People who have genetic variations associated with lowering LDL-cholesterol appear to have an increased risk of developing cataracts and having cataract surgery, according to new research published in June 2022 in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA). JAHA is an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association (AHA). Previous research has… Continue reading Cataracts: A Newly Discovered Genetic Link
Tag: statins
Fighting High Cholesterol with Statins
You go to the gym faithfully, and you try to watch your diet. But after your annual physical, you find out that your blood cholesterol is surprisingly high. Your doctor calls you back to discuss taking a medication known as a statin. Here, in a Consumer Update, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) answeres… Continue reading Fighting High Cholesterol with Statins
Statins and Side Effects
Among patients who stopped taking their cholesterol-lowering statin medication due to side effects, researchers found the statin may not have been the culprit: Patients taking a placebo reported the same side effects, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2020. Statins lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Some people, however, experience side effects… Continue reading Statins and Side Effects
Statins May Help Protect Breast-Cancer Patients from Chemotherapy-Related Heart Damage
Statins, common cholesterol-lowering medications, may protect women’s hearts from damage caused during chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer, according to new research published in January 2021 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access journal of the American Heart Association (AHA). “Two types of cancer medications, anthracyclines and trastuzumab, are effective treatments for… Continue reading Statins May Help Protect Breast-Cancer Patients from Chemotherapy-Related Heart Damage
Statins Are More Effective for Those Who Follow the Mediterranean Diet
Here’s one more reason to follow the Mediterranean diet. For those who have already had a heart attack or a stroke, the combination of statins and Mediterranean Diet appears to be the most effective choice to reduce the risk of mortality, especially from cardiovascular causes. It is the result of an Italian study conducted at… Continue reading Statins Are More Effective for Those Who Follow the Mediterranean Diet
Don’t Fall for These Six Internet Myths about Statins
Thanks to mailings and websites that claim statin medications are harmful or unnecessary, many patients are confused about whether they should take them. That’s unfortunate, because the medication not only helps prevent heart attacks and strokes but also lowers the chance of developing peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, in which the arteries in the feet… Continue reading Don’t Fall for These Six Internet Myths about Statins
Why Some Stroke Survivors Won’t Take Statins
Stroke survivors often steer clear of statins because of negative news about the medicines’ side effects, and because of their own bad experiences. However, the drugs are potentially lifesaving. Individuals who have had a stroke are at risk of a second stroke, which carries a greater risk of disability and death than first time strokes.… Continue reading Why Some Stroke Survivors Won’t Take Statins
Fewer than Half Of Stroke Patients Are Prescribed Recommended Cholesterol-Lowering Medication
Nationwide, fewer than half of stroke patients discharged from the hospital received a prescription for cholesterol-lowering medications called statins, and the likelihood of a prescription varied by patients’ geographic location, sex, age and race, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke… Continue reading Fewer than Half Of Stroke Patients Are Prescribed Recommended Cholesterol-Lowering Medication
Grapefruit + Some Medicines Don’t Mix: Is Your Rx on the List?
From the experts at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a comprehensive explanation of why grapefruit isn’t right for you if you’re taking certain medicines Grapefruit juice and the actual grapefruit can be part of a healthy diet. Grapefruit has vitamin C and potassium—nutrients your body needs to work properly. But it isn’t good for… Continue reading Grapefruit + Some Medicines Don’t Mix: Is Your Rx on the List?
Adherence to Statins Drops off Following Heart Attacks
A substantial proportion of patients prescribed high-intensity statins following hospitalization for a heart attack did not continue taking this medication with good adherence at two years after discharge. That is the finding of a 2017 study done at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York and published by JAMA Cardiology. A release from… Continue reading Adherence to Statins Drops off Following Heart Attacks
The Dangers of Some IV Lines
Physicians need to more carefully consider the type of IV they use on patients, researchers say. One kind of IV, known as a PICC line, is used to deliver medicines or have blood drawn over the course of days or weeks. But while they’re popular, PICC lines also raise the risk of potentially dangerous blood… Continue reading The Dangers of Some IV Lines
Statin Guidelines May Over-Target Seniors & Miss Middle-Agers
The newest guidelines for the use of cholesterol-lowering statins in people at risk of heart disease may be too generic, excluding middle-aged adults who could benefit from the drugs and over-prescribing in older adults, according to a study from the Duke Clinical Research Institute published in March 2015 in the Journal of the American College… Continue reading Statin Guidelines May Over-Target Seniors & Miss Middle-Agers
New Guidelines from the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is recommending a less stringent diastolic blood pressure target for people with diabetes and that all people with diabetes take either moderate or high doses of statins, in keeping with recent changes to guidelines for cardiovascular risk management enacted by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association… Continue reading New Guidelines from the American Diabetes Association
New Statin Guidelines an Improvement
New national guidelines can improve the way statin drugs are prescribed to patients at risk for cardiovascular disease, a Yale University study has found.
The research, published August 25th 2014 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, also showed the new guidelines produce only a modest increase in the number of patients being given the drugs.