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Cardiology

News, opinions and meeting coverage in cardiology.

Drugs That Lower Blood Pressure Also Prevent Headaches

LONDON - Four classes of drugs that lower blood pressure also prevent headaches, say researchers here who analyzed data from 94 randomized, placebo-controlled trials.

Medicare Will Pay for tPA in Stroke Thrombolysis

WASHINGTON-Medicare is about to announce that beginning in October it will start paying hospitals for use of the thrombolytic drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for treatment of ischemic stroke, according to published reports.

Singer Luther Vandross Dies Two Years After Stroke

EDISON, N.J.芒鈧€漅ecording industry superstar Luther Vandross, 54, died Friday two years after suffering a stroke. African American men, like Vandross, have a significantly higher risk of stroke-related death than white men.

Crestor Called Less Safe Than Other Statins

BOSTON-Adverse event reports from the FDA suggest that Crestor is more likely to cause muscle and kidney damage than other major statins (Lipitor, Pravachol or Zocor), researchers here reported in the journal Circulation.

Morphine for Chest Pain Increases ACS Death Risk

DURHAM, N.C.-Morphine to relieve severe chest pain associated with the non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome may increase the risk of death by nearly 50%, report Duke investigators. They recommend nitroglycerin as first choice.

FDA Approves 'Gila Monster' Diabetes Drug

ROCKVILLE, Md.-The FDA announced today it has approved a new injectable diabetes drug synthesized from gila monster saliva, but says the drug should only be used in combination with older oral medications.

ACC: LDL Cholesterol of Less than 80 mg/dL Reduces Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

ORLANDO-Cardiologists report that aggressive cholesterol-lowering to new super low target levels of LDL is associated with a 22% reduction in risk of heart attack, stroke, cardiac arrest and death from heart disease for patients with stable coronary disease. The reduction to a mean of 77 mg/dL compared with standard cholesterol-lowering therapy that aims to reduce LDL to about 100 mg/dL. In addition, stroke risk was reduced by 25% compared with risk in patients treated to the recommended target of 100 mg/dL.

Fiber Supplement Equivalent to Doubling the Dose of Statin

Three servings of psyllium (Metamucil) per day reduced the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels of patients on a statin drug by an additional 6%, roughly the same reduction achieved by doubling the statin dose, according to research presented at the American Heart Association 2004 Scientific Sessions.