more quickly and determine whether they have had a heart attack or myocardial infarction.
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.
DCRI faculty member recognized by American Gastroenterological Association
The DCRI’s David Leiman, MD, MSHP was selected as one of 18 participants in this year’s AGA Future Leaders Program.
Duke University among top 10 in nation for federal medical research funding
The university ranked 9th in the United States among similar institutions.
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).
Patient-generated data come with opportunities, challenges
With new wearable devices and apps entering the market every day, many clinicians have seen a proliferation of patient-generated data.
Gene therapy trial for Pompe disease begins
Actus Therapeutics, a privately held portfolio company of Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio), recently announced the dosing of the first patient in a phase I/II clinical study of ACTUS-101 in patients with Pompe disease. Pompe disease is a serious disease associated with high morbidity and often leads to premature death. There are variable rates of disease progression and different ages of onset characterized as infantile-onset and late-onset disease.
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.