Should Doctors Tell Patients They Are Walking Time Bombs?

Updated– Should doctors tell patients that they are walking time bombs? We all know this is a commonly used metaphor. When it comes to the heart people are often told they have a “ticking” time bomb. Here’s one recent very public example from a story about statins by Jane Brody in the New York Times: “My friend Richard…

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Clear! CPR in the Hospital Is Not Always Good for the Patient

On TV it always seems clear and simple. A patient in the hospital goes into cardiac arrest and the medical team springs into action. After a few tense moments of furious activity, and only after all seems lost, the patient is successfully revived. A few scenes later the smiling and now fully healthy patient thanks…

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High Potency Statins Linked To Increased Risk For Acute Kidney Injury

Although the beneficial effects of high-potency statins have been well-characterized in clinical trials, these same trials have lacked the power to illuminate rare but potentially important adverse events. A suggestion of one such area of concern, acute kidney injury, was first raised in the JUPITER trial. Now, a new study published in BMJ provides further information about this…

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