SAN FRANCISCO—Serial measurements of cardiac troponin using an investigational high-sensitivity assay enhanced risk stratification for cardiovascular disease and heart failure in patients with stable ischemic heart disease, according to an analysis of the PROVE IT-TIMI 22 study, presented March 9 at the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) scientific session.

SAN FRANCISCO—All-cause and cardiovascular mortality were similar for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) compared with open-heart surgery in high-risk older patients at three years with no increased risk of stroke after 30 days, according to three-year data from the PARTNER study presented March 11 at the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) scientific session.

SAN FRANCISCO—Heart attack patients given a combination of high-dose oral vitamins and minerals do not exhibit a significant reduction in recurrent cardiac events, according to research presented March 10 at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) scientific session. However, the results of one component of the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) study showed that when combined with active chelation therapy, high-dose vitamins and minerals may provide some additional benefit.

SAN FRANCISCO—Adding eplerenone to standard treatment may reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality and heart failure after MI, according to results of a late-breaking clinical trial presented March 10 at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) scientific session. The treatment could be a potential game-changer if results are sustained, according to panelists.

SAN FRANCISCO—In severe aortic stenosis patients who are not candidates for surgery, an updated transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) system (Sapien XT, Edwards Lifesciences) showed a non-significantly lower rate of death and strokes at 30 days than in the original Sapien model, and both valves demonstrated notably better short-term outcomes than seen in PARTNER I, according to the first results from the PARTNER II trial presented March 10 at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) scientific session.

SAN FRANCISCO—A combination of the vitamin niacin with laropiprant demonstrates no benefit to and may even be harmful for patients with vascular disease, based on the HPS2-THRIVE late-breaking trial presented March 9 at the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) scientific session. “These findings definitely hammer more nails into the coffin of niacin,” said study panelist Spencer B. King III, MD, who also questioned whether there still may be a subset of patients for whom niacin could be effective. 

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has launched a review of nicotinic acid and its related substances acipimox and xantinol nicotinate after the publication of new data from HPS2-THRIVE. More results from HPS2-THRIVE are scheduled to be presented March 9 as a late-breaking clinical trial at the American College of Cardiology scientific session in San Francisco.

Higher body mass index (BMI) predicted MI and ischemic stroke in younger women within four to five years of giving birth, according to nationwide study of Danish women to be presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) scientific sessions in San Francisco.