http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. As hospitals look for ways to improve patient satisfaction and boost their Medicare reimbursement, a Henry Ford Hospital study found that an inpatient pharmacist-directed anticoagulation service (PDAS) might be an unexpected opportunity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-pharmacist-directed-anticoagulation-impact-patient-satisfaction.html Health Fri, 10 May 2013 16:34:09 EST news287422439 A new Canadian study shows that operating without interrupting warfarin treatment at the time of cardiac device surgery is safe and markedly reduces the incidence of clinically significant hematomas compared to the current standard of care. The new findings were released today at Heart Rhythm 2013, the Heart Rhythm Society's 34th Annual Scientific Sessions, and will be published online today in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-warfarin-cardiac-device-surgery.html Cardiology Thu, 09 May 2013 11:00:02 EST news287305686 For more than 40 years, patients under 65 years of age requiring heart valve replacement have had to choose between a mechanical valve that offers life-long durability but requires aggressive warfarin anticoagulation or a biological (cow or pig) valve that will wear out in 10-20 years but does not require anticoagulation. Aggressive warfarin anticoagulation is accompanied by significant annual risk of bleeding, while inadequate anticoagulation of a mechanical artificial valve has been associated with high risk of clotting problems that can cause strokes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-low-dose-anticoagulation-therapy-mechanical-heart.html Cardiology Mon, 06 May 2013 09:07:45 EST news287050058 (HealthDay)—Kcentra (prothrombin complex concentrate, human) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat severe acute bleeding in adults after administration of the anti-clotting drug warfarin and similar products. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-kcentra-severe-heart-patients.html Medications Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:50:01 EST news286547963 A practical guide on the use of the new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) has been produced by the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). A guide was needed to summarise existing information on different drugs, to answer clinical questions that fall outside what drug companies can legally answer, and to make distinctions between the different drugs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-esc-oral-anticoagulant-drugs.html Cardiology Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:19:17 EST news286201151 An evaluation of practice patterns in California hospitals showed a large variation in the use of metal devices called inferior vena cava filters, or VCFs, despite little evidence of their safety and effectiveness. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-efficacy-safety-vena-cava-filters.html Cardiology Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:30:01 EST news283167483 The frequency of vena cava filter (VCF) use to prevent migration of blood clots to the lungs in patients with acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) appears to vary widely and be associated with which hospital provides the patient care, according to a study of California hospitals published Online First by JAMA Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-tracks-variation-hospitals-vena-cava.html Cardiology Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:00:01 EST news282828891 In a study that included 3.3 million percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement used to open narrowed coronary arteries) procedures, major bleeding after PCI was associated with significantly increased in-hospital mortality, with an estimated 12 percent of deaths after PCI related to bleeding complications, according to a study appearing in the March 13 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-major-pci-death.html Cardiology Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:00:04 EST news282318842 (HealthDay)—Anticoagulant use is associated with improved overall survival in men receiving docetaxel chemotherapy for treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), according to research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held from Feb. 14 to 16 in Orlando, Fla. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-asco-anticoagulant-metastatic-prostate-ca.html Cancer Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:00:01 EST news280511212 The use of serial compression ultrasonographic testing together with Doppler imaging appears to be a reliable method of ruling out blood clots in the legs of pregnant women, according to a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Physicians can likely safely withhold anticoagulation therapy based on the results. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-ultrasonic-doppler-imaging-blood-clots.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:00:05 EST news277380432 A meta-analysis of 10 studies suggests that receipt of a blood transfusion among patients with myocardial infarction (heart attack) was associated with increased all-cause mortality compared with not receiving a blood transfusion during heart attack, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-blood-transfusion-death-patients-heart.html Cardiology Mon, 24 Dec 2012 16:00:05 EST news275576622 (HealthDay)—The blood thinner Pradaxa should not be used to prevent stroke or blood clots in patients with mechanical heart valves, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a warning issued Wednesday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-fda-pradaxa-patients-mechanical-heart.html Cardiology Fri, 21 Dec 2012 06:20:02 EST news275289285 (HealthDay)—Women with atrial fibrillation (AF) have a higher risk of ischemic stroke than men with AF, related in part to differences in the percent time in the therapeutic range (TTR) associated with warfarin anticoagulation control, according to research published in the Dec. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-ischemic-women-a-fib-explored.html Cardiology Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:50:02 EST news274378976 Although current guidelines recommend 3 months of anticoagulation treatment after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement surgery, a study that included more than 4,000 patients found that patients who had warfarin therapy continued between 3 and 6 months after surgery had a lower rate of cardiovascular death, according to a study in the November 28 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-anticoagulation-treatment-aortic-valve.html Cardiology Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:35:07 EST news273256496 Rituximab, a drug used to treat cancer and arthritis, may help patients with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) who suffer from aPL-related clinical problems that do not respond to anticoagulation, such as cardiac disease and kidney disease, according to a new study by rheumatology researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery. The study appears online ahead of print, in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-rituximab-clinical-problems-tied-antiphospholipid.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Tue, 20 Nov 2012 09:47:07 EST news272627178 (HealthDay)—Patients with advanced solid tumors receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens have a significantly higher risk of having a venous thromboembolic event (VTE) compared with those who do not receive a cisplatin-based regimen, according to research published online Nov. 13 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-venous-thromboembolism-cisplatin-based-chemo.html Cancer Thu, 15 Nov 2012 06:20:01 EST news272175326 New findings that highlight the challenges of managing thromboembolic events in patients being treated for cancer were released at the ESMO 2012 Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology in Vienna. