Cardiology

Thrombosis significantly increases during pregnancy and again during the postpartum period until at least 12 weeks after delivery, according to new research.

Using erythropoietin (EPO) therapy in patients with cardio-renal-anemia syndrome may be associated with more harm than benefit in this population. As new study found a statistically higher mortality rate among EPO users.

Minimally invasive surgical technique for patients with atrial fibrillation who cannot tolerate standard anticoagulant therapy uses sutures to tie off the left atrial appendage and offers increased stroke protection.

Stressing the significant effect heart failure has on quality of life, a study published in Heart found that patients' and their families' lack of knowledge on their condition causes delays in seeking medical attention and an absence of a long-term care plan.

To curb the symptoms associated with Kawasaki Disease, researchers are recommended use of the drug infliximab, according to a study published online in the February 24 issue of The Lancet.

In joint studies, researchers concluded the bacteria Streptococcus sanguinis requires manganese in order to cause endocarditis.

Results of a long-term study indicate that when both parents smoke, children's absorption of secondhand smoke leads to increased artery wall thickness.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new ablation catheter billed by its maker as the first such device on the U.S. market "that enables direct and real-time measurement of contact force" during procedures.

Instead of standard radio wave therapy, doctors are experimenting with alcohol ablations to prevent accidental triggering of arrhythmia.

Recently released guidelines seek to provide clarity to the management of hyponatremia by outlining an evidence-based, patient-centered approach to diagnosis and treatment.

Thomas Dayspring, MD, FACP, FNLA, NCMP, discusses the promises and pitfalls of the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk in Adults.

Family physicians should place as great an emphasis on walking as they do on monitoring medication and laboratory data, and strongly recommend increased ambulatory activity to their patients.

Researchers at Yale University have pinpointed the cells and cellular processes that trigger life-threatening pulmonary hypertension, which have been little understood until now.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new ablation catheter for use in patients with medication-resistant paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Medical researchers have suggested that dairy products protect against metabolic syndrome (MetS), decreasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, altered glucose homeostasis, and dyslipidemia.

New research suggests that patients with allergic rhinitis face significantly lower risks for heart attacks, cerebrovascular disease, and all-cause mortality.

Regular consumption of white fish may reduce the cholesterol concentration, waist circumference, and blood pressure components of metabolic syndrome.

Researchers identify several independent risk factors for the development of severe and/or symptomatic hyponatremia in patients on oxcarbazepine therapy.

Study finds a lower rate of recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias among patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation who underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation as a first-line treatment rather than taking antiarrhythmic drugs.

Researchers associated with US Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers have examined the impact of group medical clinics on lipid control among patients with uncontrolled hypertension.

In a recent clinical trial, Celexa (citalopram) reduced agitation in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to placebo, but the drug also produced severe cognitive and cardiac adverse events that prescribers must consider.

Though most studies on the preoperative use of intra-aortic balloon pumps in coronary artery bypass grafting patients have reported early results, they have not been able to determine long-term outcomes.

Study of exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) in ultramarathon runners finds no relationship between the presence of cystic fibrosis gene and the development of EAH.

Is there a clinically significant interaction between morphine and clopidogrel?

Since obesity increases inflammation and changes metabolism, it has been strongly linked to many lifelong medical conditions.

Among hospitals with solid income streams, one might expect the quality of care to be high. However, postsurgical mortality rates and patient-safety indicators showed high-price hospitals perform worse on inpatient care quality than low-price facilities.

The nutritionally skewed "Western" diet relies on processed foods that foster obesity and may even promote autoimmune diseases.

A US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel has not found enough clinical evidence to conclude that naproxen presents a lower risk of cardiovascular (CV) thrombotic events than other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

In a real-world sample of patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF), hyponatremia predicted clinical complications during admission, but it was not linked to short-term mortality or readmission.

Study results show that a three-month course of colchicine can significantly reduce the recurrence of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation.