During a recent office visit an older women recited to me what I had said to her over a decade ago on the day she came to the hospital. The detail of her memory gave me pause. I could not remember the scenario but she said that my words had become … [Continue reading]
How dangerous are NSAIDs in patients with AF?
One of the most commonly asked questions in the office is the treatment of arthritis pain. This comes up because of the concern over taking NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) in patients who are on anticoagulants (such as warfarin, or … [Continue reading]
Cardiology Podcast Every Friday
My editors at Medscape warned me years ago that many people, especially younger ones, read a lot less. This saddened me because I've spent a great deal of time learning to write. One of America's most accomplished writers, Malcolm Gladwell, began … [Continue reading]
Finding Truth: How Much Do We Need Experts?
I am planning a column on the role of experts in translating medical evidence. Evidence is important because it's how doctors know they are helping not harming people. It's hardly news that the new (digital) democracy of information has changed … [Continue reading]
Downsides of Twitter
I use Twitter a lot. Interacting with thoughtful people is fun and I am learning a bunch. I especially love learning from the stats people and the philosophers. But Twitter has downsides. The main one is that it's ephemeral. You see something and … [Continue reading]
Forgotten Concepts in Medical Practice
A reader asked an excellent question on my last post. Roy wondered if further research in elderly patients would identify a subset of patients that would benefit more from anti-coagulation. My answer is... not likely. The reasons involve three … [Continue reading]
How Hubris Impairs the Care of the Elderly
An elderly man with atrial fibrillation (AF) asks whether to continue taking a clot-blocking drug to prevent stroke. This is the gist of a case my colleague Dr Anish Koka recently posted on Twitter. It's a great thread. Click here to get to the … [Continue reading]
Musings on the CABANA trial — AF ablation vs Drugs
Last week at the Heart Rhythm Society meeting in Boston, Dr. Douglas Packer from the Mayo Clinic presented results of The Catheter Ablation versus Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation (CABANA) trial. I cannot remember a more … [Continue reading]
Thoughts on CABANA — The biggest study in AF ablation in years
(The CABANA trial is slated for release in two days at the 2018 HRS Meeting. Here is a preview.) Technology has made modern life easier. This is good for lots of things, but not for avoiding atrial fibrillation (AF). As people in Western … [Continue reading]
Take-home messages from Western AF 2018
The Western AF symposium may have had corporate sponsors, but it was no boondoggle. The sessions start at 0715 and go through 1830. Your head spins at the end of the conference. I learned a lot. Here are some fast-writing thoughts: New Energy … [Continue reading]
Western AF Symposium 2018
Readers interested in atrial fibrillation should know that the world's best AF meeting starts tomorrow Friday February 23 in Park City Utah. The Western AF symposium features more than 80 faculty from across the globe. These are the leaders in AF. … [Continue reading]
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