Statin Use and Diabetes — Weighing Risks and Benefits
General Medicine Summary and Comment
In high-risk patients, statin benefits clearly outweigh harms.
Favorable Trends in Serum Lipid Levels in U.S. Children and Adolescents
A surprising finding given the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity
By F. Bruder Stapleton, MD
August 22, 2012
Covering:
Kit BK et al., JAMA 2012 Aug 8; 308:591
de Ferranti SD., JAMA 2012 Aug 8; 308:621
Many Elders Don't Receive Primary Preventive Treatment for Cardiovascular Disease
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Statins were unlikely to be prescribed for patients 75 or older.
Sex Differences in Statin Benefits
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Secondary cardiac prevention in men and women was similar, but benefits for overall mortality and stroke might be different.
By Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
August 2, 2012
Covering:
Gutierrez J et al., Arch Intern Med 2012 Jun 25; 172:909
Taylor F and Ebrahim S., Arch Intern Med 2012 Jun 25; 172:919
The Impact of New York City's Trans Fat Content Regulation
Cardiology Summary and Comment
A significant decrease in the amount of trans fat in purchased fast-food meals bodes well for associated reductions in cardiovascular events.
By Joel M. Gore, MD
August 1, 2012
Covering:
Angell SY et al., Ann Intern Med 2012 Jul 17; 157:81
New Lipid Biomarkers of Little Use in Predicting Cardiovascular Risk
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Free
A pooled analysis provides no justification for routinely adding any new tests to current lipid panels.
By JoAnne M. Foody, MD
July 18, 2012
Covering:
The Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration., JAMA 2012 Jun 20; 307:2499
Should Anyone Not Take a Statin?
General Medicine Summary and Comment
In a meta-analysis, benefits of statins outweighed risks, even in the healthiest patients.
By Bruce Soloway, MD
June 12, 2012
Covering:
Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' (CTT) Collaborators., Lancet 2012 May 17
Ebrahim S and Casas JP., Lancet 2012 May 17
HDL Cholesterol: Causal or Just a Marker for Coronary Risk?
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Genetically elevated HDL cholesterol level was not associated with lower risk for myocardial infarction.
By Bruce Soloway, MD
June 5, 2012
Covering:
Voight BF et al., Lancet 2012 May 17
Harrison SC et al., Lancet 2012 May 17
A Genetic Predictor of Antipsychotic-Associated Weight Gain in Children and Adults
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Free
Homozygosity for a minor-allele polymorphism was strongly associated with severe weight gain after 12 weeks of treatment with atypical antipsychotics.
By Barbara Geller, MD
June 4, 2012
Covering:
Malhotra AK et al., Arch Gen Psychiatry 2012 May 7
No Sustained Benefits for a Self-Management Education Program for Diabetes
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Only health-belief scores remained above baseline 3 years after an educational intervention among patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.
Pregnancy Complications as an Omen for Cardiovascular Disease
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Free
Women who delivered small-for-gestational-age babies were more likely to experience ischemic heart disease in later life.
Few Americans Meet Goals for Cardiovascular Health
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Healthy behaviors are significantly associated with decreased mortality, but recent decades have seen little progress toward improving those behaviors.
What's the Predictive Value of Cholesterol Fractions Other Than LDL?
General Medicine Summary and Comment
In patients treated with statins, non–HDL cholesterol was the best predictor of CVD risk.
Does Lowering Cholesterol Reduce Parkinson Disease Risk?
Neurology Summary and Comment
An analysis of two large prospective cohorts suggests it might, but cautious interpretation is warranted.
Fitness and Overweight: How Do They Contribute to Cardiovascular Risk?
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Improvements in one measure somewhat — but not completely — offset deteriorations in the other.
Value of Asking About Family History of Heart Disease
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Systematically asking primary care patients to report such histories substantially increased the percentage identified as having high CV risk.
By Jamaluddin Moloo, MD, MPH
March 20, 2012
Covering:
Qureshi N et al., Ann Intern Med 2012 Feb 21; 156:253
Berg AO., Ann Intern Med 2012 Feb 21; 156:315
Patients with Psoriasis Have an Increased Risk for Coronary Artery Disease
Dermatology Summary and Comment
The association between psoriasis and vascular disease strengthens with greater disease severity and duration.
Briefly Noted
Increased cardiovascular risk associated with psoriasis, protective effects of cutaneous discoid lupus, treatment for erosive pustular scalp dermatosis, and quality of life in patients with CLE-induced photosensitivity
What's Really Important in a Woman's Lipid Profile?
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Prospective data from the Women's Health Initiative suggest that HDL level is a significant inverse predictor of coronary events, regardless of LDL level.
By Joel M. Gore, MD
February 1, 2012
Covering:
Mora S et al., Ann Intern Med 2011 Dec 6; 155:742
Lifetime Cardiovascular Risk: The More Things Change . . .
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Risk factors are less prevalent than in the past, but they are just as predictive of outcome.
Association of Lipid Subfractions and Cardiovascular Events in Women
General Medicine Summary and Comment
An analysis confirms the inverse relation between HDL cholesterol levels and adverse coronary events in women.
Childhood Dermatomyositis and Increased Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Adulthood
Dermatology Summary and Comment
Adults with a history of JDM had more evidence of disease than matched controls.
Revised Guidelines: Secondary Prevention and Risk Reduction in Patients with Atherosclerotic Disease
Cardiology Clinical Practice Guideline Watch
Free
New recommendations for cardiac rehabilitation and risk reduction are welcome, but updated guidance is lacking on lipid and blood pressure management.
By JoAnne M. Foody, MD
January 4, 2012
Covering:
Smith SC Jr et al., Circulation 2011 Nov 29; 124:2458
Risk Stratification for CAD: What's Worth Doing?
Coronary artery calcium, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and coronary computed tomography angiography were all investigated as potential risk markers.
No Evidence of Adverse Outcomes from Long-Term Statin Therapy
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Vascular benefits persist, without elevated risk for nonvascular morbidity or cancer.
By Bruce Soloway, MD
December 20, 2011
Covering:
Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group., Lancet 2011 Dec 10; 378:2013
