American College of Cardiology 2013

The results of the ASTRONAUT study revealed that aliskiren did not improve post-discharge mortality and/or hospitalizations when added to standard therapy in recently hospitalized patients with worsening chronic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, stated Mihai Gheorghiade, MD, from the Center for Cardiovascular Innovation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL.

Patients with acute coronary syndrome on maintenance dose prasugrel had a reduction in high on-treatment platelet reactivity rates after a prasugrel reload strategy, according to a post hoc analysis of a prospective, randomized, open-label pharmacodynamic study presented at ACC.13, the American College of Cardiology’s 62nd Annual Scientific Session.

Vorapaxar, a novel, oral PAR-1 agonist that inhibits thrombin-induced platelet activation, was found to prolong occlusion time and shorten lysis time, with a favorable effect on thrombotic and thrombolytic status, results of a study presented at ACC.13, the American College of Cardiology’s 62nd Annual Scientific Session, has found.

Administration of an erectile dysfunction medication provided no beneficial effects in diastolic heart failure patients as stated by Margaret Redfield, MD from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

The immediate post-operative addition of clopidogrel to aspirin after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) proved to be safe and improved overall graft patency, according to data presented at ACC.13, the American College of Cardiology’s 62nd Annual Scientific Session.

A novel formulation of omega-3 free fatty acids (OM3-FFA) at a dosage as low as 2g/d was effective and well tolerated in lowering non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and other markers of cardiovascular risk—including Apo CIII and Lp-PLA2—in patients with persistent hypertriglyceridemia on statin therapy, according to a study presented at ACC.13, the American College of Cardiology’s 62nd Annual Scientific Session.

Allopurinol reduced the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with heart failure, a retrospective cohort study presented at ACC.13, the American College of Cardiology’s 62nd Annual Scientific Session, has found.

Reduction of furosemide dose in stable patients with chronic heart failure (HF) is feasible, with no deterioration in clinical status, a study presented at ACC.13, the American College of Cardiology’s 62nd Annual Scientific Session, has found.

Pitavastatin has beneficial effects on a marker of oxidative stress and pericellular MT1-MMP activity in hypercholesterolemic patients compared with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), according to a study at ACC.13, the American College of Cardiology’s 62nd Annual Scientific Session.

Pitavastatin is an acceptable alternative for patients who are intolerant to other statins, according to research presented at ACC.13, the American College of Cardiology’s 62nd Annual Scientific Session by Bobby Hollaway, CNA, from the Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, UT.