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Autoimmune Woes May Raise Risk for Lung Clots
Posted 27 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Nov. 25 – Patients hospitalized for autoimmune disorders, like rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn's disease, may be at greater risk for a life-threatening pulmonary embolism, a clot in a main artery of the lung, a new study finds. Reporting online Nov. 25 in The Lancet, researchers warned that steps should be taken to prevent this condition among patients admitted to the hospital for autoimmune diseases. In conducting the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 500,000 patients admitted to the hospital in Sweden for one of 33 autoimmune diseases, which can also include Grave's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and chronic rheumatic heart disease. The team, led by Dr. Bengt Zoller of Malmo University Hospital in Sweden, found the overall risk of pulmonary embolism in the 12 months following hospitalization to be six times higher for patients with autoimmune diseases than for ... Read more
Related support groups: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn's Disease, Hashimoto's disease, Pulmonary Embolism, Vasculitis, Graves' Disease, Rheumatic Heart Disease, Chronic Lymphocytic Thyroiditis, Polymyositis/Dermatomyositis, Polyarteritis
Too Much Sitting May Double Women's Risk of Blood Clots
Posted 5 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, July 5 – Women who sit for long periods of time on a regular basis have a two- to threefold increased risk of developing a potentially deadly blood clot in their lungs, a new study finds. The researchers said their study is the first to prove that an inactive lifestyle increases the risk of developing a pulmonary embolism, which occurs when part or all of a blood clot that forms in the deep veins of the legs travels through the bloodstream to the lungs. Sudden shortness of breath, severe chest pain and coughing that may produce blood are among the symptoms of pulmonary embolism, in addition to excessive sweating, fainting and weak pulse. The new study included 69,950 female nurses who were followed for 18 years and every two years provided details about their lifestyle habits. Women who spent most of their time sitting (more than 41 hours a week outside of work) were two times ... Read more
Related support groups: Pulmonary Embolism
Scan Technology Tied to Overtreatment of Clots in Lungs
Posted 9 May 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, May 9 – Overdiagnosis and overtreatment of pulmonary embolism is a problem in the United States due to the large increase in the use of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA), a new study suggests. A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially life-threatening blood clot in the lungs. CTPA was introduced in 1998 to improve detection of PE and its use has grown rapidly, according to background information in the study by Boston University School of Medicine researchers. The investigators compared data about PE in U.S. adults before (1993-1998) and after (1998-2006) CTPA was introduced, and found that the incidence of PE increased 81 percent after CTPA became available, from 62.1 to 112.3 per 100,000 people. Deaths from PE decreased during both time periods, but more so before (8 percent reduction, from 13.4 to 12.3 per 100,000), than after the introduction of CTPA (3 ... Read more
Related support groups: Pulmonary Embolism
Docs Should Assess Lung Clot Risk Before Ordering Scan
Posted 15 Jun 2010 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, June 15 – CT angiography might not be necessary in many patients suspected of having a blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism), and a risk analysis can identify those most likely to require the procedure, a new study suggests. Pulmonary embolism (PE) occurs when a blood clot, usually from the leg, moves through the bloodstream and lodges in an artery in the lung. The condition can be fatal, so prompt diagnosis is essential. Because of its high sensitivity and specificity, CT angiography has become a preferred method of diagnosing PE. However, there are growing concerns about costs and patient radiation exposure, along with risks associated with contrast agents used in the procedure. For this study, researchers reviewed the medical records to assess the PE risk factors of 2,003 patients who underwent CT angiography for possible PE between July 2004 and February 2006. The ... Read more
Related support groups: Pulmonary Embolism -- First Event, Pulmonary Embolism, Pulmonary Embolism -- Recurrent Event
Clot Dissolver Doesn't Boost Survival in Cardiac Arrest Patients
Posted 17 Dec 2008 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17 – German doctors thought that giving the clot-dissolving drug tenecteplase (TKNase) to people with sudden cardiac arrest would improve survival. Unfortunately, the drug, a form of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), didn't work as hoped in a trial, but they haven't given up on the idea. "In specific situations, those patients with pulmonary embolism, use of this thrombolytic agent can stabilize the patient and help the patient survive," said Dr. Bernd W. Böttiger, professor and head of the department of anesthesiology and emergency care medicine at the University of Cologne and lead author of a report in the Dec. 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. But pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that blocks a heart artery, is the underlying cause of sudden cardiac arrest only 5 percent to 7 percent of the time, Böttiger said. There was a small improvement in s ... Read more
Related support groups: Pulmonary Embolism
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