Among MI patients revascularized by CABG, only 27 percent received clopidogrel (Plavix, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi-Aventis) after discharge, according to a nationwide Danish study, published in the March 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Alice K. Jacobs, MD, from Boston Medical Center, asked an expert panel how the cardiovascular community can best strategize to optimize door-to-balloon times for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) -- either at the PCI center or the transfer center -- at the annual meeting of the Cardiovascular Research Technologies (CRT) on Feb. 27.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has concluded that the evidence supporting the use of MRI in patients with pacemakers is promising though not convincing; deciding to retain its contraindication to the procedure while agreeing to reimbursement for clinical studies investigating the effects of MRI on patients with pacemakers.

Advances in CT scanner hardware and software make it possible to image patients while delivering less than 5 mSv of radiation dose, which opens broader pathways for CT to be used for structural heart and electrophysiology (EP) indications.

No consistent evidence demonstrates that intensive insulin therapy targeted to strict glycemic control compared with less strict glycemic control improves health outcomes in hospitalized patients, based on a systematic review published Feb. 15 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Furthermore, the researchers found that intensive insulin therapy is associated with an increased risk for severe hypoglycemia. These findings have ganered immediate reaction from various medical associations.

Switching prescription drugs within the same therapeutic class has become increasingly common with tiered drug plan formularies. Therefore, patients and physicians may see the switch from rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline) to pioglitazone (Actos, Takeda Pharmaceuticals) as simple, straightforward, and appropriate, because patients are receiving a similar drug without the increased risk of MI, according to commentary published Feb. 8 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The FDA has granted Rcadia Medical Imagings latest COR Analyzer System 510(k) clearance, opening the way for Rcadia to release the third version of its coronary artery assessment software.

Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use does not increase the risk of cardiovascular events or mortality in patients who are administered clopidogrel for a recent MI, no matter the CYP2C19 genotype. However, adverse outcomes were higher in patients who had two loss-of-function alleles, according to FAST-MI registry data published Jan. 24 in Circulation.