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SAN DIEGO – The 5-year results of the PARTNER 1 trial in presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology were reassuring for clinicians treating patients with severe aortic stenosis at high risk for surgery, said to Dr. Jeffrey J. Popma of Beth Israel DeaconessMedical Center, Boston, in a video interview. The data showed comparable mortality between transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), as well as long-term durability of the SAPIEN transcatheter valve, he said.

With these similar outcome results, Dr. Popma asks, can the less-invasive TAVR procedure be considered the preferred treatment over SAVR in these very-sick patients?

chackett@frontlinemedcom.com

SAN DIEGO – The 5-year results of the PARTNER 1 trial in presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology were reassuring for clinicians treating patients with severe aortic stenosis at high risk for surgery, said to Dr. Jeffrey J. Popma of Beth Israel DeaconessMedical Center, Boston, in a video interview. The data showed comparable mortality between transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), as well as long-term durability of the SAPIEN transcatheter valve, he said.

With these similar outcome results, Dr. Popma asks, can the less-invasive TAVR procedure be considered the preferred treatment over SAVR in these very-sick patients?

chackett@frontlinemedcom.com

SAN DIEGO – The 5-year results of the PARTNER 1 trial in presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology were reassuring for clinicians treating patients with severe aortic stenosis at high risk for surgery, said to Dr. Jeffrey J. Popma of Beth Israel DeaconessMedical Center, Boston, in a video interview. The data showed comparable mortality between transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), as well as long-term durability of the SAPIEN transcatheter valve, he said.

With these similar outcome results, Dr. Popma asks, can the less-invasive TAVR procedure be considered the preferred treatment over SAVR in these very-sick patients?

chackett@frontlinemedcom.com

SAN DIEGO – Long-term outcome results from the trials that compared the first-generation SAPIEN system and the CoreValve system for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have shown that both devices had excellent performance, compared with surgical aortic valve replacement.

The SAPIEN system continued to show similar performance, compared with surgery after 5-year follow-up, and the CoreValve showed even better superiority to surgery after 2 years, compared with first-year results.

But the performance of the two systems for TAVR should not be interpreted to suggest that CoreValve outperforms the SAPIEN system, cautioned Dr. Stephen Ramee during an interview at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology.

The CoreValve study began 4 years after the PARTNER trial that studied the SAPIEN valve, and during that intervening period, the cardiologists and cardiac surgeons who collaborate on TAVR learned important lessons on how to better select patients and how to avoid other risks during the procedure, said Dr. Ramee, an interventional cardiologist and director of the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans.

As a consequence, the SAPIEN valve (currently the XT system) remains a very viable option, and Dr. Ramee said he generally used the SAPIEN XT system for about 60% of his cases. The major patient group best suited for CoreValve TAVR are patients with a highly calcified aortic-valve annulus, which is better suited to the self-expanding CoreValve because of a reduced risk for rupture of the annulus during balloon expansion with the SAPIEN valve.

Dr. Ramee has received honoraria from Edwards and Medtronic, the companies that respectively market the SAPIEN and CoreValve systems. He also has a financial interest in several companies developing new TAVR devices.

mzoler@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter mitchelzoler

SAN DIEGO – Long-term outcome results from the trials that compared the first-generation SAPIEN system and the CoreValve system for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have shown that both devices had excellent performance, compared with surgical aortic valve replacement.

The SAPIEN system continued to show similar performance, compared with surgery after 5-year follow-up, and the CoreValve showed even better superiority to surgery after 2 years, compared with first-year results.

But the performance of the two systems for TAVR should not be interpreted to suggest that CoreValve outperforms the SAPIEN system, cautioned Dr. Stephen Ramee during an interview at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology.

The CoreValve study began 4 years after the PARTNER trial that studied the SAPIEN valve, and during that intervening period, the cardiologists and cardiac surgeons who collaborate on TAVR learned important lessons on how to better select patients and how to avoid other risks during the procedure, said Dr. Ramee, an interventional cardiologist and director of the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans.

