Cardiovascular Health

CONMED Corporation is voluntarily recalling some of its PadPro and R2 multi-function defibrillation electrodes due to a connector compatibility problem with Philips FR3 and FRx defibrillator units.

Digoxin is associated with a 71% increased risk of death and a 63% higher risk of hospitalization among adults diagnosed with atrial fibrillation who have no evidence of heart failure.

Patients with chronic cardiovascular disease who receive automated reminders for their prescription blood pressure and cholesterol medications are more likely to refill those drugs.

A Genzyme and Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. study suggests that mipomersen sodium injections reduce the odds of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, compared with the 2 years prior to therapy.

A Merck study found patients who received a cholesterol-lowering combination of ezetimibe/simvastatin experienced fewer major cardiovascular events than those taking simvastatin alone.

Andexanet alfa showed promise as an anti-Xa reversal agent in new research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Session 2014.

Is moderation the key to all things, including exercise?

The FDA is taking a look at a trial that showed 30 months of dual antiplatelet blood-thinning therapy decreased the risk of heart attack and clot formation in stents, yet increased the overall risk of death compared with 12 months of the treatment.

The American Heart Association awarded its 2014 Population Research Prize to Vasan R. Ramachandran, M.D., of Boston University School of Medicine, "for brilliantly seizing upon opportunities to translate cutting-edge bench science into an epidemiological context, thereby making fundamental contributions to identifying systemic markers for cardiovascular risk, both here and in developing countries."

The FDA is taking a look at Amgen's Biologics License Application for evolocumab.

As new anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation enter the marketplace, health care professionals desire to understand how the drugs compare to the tried-and-true prototype, warfarin.

The FDA's Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee has recommended the approval of edoxaban (Savaysa) for treating patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, a type of arrhythmia that can potentially cause a stroke.

Even though smoking can exacerbate respiratory conditions and limit the efficacy of their treatment, patients often purchase cigarettes while filling prescriptions for asthma or antihypertensive drugs at pharmacies.

A new study indicates that high doses of fish oil supplementation fails to prevent the recurrence of atrial fibrillation.

Patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis are more likely to have uncontrolled hypertension.

When association is association and causation is causation.

Updated guidelines for postoperative atrial fibrillation contain several pieces of information for pharmacists to help prevent medication errors.

The FDA today approved the first drug-coated balloon for reopening arteries in the thigh and knee that are narrowed or blocked due to peripheral artery disease.

Even a modest weight loss can improve overall health.

Even a modest weight loss can improve overall health.

For the first time, one antiplatelet agent has been recommended over another for non"ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Evolocumab cut low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels by 60%, on average, in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

Live medication therapy management (MTM) reduces low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol significantly more than standard, chart-review MTM.

The results of an FDA safety review of omalizumab (Xolair) suggest the asthma drug slightly elevates the risk of serious cardiovascular and cerebrovascular adverse events.

In a Phase 3 study, odanacatib significantly reduced the risk of osteoporotic fractures, but it also might have contributed to major cardiovascular events.