• Vanderbilt University (my undergrad alma mater) has announced that it has access to a special blood test that can predict a patient’s risk for heart disease. Using genomic factors, along with the patient’s age, history of stable chest pain, and gender — the assay (dubbed Corus CAD) offers a non-invasive alternative in stratifying coronary disease risk.
  

  The test was developed as a part of a new medical field called genomic medicine, which enables doctors to further personalize patient care based on the unique genomic makeup of individual patients — an important factor for many visiting the doctor. For this reason, the blood test interests many physicians.

  Count me among those interested.

• On a more dour note, there is renewed interest in the recall of rosiglitazone (Avandia), the Glaxo drug with known associations in causing cardiac disease and risk of death; confidential studies via officials in the FDA are recommending the drug’s withdrawal from the market, potentially leaving Pfizer’s pioglitazone (Actos) as the only market alternative in this class to treat diabetes mellitus, type 2.
  

  The company has faced criticism that it has known about the heart-attack risks associated with Avandia for years. Glaxo added a “black-box” warning to Avandia in November 2007 that says the drug can cause or exacerbate congestive heart failure. The company has also faced accusations that it attempted to intimidate scientists and doctors outside the company who raised questions about the safety of Avandia. The company has said that it didn’t try to intimidate anyone.

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