Heart failure

Meta-analysis confirms patients treated with digoxin are at increased risk of death

Patients taking the heart failure drug digoxin are at an increased risk of death, according to the largest meta-analysis of its kind, published in the European Heart Journal.…

FDA fast tracks ivabradine’s heart failure licence, years after Europe

The US Food and Drug Administration has granted a licence for the heart failure medication ivabradine, ten years after the drug was first approved in Europe.…

The possible benefits of coconut oil

Although coconut oil is high in saturated fats, there is research to indicate that some types may be beneficial for health and weight loss.…

Analysts predict surge in ‘blockbuster drugs’ entering the market in 2015

Over the next twelve months there will be 11 “blockbuster” drugs entering the market, according to business intelligence company Thomson Reuters.…

Paroxetine improves symptoms of heart failure in mice

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) paroxetine inhibits G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2, an enzyme that hastens the onset of heart failure.…

A decade of smoking cessation in Europe

The continent with the worst smoking habit is gradually giving it up. A range of anti-smoking policies and new cessation products has led to reduced rates of smoking in most countries, which will eventually impact on smoking-related deaths.…

Moderate drinking linked to lower risk of heart failure

In a study of 15,000 adults, those who consumed up to seven drinks per week in early-to-middle age had a significantly lower risk of developing heart failure compared with their teetotal counterparts.…

Heart disease increases cardiac risks of androgen-deprivation therapy

Androgen deprivation therapy increases cardiac mortality for men with heart failure or a prior myocardial infarction, research shows.…

Googling the bloodstream: how disease might be detected with ingested nanoparticles

Google is developing technology that combines ingested disease-detecting nanoparticles with a wrist sensor.…

NICE re-evaluates heart failure prescribing practices

National guidance on the management of acute heart failure questions common prescribing practices for patients admitted to hospital.…