Local Cardiologist Achievements   (Posted 5/24/06) 

Dr. Eric Dippel, Dr. Michael Giudici, and Dr. Nicolas Shammas recently received the following recognitions:

• Dr. Michael Giudici has been appointed to the Health Policy Committee of the Heart Rhythm Society.  This Committee is charged with developing and implementing an advocacy strategy to promote optimal policies and standards for the study, treatment, and management of cardiac rhythm disorders at the national level.  Dr. Giudici's two-year term will begin in May, 2006.

• Dr. Nicolas W. Shammas had two manuscripts recently accepted for publication to Vascular Disease Management (Current Clinical Applications of Bivalirudin: an Overview), and to Cardiovascular Drug Reviews (Bivalirudin: Pharmacology and Clinical Applications).  Both manuscripts review the applications of Bivalirudin in interventional cardiology with a focus in the latter manuscript on it pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicology, and preclinical studies.  These manuscripts appeared in the March/April 2006 issue.  They can be viewed at www.mcrfmd.com or www.genesisheart.com

• Dr. Nicolas W. Shammas and Dr. Eric Dippel recently presented two abstracts at Cardiovascular Revascularization Therapics 2006, an international meeting held by the Washington Hospital Center in Washington D.C. on April 3-6, 2006.  The following studies conducted by investigators at the MCRF and the Genesis Heart Institute were presented: 
  
  •  In-hospital Complications in Treating Chronic Limb Ischemia:  A Comparative Analysis of Anticoagulation Regimens, by Dr. Nicolas Shammas, Dr. Eric Dippel, Christina Amidon, Dr. Pragnesh Patel, and Glen Ancheta. 
  • Is Thrombin Suppression Adequate With Low Dose Heparin (LDH) and Eptifibatide versus High Dose Heparin (HDH) in Patients Undergoing Peripheral Percutaneous Interventions (PPI)? by Dr. Nicolas Shammas, Dr. Eric Dippel, Dr. Jon Robken, Vickie Takes, Dr. Theresa Palabrica, Dr. Jon Lemke, and Dr. Lester Kirchner 

  Dr. Nicolas W. Shammas, Research Director of the Midwest Cardiovascular Research Foundation (MCRF) and a staff member of the Genesis Heart Institute and Cardiovascular Medicine, P.C., and the principal investigator on these studies, did receive the "Top Ten Abstract Award" at CRT-2006 for his abstracts presentation in this meeting which was attended by national and international endovascular specialists. 

• Dr. Nicolas Shammas has a recent publication accepted in Preventive Cardiology which will appear in an upcoming issue this year "Gender Differences in Adhering to National Guidelines in a Community Lipid Clinic".  Authors include Nicolas Shammas, MS, MD, Jon Lemke, PhD, Judi Deckert, RN, MS, Peter Toth, MD, PhD, Dawn McKinney, MA, Eric Dippel, MD. 
  
  In this manuscript, electronically tracked data on 4,324 patients, enrolled at the Cardiovascular Medicine, P.C. Lipid Clinic, was analyzed for gender differences in lipid values and adherence to national guidelines in lipid.  In summary, the manuscript has shown that females were older, more likely to be diabetic and/or hypertensive, and have a family history of coronary heart disease (CHD).  Women also had a higher initial total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglyceride (TG), and were more likely to be at goal at entry for high-density lipoprotein (HDL).  Males were more likely to have CHD and lower HDL and were more likely to be on goal at entry for the TG.  There were no gender differences in LDL at goal at entry or rate of current smoking.  All lipids parameters appeared better with age irrespective of gender.  More males than females reached goal for their LDL (61.5% versus 51.7%) and TG 36.9% vesus 25.1%), whereas more females than males reached goal for their HDL (33.1% versus 22.2%).  The authors conclude that there are significant gender differences in lipid values at entry to a community lipid clinic and in achieving NCEP targets following the initiation of therapy.  A possible gender-independent survivorship effect exists for LDL and HDL.