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-highlight-blood-clotting-cancer-patients.html Cancer Mon, 01 Oct 2012 03:31:22 EST news268281073 A novel blood thinner recently approved by the FDA, dabigatran (Pradaxa), has been rapidly adopted into clinical practice, yet thus far has had little impact on improving treatment rates for atrial fibrillation. This is according to a new study led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health that examined national trends in oral anticoagulant use. They found that despite rapid adoption of dabigatran for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, a large proportion of patients–two in five–did not receive oral anticoagulant therapy. In addition, although the majority of dabigatran utilization was for its FDA-approved indication, atrial fibrillation, an increasing proportion of use was for off-label indications such as venous thromboembolism. The results are featured in the September 2012 issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-undertreatment-common-heart-condition-persists.html Cardiology Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:25:54 EST news267463547 Lifelong anticoagulation is necessary for the prevention of stroke in patients with rhythm disturbances and with mechanical valves. Patients who have a coronary stent implanted also need the antiplatelet drugs aspirin and clopidogrel to prevent the rare but lethal complication of stent thrombosis. For patients taking oral anticoagulant drugs (for atrial fibrillation or mechanical valve) who also have to undergo coronary stenting, the optimal antithrombotic treatment is still unknown, even though the use of all three drugs (oral anticoagulants, aspirin and clopidogrel) seems logical for the prevention of stroke and stent thrombosis. However, treatment with all three drugs often causes serious bleeding complications and the frequent need to discontinue the aspirin and clopidogrel. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-omission-aspirin-antiplatelet-regimen-woest.html Cardiology Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:20:01 EST news265370791 A new study by medical scientists coordinated from the University of Manchester has for the first time used patients' results to establish that "safety indicators" for people taking anticoagulant drugs to regulate a common heart condition are correct. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-safety-indicators-common-treatment-heart.html Cardiology Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:29:05 EST news260530140 The clot-busting medicine, tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), is safe to use in acute stroke patients already on the home blood thinner warfarin, according to researchers from Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI). This study helps allay previous concerns that tPA was too dangerous to use in patients on home anticoagulation and would lead to high risk for potentially fatal intracranial bleeding. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-clot-busting-medicine-safe-warfarin-treated-patients.html Cardiology Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:00:04 EST news259943495 New scientific findings in anticoagulation for stroke prevention are paving the way for updates to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-anticoagulation.html Cardiology Wed, 13 Jun 2012 07:58:19 EST news258793090 In a study that examined use of the anticoagulant medication warfarin and risk of stroke following a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation in older patients, women, especially those 75 years or older, had a higher risk of stroke than men, regardless of their risk profile and use of warfarin, suggesting that current anticoagulant therapy to prevent stroke might not be sufficient for older women, according to a study in the May 9 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-greater-women-men-older-patients.html Cardiology Tue, 08 May 2012 16:00:01 EST news255710515 Some patients with irregular heartbeats who are taken off anti-clotting medication face a high risk of stroke or blood clotting within a month, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's Emerging Science Series webinar. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-high-anti-clotting-drugs.html Cardiology Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:02:57 EST news254577764 The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) today announced the initiation of the HORIZONS-AMI II randomized trial, evaluating Promus Element platinum-chromium everolimus-eluting stents versus Omega bare-metal stents in patients with heart attack undergoing primary angioplasty with bivalirudin anticoagulation. The HORIZONS-AMI II trial will also investigate the chronic use of the antiplatelet medications prasugrel versus clopidogrel in patients free of major events at 30 days. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-cardiovascular-foundation-horizons-ami-ii-clinical.html Cardiology Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:58:18 EST news252060971 (HealthDay) -- Oral anticoagulation (OAC)-treated patients with high levels of von Willebrand factor (VWF) have elevated risks of bleeding complications and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-von-willebrand-factor-linked-complications.html Cardiology Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:30:01 EST news250518584 Following a total joint replacement, anticoagulation (blood thinning) drugs can prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot deep within the extremities, or a pulmonary embolism (PE), a complication that causes a blood clot to move to the lungs. However, prolonged use of these therapies may increase the risk of hemorrhage and infection. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-aspirin-dvt-pe-joint-patients.html Other Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:50:02 EST news247854776 Dr. Rabab Mohsin, an internal medicine resident at the University of Kentucky, working with Dr. Alison Bailey of the University of Kentucky Gill Heart Institute, has discovered that the drug warfarin was underutilized in a large study group of women. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-warfarin-underutilized-women.html Medications Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:40:03 EST news242996577 Results of the EPICA Study (Elderly Patients followed by Italian Centres for Anticoagulation Study), were presented at the ESC Congress 2011 today. This is the largest study on very old patients anticoagulated with Vitamin K antagonists for the prevention of venous thromboembolism and, for the major part (75%), for the prevention of stroke because affected by atrial fibrillation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-dont-afraid-patients-vitamin-antagonists.html Cardiology Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:34:44 EST news233836472 Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have found that among women who are mostly healthy, those diagnosed with atrial fibrillation have an increased risk of death when compared to women without atrial fibrillation. These findings are published in the May 25, 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-atrial-fibrillation-death-cardiovascular-events.html Cardiology Tue, 24 May 2011 16:40:22 EST news225474000