Increased QT variability is an independent predictor of ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation in men, while in women, QT variability alone does not pose a risk of arrhythmic events, according to a study in the February edition of the Heart Rhythm Journal.

Portable defibrillators can increase survival rates from sudden cardiac death simply by being available in a public setting, according to Michael Sayre, MD, a national expert on the public placement of automated external defibrillators at Ohio State University Medical Center.

King Pharmaceuticals has begun restructuring and work force reduction initiatives to decrease its operating expenses, which will result a total work forceconstriction of approximately 22 percent, or approximately 760 positions, in combination with a decrease in headcount arising from its acquisition of Alpharma.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has reported strong fourth quarter sales and overall 2008 fiscal year performance, which ended Dec. 31, 2008.

Eli Lilly reported a significant downturn forits fiscal 2008fourth quarter and full year, which ended Dec. 31, 2008.

Cerenis Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company developing HDL-related compounds for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, has licensed intellectual property supporting an HDL-therapy based investigational treatment of aortic valve stenosis (AVS).

A variant of the gene for the inflammatory modulator interleukin (IL)-18 has been found to be associated with a prolonged ICU stay after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. The study, published online in January in BioMed Central's journal Critical Care, links the TT genotype of the IL-18 9545 T/G polymorphism with a larger pro-inflammatory response.

Patients taking clopidogrel following a heart attack are at a significantly higher risk of a recurrence if they are also taking acid-lowering medications such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), according to a study published online in January in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.