Patients with atrial fibrillation – an irregular and often abnormally fast heartbeat – have nearly double the risk of suffering a stroke in the first 30 days after starting to take the anti-clotting drug warfarin compared to non-users, according to a study of over 70,000 patients. The study, published online in the European Heart Journal […]
Category: Cardiology
Study of over 73,000 patients with high blood pressure finds non-adherence to medication greatly increases risk of fatal and non-fatal strokes
People with high blood pressure, who don’t take their anti-hypertensive drug treatments when they should, have a greatly increased risk of suffering a stroke and dying from it compared to those who take their medication correctly. A study of 73,527 patients with high blood pressure, published online in the European Heart Journal [1], found that […]
People’s perception of the effect of stress on their health is linked to risk of heart attacks
People who believe that stress is having an adverse impact on their health are probably right, because they have an increased risk of suffering a heart attack, according to new research published online in the European Heart Journal [1]. The latest findings from the UK’s Whitehall II study, which has followed several thousand London-based civil […]
Death rates from heart disease continue to decline in most of the EU, but some countries are ‘cause for concern’
Death rates from heart disease in the European Union have more than halved in many countries since the early 1980s, according to new research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. In the majority of countries, there have been ongoing steady reductions in heart disease death rates in both sexes and most age groups, including […]
Long-distance cross-country skiers at increased risk of heart rhythm disturbances
Cross-country skiers who take part in one of the world’s most challenging ski races, the 90 km Vasaloppet in Sweden, are at increased risk of developing arrhythmia – problems with the rate or rhythm of their heart beat – according to a study of nearly 53,000 race participants published online in the European Heart Journal […]
Genetic research clarifies link between hypertension and Vitamin D deficiency
Paris, France: Low levels of vitamin D can trigger hypertension, according to the world’s largest study to examine the causal association between the two. Although observational studies have already shown this link, a large-scale genetic study was necessary before the cause and effect could be proven, researchers told the annual conference of the European Society […]
Alzheimer’s disease drugs linked to reduced risk of heart attacks
Drugs that are used for treating Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages are linked to a reduced risk of heart attacks and death, according to a large study of over 7,000 people with Alzheimer’s disease in Sweden. The research, which is published online in the European Heart Journal [1], looked at cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs), such […]
Commonly used drug can limit radiation damage to lungs and heart for cancer patients
Geneva, Switzerland: Unavoidable damage caused to the heart and lungs by radiotherapy treatment of tumours in the chest region can be limited by the administration of an ACE inhibitor, a drug commonly used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, a group of Dutch researchers have found. [1] Common cancers such as breast, oesophagus, lung, and […]
Insomnia is linked to increased risk of heart failure
People who suffer from insomnia appear to have an increased risk of developing heart failure, according to the largest study to investigate the link. The study, which is published in the European Heart Journal [1], followed 54,279 people between the ages of 20-89 for an average of more than 11 years, and found that those […]
Muscle, skin and gastrointestinal problems cause a quarter of patients with heart disease and strokes to stop treatment in HPS2-THRIVE trial
The largest randomised study of the vitamin niacin in patients with occlusive arterial disease (narrowing of the arteries) has shown a significant increase in adverse side-effects when it is combined with statin treatment. Results from the HPS2-THRIVE study (Heart Protection Study 2 – Treatment of HDL to Reduce the Incidence of Vascular Events), including the […]