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New Blood Thinner May Lower Chances of Clots in High-Risk Heart Patients: FDA

Posted 6 days ago by Drugs.com

MONDAY, May 21 – The new blood thinner Xarelto appears to lower the chances of potentially fatal blood clots in high-risk heart patients, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration review has found. The review came in briefing documents that were filed Monday in advance of an FDA advisory panel meeting Wednesday, at which the panel is to vote on whether to recommend approval of Xarelto for treating people with acute coronary syndrome (a group of conditions brought on by sudden reduced blood flow to the heart). The FDA is not required to follow the advice of its expert panels, but the agency typically does. A final decision is expected by the end of June, according to the documents. Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is one of a new class of blood thinners that have been developed to overcome some of the problems that exist with the standard treatment, warfarin (Coumadin), which requires constant dose ... Read more

Palpitations May Signal Future Heart Rhythm Problem

Posted 11 days ago by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, May 16 – Heart palpitations and high blood pressure are strong risk factors for a common heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation, a new study reports. Atrial fibrillation increases a person's risk of heart attack, stroke and death. It was already known that high blood pressure is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation, but, according to the researchers, this is the first study to make a connection between atrial fibrillation and palpitations, which are commonly felt as a rapid or strong irregular heartbeat. The study authors looked at data from nearly 23,000 people in Norway, aged 25 to 96, who were followed for an average of 11 years. During that time, atrial fibrillation occurred in 3 percent of women and 4.2 percent of men. Frequent palpitations increased the risk of atrial fibrillation in women by 62 percent and in men by 91 percent. High blood pressure (which ... Read more

Related support groups: High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Atrial Fibrillation

Statins May Help Prevent Irregular Heartbeat in Elderly

Posted 18 days ago by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, May 9 – The widely used class of cholesterol-lowering medications known as statins may help elderly patients with high blood pressure avoid developing atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm abnormality tied to stroke. "Our study found that statin therapy in elderly patients with hypertension reduces the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation," said Dr. Chen-Ying Hung, lead author of a study scheduled for presentation Wednesday at the Heart Rhythm Society's annual meeting in Boston. But the findings are extremely preliminary and don't provide enough evidence to support this particular use of statins, such as Lipitor (atorvastatin) and Zocor (simvastatin) just yet, said the study authors and outside experts alike. "We still need further studies to confirm this relationship before we can suggest statin use in [this population]," said Hung, a fellow at the Cardiovascular Center at ... Read more

Irregular Heartbeat Poses Greater Stroke Risk for Women Than Men

Posted 19 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 8 – Older women with the irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation face a 14 percent greater risk of stroke than men with the same condition, Canadian researchers report. The raised risk remained higher even when women were taking the blood-thinner warfarin (Coumadin) to prevent stroke, the study authors noted. "Previously, there was a common belief that women were undertreated, and this was the cause for the higher risk of stroke," said lead researcher Dr. Louise Pilote, director of the division of general internal medicine at McGill University and McGill University Health Center in Montreal. "Our current paper shows that this is not the situation and, compared to men, women have higher risk for stroke regardless of warfarin prescriptions," she said. "This study should alert doctors treating patients with atrial fibrillation that women, especially older women, have ... Read more

Stopping Blood Thinners Raises Stroke Risk for Patients With Irregular Heartbeat

Posted 25 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, April 25 – When patients with atrial fibrillation stop taking anti-clotting drugs, their stroke risk goes up quickly, new research finds. That risk increases about the same whether they are taking warfarin or a newer, more expensive drug, Xarelto (rivaroxaban). Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm in which the upper chambers of the heart quiver or flutter instead of contracting correctly, raising the risk of stroke fivefold. Patients are often put on anti-clotting drugs to ward off stroke. But some people need to temporarily stop taking anti-clotting drugs before surgery or other medical procedures to prevent excess bleeding, while other patients permanently stop taking anti-clotting drugs because of side effects, researchers said. Researchers analyzed data from a previous trial including more than 14,000 patients with atrial fibrillation. In that trial, ... Read more

