News | Cardiovascular diseases

NHS Health Checks catch patients who would benefit from statins but majority are not prescribed them

Of eligible patients who attended an NHS Health Check, 26 in 1,000 were prescribed statins, compared with 8 in 1,000 of those who did not attend, study results show.…

Reducing systolic blood pressure to below NICE target could cut heart attacks and CVD deaths, study concludes

Findings from the SPRINT trial suggest that a systolic blood pressure of less than 120mmHg is associated with a lower rate of clinical events.…

All DOACs recommended for prevention of AF-related stroke, new NICE guideline states

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has overturned draft guidance that once-per-day direct oral anticoagulants should only be offered if twice-daily options are not tolerated.…

Majority of patients being treated for hypertension do not have blood pressure control

Researchers found that factors associated with a lack of blood pressure control in patients with hypertension included older age, higher alcohol use, black ethnicity and obesity.…

Low-dose steroids almost double risk of cardiovascular disease

Patients treated with glucocorticoids are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), research suggests.…

Top ten research briefings of 2020

This year, all but one of our most-popular research briefings were, unsuprisingly, on the topic of COVID-19.…

Consistent use of statins linked to reduced risk of cancer death

Women who take cholesterol-lowering medicines, who are subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer, colorectal cancer or melanoma, are less likely to die from their cancer if they adhere to their cholesterol medicines, research published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology has su…

Patients taking placebo and statins experience similar side effects

Patients experience similar side effects taking a placebo as they do taking a statin, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine has suggested.…

Polypill with aspirin cuts heart attacks and strokes by almost a third, study suggests

A polypill combining three blood pressure medicines and a statin, taken with aspirin, reduces the incidence of cardiovascular events occurring in at-risk groups by more than 30%, research has suggested.…

Pharmacist-led atrial fibrillation case finding programme prevents an estimated 90 strokes

A pharmacist-led programme to identify patients with atrial fibrillation may have prevented up to 90 AF-related strokes across 23 clinical commissioning group areas, NHS England has said.…