Cardiovascular agents

Enthusiasm for PCSK9 inhibitors to lower LDL cholesterol is premature

Although PCSK9 inhibitors have been hailed as the next big thing in the treatment of high cholesterol, there are not enough data to make informed opinions about their overall value.…

US study shows increase in risk of drug interactions

The proportion of older adults in the United States at risk of major drug-drug interactions increased from 8.4% to 15.1% over five years, according to an analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine.…

Patients’ education plays part in how they manage anticoagulants

The educational background of patients with atrial fibrillation directly influences how they manage their anticoagulation, according to research. …

Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with statins: assessing the evidence base behind clinical guidance

Statins and other cholesterol-lowering drugs are increasingly being used for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.…

Why sprinting to change clinical practice guidelines on blood pressure treatment is premature

Caution is required when the media reports on high profile medical studies.…

Pharmacy intervention improves adherence to cardiovascular medication

Patients had significantly better adherence scores following community pharmacy intervention measures.…

Concerns raised about trial supporting top selling anticoagulant drug

The validity of the data produced by a pivotal trial to gain approval for the direct oral anticoagulant, rivaroxaban (Xarelto), from the US and European regulators, has been called into question by an investigation.…

Evidence mounts on benefits of lowering threshold for use of antihypertensives

All patients at high risk of heart disease including those with normal blood pressure should be considered eligible for blood pressure-lowering drugs, new research suggests.…

FDA approves selexipag for pulmonary arterial hypertension

The US drugs safety regulator has approved selexipag to treat adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension, a chronic, progressive lung disease that causes high pressure in the arteries that connect the heart to the lungs.…

Novel anti-platelet therapy shows promise in first human trials

New anti-platelet drug set for phase II study after success in patients with coronary heart disease.…