Thyroid Condition Linked to Heart Problems: Study

Posted 23 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 23 – New evidence suggests that a type of overactive thyroid condition appears to boost the risk of heart problems, especially atrial fibrillation (a form of irregular heartbeat) and premature death. Patients sometimes are reluctant to do anything about the condition, known as subclinical hyperthyroidism, because it often doesn't cause any symptoms. The findings show, however, that "physicians and patients should take it seriously and consider the appropriate way to treat it to prevent increases in heart disease, bone problems and death," said Dr. Kenneth Burman, chief of the endocrine section at Washington Hospital Center, in Washington, D.C. Patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism have too much of the hormone created by the thyroid gland, which helps control people's metabolism. An estimated 10 percent of the population has the condition, which is considered to be ... Read more

Irregular Heartbeat May Predict Mental Decline in Some

Posted 27 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Feb. 27 – A potentially dangerous heart rhythm problem called atrial fibrillation is a strong predictor of mental and physical decline in older people at risk for heart disease, new research suggests. In the study, published Feb. 27 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers analyzed data from two trials that included over 31,000 people in 40 countries, aged 55 and older. All of the participants had heart disease or diabetes and some organ damage stemming from these diseases. The investigators used a common screening test known as the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) to assess the participants' mental function at the start ("baseline") and over the course of the study. Between the start of the study and the follow-up period, more patients with atrial fibrillation (34 percent) than without the heart rhythm disorder (26 percent) had a decrease in MMSE score of ... Read more

Related support groups: Atrial Fibrillation

Experimental Drug Might Beat Aspirin in Preventing Repeat Strokes: Study

Posted 1 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1 – An investigational drug called apixaban (Eliquis) appears to be better than aspirin at preventing blood clots in certain patients who have already suffered a stroke or so-called "mini-stroke" due to an abnormal heart rhythm, according to the results of a new study. For patients with the dangerous irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation who can't tolerate the standard drug treatment, daily apixaban seems to be more effective at warding off a stroke or blood clot than aspirin, the study found. The study was funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, which are developing apixaban. The findings were slated for presentation Wednesday at the American Stroke Association's annual conference in New Orleans. For the study, a team of researchers from Canada and Germany, led by Dr. Hans-Christoph Diener of the University Hospital Essen, tracked nearly 5,600 atrial ... Read more

'Upper Normal' Blood Pressure Linked to Heart Risk in Men

Posted 17 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Jan. 17 – Middle-aged men with blood pressure in the upper-normal range are at increased risk for atrial fibrillation later in life, researchers say. Atrial fibrillation – which affects more than 2.7 million Americans – is a heart rhythm disorder that can lead to stroke and other heart-related complications. High blood pressure is a known risk factor for atrial fibrillation. Previous research has shown that women with blood pressure in the upper end of the normal range are at increased risk for atrial fibrillation. This study looked at whether the same was true in men. In the new study, Norwegian researchers analyzed data from more than 2,000 men aged 40 to 59 who had their blood pressure measured at the start of the study and were followed for up to 35 years. During the follow-up, 270 (13 percent of the men) developed atrial fibrillation. U.S. guidelines define high blood ... Read more

Related support groups: High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Atrial Fibrillation

Obese Patients May Benefit the Most From Surgery for Irregular Heartbeat

Posted 9 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Dec. 9 – Overweight or obese individuals who undergo a procedure to treat an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation may see greater improvements in their quality of life after the treatment than their thinner counterparts. The findings appear in the December edition of the journal HeartRhythm. Atrial fibrilation (AF) greatly increases a person's risk for stroke. Many people with AF are treated with medications to help lower this risk. An alternative to medication, catheter ablation, treats AF by placing a thin tube (catheter) in the heart and burning off the tissue or pathways that are responsible for irregular heartbeat. In the study, 79 percent of 660 participants were overweight or obese. The ablation procedure was equally successful at controlling the AF in both thin and heavyset individuals, but those who were obese and overweight showed greater gains in their ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, Atrial Fibrillation

Heart Patients Using Vitamins May Take Meds Improperly

Posted 15 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 15 – People with heart conditions who take vitamins may be less likely to take some of their other medications properly, according to a new study. Researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center in Utah asked 100 people with an irregular heartbeat – known as atrial fibrillation – what they knew about warfarin (Coumadin), a commonly prescribed blood thinner. The patients were also asked how well they followed their prescription for the drug, and whether or not they also took vitamins or other supplements. People taking warfarin need regular monitoring because too much of the drug can cause bleeding, and too little can allow blood clots to form, increasing the risk for stroke. In addition, diet also plays a role in warfarin's effectiveness. The study, presented Monday at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., found that 62 percent of patients ... Read more

