Controversies in Cardiology
Here is the latest information on some of the controversies raging among cardiologists - controversies that may well affect you. If you understand the issues involved, then when faced with a decision regarding your own cardiac care, you will be able to help your doctor make the recommendation that is right for you.
Secret Cardiology - EECP
Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) is a
promising new therapy for coronary artery disease. It’s effective, safe, non-invasive – and ignored by many
cardiologists.
Salt Wars: The latest salvo
So - is salt bad for you or not? The latest data suggests we may have spent the last 100 years
arguing about the wrong thing.
Oh, oh. Alcohol really is
good for the heart
New data suggests it’s the alcohol itself –
not lifestyle, socioeconomic status, or flavenoids - that protects against
coronary artery disease.
Don't be so sure it's Pump Head
Depression after heart surgery or heart attack is
common, treatable, and dangerous if unrecognized. And now it’s likely to be written off as “Pump Head.”
Pump Head: Mental deficits after
bypass surgery
A new study shows that cognitive impairment can occur after bypass
surgery. What does this mean to patients with coronary artery disease?
Coronary artery radiation
revisited
We revisit coronary artery radiation therapy in view of recent publicity
The Batista Procedure
Recent data suggests this promising procedure for treating
cardiomyopathy is not what it has been cracked up to be.
Ethicist-assisted suicide
If they think it's such a good idea, let them do it.
Do HMOs drop the ball after heart
attacks?
A new study suggests they do - and fee-for-service isn't much better.
C-reactive protein and fibrinogen
Newer risk factors for coronary artery disease - What good are they?
Radiation therapy for coronary
artery disease
This recently approved treatment is promising, but potentially
hazardous. Is it for you?
Laser heart surgery - dead on the
vine?
New data refutes the effectiveness of a promising new therapy. How
will the medical profession respond?
Should calcium blockers be avoided?
A recent analysis suggests that calcium blockers increase heart attacks
and heart failure in patients with hypertension. And the medical community
has erupted in fireworks.
Beta blockers are good for
heart failure
Beta blockers significantly reduce mortality in patients with heart
failure. But many doctors, trained in the era when beta blockers were
considered dangerous in these patients, haven't yet gotten the message.
Ultrafast CT scans - godsend or
scam?
Are ultrafast CT scans as useful as commonly advertised? We examine this
question, learn some general truths about medical tests, and along the way
discover one of cardiology's Dirty Little Secrets.
Lipid lowering vs. angioplasty
Controversy continues to rage over the AVERT study, a study comparing
aggressive cholesterol-lowering to angioplasty to patients with moderate
coronary artery disease.
Hormone replacement and heart
disease
Three recent studies have failed to show a cardiac benefit in women on
hormone replacement therapy, leaving women and their doctors in a quandary.
What do you think? Enter the Heart Disease Forum:
