Eltrombopag, an orally active agonist of the thrombopoietin receptor, elevates platelet counts in normal subjects and in patients with immune thrombocytopenia (see the article by Bussell et al. in this issue of the Journal). This preliminary trial tested the drug in patients with thrombocytopenia and cirrhosis associated with the hepatitis C virus. Eltrombopag was effective in raising the platelet count, thereby allowing for antiviral treatment for up to 12 weeks.

This trial tested the efficacy of eltrombopag, a small nonpeptide agonist of the thrombopoietin receptor, in patients with immune thrombocytopenia who had not had a response to at least one previous treatment for the disorder. At a dose of 50 or 75 mg, the agonist, which had been shown to increase platelet production in normal volunteers, increased platelet counts to a clinically safe level (≥50,000 per cubic millimeter) in most patients.

In this clinical trial, rosuvastatin was compared with placebo in elderly patients with systolic, ischemic heart failure. Although rosuvastatin significantly lowered levels of both low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, it did not significantly reduce cardiovascular outcomes. However, it did reduce the number of hospitalizations. On the basis of these data, the role of statin therapy in heart failure appears to be limited.

The association between the presence of patent foramen ovale and stroke has not been established in older patients. In this prospective study, among patients 55 years of age or older, those with cryptogenic stroke (cause of stroke not identified before transesophageal echocardiography was performed) were more likely to have patent foramen ovale diagnosed on transesophageal echocardiography than were patients with stroke of known cause. This suggests that patent foramen ovale is a cause of stroke in older patients.