Skeptics and the Pandemic
I recently posted the following thread on Twitter: I am so disappointed by the large number of pre-pandemic medical skeptics who have now turned into mask/vaccine skeptics. I largely agreed with many of them back in the day. /1 Pre-pandemic they used their skills and intelligence to rightfully question whether, say, a stent should be inserted...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - September 6, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes COVID-19 masks pandemic skeptics vaccines Source Type: blogs

Should the ACC Have a Live Meeting?
I was surprised to learn from a recent press release that the American College of Cardiology is planning to have some live participants at its annual scientific sessions meeting in May. The college said it is also partnering with a technology company to offer these participants a wearable monitoring device “as an added safety measure...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - January 25, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes American College of Cardiology COVID-19 pandemic Scientific Sessions Source Type: blogs

The Defense of Science in the Age of Fake News
Fake news didn’t just become a problem because of Trump, or the pandemic. It’s been around for a long while. The problem can’t begin to be solved unless the medical and scientific community accepts that it has an absolute responsibility to aggressively debunk fake news and defend and support scientific principles. Click here to read...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - December 10, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics alternative facts coronavirus COVID-19 fake news Trump Source Type: blogs

Cardiology Research: Business As Usual During the Pandemic
At this moment in time the pre-pandemic cardiology research agenda needs to be completely reprioritized. There are two broad areas that now take precedence over all existing research concerns. On the one hand, researchers need to achieve a better understanding of the staggering incidence of deferred or delayed treatment of cardiovascular events and conditions as...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - October 29, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: Epidemiology & Outcomes People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic research agenda Source Type: blogs

The Decline of Science In the Pandemic
Early in the pandemic there was a widespread belief that science would be our salvation. With the help of science we would be spared the worst consequences, such as occurred during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. A vaccine would arrive, reliably, after a few hard months of research, and in short order the problem would...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - September 16, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: Policy & Ethics COVID-19 pandemic science Source Type: blogs

A COVID-19 Cardiac MRI Study: What Went Wrong?
We still don’t know what COVID-19 is doing to the heart or how we should be investigating it and treating it. Last month JAMA Cardiology published a German cohort study of 100 patients recently recovered from COVID-19… A number of striking problems with the study were noted on Twitter…...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - August 24, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes COVID-19 MRI scientific misconduct Source Type: blogs

Don ’ t Confuse the Art and Science of Medicine: PCI vs CABG for Left Main Disease
It is often said that medicine is both an art and a science. In an imperfect world this is both inevitable and desirable. But it is extremely important that the two should not be confused with each other. In particular, because the “science” side of the equation has achieved overwhelming prestige and authority, it is...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - August 20, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: Interventional Cardiology & Surgery People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics CABG guidelines left main disease LMCA PCI Source Type: blogs

News About CardioBrief and CVCTCardioBrief
Note to readers: After a period of inactivity CardioBrief is coming back, but with some big differences. This website, CardioBrief.Org, will remain my personal website. A new website, CVCTCardiobrief.com, will be the new home for my “professional” blogging activities. To develop this website I have joined forces with the global CVCT Forum. I look forward to...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - July 17, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events CVCT Source Type: blogs

No, CRISPR Is Not Going To ‘ Cure ’ Heart Disease
No, CRISPR gene editing technology is not going to “cure” heart disease. But a New York Times story by Gina Kolata on an extremely early study in animals prominently plays up just this extremely unlikely claim. The Times story is based on a press release issued by Verve Therapeutics, a new biotechnology company founded by Sekar Kathiresan, an influential cardiologist and genomic...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - June 30, 2020 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes CRISPR gene editing hype journalism LDL PCSK9 Source Type: blogs

What Can We Learn From The Apple Heart Study?
Do we ever learn from our past mistakes? For many years we believed that technology was an inevitable force for good. It would give us instant access to a near infinite amount of information and allow us to easily and instantly connect with nearly anyone on earth. What could go wrong? The answer is that...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - November 13, 2019 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes $AAPL Apple Apple Watch technology wearables Source Type: blogs

Health Hype Alert: Beware the Apple Watch
This morning STAT published an Op-Ed piece I wrote about the Apple Watch. Here’s how it starts: Set your smartwatch alarm. You’re about to be barraged by tons of hype about the health benefits of the Apple Watch. Unfortunately, it won’t include essential information and data that can put these claims in proper perspective. Last year,...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - March 15, 2019 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Prevention, Epidemiology & Outcomes Apple Watch atrial fibrillation screening Source Type: blogs

The Simple Truth About Fake Medical News
Note: This is a slightly revised version of a talk I delivered at the recent CVCT Conference in Washington, DC.  Why are we vulnerable to fake news and why is it so hard to get rid of it? This is a complex question, but one important factor is that fake news delivers clear and simple...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - December 22, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics Uncategorized fake medical news fake news media Source Type: blogs

Questions Raised About Invokana Label Expansion For CV Risk Reduction
It hasn’t received a lot of media attention but on Tuesday the FDA approved an expansion of the canagliflozin (Invokana, Janssen) label to include a reduction in the risk of heart attack, stroke, or CV death in adults with type 2 diabetes and established CV disease. Canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, thus becomes the third...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - November 1, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: Diabetes People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics CVOT Invokana Source Type: blogs

Cardiovascular Research Foundation Blocks Press Access to TCT2018 Meeting
(Updated) The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) has denied press credentials for the TCT2018 meeting to a legitimate, fully accredited journalist. The meeting, which starts this weekend in San Diego, is the premiere interventional cardiology meeting. Legitimate journalists are routinely granted access to cover medical and scientific meetings. By any standard, Cat Ferguson is a respected and...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - September 19, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: People, Places & Events Policy & Ethics CRF journalism TCT meeting TCT2018 Source Type: blogs

Right Wing Minority Rule
The US is not perfect but until recently it has always moved, inexorably, if slowly and fitfully, in the general direction of justice and greatness. The best and undeniable example of this in recent times is the election of Barack Obama, something which would have been unthinkable at any other time in our history. But...Click here to continue reading... (Source: CardioBrief)
Source: CardioBrief - September 6, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Larry Husten Tags: Uncategorized GOP politics Trump Source Type: blogs