LVADs Prolong Life But Sow Confusion

–Patients with LVADs and their caregivers suffer from confusion and uncertainty at the end of life.  More and more people with advanced heart failure are receiving left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as destination therapy. Now clinicians who treat these patients are reporting that the patients and their caregivers are suffering from an extraordinary amount of…

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Global Cardiovascular Deaths Continue To Rise Despite Gains In Prevention And Treatment

Improvements in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease haven’t been able to prevent a worldwide rise in cardiovascular deaths in a growing and aging population, according to the authors of a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Using mortality data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 the authors set out to “disentangle” the…

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Two Views Of Death: The Scientist And The Novelist

Here are two completely different ways of looking at death. One is a completely objective, coldly beautiful perspective. The other is deeply personal and troubling. Both are worth reading. Here’s the scientific view: Your probability of dying during a given year doubles every 8 years. For me, a 25-year-old American, the probability of dying during…

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European Air Pollution Standards May Need To Be Strengthened

A large new analysis published in the Lancet has found a strong association between long-term exposure to air pollution and the risk of dying. The results suggest that European standards for air quality may need to be strengthened. The European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE) analyzed data from 22 European  studies, including 367,251 participants followed for…

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