After exposure to dilute diesel exhaust, men with coronary disease had increased exercise-induced myocardial ischemia, along with depressed fibrinolytic function. The data reported suggest possible mechanisms for the detrimental effect of air pollution from traffic in patients with coronary disease.

Myeloablative doses of melphalan with rescue by autologous hematopoietic stem cells are currently used in the treatment of immunoglobulin-light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, but the efficacy of the therapy is unproven. This randomized trial compared a regimen of high-dose melphalan with standard doses of melphalan plus high doses of dexamethasone. The aggressive treatment had no survival advantage as compared with conventional treatment with standard-dose melphalan.

The long-acting factor X inhibitor idraparinux was compared with a standard antithrombotic regimen in two randomized trials, one for the treatment of deep venous thrombosis (DVT Study) and the other for the treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE Study). In the DVT Study, idraparinux was not inferior to standard therapy. In the PE Study, idraparinux was less efficacious than standard therapy.

The high risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism in patients with idiopathic venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism is reason for extended thromboprophylaxis in selected patients. Although 6 months of prophylaxis with idraparinux after the initial 6 months of treatment with an anticoagulant was effective in preventing recurrent thromboembolism, its use caused an excess of major, clinically significant hemorrhagic episodes.