Early Switch from Intravenous to Oral Antibiotic Therapy for Left-Sided Endocarditis POET trial (Partial Oral Treatment of Endocarditis)

Among patients who had left-sided infective endocarditis (IE) caused by common bacteria, a shift from intravenous (IV) to oral antibiotic treatment was noninferior to continued IV antibiotic treatment, according to the open-label, randomized POET trial (Partial Oral Treatment of Endocarditis; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01375257). Contemporary practice guidelines from the US and Europe recommend a 4- to 6-week course of IV antibiotics for patients with a left-sided IE. Data from the POET trial suggest that oral antibiotics may be safely and effectively administered during approximately half of the recommended treatment period, and potentially as outpatient treatment. The study results were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2018 and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Flu Shot Linked to Heart Failure Survival Influenza Vaccine in Heart Failure: Cumulative Number of Vaccinations, Frequency, Timing, and Survival: A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study

Patients with heart failure (HF) who receive influenza vaccination may be at a lower risk of both all-cause mortality and cardiovascular death after adjustment for confounders, according to a large-scale observational nationwide study of Danish citizens. “Annual influenza vaccination may be an effective treatment strategy to improve survival in heart failure,” lead author Daniel Modin (Department of Cardiology, Herlev & Gentofte Hospital, Denmark), and colleagues wrote in their paper recently published in Circulation. Continue reading →

Assessment of Genomic MetaGRS Scoring System in Prediction of Coronary Artery Disease Genomic Risk Prediction of Coronary Artery Disease in 480,000 Adults

A study published by Journal of the American College of Cardiology described a genomic score having the potential to stratify the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and emphasized the possible use of genomic screening in early life, adding to traditional risk factors. Continue reading →

GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Albiglutide Demonstrates ‘Harmonious’ Cardiovascular Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetics Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease : The HARMONY OUTCOMES trial

The results of the recently published Harmony-Outcomes study in The Lancet, led by Professor Stefano Del Prato, University of Pisa, Italy and Professor John McMurray, University of Glasgow, UK, have demonstrated that among patients with concomitant type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist is superior to placebo in the reduction of major adverse cardiovascular events. The study suggests that evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Continue reading →