US regulators warn of heart risks of Sanofi's Multaq

2011-12-19T17:30:33Z

US regulators on Monday ordered French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi to change the label of its heart drug Multaq after it was found to double the risk of death in some patients.

Patients with permanent abnormal heart rhythm, or atrial fibrillation, should not take the drug -- also known as dronedarone -- because of a two-fold higher rate of cardiovascular death, stroke, and ...

FDA revises Sanofi Multaq label on heart risks

2011-12-19T13:30:23Z

(Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Monday revised the label for Sanofi SA's heart drug Multaq to reflect a doubling of health risks, including death, for some patients with irregular heart rhythms.

In the updated label, the CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators said they are still investigating a rare but serious problem with Boston Scientific Corp's new heart stents and required the company to caution doctors about it when the device was approved last month.

...

Heart attack rates were up three years post-Katrina

2011-12-14T13:00:18Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - One New Orleans hospital saw a jump in heart attacks following Hurricane Katrina -- and three years later, the rate was still elevated, a new study finds.

Researchers at

FDA advisers: Ortho Evra patch needs clearer label

2011-12-09T15:30:07Z

ADELPHI, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. drug advisers recommended that the label for Johnson and Johnson's Ortho Evra birth control patch be simplified to better explain the risk of blood clots.

In a 20 to 3 vote with one abstention, advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration has urged stronger labeling on birth control pills such as Bayer's Yaz that have a shown a higher risk of blot clots.

Results of the 21-5 vote released late Thursday showed that most panel members found the current labels did not adequately reflect the risks and benefits.

The...

Heart problem suspected in Oregon football player death

2011-12-08T18:30:10Z

PORTLAND, Ore (Reuters) - A 19-year-old football player at Oregon State University who collapsed while playing basketball died after suffering a cardiac arrhythmia despite having no known heart problems, officials said on Thurs...

FDA advisers: revise popular birth control labels

2011-12-08T17:30:18Z

ADELPHI, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. health advisers recommended a revision of labels for the widely used new generation of birth control pills, based on data showing they may put women at a higher risk of dangerous blood clots.

Although all common birth control pills increase women's chances of getting blood clots, concerns have recently been mounting about an even higher risk linked to a new...

FDA panel votes against CardioMEMS device

2011-12-08T17:30:16Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel on Thursday decided not to recommend CardioMEMS implantable heart device for treating heart failure because supporting clinical research appeared biased by human interventi...

FDA advisers: revise popular birth control

2011-12-08T17:01:01Z

Although all common birth control pills increase women's chances of getting blood clots, concerns have recently been mounting about an even higher risk linked to a new...

Pakistan president suffers minor heart attack

2011-12-07T09:30:48Z

Pakistan's embattled President Asif Ali Zardari will remain in hospital in Dubai until further notice after suffering a minor heart attack and undergoing an operation, officials said on Wednesday.

The unpopular 56-year-old head of state flew to the United Ar...

FDA eyes stronger warning on popular birth control

2011-12-06T15:30:21Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Health officials are weighing stricter labels on the widely used new generation of birth control pills, based on data showing they may put women at a higher risk of dangerous blood clots.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff reviewed studies comparing an older genera...

FDA staff say CardioMEMS device works

2011-12-05T14:30:27Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators on Monday said a CardioMEMs implant for treating heart failure met its main safety and effectiveness targets but warned of potential bias in the company's research.

A Food and Drug Administration staff review of the

FDA: CardioMEMS device meets top study goals

2011-12-05T08:30:08Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Food and Drug Administration review of CardioMEMS' device for treating heart failure found it has met its main safety and effectiveness goals, based on trial results.

But the FDA questioned on Monday how cl...

Lots of pregnancies linked to a healthier heart

2011-12-02T14:30:29Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a new study from a single California community, women who had been pregnant at least four times were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who'd never been expecting.

Researchers said that could be due to the protective effects of pregnancy-related hormones as well as the extra...

Low "good" cholesterol doesn't cause heart attacks

2011-12-01T14:30:21Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite plenty of evidence that people with low levels of "good" cholesterol are more prone to heart attacks, a large new study suggests that the lacking lipid is not to blame.

The analysis of data on nearly 70,000 people in Denmark affirmed the link between low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), th...

Hormonal prostate cancer therapy tied to blood clots

2011-12-01T12:30:22Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Hormone-targeted therapy for prostate cancer may raise the risk of potentially dangerous blood clots, a large U.S. study suggests.

