For the first time, an international group of experts has issued recommendations to doctors about how to distinguish between true side effects caused by statins that have been prescribed in order to lower cholesterol levels and side effects arising due to patients’ expectations that they will occur. The position paper from the International Lipid Expert […]
Category: Cardiology
Salt in soluble paracetamol linked to increase risk of cardiovascular disease and death
Doctors have warned that people should try to avoid taking dissolving, fizzy paracetamol that contains salt, following findings from a large study that shows a link with a significantly increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, heart failure and death. The study of nearly 300,000 patients registered with UK general practitioners (GPs) is published in the […]
Statin intolerance is “over-estimated and over-diagnosed”
World’s largest study shows less than 10% suffer side-effects caused by the drug As many as one in two patients stop taking statins, reduce the dose or take them irregularly because they believe the cholesterol-lowering drugs cause muscle pain and other side-effects. Now, a new study of over four million patients has shown that the […]
Atrial fibrillation and death are more common during the first year after breast cancer diagnosis
Women are significantly more likely to develop an abnormal and often rapid heart rhythm in the first year after being diagnosed with breast cancer than women without cancer, according to research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. The study also found that patients who developed the condition, known as atrial fibrillation, after a breast […]
Most mothers born with heart defects can become pregnant and give birth safely
Expert medical care and counselling are essential Most women who are born with heart defects can safely become pregnant and give birth to healthy babies with few or minor problems if they are supported by expert medical care and counselling, according to research published in the European Heart Journal. [1] In the last few decades, […]
E-cigarettes containing nicotine cause blood clotting and make small blood vessels less adaptable
Using e-cigarettes containing nicotine causes an immediate increase in the formation of blood clots and a deterioration in the ability of small blood vessels to expand and dilate, as well as raised heart rate and blood pressure, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. [1] Researchers say these effects are similar […]
Modest differences in lung function could help spot people at risk of sudden cardiac death
People who have modestly but measurably worse lung function are more likely to suffer sudden cardiac death (SCD), according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. [1] SCD is an unexpected death that results from a sudden malfunction in the heart and in many people who suffer SCD, there are no previous […]
Dried blood spots from newborn screening can help identify the cause of sudden cardiac death in the young
The underlying cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in a young person is often difficult to identify. A genetic analysis could provide more information in many cases, but blood samples are not collected routinely at the time of death, and DNA extracted from the tissues collected at autopsy is damaged because of the way they […]
Night shift work is linked to increased risk of heart problems
People who work night shifts are at increased risk of developing an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation (AF), according to research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. The study is the first to investigate the links between night shift work and AF. Using information from 283,657 people in the […]
Statin use is linked to reduced risk of cancer among heart failure patients
Statin use among patients with heart failure is associated with a 16% lower risk of developing cancer compared with non-statin users during an average of four years of follow-up, according to new research published in the European Heart Journal [1]. In addition, the study found that statin use was associated with a 26% reduced risk […]