As a consequence, the SAPIEN valve (currently the XT system) remains a very viable option, and Dr. Ramee said he generally used the SAPIEN XT system for about 60% of his cases. The major patient group best suited for CoreValve TAVR are patients with a highly calcified aortic-valve annulus, which is better suited to the self-expanding CoreValve because of a reduced risk for rupture of the annulus during balloon expansion with the SAPIEN valve.

Dr. Ramee has received honoraria from Edwards and Medtronic, the companies that respectively market the SAPIEN and CoreValve systems. He also has a financial interest in several companies developing new TAVR devices.

mzoler@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter mitchelzoler

SAN DIEGO – Long-term outcome results from the trials that compared the first-generation SAPIEN system and the CoreValve system for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have shown that both devices had excellent performance, compared with surgical aortic valve replacement.

The SAPIEN system continued to show similar performance, compared with surgery after 5-year follow-up, and the CoreValve showed even better superiority to surgery after 2 years, compared with first-year results.

But the performance of the two systems for TAVR should not be interpreted to suggest that CoreValve outperforms the SAPIEN system, cautioned Dr. Stephen Ramee during an interview at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology.

The CoreValve study began 4 years after the PARTNER trial that studied the SAPIEN valve, and during that intervening period, the cardiologists and cardiac surgeons who collaborate on TAVR learned important lessons on how to better select patients and how to avoid other risks during the procedure, said Dr. Ramee, an interventional cardiologist and director of the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans.

As a consequence, the SAPIEN valve (currently the XT system) remains a very viable option, and Dr. Ramee said he generally used the SAPIEN XT system for about 60% of his cases. The major patient group best suited for CoreValve TAVR are patients with a highly calcified aortic-valve annulus, which is better suited to the self-expanding CoreValve because of a reduced risk for rupture of the annulus during balloon expansion with the SAPIEN valve.

Dr. Ramee has received honoraria from Edwards and Medtronic, the companies that respectively market the SAPIEN and CoreValve systems. He also has a financial interest in several companies developing new TAVR devices.

mzoler@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter mitchelzoler

SAN DIEGO – Patients with new-onset, stable chest pain account for millions of stress tests annually in the United States, but randomized data are limited on which test is best and the impact of testing on clinical outcomes.

Results from the prospective PROMISE trial, presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, show there is no Holy Grail testing strategy. First-line testing with CT angiography did not reduce hard clinical events compared with functional testing, but did cut the number of patients undergoing an invasive catheterization showing no obstructive coronary artery disease.

Listen here for our interview with ACC president Dr. Patrick O’Gara on how these results will impact patient care and potentially influence current guideline recommendations.

Dr. O’Gara reported no relevant financial conflicts.

pwendling@frontlinemedcom.com

SAN DIEGO – Patients with new-onset, stable chest pain account for millions of stress tests annually in the United States, but randomized data are limited on which test is best and the impact of testing on clinical outcomes.

Results from the prospective PROMISE trial, presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, show there is no Holy Grail testing strategy. First-line testing with CT angiography did not reduce hard clinical events compared with functional testing, but did cut the number of patients undergoing an invasive catheterization showing no obstructive coronary artery disease.

Listen here for our interview with ACC president Dr. Patrick O’Gara on how these results will impact patient care and potentially influence current guideline recommendations.

Dr. O’Gara reported no relevant financial conflicts.

pwendling@frontlinemedcom.com

SAN DIEGO – Patients with new-onset, stable chest pain account for millions of stress tests annually in the United States, but randomized data are limited on which test is best and the impact of testing on clinical outcomes.

Results from the prospective PROMISE trial, presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, show there is no Holy Grail testing strategy. First-line testing with CT angiography did not reduce hard clinical events compared with functional testing, but did cut the number of patients undergoing an invasive catheterization showing no obstructive coronary artery disease.

Listen here for our interview with ACC president Dr. Patrick O’Gara on how these results will impact patient care and potentially influence current guideline recommendations.

Dr. O’Gara reported no relevant financial conflicts.

pwendling@frontlinemedcom.com

KAUAI, HAWAII – When should glycopyrrolate be used as first-line therapy in the treatment of hyperhidrosis? And if it’s not the first treatment, what should take its place?

