PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Among patients with recent ACS, use of enzyme inhibitor does not reduce risk of cardiovascular event

2013-11-19
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Stephen J. Nicholls, M.B.B.S., Ph.D.
stephen.nicholls@sahmri.com
The JAMA Network Journals
Among patients with recent ACS, use of enzyme inhibitor does not reduce risk of cardiovascular event Chicago – Stephen J. Nicholls, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia, and colleagues determined the effects of varespladib, a drug that inhibits the enzyme secretory phospholipase A2 on cardiovascular risk in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS; such as heart attack or unstable angina).

Despite contemporary therapies, patients with ACS face a substantial risk of early, recurrent adverse cardiovascular events. Increasing evidence supports a potential role of inflammation in the progression and clinical instability of coronary heart disease. Secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) is an enzyme involved with inflammation and implicated in atherosclerosis. The results of some studies have stimulated interest in sPLA2 inhibition as a cardioprotective strategy. The sPLA2 inhibitor varespladib has favorable effects on lipid and inflammatory markers; however, its effect on cardiovascular outcomes is unknown, according to background information in the article.

The trial was conducted at 362 academic and community hospitals in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India, and North America and included 5,145 patients randomized within 96 hours of presentation of an ACS to either 500-mg/d varespladib (n = 2,572) or placebo (n = 2,573) for 16 weeks (study termination on March 9, 2012). The participants also received atorvastatin and other established therapies. The primary efficacy measure was a composite of cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal stroke, and unstable angina with evidence of ischemia requiring hospitalization at 16 weeks. Six-month survival status was also evaluated.

At a prespecified interim analysis, including 212 patients with primary end point events, the independent data and safety monitoring board recommended termination of the trial for futility and possible harm. The primary end point occurred in 136 patients (6.1 percent) treated with varespladib compared with 109 patients (5.1 percent) treated with placebo. Varespladib was associated with a greater risk of heart attack (78 [3.4 percent] vs. 47 [2.2 percent]). The composite secondary end point of cardiovascular mortality, heart attack, and stroke was observed in 107 patients (4.6 percent) in the varespladib group and 79 patients (3.8 percent) in the placebo group.

"The sPLA2 inhibition with varespladib may be harmful and is not a useful strategy to reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes after ACS," the authors write.### (doi:10.l001/jama.2013.282836; Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com)


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

In enzyme's isoforms, hope for developing heart drugs that improve contractility, prevent SCD

2013-11-19
In enzyme's isoforms, hope for developing heart drugs that improve contractility, prevent SCD (SALT LAKE CITY)—Drugs known as PDE3 inhibitors save many lives by helping failing hearts do a better job of pumping blood. But those same medications come with ...

National study finds renal stenting does not improve outcomes for renal artery stenosis patients

2013-11-19
National study finds renal stenting does not improve outcomes for renal artery stenosis patients Rhode Island Hospital researchers play lead roles in study; will present findings at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association PROVIDENCE, R.I. – According to the findings ...

2 studies on the use of breast MRI

2013-11-19
2 studies on the use of breast MRI CHICAGO – The overall use of breast magnetic resonance imaging has increased, with the procedure most commonly used for diagnostic evaluations and screenings, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA ...

Beta-blockers before surgery appear associated with lower risk of heart-related events

2013-11-19
Beta-blockers before surgery appear associated with lower risk of heart-related events Giving beta-blocker medication to patients with heart disease undergoing noncardiac surgery appears to be associated with a lower risk of death and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) ...

Poorer, rural counties have lower CPR training rates

2013-11-19
Poorer, rural counties have lower CPR training rates Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training appears to be lower in more rural counties, those with higher proportions of black and Hispanic residents and lower household incomes, and in the South, Midwest ...

Drinking more milk as a teenager does not lower risk of hip fracture later

2013-11-19
Drinking more milk as a teenager does not lower risk of hip fracture later Drinking more milk as a teenager apparently does not lower the risk of hip fracture as an older adult and instead appears to increase that risk for men, according to a study published by ...

Preterm birth risk increases for pregnant women exposed to phthalates

2013-11-19
Preterm birth risk increases for pregnant women exposed to phthalates The odds of preterm delivery appear to increase for pregnant women exposed to phthalates, chemicals people are exposed to through contaminated food and water and in a variety of products ...

Gene plays major role in suppressing cancer

2013-11-19
Gene plays major role in suppressing cancer Adelaide researchers have found that a specific gene plays an important role in suppressing lymphoma, a type of blood cell cancer. The caspase-2 gene is related to a family of proteins that are essential for ...

Tackling early socioeconomic inequality as important as encouraging smoking cessation

2013-11-19
Tackling early socioeconomic inequality as important as encouraging smoking cessation Although health behaviours such as smoking are directly linked to the majority of early deaths in the UK, tackling these individual factors fails to address the underlying ...

Bacteria recycle broken DNA

2013-11-19
Bacteria recycle broken DNA Bacteria recycle broken DNA that bacteria can take up small as well as large pieces of old DNA from this scrapheap and include it in their own genome. This discovery may have major consequences – both in connection ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves

Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam

Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed

New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations

Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency

How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads

Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids

Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options

Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity

Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers

Antibiotic resistance among key bacterial species plateaus over time

‘Some insects are declining but what’s happening to the other 99%?’

Powerful new software platform could reshape biomedical research by making data analysis more accessible

Revealing capillaries and cells in living organs with ultrasound

American College of Physicians awards $260,000 in grants to address equity challenges in obesity care

Researchers from MARE ULisboa discover that the European catfish, an invasive species in Portugal, has a prolonged breeding season, enhancing its invasive potential

Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, honored with the 2025 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research

Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration

Deporting immigrants may further shrink the health care workforce

Border region emergency medical services in migrant emergency care

Resident physician intentions regarding unionization

[Press-News.org] Among patients with recent ACS, use of enzyme inhibitor does not reduce risk of cardiovascular event