Bundling 2 low-cost heart drugs prevents heart attack and stroke in large, diverse population — Kaiser Permanente program averted 1,271 heart attacks and strokes, observational clinical study shows. – Low-cost drugs ? a cholesterol-lowering statin and a blood pressure-lowering drug ? as daily doses to 68,560 people with diabetes or heart disease for two years is estimated to have prevented 1,271 heart attacks and strokes.
Hello wearable kidney, goodbye dialysis machine — Wearable Artificial Kidney for dialysis patients. – Researchers are developing a Wearable Artificial Kidney for dialysis patients, reports an upcoming paper in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).
Treatment with antipsychotic drugs is associated with a significantly increased risk of hospitalization for hyperglycemia in old patients. – Older patients with diabetes who take antipsychotic medications appear to have an increased risk of hospitalization for hyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose level), especially soon after beginning treatment, revealed by researchers.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Approves Sanofi’s Multaq dronedarone to Treat Heart Rhythm Disorders – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Sanofi’s Multaq tablets (dronedarone) to help maintain normal heart rhythms in patients with a history of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter (heart rhythm disorders or arrhythmia).
Large, long-term study shows Avandia has no increased overall cardiovascular risk compared to other commonly used diabetes medicines – Clinical trial results presented at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting show that overall rates of cardiovascular hospitalization and cardiovascular death are similar in patients taking Avandia (rosiglitazone) compared to those receiving metformin and sulfonylurea.
Rolofylline Did Not Demonstrate Efficacy for Acute Heart Failure in Clinical Trial – Merck’s experimental heart failure drug rolofylline failed to meet the goals in a clinical trial, failing to improve patients. Merck won’t seek approval this year for this heart failure drug rolofylline after preliminary results.
University of Arizona research on scorpion antivenom published in NEJM. Antivenom results in prompt recovery from nerve poisoning. – Youngsters suffering severe nerve poisoning following a scorpion sting recover completely and quickly if a scorpion-specific antivenom is administered, according to a study conducted by researchers from The University of Arizona and reported in the May 14 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
Diet prescribed to lower blood pressure also reduces women’s risk of heart failure. – The DASH diet was initially developed to help patients lower their blood pressure, but a large study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) demonstrates that women who followed the diet also significantly reduced their risk of developing heart failure.
Study shows benefits of anti-clotting medications reduced by common heartburn drugs. Proton pump inhibitors interfere with anti-clotting protection of clopidogrel. – The anti-clotting action of the medication clopidogrel (Plavix) can be compromised by common drugs for the treatment of heartburn and ulcers resulting in a roughly 50% increase in the combined risk of hospitalization for heart attack, stroke and other serious cardiovascular illnesses, according to a new study presented at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) 32nd Annual Scientific Sessions.
Offering housing and case management to a population of homeless adults with chronic medical illnesses resulted in fewer hospital days and emergency department visits, compared with usual care. – An intervention that provided housing and case management to homeless adults with chronic medical illnesses reduced hospitalizations and emergency department visits, according to a study in the May 6 issue of JAMA.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the 4th leading cause of death in the United States of America. – A joint report released by the American Lung Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota COPD Coalition shows that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is sending more Minnesotans to the hospital, and may be contributing to rising health care costs across in the state.
Factors identified causing barriers to asthma care – access to appropriate care, patient adherence, distrust of the medical profession, delayed asthma diagnosis, culture, lifestyle choices and genetic discrepancies – Barriers to managing asthma include access to appropriate care, patient adherence, distrust of the medical profession, delayed asthma diagnosis, culture, lifestyle choices and genetic discrepancies according to experts at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Seattle.
