Haematologic agents

People with dementia less likely to receive oral anticoagulants despite stroke risk

People with atrial fibrillation who have dementia are less likely to receive oral anticoagulants (OACs) than those without cognitive impairment, research has shown.…

Statins: the highs and the lows

Negative press seems to follow statins, the most prescribed drugs in England, despite them revolutionising cardiovascular disease prevention.…

Direct oral anticoagulants carry lower risk of major bleeding versus warfarin, data show

Research from primary care suggests apixaban may be the safest of the direct oral anticoagulants overall.…

Pharmacists in a multidisciplinary atrial fibrillation clinic

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac rhythm disturbance and increases in prevalence with advancing age. Each year, Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin assesses and admits over 400 patients with stroke and transient ischemic attack. AF is implicated as a causative factor in 33% of t…

Anticoagulant prescribing for AF patients with high stroke risk more than doubles

GP prescribing of anticoagulants for the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation and a high risk of stroke more than doubled between 2000 and 2016, from 35.4% to 75.5%, according to research published in July 2018.…

Confidence in statins key to adherence, say researchers

Confidence in the efficacy of statins to minimise the risk of life-threatening cardiovascular disease facilitates their uptake.…

Andexanet shows promise in patients taking new anticoagulants

Results from an ongoing trial of 228 patients with acute major bleeding show that patients taking andexanet experienced a reduction in anti-FXa activity.…

Uncertainty over anticoagulation risks and benefits in CKD patients with AF

The risk of both stroke and haemorrhage increases as chronic kidney disease progresses, which can complicate the decision on whether to begin anticoagulation in those with concomitant atrial fibrillation.…

Cardiovascular drugs unlikely to worsen erectile dysfunction

A study of more than 2,000 men has shown that antihypertensive and statin use has a neutral effect on erectile dysfunction.…

Combining statins and antihypertensives boosts stroke prevention

Researchers investigated the efficacy of combined treatment in patients with a risk of cardiovascular diseases…