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American Heart Association: Rivaroxaban lowers risks in patients with acute coronary syndrome
The oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban lowered the risk of death, heart attack, and stroke in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011 in Orlando, Fla., in mid-November.
The oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban lowered the risk of death, heart attack, and stroke in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011 in Orlando, Fla., in mid-November.
The study was simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
As part of the Harvard Medical School TIMI Study Group and the ATLAS ACDS studies, researchers analyzed more than 15,000 people hospitalized with a recent heart attack or unstable angina. The study participants were randomly assigned to receive either standard care along with rivaroxaban or standard care with placebo and were followed for more than 1 year.
"Our findings are important, because blocking the production of thrombin is an important new way to improve acute coronary syndrome patients' long-term risk of death, stroke, and heart attack after being hospitalized with an acute coronary syndrome," said C. Michael Gibson, MD, senior investigator of the TIMI Study Group, Harvard Medical School, and the principal investigator in the ATLAS ACS studies of rivaroxaban for this indication.
Rivaroxaban and other new oral anticoagulants have demonstrated the ability to reduce strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation, but their use in patients with ACS has had mixed results.
"Despite our best efforts at treatment following a recent heart attack or unstable angina, patients still face a 10% or higher risk of a repeat heart attack, stroke, or death 1 year later," Dr Gibson said.
Coalition promotes important acetaminophen dosing reminders
November 18th 2014It may come as a surprise that each year Americans catch approximately 1 billion colds, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 20% get the flu. This cold and flu season, 7 in 10 patients will reach for an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine to treat their coughs, stuffy noses, and sniffles. It’s an important time of the year to remind patients to double check their medicine labels so they don’t double up on medicines containing acetaminophen.
Support consumer access to specialty medications through value-based insurance design
June 30th 2014The driving force behind consumer cost-sharing provisions for specialty medications is the acquisition cost and not clinical value. This appears to be true for almost all public and private health plans, says a new report from researchers at the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID Center) and the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC).
Management of antipsychotic medication polypharmacy
June 13th 2013Within our healthcare-driven society, the increase in the identification and diagnosis of mental illnesses has led to a proportional increase in the prescribing of psychotropic medications. The prevalence of mental illnesses and subsequent treatment approaches may employ monotherapy as first-line treatment, but in many cases the use of combination of therapy can occur, leading to polypharmacy.1 Polypharmacy can be defined in several ways but it generally recognized as the use of multiple medications by one patient and the most common definition is the concurrent use of five more medications. The presence of polyharmacy has the potential to contribute to non-compliance, drug-drug interactions, medication errors, adverse events, or poor quality of life.
Medical innovation improves outcomes
June 12th 2013I have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the pancreas, a disease that’s long been considered not just incurable, but almost impossible to treat-a recalcitrant disease that some practitioners feel has given oncology a bad name. I was told my life would be measured in weeks.
