Episodes
Friday Aug 25, 2017
Friday Aug 25, 2017
Statins reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. However, the utility of statin therapy in older adults — particularly in those age 75 years and older — remains controversial. The need for additional evidence to guide clinical practice is underscored by the fact that one-in-three older Americans report taking a statin. Given the paucity of prospective data, a post-hoc analysis of the ALLHAT-LLT (Antihypertensive and Lipid Lowering treatment to prevent Heart Attack Trial - Lipid Lowering Trial) was recently published. Does this new analysis really help inform the decision?
Guest Author: Leo Buckley, Pharm.D.
Music by Good Talk
Thursday Jul 27, 2017
All for One and FOURIER for All!
Thursday Jul 27, 2017
Thursday Jul 27, 2017
Although statins have a proven benefit and are widely used, ASCVD continues to be the leading cause of death in the US. In 2015, two proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, alirocumab (Praluent®) and evolocumab (Repatha®), were approved to treat elevated cholesterol when added to maximally-tolerated statin therapy in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia or history of ASCVD. However, the lack of long-term CV outcomes data, high cost, and uncertainty regarding place in therapy have limited their wide-spread use. The recently published FOURIER Study provides compelling new evidence.
Guest Author: Kelly Starman, Pharm.D., BCPS
Theme music by Good Talk.
Friday Apr 14, 2017
Peeling Back the Layers on Coated Aspirin
Friday Apr 14, 2017
Friday Apr 14, 2017
More than 15 million Americans have coronary heart disease and most should be taking aspirin daily. Given aspirin’s ubiquity in cardiovascular medicine and patients’ pill boxes, it is shocking that there are still so many unanswered questions about aspirin use. Which dose and dosage forms should be prescribed? How common is aspirin resistance? What is the relationship between platelet inhibition and clinical outcomes?
Guest Author: Daniela Valencia, Pharm.D.
Theme Music by Good Talk
Friday Mar 24, 2017
Friday Mar 24, 2017
Many patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) received triple antithrombotic therapy after undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and receiving cardiac stent. Triple therapy consists of warfarin plus dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with a P2Y12 inhibitor and low-dose aspirin. But is triple therapy the best approach? This practice, while widely employed, is not entirely evidence-based. Moreover, the effectiveness and safety of the direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in this patient population is unknown.
Theme Music by Good Talk
Thursday Sep 15, 2016
HIP-HIP-HOPE-3! Expanded role for statin therapy for primary prevention
Thursday Sep 15, 2016
Thursday Sep 15, 2016
The HOPE-3 trial sought to determine if blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol-lowering therapies are effective and safe as primary prevention strategies in intermediate risk patients. The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines support a risk-based approach to statin use but in intermediate risk patients the tradeoffs between benefit and risk were deemed “less clear.” Do the results of HOPE-3 trial provide enough evidence to support routinely treating intermediate risk patients?
Friday Feb 26, 2016
TEXT ME — Text Messaging to Promote Behavior Change
Friday Feb 26, 2016
Friday Feb 26, 2016
Saturday Sep 05, 2015
PCSK9 Inhibitors: Blockbusters or Bust?
Saturday Sep 05, 2015
Saturday Sep 05, 2015
Two new mAbs, alirocumab and evolocumab, have been approved to treat elevated cholesterol when added to maximally tolerated statin therapy in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia or history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This new class of drugs, the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, is considered to be the biggest breakthrough in cholesterol treatment since statins were approved 3 decades ago. But are they worth it?
Tuesday Jul 28, 2015
CVD Risk Scores - Are They Accurate?
Tuesday Jul 28, 2015
Tuesday Jul 28, 2015
How well do cardiovascular disease risk calculators really perform? Do they over or underestimate risk? Should we rely on them to make treatment decisions?
Sunday Jun 21, 2015
Intensive Antiplatelet Therapy - Is Extended Therapy Worth It?
Sunday Jun 21, 2015
Sunday Jun 21, 2015
Our guests - Dr. Cortney Mospan and Dr. Augustus (Rob) Hough - critically examine the results of the DAPT and PEGASUS-TIMI 54 studies and explain how the results should be applied in practice.