In a video report from the 2015 Hawaii Dermatology Seminar sponsored by Global Academy for Medical Education/Skin Disease Education Foundation, Dr. Christopher Zachary and Dr. Joshua Spanogle share their thoughts on the latest in hyperhidrosis treatment.

Dr. Zachary disclosed that he has financial relationships with Cutera and Solta. Dr. Spanogle disclosed he has relationships with Illumina and Quantified Skin. SDEF and this news organization are owned by the same parent company.

wmcknight@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @whitneymcknight

KAUAI, HAWAII – When should glycopyrrolate be used as first-line therapy in the treatment of hyperhidrosis? And if it’s not the first treatment, what should take its place?

In a video report from the 2015 Hawaii Dermatology Seminar sponsored by Global Academy for Medical Education/Skin Disease Education Foundation, Dr. Christopher Zachary and Dr. Joshua Spanogle share their thoughts on the latest in hyperhidrosis treatment.

Dr. Zachary disclosed that he has financial relationships with Cutera and Solta. Dr. Spanogle disclosed he has relationships with Illumina and Quantified Skin. SDEF and this news organization are owned by the same parent company.

wmcknight@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @whitneymcknight

KAUAI, HAWAII – When should glycopyrrolate be used as first-line therapy in the treatment of hyperhidrosis? And if it’s not the first treatment, what should take its place?

In a video report from the 2015 Hawaii Dermatology Seminar sponsored by Global Academy for Medical Education/Skin Disease Education Foundation, Dr. Christopher Zachary and Dr. Joshua Spanogle share their thoughts on the latest in hyperhidrosis treatment.

Dr. Zachary disclosed that he has financial relationships with Cutera and Solta. Dr. Spanogle disclosed he has relationships with Illumina and Quantified Skin. SDEF and this news organization are owned by the same parent company.

wmcknight@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @whitneymcknight

The AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology is a unique assembly of physicians with different skill sets who work together with the goal of identifying new technologies and methods of care delivery, and then work with the innovators who came up with these ideas to help them find the path forward to routine clinical practice.

This means helping gastroenterology innovators deal with regulatory agencies, payers, and health systems, steps that are critical for getting new technologies adopted and reimbursed, Dr. Michael L. Kochman said in an interview. “The problem for innovators are the regulatory and reimbursement hurdles. The center is very good at helping people learn how to build the evidence base to overcome these hurdles.”

A key facet of the center’s efforts on behalf of innovators is organizing the annual AGA Technology Summit, held this year on March 19 and 20 in San Francisco. The summit brings together representatives of payers, health systems, the Food and Drug Administration, and other regulatory agencies, as well as physicians, corporate leaders, innovators, and leading-edge thinkers, to collectively work through major issues in bringing gastroenterology innovations into practice, said Dr. Kochman, chair of the center and professor of medicine and director of endoscopic education at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

mzoler@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @mitchelzoler

The AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology is a unique assembly of physicians with different skill sets who work together with the goal of identifying new technologies and methods of care delivery, and then work with the innovators who came up with these ideas to help them find the path forward to routine clinical practice.

This means helping gastroenterology innovators deal with regulatory agencies, payers, and health systems, steps that are critical for getting new technologies adopted and reimbursed, Dr. Michael L. Kochman said in an interview. “The problem for innovators are the regulatory and reimbursement hurdles. The center is very good at helping people learn how to build the evidence base to overcome these hurdles.”

A key facet of the center’s efforts on behalf of innovators is organizing the annual AGA Technology Summit, held this year on March 19 and 20 in San Francisco. The summit brings together representatives of payers, health systems, the Food and Drug Administration, and other regulatory agencies, as well as physicians, corporate leaders, innovators, and leading-edge thinkers, to collectively work through major issues in bringing gastroenterology innovations into practice, said Dr. Kochman, chair of the center and professor of medicine and director of endoscopic education at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

mzoler@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @mitchelzoler

The AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology is a unique assembly of physicians with different skill sets who work together with the goal of identifying new technologies and methods of care delivery, and then work with the innovators who came up with these ideas to help them find the path forward to routine clinical practice.

This means helping gastroenterology innovators deal with regulatory agencies, payers, and health systems, steps that are critical for getting new technologies adopted and reimbursed, Dr. Michael L. Kochman said in an interview. “The problem for innovators are the regulatory and reimbursement hurdles. The center is very good at helping people learn how to build the evidence base to overcome these hurdles.”