Analyzing data on more than 154,000 older men with prostate cancer, researchers found that those who received hormonal therapy had double the rate of blood clots in the veins, arteries or lungs compared to men not on the t...

Life-saving transfer of heart patients lagging

2011-11-28T15:00:31Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A quick transfer from one hospital to another with more sophisticated facilities can be a lifesaver for heart attack patients -- but quick transfers are a rarity in the U.S., researchers said Monday.

In a nationwide study published in the Reuters Health) - One out of every 10 people who get a stent inserted to open up blocked arteries ends up back in the hospital within 30 days, suggests a new study that also found the readmitted patients are more likely to die in the next year.

Readmission rates are now publicly reported by the Reuters Health) - When an elderly person's chronic disease is impossible to cure, many doctors might assume that patient would chose to improve the quality of his or her remaining life rather than to extend it as is. Those doctors would be mistaken most of the time, according to a new study.

Swiss researchers who surveyed more than 500 elderly heart failure patients found three qua...

FDA sees rare but serious issue with stents

2011-11-18T13:30:52Z

(Reuters) - Health regulators are investigating a rare but potentially serious problem with a newer class of heart stents that causes the tiny tubular devices made of wire mesh to shrink, or lengthen, after implantation.

The problem appears to occur most frequently in the Promus and Ion devices made by Reuters) - Health regulators are investigating a rare but potentially serious problem with a newer class of heart stents that causes the tiny tubular devices made of wire mesh to shrink, or lengthen, after implantation.

The problem appears to occur most frequently in the Promus and Ion devices made by

2011-11-15T15:30:31Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new analysis of half a million heart attack patients found that people with the warning signs of heart disease -- such as high blood pressure and cholesterol -- are more likely to survive their hospital stay than those with a cleaner bill of health.

Even when taking into account influences such as age and weight, the more heart-related risk factors patients had,...

Cardiac stem cells help fix a broken heart

2011-11-14T12:30:26Z

Stem cells from heart-attack patients helped improve blood-pumping ability and restore vitality in cardiac muscle, according to a small trial published on Monday.

It is the first time patients have been given an infusion of their own cardiac stem cells in the aim of solving the impact of heart failure rather than simply treating the symptoms of it.

The findings are so promising that the study's chief investigator said a potential "revolution" was in the offing if larger trial...

Stem cell therapy works in heart failure trial

2011-11-14T10:30:29Z

ORLANDO, Fla (Reuters) - A stem cell therapy for treating patients experiencing moderate to severe heart failure showed real promise in preventing serious consequences or death, according to data from a small mid-stage clinical trial.

The treatment from Australia's Mesoblast Ltd, known as revascor, appea...

Tooth cleaning 'helps reduce risk of heart disease'

2011-11-14T08:30:34Z

Regular professional cleaning of teeth not only gives a patient a more radiant smile but also helps reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke, according to a new study.

The study presented Sunday at an American Heart Association meeting in Orlando, Florida, was conducted at the Veterans General Hospita...

Tooth cleaning leads to fewer heart problems: study

2011-11-13T12:00:20Z

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Regular visits to the dentist for tooth cleaning may provide more than just a brighter smile.

According to data compiled by researchers in Taiwan, people who had their teeth professionally scraped and cleaned had a 24 percent lower risk of heart attack and 13 percent lower risk of stroke compar...

Merck clot drug fails main goal

2011-11-13T08:30:35Z

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - An experimental anti-clotting drug from Merck & Co failed to meet the main goal of improving a host of cardiovascular problems in a large study and tripled the risk of bleeding in the brain, researchers said on Sunday.

The prospects for vorapaxar had already been severely dented after a safety committee overseeing this and another large study of...

Early sexual abuse increases heart risks

2011-11-13T08:30:28Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Women who were repeatedly sexually abused as girls have a 62 percent higher risk of heart problems later in life compared with women who were not abused, U.S. researchers said on Sunday.

The findings, presented at the American He...

Panel advises testing children for cholesterol

2011-11-11T15:00:17Z

(Reuters) - Children from ages 9 to 11 should be routinely screened for high cholesterol so that action can be taken to avoid the development of heart disease, according to new guidelines from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

The guidelines, endorsed by the Reuters) - Children from ages 9 to 11 should be routinely screened for high cholesterol so that action can be taken to avoid the development of heart disease, according to new guidelines from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

The guidelines, endorsed by the Reuters Health) - Heart patients are more likely to get costly follow-up tests sooner than guidelines recommend if their doctors own testing equipment or get paid for interpreting tests results, according to a new study.

