February 18th, 2016
Podcast 195: Pioglitazone for secondary prevention?
Pioglitazone, long known to increase insulin sensitivity, has been “mostly relegated to use in unusual conditions such as lipodystrophies” after its drug class, the thiazolidinediones, “fell from grace” in the words of our guest. Dr. Clay Semenkovich has just written an editorial comment on a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. That study […]
August 15th, 2013
Podcast 165: The Mediterranean diet’s salutary interaction with risk-conferring genes
Running time: 14 minutes. A study in Diabetes Care shows that people at higher genetic risk for diabetes and cardiovascular complications had a relatively lower stroke risk when they adhered to a Mediterranean diet. Dr. Jose Ordovas, the study’s senior author, is our guest for this discussion about the interaction between genes and diet — and […]
May 2nd, 2012
Podcast 154: Treating heart failure’s hypercoagulable state — warfarin or aspirin?
Heart failure brings problems associated with hypercoagulation, such as stroke and sudden death. An international study followed some 2300 patients with heart failure (ejection fractions of 35% or less) and in stable sinus rhythm for a mean of 3.5 years, randomizing them to treatment with either warfarin or aspirin. The two treatment groups showed about the same […]
March 29th, 2012
Podcast 150: Depression (and antidepressant use) after stroke or TIA
After stroke or transient ischemic attack, depression is more common than among the general population, and the risk for depression extends beyond the early time period after the event. More alarmingly, less than a third of those with persistent depression — defined as depression detected both at 3 and 12 months after the cerebrovascular event — […]
January 13th, 2012
Podcast 141: Clinically apparent atrial fibrillation increases stroke risk; does subclinical afib do the same?
Yes, it apparently does. An international study in the New England Journal of Medicine monitored subclinical atrial fibrillation among some 2600 patients who’d just received an implanted pacemaker or cardioverter-defibrillator. After 3 months of monitoring, about 10% of the group showed subclinical episodes of afib lasting at least 6 minutes. Over an additional 2.5 years of follow-up the […]
March 10th, 2011
Podcast 115: Talking about the real-world use of dabigatran with Drs. Elaine Hylek and Samuel Goldhaber
Clinical Conversations, in a collaboration with CardioExchange, has interviewed two expert working clinicians on how best to use dabigatran — a drug poised to supplant warfarin in the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation. The wide ranging discussion with Drs. Elaine Hylek and Samuel Goldhaber includes sections on who should be […]