Cardiology

According to trial results presented at ESC Congress 2015, treatment with cyclosporine was no better than placebo for patients who received percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

It was less than two decades ago that researchers uncovered the role of PCSK9 in a person's body. In just the past few months two new medications have been developed that could go a long way in helping win the fight against bad cholesterol.

For some patients lifestyle intervention may not be enough to help them get the results they are looking for. Doctors are looking for more definitive treatments to assist their patients in the future.

By the time patients are treated by a cardiologist their condition has already made significant progress. Finding ways to treat them before they reach the specialist stage has become a focus of the medical community.

Not all emergency rooms are created equal, but if hospitals work together patients can still get the care they need even if it means going to another institution. Ensuring patients can afford the care they receive is also a key component to this discussion.

In an emergency room doctors sometimes only have a matter of moments to make the best diagnosis for a patient. Having the tools to make those calls is important in keeping their patients healthy and alive.

While the treatment of atrial fibrillation has made many advancements in recent years there is still much more work to be done. As with other areas of medicine this includes individualized approaches to care.

At the annual ESC Congress in London there were many key studies presented. Some of them could provide information that doctors can put into practice as soon as they return to the office.

Atrial fibrillation is a common condition cardiologists face on a regular basis. How best to treat those patients is an area still being worked on in the field and in practices around the world.

Patients suffering from psoriasis have a higher risk of developing arrhythmia – even after controlling for other risk factors, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

The US Food and Drug Administration last night announced it has approved evolocumab (Repatha/Amgen), an injectable drug for some patients who are unable to get their LDL cholesterol under control. Statins are a cheaper and generally effective treatment, but the new class of drugs is expected to help people who cannot tolerate them, for whom they do not work, and for people with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

FDA has approved evolocumab (Repatha, Amgen) injection, a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), for some patients who are not able to adequately control low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol with current therapies.

A new review and meta-analysis finds that - despite the lack of drug-specific antidotes to arrest major bleeds - novel oral anticoagulants are associated with a lower risk of fatal bleeds than warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation.

To keep their minds sharp, older people are often advised to take vitamins or other dietary supplements and to engage in regular exercise. Two studies in JAMA show those practices had no effect on cognitive function.

Medical researchers know there is a connection between psoriasis and cardiovascular diseases, but a new Iranian study in Clinical, Cosmetic & Investigational Dermatology further verifies lipid abnormalities linked to psoriasis and suggests a serum lipid profile and blood pressure check for all of those patients.

Most self-improvement intervention programs rely on self-monitoring, or increased awareness of bad habits, to help people change their behaviors. Traditionally, programs have used diaries, calendar notes, or check-ins at daily or weekly meetings to help individuals recognize and replace unhelpful routines. The October 2015 issue of Telemedicine and e-Health includes a study that describes how simple electronic feedback can help people with weight problems.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requiring additional clinical trials on testosterone supplements after revealing that labeling claims about their safety and efficacy are not backed by substantial evidence.

High levels of noncalcified coronary plaque and an increased risk for heart attack is linked to poor HDL-cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) in patients with psoriasis.

Does the use of electronic cigarettes, known as "vaping" lead teens to become smokers? A California team reports teen users are more likely to later try combustible tobacco, but say it is not clear whether they would have become smokers anyway.

A whole new segment of the population, particularly elderly patients are now eligible for a lifesaving cardiac procedure with the development of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement or TAVR.

Atrial fibrillation is a growing problem and new techniques and technologies are being developed to treat the condition. One new device has been developed as a new surgical option for doctors to consider.

Analysis of continuous heart rhythm and outcome data indicates that temporary cases of atrial fibrillation (AF) do raise stroke risk - but the worst danger lasts only a few days after the heart returns to normal rhythm.

Patients fly to Cleveland Clinic from all over the world-bypassing many centers of excellence. Why is that? MD Magazine visited the renowned Ohio hospital and got some answers.

Cardiovascular disease is the most common comorbidity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the reason behind it may have finally been identified.

New research suggests that the Cox maze IV ablation procedure (CMP-IV) leads to better long-term outcomes than catheter-based ablation procedures in patients with atrial fibrillation.

It is well-known that patients with hepatitis C face a higher risk of liver complications; however, a new study discovered that the heart could also be in trouble.

In a commentary published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, experts from CVS Health Research Institute encouraged the review of current treatments for high cholesterol.

A review of men in Finland showed varying amount of time in the sauna showed benefits in preventing heart disease.

With funding meant to bolster basic research and help make advances for a variety of conditions the fate of the 21st Century Cure Act is anything but secure even after passage by the US House of Representatives.

Compared to patients who received no oral anticoagulant treatment at hospital discharge, patients with ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation who received warfarin had a lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and spent less time receiving follow-up care at the hospital.