Stopping Aspirin Hikes CV risk

–37% increase in events seen after discontinuation in Sweden People who quit taking aspirin have an increased risk for a cardiovascular event, a large national registry has shown. The use of aspirin for primary prevention against cardiovascular disease has fallen from favor in recent years but aspirin for secondary prevention is still broadly popular and…

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Benefits Of Physical Activity Seen Worldwide

–Latest findings from the influential PURE study Observational studies have consistently established a link connecting physical activity and cardiovascular health, but the vast majority of this research has occurred in high-income countries, where physical activity is often recreational. Now the latest report from an enormous worldwide observational study offers powerful evidence that the connection exists…

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Statin Trialists Seek To Bury Debate With Evidence

–A Lancet review claims overwhelming evidence in favor of statins for both primary and secondary prevention. Some disagree. A large group of statin researchers argue forcefully that the debate over statins should be ended because the evidence in favor of statins is overwhelming and incontrovertible. But some outsiders say the issue is more nuanced and…

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Reassuring News About Statins From Two Very Different Studies

Although clinical trials have consistently demonstrated the benefits of statins, the perception that the drugs can cause serious side effects has prompted some patients to discontinue or not take the drugs. Now two new very different studies, one a large meta-analysis and one a tiny study with only a handful of patients, provide some convincing reassurance…

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Low Rate Of Problems With Statins In Study Of Quarter Million Patients

A very large analysis of previously published studies finds that statins are generally safe and well tolerated, but helps confirm previous links to a small increased risk for diabetes and elevation of liver enzymes. Some statins were better tolerated than other statins and lower-dose statins were better tolerated than high dose statins. In a paper published…

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Are Statins Equally Effective In Women And In Men?

Jose Gutierrez and colleagues performed a sex-based meta-analysis, seeking to determine if statins yield a similar protective effect on both men and women in preventing recurrent cardiovascular events. In a paper published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, they report the results of their meta-analysis of 11 secondary prevention, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trials, which included 43, 193 patients…

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