Haematologic agents

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.…

High-dose statins could be supplied by pharmacies without a prescription

High-dose statins could be available without a prescription from community pharmacies following a government review, NHS England has announced.…

‘Worrying’ number of patients prescribed risky anticoagulant drug combinations

Tens of thousands of patients are potentially being put at risk of a major bleed by being prescribed an antiplatelet without gastroprotection or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug alongside an anticoagulant, NHS figures have shown.…

Forgotten patients: thousands left on risky anticoagulant combinations

Combinations of drugs involving anticoagulants are one of the most frequent causes of medicine-related hospital admissions, but pharmacists can help reduce the risk.…