Episodes
Friday Mar 13, 2020
Let’s COLCOT to the Chase: Colchicine for Secondary Prevention of CV Events
Friday Mar 13, 2020
Friday Mar 13, 2020
Millions of Americans will have a myocardial infarction in their lifetime and 20% will have a recurrent fatal or non-fatal coronary heart disease event. Several modifiable risk factors, including elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose as well as tobacco use, can and should be addressed to reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. Systemic inflammation has also been associated with poor CV outcomes. Is systemic inflammation a modifiable CV risk factor? And if so, should an anti-inflammatory agent be added to the recommend post-MI drug cocktail to reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality? That's the question that the COLCOT Study attempted to answer.
Guest Authors: Jessica Wearden, PharmD and Augustus (Rob) Hough, PharmD, BCPS, BCCP
Music by Good Talk
Friday Feb 14, 2020
Age is Just a Number: Discontinue Statins with Care
Friday Feb 14, 2020
Friday Feb 14, 2020
More than 14 million Americans age 75 years and older face a dilemma. They are at high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). On the other hand, older adults are more susceptible to adverse effects associated with statins. Many adults, often in their 60s or early 70s, decide to initiate statin therapy for the primary prevention of ASCVD. However, at some point in a patient’s life, the potential benefits may no longer be so clear … or the risks and costs increase. Unfortunately, there is little information on the potential consequences of stopping statin in patients who are tolerating statins.
Guest Authors: Maricar Conson, PharmD and W. Cheng Yuet, PharmD, BCACP
Music by Good Talk
Friday Jan 31, 2020
Friday Jan 31, 2020
One in six patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), or an estimated six million patients worldwide, will require perioperative anticoagulant management this year. Ambulatory care pharmacists commonly face the scenario where a patient taking a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) for AF requires an elective surgery or procedure. Best practices for periprocedural management of DOACs are unclear and current guidelines differ in their recommended approaches. Having a simple, systematic periprocedural DOAC management protocol would be helpful. But would a straightforward protocol that is easily understood by clinicians and patients be safe and effective? The PAUSE study investigators attempt to establish the standard of care.
Guest Authors: Maggie Faraj, PharmD and Candice Garwood, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP
Music by Good Talk
Friday Nov 22, 2019
Friday Nov 22, 2019
Several guidelines now recommend direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) as the preferred anticoagulants for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (a-fib). However, the landmark clinical trials focused largely on the primary prevention of stroke. Moreover, real-world data using DOACs for secondary prevention is lacking. Many have argued that warfarin might be a better choice in these high-risk patients because it requires routine monitoring and increases the patient’s contact with the healthcare system. Does the choice of anticoagulant make a difference in preventing recurrent stroke?
Guest Authors: Blaire White, PharmD; Amber Cizmic, PharmD, BCACP; and Tish Smith, PharmD, BCACP
Music by Good Talk
Thursday Oct 24, 2019
Will Oral Semaglutide PIONEER the Way to Lower Cardiovascular Risk?
Thursday Oct 24, 2019
Thursday Oct 24, 2019
Until recently, glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists were only available as injectable products. Some clinicians and patients are reluctant to use injectable agents because they require additional patient education and can be intimidating. If a GLP-1 receptor agonist were available in an oral dose form, it would be welcomed treatment option. But would the cardiovascular safety and benefits of oral GLP-1 receptor agonists be better, similar, or worse than their injectable siblings?
Guest Authors: Sally Earl, PharmD, BCPS and Megan Supple, PharmD, BCACP
Music by Good Talk
Monday Jun 10, 2019
If Your Heart’s Not into It, Do You Really Need to Take Your Meds?
Monday Jun 10, 2019
Monday Jun 10, 2019
Dilated cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death and heart failure (HF) and the chief indication for cardiac transplantation. However, approximately 40% of patients see a significant improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction and reduction in the left ventricle size over time with pharmacologic treatment. As deprescribing becomes an increasingly important part of our clinical practice, we need more data about how deprescribing impacts outcomes, particularly in chronic diseases such as heart failure. The recently published TRED-HF is attempted to address this important question: Is the burden of lifelong therapy with medications necessary or worth it in patients with "recovered" dilated cardiomyopathy?
Guest Author: Jennifer Pruskowski, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP, CPE
Music by Good Talk
Friday Apr 26, 2019
Need a VITALity Boost? Rethink Vitamin D and Fish Oil Supplements
Friday Apr 26, 2019
Friday Apr 26, 2019
Vitamin D and fish oil (aka omega-3 fatty acids) were the most widely used vitamin and nutritional supplement in 2011-2012. Both have been commonly touted for their potential benefits in reducing cancer and cardiovascular disease. While vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acid supplements are wildly popular, the evidence supporting their health benefits is inconclusive and inconsistent. The VITAL study sought to determine whether vitamin D and/or marine omega-3 fatty acids can prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer when used by the general population.
Guest Authors: Anthony M Todd, PharmD; Sean E Smithgall, PharmD, BCACP; and Nicole A Slater, PharmD, BCACP
Music by Good Talk
Friday Apr 12, 2019
Friday Apr 12, 2019
Intensive blood pressure (BP) control reduces the risk of cardiovascular events and mortality, but the verdict isn't in yet on the benefits of intensive control to prevent the development of dementia. Previous studies have shown an inconsistent relationship between blood pressure control and cognitive decline. SPRINT-MIND, using data from SPRINT, was designed to evaluate the effects of intensive BP control on cognitive outcomes including probable dementia and mild cognitive impairment.
Guest Authors: Michelle Balli, PharmD, BCACP and Amy Robertson, PharmD, BCACP
Music by Good Talk
Friday Feb 22, 2019
Friday Feb 22, 2019
Although hypertriglyceridemia has consistently been associated with increased CV events, medications that lower triglycerides have failed to reel in a significant reduction in major CV events when combined with statin therapy. Could purified fish oil derivatives be the answer? Or just another red herring? The Reduction of CV Events with Icosapent-Ethyl Intervention Trial (REDUCE-IT) sought to clarify the utility of icosapent ethyl, a highly purified EPA derivative.
Guest Authors: Melissa Norton, PharmD and Elizabeth A. Cook, PharmD, AE-C, BCACP, CDE
Music by Good Talk
Wednesday Jan 09, 2019
Top Ten Things Every Clinician Should Know About the 2018 Cholesterol Guidelines
Wednesday Jan 09, 2019
Wednesday Jan 09, 2019
The American Heart Association / American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) Task Force recently published the 2018 Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol. The guidelines writing committee had representation from 12 organizations, including the National Lipid Association, American Diabetes Association, and the American Pharmacists Association — all of whom endorsed the guidelines. The previous guidelines (published in 2013) were intended to answer some specific clinical questions and significantly changed our approach to treatment. The 2018 guidelines provide a more comprehensive set of recommendations, akin to the (older) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III guidelines last published in 2002!
Guest Authors: Dawn Fuke, Pharm.D., BCPS, and Zach Conroy, PharmD, BCACP
Music by Good Talk