Experimental Drug for Irregular Heart Rhythm Raises Death Risk: Study

Posted 14 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Nov. 14 – A once-promising drug for a common and dangerous form of irregular heart rhythm actually seems to raise the odds for patient death, a new study finds. The drug, dronedarone, had seemed effective against the non-chronic, "intermittent" form of atrial fibrillation in prior trials. But in the newer trial – involving patients with ongoing, "permanent" atrial fibrillation – use of dronedarone was tied to a doubling of the patients' death risk. The trial was cancelled early due to concerns over the drug's safety. Atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder affecting about 2.7 million Americans that often occurs with age and can raise risks for stroke. In people with intermittent atrial fibrillation, the heart may return to normal rhythm on its own. But it does not do so in people with the more permanent form, who usually receive medications to control their heart rate. ... Read more

Related support groups: Atrial Fibrillation, Multaq, Dronedarone

Sepsis Plus Heart Rhythm Disorder Linked to Stroke, Death

Posted 14 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

SUNDAY, Nov. 13 – Patients who develop atrial fibrillation – a heart rhythm disorder – for the first time while they are hospitalized with severe sepsis are at increased risk for stroke and death, a new study finds. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common heart rhythm problems among critically ill patients, according to background study information. Six percent to 20 percent of patients with severe sepsis develop new-onset atrial fibrillation, which suggests that severe sepsis may contribute to the condition, the researchers wrote. Their analysis of 2007 data from California hospitals showed that patients with severe sepsis accounted for 14 percent of all new-onset atrial fibrillation that occurred in hospitalized patients. The researchers also found that patients with severe sepsis were nearly seven times more likely to develop new-onset AF than those without severe ... Read more

Related support groups: Atrial Fibrillation

Experts Point Out Signs of Dangerous Heart Rhythm

Posted 28 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 – People who experience what feels like drums pounding in their chest, shortness of breath, chest pain and dizziness may suffer from the common but potentially dangerous heart arrhythmia known as atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is an overly rapid, abnormal heartbeat that is more common with advancing age. The condition can cause blood to pool in the heart's upper chambers (atria) and increase the risk that the heart will "throw" a clot, potentially leading to stroke. According to the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), more than 2 million Americans are already living with the condition, which increases the risk of stroke five-fold. And as the population ages, researchers project that number to surge over the next 40 years. Atrial fibrillation (AF) can also adversely affect people's quality of life, resulting in chronic fatigue and debilitating pain. "AF is the most ... Read more

Related support groups: Atrial Fibrillation

Many With Irregular Heartbeat Unaware of Raised Stroke Risk

Posted 23 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Sept. 23 – Half of the 2.7 million Americans affected by an irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation, deny or do not know they are at greater risk for stroke, according to a new survey from the American Heart Association (AHA). "While there's a lot known about atrial fibrillation, there's a lot unknown as well," Dr. Mark Estes III, professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, said in a news release from the heart association. "The American Heart Association's goal for atrial fibrillation is to bridge those knowledge gaps through research and education. By helping people better understand their risks, we can impact treatment and prevention of atrial fibrillation and atrial fibrillation-related strokes." The AHA surveyed 502 people living with atrial fibrillation. Despite being the third-leading cause of death in the United States (behind heart ... Read more

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Prevention of Thromboembolism in Atrial Fibrillation, Arrhythmia

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metoprolol, clonidine, diltiazem, carvedilol, Cardizem, digoxin, Coreg, flecainide, Toprol-XL, view more... sotalol, Lopressor, Catapres, Cardizem CD, Multaq, Coreg CR, Cartia XT, propafenone, Rythmol, Tambocor, Lanoxin, Cardizem LA, dronedarone, Xarelto, Rythmol SR, Tiazac, esmolol, Digitek, Dilacor XR, Diltia XT, Sotalol Hydrochloride AF, rivaroxaban, Betapace AF, Diltzac, Dilt-XR, ibutilide, Cardizem Monovial, Corvert, Brevibloc, Cardizem SR, Lanoxicaps, Cardoxin