Cardiology

Researchers have found a treasure trove of information posted by people on Facebook, Twitter and other online forums. Is it ethical, legal, or scientifically valid to create research studies using such postings?

It's time to redirect the initial evaluation of low- to intermediate-risk patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of CAD back to the primary care and internal medicine setting.

Once hepatitis C is cured, patients' risk for portal vein hypertension drops – along with the accompanying complications.

A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that most patients who visit the emergency room for nontraumatic chest pain are rarely in a life-threatening situation.

The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association have released new clinical performance and quality measures designed to speed the adoption of guidelines issued last year for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.

It was just three years ago that the American College of Cardiology approved new guidelines regarding lowering cholesterol levels. However, in that time new treatments have been approved necessitating the implementation of new potential methods to help this patient population.

The approval of medications like statins and PCSK9 inhibitors to help lower cholesterol levels have proven helpful but a recent study looked at whether patients were getting not only the treatments they needed but whether they were getting the right dosage levels to help improve their health.

For many years, warfarin has been the primary option for anticoagulation, but recently newer medications have been approved that may provide better options for this patient population. While the clinical trials of the novel oral anticoagulant drugs showed positive results, there were still lingering questions about how they would fare in the field.

In a very short period of time a lot has been learned that can help people diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. For as much work has been done in the field it is only useful if it reaches patients in need which can be an issue no matter where they live.

Analysis of 2 large health worker cohorts suggests that people can reduce their risk of developing diabetes by preparing more of their meals at home.

There have been several guidelines published in recent years about the proper blood pressure levels for patients with hypertension and how best to avoid the condition altogether. Weighing these guidelines in practice can be a challenge for physicians and patients alike.

The FDA approved a device that delivers an anticholesterol drug evolucumab, a PCSK9 inhibitor, just one a month.

As new medications are introduced to the market there can be some hesitation by doctors to make the jump from more traditional treatment options. Moving beyond that has shown benefits for a patient's long term health.

As more focus is put on the treatment of heart failure, especially more serious cases, specialized training and certification is being offered to give patients the highest quality of care possible.

Heart failure may be a common condition but because of its risks and the chance of other conditions develop some believe only specially trained doctors should treat the condition.

Surgical procedures for patients with aortic stenosis have developed over many years. Recently work has been done to help patients with more mild forms of the condition to prevent them from reaching more advanced stages.

Health experts have persistently scrutinized the negative impact dietary fats have on cardiovascular disease and other medical conditions. Recently, however, researchers have shed a positive light on certain types of dietary fats – specifically the health benefits of consuming more unsaturated fat.

A lot has changed in the field of cardiology over the past few years even disproving ideas that had been held by doctors a decade ago or less. As a result there is hope that patients with a variety of conditions can receive better care than those of the past.

When the American College of Cardiology held its annual meeting in Chicago it was a chance for some of the leading experts around the world to meet and share their knowledge in the field with their peers.

While lifestyle medicine may not be at the forefront of the field today those who practice it believe it can be an invaluable tool in the future.

Lifestyle modifications has become a popular phrase throughout medicine. However, telling patients about changes they should make and ensuring they make those changes are two very different issues in most cases.

Recognizing the connection between stress and cardiovascular disease is one issue, figuring out what to do with this issue to help patients is proving to be a more difficult question to answer.

Studies have long shown the connection between stress and the risk of cardiovascular disease, a recent study used imaging to take a deeper look at this field of research.

People in the United States may not be as aware as others around the world about the need or ability to be an organ donor. While this is different depending the country the common thread is that there is a great need for donors until artificial organs become widely available.

For patients eligible for a heart transplant getting on the list is just the first of many steps that need to happen before the procedure can be done.

While patients needing heart donations still drastically outnumbers the available organs for transplants recent changes in guidelines for transplantation have made the procedure available for an even wider patient population.

Doctors treating patients for a variety of conditions may all have the same goals in helping the patient but may have difficulty communicating those goals with their colleagues.

There are many factors to consider when looking at a patient's overall cardiac health. When doctors are reading charts with blood pressure, LDL, and others it can make finding the right course of treatment a challenge when looking to find the right medication. Sometimes, especially when it comes to triglycerides alternative medicine can be a valuable option to consider.

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) during midlife is strongly associated with a reduced risk of stroke later, according to the results of a recent study.

The FDA approved the first fully absorbable stent to treat coronary artery disease.