Family Medicine

"Is this the end of the road for aspirin in primary prevention?" asked Dorairaj Prabhakaran, MD, DM, MSc, at the 2014 American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions.

High trans fat consumption is linked to poor memory among middle-aged men, according to research presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Session 2014.

The most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young people is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an inherited condition that can lead to heart failure, angina, arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. There is no medical treatment shown to halt or reverse the progression of the disease-just palliative care or surgery.

For patients with a statin intolerance, getting the treatment they need to manage their cholesterol levels can be difficult. A recent study has shown that a new class of drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors could help effectively manage cholesterol levels in this patient population.

In the Hollywood version of the heart attack, patients clutch their chests, gasp for air, and often keel over. Real life isn't usually like that. But the problem for cardiologists and other physicians whose patients have cardiac events, is that the patient may not realize he or she has had one.

During a question-and-answer session at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2014, Stefania Schüpke, MD discussed the results of her ISAR-SAFE study of the dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation is still unknown.

Heart failure is highly debilitating and life threatening – nearly half the patients who die from cardiovascular causes do so suddenly when their heart simply stops pumping, well before medical intervention is even possible.

Can cholesterol get too low? Results from a multicenter international study called IMPROVE-IT show that adding ezetimibe to a statin regimen lowered cholesterol without harmful side effects in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

With heart failure increasing in prevalence as the US population ages, early detection and more effective treatments are important. Now, data from clinical studies show that treatment with the experimental angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor LCZ696 can significantly reduce patients' risk of sudden death and hospitalization.

Kirk Garratt, MD, presenting at the 2014 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, said "The TAXUS Liberte Post-approval Study (TL-PAS) was designed to provide long-term safety and efficacy information about the clinical outcomes for the TL stent combined with the use of prasugrel and aspirin."

"Left heart remodeling after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is poorly characterized," according to Marco Magalhaes, MD, who presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2014.

The days of children playing outside from sunrise to sunset are long gone, and many children also do not get enough exercise at school during gym or recess. Knowing this, it is important for physicians to educated parents and children on the beneficial effect physical exercise can have on children's health now and later in life.

Living in the 21st century is stressful for just about everyone. What can change the way it affects a person's life is how they handle it. A recent study looked at whether women handle stress differently and what it can mean to a person's overall health.

As more states legalize marijuana for medical and recreational purposes doctors are taking a new look at how it can affect their patient's overall health including what it does to their heart.

In the past there were few effective treatment options for serious conditions such as hepatitis C and lupus. However, recent scientific advances offer physicians and patients greatly improved options for effective management of these conditions, with fewer adverse events.

Obese patients present several challenges when it comes to gastric bypass, kidney transplant, and other surgeries. Several recent advances have reduced the risk of complications in this population.

There are many factors to consider when treating patients who may be infected with the Ebola virus, including several that are unique to the virus and that had not been widely considered prior to the current outbreak.

Affecting just one in every 100,000 people, ANCA-associated vasculitis is not one of the more common conditions nephrologists will encounter. However, without proper treatment it can have serious adverse effects on a patient's life.

For patients on dialysis one of the biggest concerns is whether their blood pressure will stay at a healthy level during the process. While there have been some advances made more work needs to be done to help patients in need.

Heart failure and other cardiac events can leave lasting effects on the lives of patients. Scientists are working on ways to help make the recovery process easier and smoother by generating cells that can help the healing process.

The recent outbreak of the Ebola virus has taught doctors a lot about treatment patients need. This includes nephrologists who have had to tackle new challenges for patients in kidney failure.

In the past patients diagnosed as obese would be automatically disqualified from receiving a kidney transplant. Now, thanks to advances in robotic surgery there are new options that can help give these patients a new lease on life.

From the very earliest age a person's kidneys play a pivotal role in their overall health. This can be especially true for premature babies and others who have suffered early kidney injuries. The treatment they receive can go a long way in helping them with the rest of their lives.

About half of all adults afflicted with obstructive airway disease have symptoms overlapping with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. According to data presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting, this makes the possibility of misdiagnosis and mistreatment more likely.

A hepatitis C vaccine manufactured by researchers from Oxford University has shown promising potential in an early clinical trial.

Hoping their discovery will lead to novel treatments, University of Florida (UF) researchers successfully manufactured the human norovirus in a cell culture dish.

Despite previous research suggesting HIV patients have an increased likelihood of suffering from a heart attack, kidney failure, or cancer, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health investigators showed the age they encounter these conditions were similar to their uninfected counterparts.

More than a dozen studies over the past few decades have undermined the once common fear that influenza vaccines containing egg proteins could induce reactions such as anaphylaxis in people with egg allergies.

A meta-analysis of many older studies may explain the recent observation that patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently suffered cognitive impairment without suffering from any signs of stroke.

New research suggested that men with the sort of wider faces that indicate higher testosterone levels show greater dominance and fare better than narrow-faced men in negotiations.