In recent years, more and more of the procedures, called stress imaging tests, are being done in doctors' offices, instead of hospitals, as groups of doctors purch...

Texas teens had heart attacks after smoking K2

2011-11-07T15:30:19Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Three 16-year-olds experienced heart attacks after smoking K2, a blend of herbs and spices laced with synthetic cannabis-like chemicals, Texas doctors reported Monday.

While there is no proof that the drug is to blame, the doctors worry it might have been the cause.

"Lots of teenagers get chest pain, but very few tee...

Newer birth control pills again tied to blood clots

2011-11-07T15:30:15Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A study out Monday adds to evidence that a newer type of birth control pill may carry a higher risk of blood clots than older versions.

The study, of 330,000 Israeli women, found that those who used birth control pills with the hormone drospirenone -- found in brand-names like Yaz and Yasmin -- were more likely than other Pill users to develop blood clots called v...

Hospital wins review of heart unit closure plan

2011-11-07T11:30:42Z

A London hospital has won its High Court battle over health authorities' plans to close down its children's heart surgery unit.

Lawyers for the Royal Brompton in Chelsea, west London, argued that a consultation exercise launched by the Joint Committee of the Primary Care Trusts of Reuters) - Edwards Lifesciences Corp, which last week became the first company to be approved to sell a less-invasive replacement heart valve in the United States, said on Monday it received conditional approval to expand its study ...

No heart attack risk from attention-deficit drugs: US study

2011-11-07T09:32:11Z

A major study of more than one million children and young adults has shown no higher risk of heart attack among those who take drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a US study said Tuesday.

"This large study showed no evidence that current use of an ADHD drug was associated with an increased risk of serious cardiovascular events," said the study in the US regulators said Thursday.

The US Food and Drug Administration said in its review of studies that have included more than 800,000 women that the higher risks are...

Redknapp expects quick recovery from heart op

2011-11-07T09:30:38Z

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said Friday he expects to make a swift return after undergoing surgery for a heart problem.

Redknapp, 64, underwent a procedure on Wednesday to unblock coronary arteries after suffering chest pains and shortness of breath while working out on a running machine at his home.

The heart scare forced Redknapp to miss <...

FDA approves Edwards aortic heart valve

2011-11-03T09:03:16Z

(Reuters) - Regulators have approved the sale of Edwards Life Sciences Corp's heart valve for patients deemed too sick to have open-heart surgery.

A clinical trial found that patients receiving the Sapien valve experienced two and a half times more strokes and eight times as many vascular and bleeding complications than those who did not receive the implant, but they were more likely to surv...

ADHD drugs do not increase heart problems in kids: study

2011-11-01T07:30:28Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Stimulants used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder do not increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes or sudden death, U.S. researchers said on Monday, in a finding that should reassure millions of parents whose children take the drugs.

Researchers studied the medical records of more than 1 million children and ...

Pfizer Lipitor Recall

2010-12-21T05:01:21Z

FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2009 file photo, a sign at Pfizer world headquarters is shown in New York. Pfizer is recalling a lot of 19,000 bottles of the blockbuster cholesterol drug Lipitor Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010, citing a consumer complaint about an "uncharacteristic" odor. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, file)

Fake Doctor

2010-12-12T10:31:32Z

FILE - In this March 14, 2010 file photo, a doctor watches a monitor as he inserts a stent into an artery during a cardiology simulation supervised by William Hamman, not pictured, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Hamman, an airline captain who lives in UCLA cardiologist, Daniel Cruz, right, and Younghwa Chang, R.N., perform a heart biopsy on recent beating heart transplant patient Andrea Ybarra, at the Tehran, Iran, Monday, Oct. 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

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US-MED--Cholesterol Drug

2010-11-18T14:06:50Z

An undated photo provided by Dr. Christopher Cannon shows Dr. Christopher Cannon of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Cannon is the leader of a study on an experimental Merck drug that safely boosted good cholesterol to record highs while dropping bad cholesterol to unprecedented lows in a study that stunned researchers and renewed hopes for an entirely new wa...

How to Avoid a Heart Attack