Cardiovascular agents

Better therapy persistence seen with separate antihypertensives than single fixed-dose combinations

Patients who take antihypertensive treatment as separate pills are more likely to continue the therapy than those who take it as a single fixed-dose combination, a study shows.…

High-intensity statin treatment increases chance of survival

Patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease receiving high-intensity statins — including those aged over 75 years — have a lower risk of death than those on a lower-intensity statin, according to new research.…

Role of coronary drug-eluting stents in current clinical practice

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has continued to evolve, from its origins in balloon angioplasty and bare metal stent (BMS) implantation, to the development and application of contemporary drug-eluting stents (DESs). While first generation DESs significantly decreased risk of in-stent reste…

Article on statin safety makes unproven assertions

With publication of the review article in The Lancet on 8 September 2016 looking at the efficacy and safety of statin therapy, the pressure on GPs to prescribe high-intensity statins to low-risk people has become even greater. Under the heading ‘Proven beneficial effects of statin therapy…

Antihypertensive drugs may affect mood disorders

Four types of commonly prescribed blood pressure medicines may have an impact on mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder, according to research.…

Trials of genetic heart failure drug halted after patient deaths

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has discontinued development of an experimental therapy for a rare genetic condition that can cause heart failure because of higher death rates in patients taking the drug in late stage trials. Revusiran, an investigational RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic, was being…

Anti-inflammatory drugs linked with higher risk of heart failure

High doses of some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can double the risk of being admitted to hospital for heart failure. …

Pharmacist prescribing helps more patients achieve cholesterol targets

Community pharmacists who prescribe lipid-lowering medicines as part of a package of care can help more patients achieve their cholesterol target compared with those given traditional care by a physician, according to new research.…

Fruits and vegetables lower blood pressure and slash medication costs for kidney disease patients

The cost of antihypertensive drugs nearly halved when researchers assigned patients to eat alkali-inducing fruit and vegetables.…

Non-statin cholesterol-lowering therapies achieve same benefit as statins

The relative benefits of non-statin cholesterol-lowering treatments, including diet, have similar benefits to statins in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, a large meta-analysis has revealed.…