Warfarin, the generic name for the most widely prescribed oral anticoagulant (blood thinner) in America, is used to prevent thrombosis (blood clots) and thromboembolism (blood clots that migrate throughout the body). People diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (rapid or irregular heartbeat), narrowed coronary arteries, who have had valve or stent replacement surgery or have a history….
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Hormone Replacement Therapy Review Confirms Recommendations for Caution
It has been 10 years since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) raised a red flag of concern for women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT). A systematic review of scientific research published on the subject since 2002, the task force concluded last week, confirms the initial call for caution. HRT is most often….
Continue ReadingImplantable Defibrillator Problems Devolve Into a Blame Game
For some people with heart rhythm abnormalities, an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) can be a lifesaver. The small, electronic device is surgically implanted inside the chest to prevent cardiac arrest from hearts that beat abnormally fast (“tachycardia”). An ICD monitors the heart rhythm, and if it senses tachycardia, it delivers an electrical shock to restore….
Continue ReadingDiabetes Warning Issued for Statin Drugs
A class of drugs called statins lowers blood cholesterol levels by reducing the production of cholesterol by the liver. Lipid regulators, which are primarily statin drugs, are the most commonly prescribed medication in the U.S., according to a report by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. Last month the FDA acknowledged that statins may play….
Continue ReadingIs Tobacco Promotion an Issue of Free Speech, or Protecting the Public Health?
Last November, the FDA ruled that tobacco manufacturers must include on their packaging graphic depictions of the horrors smoking can wreak. The new packaging was to take effect in autumn 2012. Five tobacco companies now have taken the FDA to federal court, challenging the regulations. Among other things, they claim that the depictions: would unfairly….
Continue ReadingA Poster that Makes the Point about Unnecessary Angioplasty
Okay, it might be a touch sarcastic. But this poster is backed by good science. How did it come about? Read the back story on this cardiology website.
Continue ReadingStudy Says Stop-Smoking Drug Carries Cardiovascular Risk
A drug prescribed for smoking cessation is linked to an increased risk of heart problems, according to a study published July 4 in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Varenicline, known by the brand name Chantix, was associated with a 72% increased risk of a serious cardiovascular “event.” That sounds huge, but the scientific number-crunching shakes….
Continue ReadingTime of surgery doesn’t affect heart/lung transplant outcomes
A study examining outcomes of heart and lung transplant surgery has concluded that patients fare essentially the same whether the transplants are performed during the day or at night. Two smaller previous studies – one on kidney transplants and the other on liver transplants – had indicated that patients tended to fare worse if the….
Continue ReadingDiabetes drug Avandia will be gone from retail shelves by November
Diabetes medication Avandia will be pulled from pharmacy shelves in November because it poses a major risk of heart attack, the Food and Drug Administration has announced. Under a new program effective Nov. 18, 2011, only certified physicians will be allowed to prescribe the drug, and then only to patients who’ve been informed of the….
Continue ReadingMandated use of unproven screening practices drives up medical costs with little patient benefit
A new Texas law that mandates insurance coverage for coronary artery calcium scanning and carotid artery ultrasound was “premature” and will have major ramifications for public health, a noted Texas cardiologist says. In a commentary published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Dr. Amit Khera, a cardiologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center….
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