A key facet of the center’s efforts on behalf of innovators is organizing the annual AGA Technology Summit, held this year on March 19 and 20 in San Francisco. The summit brings together representatives of payers, health systems, the Food and Drug Administration, and other regulatory agencies, as well as physicians, corporate leaders, innovators, and leading-edge thinkers, to collectively work through major issues in bringing gastroenterology innovations into practice, said Dr. Kochman, chair of the center and professor of medicine and director of endoscopic education at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

mzoler@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @mitchelzoler

SAN DIEGO – Women who survive breast cancer face an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer, especially within 5 years of their breast cancer diagnosis, according to a large analysis of the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 9 database, covering 1973-2011.

In an interview at the meeting of the Endocrine Society, the study’s lead author, Dr. Jennifer H. Kuo, thyroid biopsy program director in the division of GI/endocrine surgery at Columbia University, New York, said that compared with patients with breast cancer alone, women who had breast cancer followed by thyroid cancer were younger on average when diagnosed with their breast cancer. They also were more likely to have had invasive ductal carcinoma, a smaller focus of cancer, and to have received radiation therapy as part of their breast cancer treatment.

Dr. Kuo concluded that recognition of the association should prompt vigilant screening for thyroid cancer among breast cancer survivors. She reported having no relevant financial conflicts to disclose.

dbrunk@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @dougbrunk

SAN DIEGO – Women who survive breast cancer face an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer, especially within 5 years of their breast cancer diagnosis, according to a large analysis of the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 9 database, covering 1973-2011.

In an interview at the meeting of the Endocrine Society, the study’s lead author, Dr. Jennifer H. Kuo, thyroid biopsy program director in the division of GI/endocrine surgery at Columbia University, New York, said that compared with patients with breast cancer alone, women who had breast cancer followed by thyroid cancer were younger on average when diagnosed with their breast cancer. They also were more likely to have had invasive ductal carcinoma, a smaller focus of cancer, and to have received radiation therapy as part of their breast cancer treatment.

Dr. Kuo concluded that recognition of the association should prompt vigilant screening for thyroid cancer among breast cancer survivors. She reported having no relevant financial conflicts to disclose.

dbrunk@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @dougbrunk

SAN DIEGO – Women who survive breast cancer face an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer, especially within 5 years of their breast cancer diagnosis, according to a large analysis of the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 9 database, covering 1973-2011.

In an interview at the meeting of the Endocrine Society, the study’s lead author, Dr. Jennifer H. Kuo, thyroid biopsy program director in the division of GI/endocrine surgery at Columbia University, New York, said that compared with patients with breast cancer alone, women who had breast cancer followed by thyroid cancer were younger on average when diagnosed with their breast cancer. They also were more likely to have had invasive ductal carcinoma, a smaller focus of cancer, and to have received radiation therapy as part of their breast cancer treatment.

Dr. Kuo concluded that recognition of the association should prompt vigilant screening for thyroid cancer among breast cancer survivors. She reported having no relevant financial conflicts to disclose.

dbrunk@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @dougbrunk

SAN DIEGO – As prescriptions for less-regulated, custom-compounded menopausal hormones approach the number of prescriptions for FDA-approved hormones, Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton says that clinicians should educate patients on the differences between the hormones.

In an interview at the meeting of the Endocrine Society, Dr. Pinkerton, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, framed her remarks in light of findings from a recent survey of 483 pharmacists, which found that an estimated 26-33 million prescriptions for compounded, non–FDA-approved menopausal therapies are filled in the United States each year.

Dr. Pinkerton disclosed that she has received grants and research support (paid to the University of Virginia) from Pfizer, Inc., TherapeuticsMD, Noven, Shionogi, and TXMD.

dbrunk@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @dougbrunk

SAN DIEGO – As prescriptions for less-regulated, custom-compounded menopausal hormones approach the number of prescriptions for FDA-approved hormones, Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton says that clinicians should educate patients on the differences between the hormones.

