Cardiology

Although there appears to be no difference in blood pressure reduction in patients who take aspirin at bedtime compared to those who take it when they awake in the morning, bedtime aspirin may be associated with reduced morning platelet reactivity.

Patients with heart failure who received left ventricle augmentation with Algisyl-LVR hydrogel implant experienced improved quality of life and functional capacity compared to similar patients treated with optimal medical therapy.

Treating Hispanic patients with stable CAD with daily low-dose aspirin plus ticagrelor provided lower levels of on-treatment platelet reactivity with a faster onset and greater extent of platelet inhibition, compared to treatment with aspirin plus clopidogrel.

Primary prevention measures for upper GI bleeding should include NSAIDs, antiplatelet therapy, and anticoagulants appropriately, while secondary preventive measures should include testing and treating H. pylori and using long-term PPIs when appropriate.

Plenary session at CHEST 2013 focused on the impact of early warning scores, medical response teams, availability of critical care attending intensivists, and other quality measures in intensive care.

Study results presented at CHEST 2013 show that patients given beta-blockers may actually be at increased risk of having an adverse cardiac event during a noncardiac surgical procedure.

A review of the ACCOAST, ASSURE, Edoxaban Hokusai-VTE, EXAMINE, PRAMI, RE-ALIGN, and SAVOR-TIMI 53, and TAO studies presented at the European Society of Cardiology 2013 Congress.

Aparna M. Bhagavat, MD, FACC, says gliptins have a promising role in the control of type 2 diabetes, as they decrease A1C without hypoglycemia, weight gain, or any obvious adverse effects on cardiovascular outcomes.

Rabab Mohsin, MD, reviews adverse outcomes among women from the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study.

Have the Appropriate Use Criteria for transthoracic echocardiography achieved their goal of having a significant clinical impact on physician decision making?

Two recently published case studies examine the diagnosis and treatment of hyponatremia in patients who are also suffering from comparatively rare comorbidities.

The largest study to date on reducing rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in ICU patients found that bloodstream infections in these patients can be reduced by more than 40 percent through universal decolonization practices.

Study results show improvements in body composition, intrahepatic lipids, and cardiovascular risk markers in obese men treated with growth hormone for six months compared with placebo.

Study finds hyponatremia is an independent predictor of increased mortality, length of hospital stay, and postoperative complications in patients who undergo cardiac surgery.

Transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) was shown to be more effective than taking the maximal proton pump inhibitor (PPI) dose in relieving heartburn, regurgitation, and other troublesome symptoms in patients with refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Sorting through and demystifying the toolkit of antidepressants, anxiolytics, and other psychiatric medications available to hospital physicians.

Citing an increased risk of liver injury observed in recent clinical trials, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has limited Samsca (tolvaptan) treatment to 30 days and recommended the oral selective vasopressin V2-receptor antagonist be discontinued in patients with signs of liver disease or symptoms of liver injury.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved Kcentra [prothrombin complex concentrate (human)] for the urgent reversal of anticoagulation induced by vitamin K antagonist (VKA) therapies such as warfarin in adult patients with acute major bleeding.

As an adjunct to diet and exercise, Amarin's lipid-regulating agent Vascepa (icosapent ethyl capsules) is indicated to reduce triglyceride levels in adult patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia, or very high triglyceride (TG) levels greater than or equal to 500 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

Approved by the FDA nearly four years ago, Otsuka Group's once-daily Samsca (tolvaptan tablets) is indicated to raise serum sodium levels in nonurgent patients with hyponatremia.