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Cardiology

Cutaneous symptoms reveal an unintentionally obscured disease

Matthew S. Rice, LTC, MC, USA March 01, 2010

As a health-care professional, this patient sought informal options that led to a delay in...

"Bad" cholesterol levels on the decline

February 04, 2010

Overall prevalence for high LDL levels fell from 31.5% in 1999-2000 to 21.2% in 2005-2006.

Med combo averts MI and stroke in some

December 23, 2009

A simplified method for bundling fixed doses of a generic statin and an ACE inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) reduced the risk of hospitalization for MI and stroke in 170,024 people aged 55 years and older who had diabetes, coronary artery disease, or both.

Some dietary guidelines more heart-friendly

August 17, 2009

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines for Americans are designed to promote health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, but their impact on existing disease hasn't been adequately studied.

Help smokers quit with a multifaceted approach

June 19, 2009

By treating smoking aggressively as a chronic, relapsing disease, clinicians can raise the odds for success, a pair of studies suggests. One gave patients a variety of cessation medications at the same time. The other investigated the effect of supplementary counseling.

Peculiar violaceous, atraumatic rash

By Esan O. Simon, MD, MBA June 02, 2009

A 79-year-old Caucasian man with a history of chest pain, light-headedness, and diaphoresis was admitted to rule out acute coronary syndrome. He incidentally noted a bruise that had appeared spontaneously on his chest without trauma four days prior to admission.

Discrete yellow lesions on the eyelid

By Craig G. Burkhart, MD, MPH June 02, 2009

A 57-year-old Caucasian woman has had discrete yellow areas on her eyelids for several years. According to the patient, the precipitating factor was an episode of poison ivy that involved her eyelids four summers ago.

Primary care on front line for atrial fibrillation

May 22, 2009

Diagnosing atrial fibrillation could sharply reduce strokes in the United States, and primary-care physicians have a key role to play, according to experts at the American College of Cardiology.

Safety experts urge focus on diagnostic mistakes

May 20, 2009

Diagnostic errors should be the next major target of patient-safety efforts and research, a pair of Johns Hopkins experts urge.

Coffee every day may keep stroke away

April 22, 2009

The findings of a large study suggest that coffee consumption may modestly reduce the risk of stroke in women.

Hair loss as a side effect of statins?

Question by Jyoti Khatri, MD, Omaha; response by Peter F. Cohn, MD April 15, 2009

A 63-year-old woman wants to discontinue the simvastatin (Zocor) 10 mg she is taking for hypercholesterolemia because she believes the medication is causing her to lose her hair. Is there any evidence supporting this side effect of Zocor?

New findings challenge Framingham heart risk tool

April 14, 2009

Three recent studies indicate that the venerable Framingham risk score goes only so far as a predictor of cardiovascular problems.

Secondary stroke prevention lags

April 07, 2009

Even as researchers are fine-tuning approaches to preventing primary coronary events, a new analysis of unrelated CDC data found that primary-care providers need to focus more on secondary stroke prevention too.

New aspirin guidelines stress gender differences

By Myra Dembrow April 06, 2009

Men and women don't respond the same to prophylactic aspirin therapy. Updated recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services addresses this aspect of heart disease prevention.

Excessive sleepiness linked to CVD mortality

By Myra Dembrow March 30, 2009

Daytime drowsiness may warn of impending death in elderly people, particularly from cardiovascular causes, new population-based research suggests.

Diet tips for heart failure, COPD updated

March 11, 2009

Registered dietitians have some new advice for your patients with heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, now that the American Dietetic Association has published evidence-based guidelines for providing nutrition treatment to patients with these conditions.

Waist size beats BMI in predicting stroke and TIA

February 26, 2009

Waist-to-hip ratio and other measures of abdominal obesity are better indicators of cerebrovascular risk than BMI, according to a new study.

Cleviprex

February 05, 2009

An IV calcium channel blocker to reduce BP from The Medicines Company

Transient severe breathing difficulty while shoveling snow

By Benjamin M. Kaplan, MD, and Albert J. Miller, MD February 05, 2009

An elderly woman returns home from a balmy South Pacific vacation and finds very cold temperatures. While shoveling snow, she finds that she can't get air into her lungs. With no history of pulmonary or heart disease, what's wrong?

Three clinical factors aid TIA detection

January 22, 2009

Transient ischemic attacks can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are often gone by the time the patient seeks medical help. Plus, those symptoms can mimic other disorders.

Lowering LDL cholesterol still important, says FDA

January 09, 2009

The agency reaffirmed its position that elevated amounts of LDL are a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke, and sudden death and that lowering LDL cholesterol reduces the risk of these diseases.

Fibrate used in combination with statin approved

December 16, 2008

The FDA has approved Trilipix (fenofibric acid), a delayed-release capsule for use along with diet to treat dyslipidemia. Trilipix is the first fibrate to be approved for use in combination with a statin.

Statins protect against CVD, not renal disease

December 04, 2008

Statin use does not decrease renal-function loss in patients without cardiovascular disease (CVD) or in those at risk for it, but the drug is effective for primary prevention of CVD, a study found.

Ambulatory BP betters office reads for CV risk

By Delicia Yard November 26, 2008

A recent report found that office BP has no value in predicting cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality in patients with resistant hypertension. Higher ambulatory measurements, however, are good indicators of these outcomes, according to the same report.

Kidney marker warns of heart disease, diabetes

November 20, 2008

A new meta-analysis confirmed "a strong and continuous association between urinary proteinuria and subsequent risk of coronary heart disease (CHD)." Meanwhile, a team of French scientists has tied excessive UAE levels to substantially higher risks of developing diabetes in men.

Statins may limit blood clots

October 27, 2008

A new study suggests that the use of statins may be associated with a significant reduction in the occurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with solid organ tumors, including breast, lung, and colon cancers.

Osteoporosis drugs increase AF risk

October 24, 2008

Patients who take bisphosphonates for osteoporosis were significantly more likely to experience serious atrial fibrillation, including hospitalization or death, compared with placebo, according to a new study.

Omega 3s plus statins help lipids

October 20, 2008

In patients with mixed dyslipidemia, a combination of statin therapy and prescription omega-3 fatty acids may help improve lipid profiles, according to a report in the Oct. 15 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology. Reported at HealthDay.

Study: Aspirin doesn't prevent CV events

October 17, 2008

Among patients with diabetes and asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease, aspirin did not reduce primary fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events compared with placebo, according to a study by Jill Belch, MD, of the University of Dundee in Scotland, and colleagues online in BMJ. Reported at MedPage Today.