In an interview at the meeting of the Endocrine Society, Dr. Pinkerton, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, framed her remarks in light of findings from a recent survey of 483 pharmacists, which found that an estimated 26-33 million prescriptions for compounded, non–FDA-approved menopausal therapies are filled in the United States each year.

Dr. Pinkerton disclosed that she has received grants and research support (paid to the University of Virginia) from Pfizer, Inc., TherapeuticsMD, Noven, Shionogi, and TXMD.

dbrunk@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @dougbrunk

SAN DIEGO – As prescriptions for less-regulated, custom-compounded menopausal hormones approach the number of prescriptions for FDA-approved hormones, Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton says that clinicians should educate patients on the differences between the hormones.

In an interview at the meeting of the Endocrine Society, Dr. Pinkerton, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, framed her remarks in light of findings from a recent survey of 483 pharmacists, which found that an estimated 26-33 million prescriptions for compounded, non–FDA-approved menopausal therapies are filled in the United States each year.

Dr. Pinkerton disclosed that she has received grants and research support (paid to the University of Virginia) from Pfizer, Inc., TherapeuticsMD, Noven, Shionogi, and TXMD.

dbrunk@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @dougbrunk

HOUSTON– Dr. Amber M. Patterson of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio, provides the lowdown on intralymphatic immunotherapy, in which a three-injection protocol of ultrasound-guided lymph node injections spaced 4 weeks apart is being investigated as a treatment for grass pollen-induced rhinoconjunctivitis in adolescents. It’s an attractive alternative to the conventional 3-year regimen of weekly, then monthly subcutaneous immunotherapy injections.

bjancin@frontlinemedcom.com

HOUSTON– Dr. Amber M. Patterson of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio, provides the lowdown on intralymphatic immunotherapy, in which a three-injection protocol of ultrasound-guided lymph node injections spaced 4 weeks apart is being investigated as a treatment for grass pollen-induced rhinoconjunctivitis in adolescents. It’s an attractive alternative to the conventional 3-year regimen of weekly, then monthly subcutaneous immunotherapy injections.

bjancin@frontlinemedcom.com

HOUSTON– Dr. Amber M. Patterson of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio, provides the lowdown on intralymphatic immunotherapy, in which a three-injection protocol of ultrasound-guided lymph node injections spaced 4 weeks apart is being investigated as a treatment for grass pollen-induced rhinoconjunctivitis in adolescents. It’s an attractive alternative to the conventional 3-year regimen of weekly, then monthly subcutaneous immunotherapy injections.

bjancin@frontlinemedcom.com

HOUSTON– Dr. Megan S. Motosue of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., discusses the value of penicillin skin testing as a potent tool for improving inpatient antibiotic stewardship. By routinely performing penicillin skin testing using standard methods in a consecutive series of inpatients with a self-reported history of penicillin allergy, roughly 80% were found to not in fact be allergic. And this information changed their physicians’ behavior: prior to testing, vancomycin was the most commonly used antibiotic in the inpatients, but its use was reduced by more than half based upon the skin test results, with a commensurate increase in prescriptions for semi-synthetic penicillins.

bjancin@frontlinemedcom.com

HOUSTON– Dr. Megan S. Motosue of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., discusses the value of penicillin skin testing as a potent tool for improving inpatient antibiotic stewardship. By routinely performing penicillin skin testing using standard methods in a consecutive series of inpatients with a self-reported history of penicillin allergy, roughly 80% were found to not in fact be allergic. And this information changed their physicians’ behavior: prior to testing, vancomycin was the most commonly used antibiotic in the inpatients, but its use was reduced by more than half based upon the skin test results, with a commensurate increase in prescriptions for semi-synthetic penicillins.

bjancin@frontlinemedcom.com

HOUSTON– Dr. Megan S. Motosue of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., discusses the value of penicillin skin testing as a potent tool for improving inpatient antibiotic stewardship. By routinely performing penicillin skin testing using standard methods in a consecutive series of inpatients with a self-reported history of penicillin allergy, roughly 80% were found to not in fact be allergic. And this information changed their physicians’ behavior: prior to testing, vancomycin was the most commonly used antibiotic in the inpatients, but its use was reduced by more than half based upon the skin test results, with a commensurate increase in prescriptions for semi-synthetic penicillins.

bjancin@frontlinemedcom.com