Gale Scott

In patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) pulmonary artery hypertension and right ventricular dysfunction are common and associated with mortality. A Duke team looked at ways to improve pulmonary vascular tone.

In heart failure patients, the kidneys can be overwhelmed with fluid volume overload. If these patients do not respond to diuretics, treatment is a major challenge.

There is a higher risk of certain types of cancer in patients who survive myocardial infarction, according to researchers in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Korean researchers reported on work showing the role a small heat-shock protein, alpha B-crystallin, could play in suppressing arrhythmia.

Vitamin D levels that are either very low or very high are associated with cardiovascular death rates, a Danish study found. The question is whether than relationship is causal or just an association.

Should drug sales reps be allowed to routinely tell doctors FDA warnings are groundless? Consumer Group Public Citizen is urging the feds to shelf a proposal to allow pharma companies "free rein" in what they say to providers about FDA warnings.

The American College of Cardiology 2015 Annual Scientific Session and Expo is set to begin March 14 in San Diego, CA. MD Magazine's editorial and video team will be there to provide breaking news, physician interviews, and analysis of the 3-day event. Some of the studies presented will likely change the practice of cardiology. Here's a preview.

The National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention is rolling out a free 24/7 information hotline called Stronger Hearts where callers can get referrals to care and information about heart failure. The program, which has funding from Novartis, began in February, 2015 as a pilot in San Bernardino County, CA. Its backers hope to expand the concept to other markets where demographics indicate a high prevalence of heart failure patients.

When obese patients who want bariatric procedures have a body mass index (BMI) of 50 to 60, surgeons must decide which technique is best. These patients are challenging. About 25% of US patients with obesity are in this group.

FDA approves device to help kidney failure patients with dialysis-related-amyloidosis. Known as the Lixelle Beta-2 microglobulin Apheresis Column, the device is already in use in Japan, where it is manufactured.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its first biosimilar product filgrastim-sndz (Zarxio/Sandoz), a cancer drug that is similar to Amgen's filgrastim (Neupogen).

Pediatricians and primary care doctors often face a quandary when it comes to routine vaccinations for children. When talking to parents about vaccination, the best approach may be speaking to parents as though it is assumed the vaccinations will be done, rather than opening the door to parental choice.

People with more exposure to air pollution are more likely to have carotid artery stenosis, researchers from NYU School of Medicine's Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease have found.

Being Greek does not necessarily mean eating healthy. A new study showed that adults in Greece who ate a traditional Mediterranean style diet-one that stresses eating fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, olive oil and moderate consumption of red wine-were 47% less likely to develop heart disease than peers who were eating Western-style. A related study, however, showed that physicians often do not know enough about the diet to counsel patients.

It's no secret that behavior can alter a person's likelihood of developing heart failure. In a new set of metrics, Faraz Ahmad, MD and colleagues at Northwestern University offer physicians a tool to show how many healthy heart-failure free years patients can gain by avoiding risky behaviors.

Two days after the US Food and Drug Administration announced that testosterone replacement products must now carry warning labels on the risks of heart attack and stroke, 2 researchers presented abstracts of studies indicating that there is no such danger. The studies were publicized by the American College of Cardiology and will be presented in detail at the group's upcoming meeting in San Diego, CA.

The latest legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) King v. Burwell, was heard today in the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS). Courtroom bloggers gave the advantage to the Obama administration, but said the justices' questioning made it clear that it will be a close vote.

Medical marijuana is legal in Washington state. But the FDA has ordered a Seattle company to stop selling cannabis products for dogs and cats. The products are shipped nationally.

Deaths and infections traced to duodenoscopes contaminated with carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae infections are on the rise. The ECRI Institute, a nonprofit research and testing lab, today put out a "high priority hazard report" on procedures for cleaning the devices. It isn't easy.

Manufacturers of prescription testosterone products must change their drug labels to include a warning about increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. The labeling change, announced today by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) addresses the use of testosterone by men whose decreased level of the hormone is due to aging.

An estimated 40% of migraine sufferers also have signs of depression and more than 50% of migraine patients have some form of anxiety disorder. Treating these comorbidities is more art than science, says Mia Minen, MD, Director of Headache Services at NYU Langone Medical Center. In a recent interview she discussed the treatment options ranging from standard drugs like triptans, to Botox, to biofeedback.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appears to be fighting a losing battle with manufacturers of sexual aids marketed as "natural" products and sold over the counter. It's not a question of whether they work. The issue is that they contain sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, which requires a prescription.

The financial collapse a decade ago was hard on the practice of plastic surgery-at least for elective cosmetic procedures. Since then, said Alexes Hazen, MD, an associate professor of plastic surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center and director of the Aesthetic Surgery Center, demand is way up again. But so is the competition. Success means staying ahead of the game by testing and adopting the latest procedures and technology.

Cataracts have been around for a long time, but methods of correcting vision in people who have them have changed. Lisa Park, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology NYU Langone Medical Center and Chief of Service at Bellevue Hospital Center discusses the options.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee on immunization practices today approved including Merck's Gardasil 9 vaccine in a list of recommended vaccinations for children and young adults. The vaccine got US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in December, 2014. The vaccine is an improvement on the older version of Gardasil in that it offers protection against 5 more types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) than the original product.

Bristol-Myers Squibb today announced that its Phase III clinical trial of a combination product daclatasvir-sofosbuvir showed dramatic cure rates for patients infected with both HIV and Hepatitis C. The results of the trial, known as ALLY-2, were presented at the 2015 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle, WA.

Colon cancer is declining, and as a result, specialists like Mark Pochapin, MD director of the Divsion of Gastroenterology at NYU Langone Medical Center are finding even more to love about their field. Plus, there's the challenge of mastering a complex system of organs and tissues. "The GI tract has something for everyone," Pochapin said in a recent interview.

Craig Spencer, MD, the Manhattan emergency physician who contracted Ebola as a volunteer in Guinea, West Africa, says he has recovered from the illness -- but not from his treatment in the press. He is not too happy with the actions of New York's Gov. Andrew Cuomo or New Jersey's Gov. Chris Christie either.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new antibacterial drug combination product, ceftazidime-avibactam (Avycaz/Forest Labs), for use in complicated intra-abdominal infections.

The FDA has approved a rapid test for an Ebola antigen that can diagnose infection in people who are asymptomatic.