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Stopping Daily Aspirin Boosts Heart Attack Risk: Study

Posted 20 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, July 19 – People with heart disease who stop taking their daily low-dose aspirin may put themselves at a greater risk of having a heart attack, a new study finds. Aspirin taken daily in a low dose (typically between 75 and 300 milligrams) is recommended to help prevent blood clots in patients with heart disease. Yet as many as 50 percent of patients stop taking their aspirin, the researchers noted. This can result in an increased risk of heart problems, but little is known about whether there is an increased risk for heart attack specifically. The new study suggests heart attack risk does rise when low-dose aspirin is discontinued. Therefore, patients "should be advised that unless there is a high risk of serious bleeding or otherwise recommended by a doctor, aspirin should never be discontinued given its overwhelming benefits," said lead researcher Dr. Luis Garcia Rodriguez, ... Read more

Simply Watching a CPR Video Might Save Lives

Posted 8 Mar 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, March 8 – A 60-second video showing what to do when someone's heart stops beating could help save lives, according to a new study that found those who viewed the demonstration were much more likely to take action than those who did not. "Cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the United States," said Dr. Bentley Bobrow, lead author of the study, which was done in Arizona. "We were trying to figure out novel and effective ways to help the public understand what cardiac arrest is, and be willing and able to do CPR [cardiopulmonary-resuscitation]. Now you can watch a 60-second video at home, on the Internet, on your phone or while you're pumping gas." The video could save thousands of lives, added Bobrow, an associate professor in the emergency medicine department at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix and director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, ... Read more

Work Strife Stresses the Heart

Posted 24 Apr 2009 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, April 24 – In tough economic times, work stress might be hard to avoid. But for people in stressful jobs, it's especially important to take steps to manage the stress in order to protect the heart. That's because stress not only has been shown to increase the risk of a first heart attack, but also a second. "Work stress is bad for the heart, because it causes your body to be in a state of high arousal all the time," said Dr. Redford Williams, director of the behavioral medicine research center at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. "There are a lot of physiological changes that go with this heightened state – a raise in blood pressure, increased adrenaline and maybe inflammatory molecules, like CRP are elevated with chronic stress," he explained. Dr. Matthew Lucks, a cardiologist at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., said that "stress does a lot of ... Read more

Experts Revise Guidelines on Daily Aspirin for Heart

Posted 16 Mar 2009 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 16 – Amid the continuing debate over who should pop an aspirin each day to fight heart disease, and at what dose, U.S. experts have revised guidelines stating that lower doses appear to be at least as effective as higher doses and safer at preventing heart attack and stroke. The issue of dosage has long been discussed because aspirin carries with it an increased risk for gastrointestinal bleeding, especially when taken in combination with the clot-dissolving drug clopidogrel (Plavix). The new U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines are tailored to match age and gender. Among the recommendations: Men aged 45 to 79 should take aspirin if the chances of preventing a heart attack outweigh the chances of gastrointestinal bleeding. Women aged 55 to 79 should take the drug if the chances of reducing ischemic stroke outweigh the risks of GI bleeding. "Subsequent to the ... Read more

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