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“Hypertension is the most prevalent risk factor leading to the development of atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia” according to Dr I Grundvold, University of Oslo.

The initiation of a multinational, randomized, double-blind Phase IIIb trial, PALLAS to assess the potential clinical benefit of Multaq® (dronedarone) in over 10,000 patients with permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events, was announced during the Heart Rhythm Society’s 31st Annual Scientific Sessions.

Allopurinol, which has commonly been used to treat gout for over 40 years, has had a new lease of life recently as it may help preserve renal function, according to an analysis appearing in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN) (1) and it is also potentially a drug for treatment of angina.

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has welcomed the publication of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) public health guidance on prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) at the population level in UK.

Recently announced results from a sub-analysis of the MADIT-CRT trial data that show that women receive a greater clinical benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds) than men. The results were presented during the 17th Cardiostim World Congress by Jonathan Steinberg, M.D., Chief of Cardiology and Director of the Al-Sabah Arrythmia Institute, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York.

Are fish oils truly anti-arrhythmics, do they prevent sudden cardiac death and if so, how? These were among the questions addressed at a symposium during the recent British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) meeting in Manchester. Here we review some of the key messages from the meeting.

Short people are at greater risk of developing heart disease than tall people, according to the first systematic review and meta-analysis of all the available evidence, which is published online in the European Heart Journal [1].

There is currently no proven therapy to reduce infarct volume, but a pilot study from Lund University demonstrates that the induction of mild hypothermia (<35C) in STEMI patients prior to performing an angioplasty can save 38% of heart tissue compared with the procedure alone. The study was presented at EuroPCR in Paris recently.

Enabled by pharmacogenomics, molecular imaging and other molecular biomarkers, personalized medicine promises to optimize modern medicine and minimize the potential side effects of therapeutic agents. A leading pathologist has now indicated that it may also dramatically impact the justice system, and in ways that we are only just beginning to understand.

Results from the largest comparative, randomized clinical trial of patients who are at risk for contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) demonstrate that VISIPAQUE™ (iodixanol), an iso-osmolar contrast medium, is associated with a significantly lower incidence of CIN in high-risk elderly patients, compared with low-osmolar iopromide, another commonly used contrast medium.