New research finds an accurate way of diagnosing fibromyalgia and differentiating it from other related conditions. Using blood samples and innovative techniques, scientists have detected a «molecular fingerprint» that is unique to the condition. People with fibromyalgia experience pain in many areas of their body. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that affects 2–8 percent of…
Details
“One of the most difficult things we ever have to do is to tell a child he or she has a very serious condition and may not survive it, or that a parent has a condition they may not survive,” said Dr. Alan Stein, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of…
Details
My column last April, “Weighing the Pros and Cons of Statins,” has so far elicited nearly 700 online comments, many of them from people who accused me of selling out to Big Pharma. Yes, statins are blockbuster drugs with sales in the billions, but that doesn’t mean they’re not safe and effective. In this column,…
Details
The kind of thing we have done instinctively in our workplaces for two decades — sending a quick email instead of setting up a meeting — has until recently eluded many doctors. Electronic consultations, or eConsults (sometimes called eReferrals), are a growing way for primary care doctors and specialists to communicate with each other securely.…
Details
NEW ORLEANS (March 17, 2019) — Patients with an infection of the inner lining on the left side of the heart (endocarditis) who were switched from intravenous to oral antibiotic therapy had better long-term survival and fewer complications than similar patients who remained on conventional intravenous antibiotic therapy, according to research presented at the American…
Details
NEW ORLEANS (March 17, 2019) — Severely ill patients with advanced heart failure who received a novel heart pump—the HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device (LVAD)— suffered significantly fewer strokes, pump-related blood clots and bleeding episodes after two years, compared with similar patients who received an older, more established pump, according to research presented at…
Details
NEW ORLEANS (March 17, 2019) — In the year following placement of a CardioMEMS heart failure sensor—designed to wirelessly measure and monitor pulmonary artery pressures that can signal worsening heart failure—patients experienced a 58 percent reduction in hospitalization for heart failure, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 68th Annual Scientific Session.…
Details
NEW ORLEANS (March 17, 2019) — Patients at high risk for heart attacks, strokes and blood clots who were treated with a novel blood thinner (apixaban) and an antiplatelet drug such as clopidogrel had a significantly lower risk of bleeding and being hospitalized compared with patients who received an older blood-thinning medication such as warfarin,…
Details
NEW ORLEANS (March 17, 2019) — Encasing cardiac devices such as pacemakers or defibrillators in an «envelope» —a mesh sleeve embedded with antibiotics—reduces the risk of major device-related infection by 40 percent within one year with no increase in complications, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 68th Annual Scientific Session. The…
Details
New Orleans, LA (Mar 17, 2019) — The choices we make every day can have a lasting effect on our heart and vascular health. Adopting a heart healthy eating plan, getting more exercise, avoiding tobacco and managing known risk factors are among the key recommendations in the 2019 Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease guideline from…
Details