Haematologic agents

Increased anticoagulation is reducing the rate of stroke and saving nearly £300 per patient treated, study suggests

The NHS is saving nearly £300 per patient on oral anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation, despite rising prescription costs for the medicine, owing to a decline in AF-related strokes.…

Gaps between clinical guidelines and practice for lipid management in Europe, researchers find

Less than 60% of patients receiving lipid-lowering therapy achieve the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels set out in European guidelines.…

Clarithromycin linked to increased haemorrhage risk in patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants

Older adults taking direct oral anticoagulants are more likely to be admitted to hospital for haemorrhage after receiving clarithromycin compared with azithromycin, a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine has suggested.…

Statin use in older adults associated with a 25% reduced risk in all-cause mortality, study suggests

New statin use in older adults is associated with a significantly lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has suggested. …

Statins linked to lower risk of death from COVID-19, study suggests

Patients hospitalised with COVID-19 who take statins are less likely to die than those who do not, a retrospective study published in Cell Metabolism suggests.…

More lifestyle support needed for patients starting medicines for cardiovascular disease, study concludes

People who initiate statins or antihypertensive medicines are more likely to become obese or physically inactive compared with people who do not, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests. …

Lower-GI bleeding should be investigated in anticoagulated patients, researchers say

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation who are being treated with oral anticoagulants is associated with a higher risk of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, a study published in the European Heart Journal suggests.…

Apixaban safer than warfarin for patients regardless of stroke history

Apixaban is associated with less major bleeding, death and hospitalisation than warfarin, regardless of a patient’s stroke history, a secondary analysis of the AUGUSTUS trial has indicated.…

Statins could be linked to reduced risk of ovarian cancer, researchers find

Women who take statins long-term, including those carrying the BRCA1/2 gene mutation, could be less likely to develop ovarian cancer than those who do not, research published in JAMA has suggested.…

NHS to make unapproved heart disease drug available to patients by 2021

A new heart disease drug is expected to be made available to patients by 2021, through a collaboration between Novartis, NHS England, the National Institute for Health Research and Oxford University.…