Heart Failure

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.

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.

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?

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.

Secondary heart failure

October 08, 2008

As physicians, we need to remind ourselves that congestive heart failure (CHF) is not a diagnosis but rather a complex of symptoms with one or more of five major causes: myocardial ischemia, valvular heart disease, chronic hypertension, arrhythmias, or cardiomyopathy. Thus, if a patient has symptoms of CHF, the diagnosis would be CHF secondary to one of those five causes.

Addressing cardiac risk in the young

Question raised by Derek Olson, DO, Chicago and answered by Peter F. Cohn, MD July 01, 2008

What should I do for patients younger than 40 who have zero to two risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) and LDL 130-160 mg/dL and have not responded to lifestyle modifications?

An unusual, elusive, postsurgical sequela

Case and Analysis By Sailatha Padmanabhan, MD, AND Rajan Krishnamani, MD March 14, 2008

Fatigue, fever, and chills plague a patient following valve replacement.

Diuretic for gout patients?

February 20, 2008

Since hydrochlorothiazide can increase the risk of attacks in patients with gout, what diuretic is safe and effective for these patients?

Stents: What you now need to know

June 07, 2007

Once hailed as a breakthrough in the care of heart disease, stents have been in the news and in the crosshairs of skeptics. Here's what you need to know to deal with your heart patients.

Acute Coronary Syndrome: Find the heart of the matter

By William E. Cayley Jr, MD, MDiv February 10, 2007

Establishing a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) allows you to stabilize the patient while you provide a more thorough evaluation and identify the specific form of unstable CAD involved.