Men aged 45 years or older who received pneumococcal vaccine were not less likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared to men who did not receive the vaccine, according to a new study. Researchers examined the association between the administration of pneumococcal vaccine and the risk of developing acute heart attack and stroke [...]

Clinical update: Hypertension – In many cases, hypertension is only recognised when a cardiovascular event has occurred. While there are early vascular changes long before blood pressure rises, by the time the condition is recognised in many people they have already had a heart attack, stroke or suffered significant kidney damage. However, this pattern of [...]

Clinical update: Hypertension – The Conduit Artery Functional Endpoint (CAFE) study signalled a new area of inquiry concerning differentiating central blood pressure in the aorta from peripheral blood pressure in the arm. It was always possible to measure central blood pressure using a catheter – an invasive technique. Nowadays, however, a device on the wrist [...]

Clinical update: Hypertension – Twenty years ago, an audit of detection, treatment and control of hypertension in adults in Scotland (Smith et al) found that in half of those men with blood pressure greater than or equal to 160/95 mm Hg, hypertension was undetected (53 per cent). In half of those in whom it had [...]

Fewer than half of individuals who have non-specific chest pain experience relief from symptoms following standard medical care, according to a new German study. In addition, the study found that one-tenth of those with persistent chest pain undergo potentially unnecessary diagnostic testing. Doctors investigated 807 patients with non-specific chest pain who visited 74 German primary [...]

Selective late sodium current inhibition with ranolazine offers a novel approach to preventing the dangerous cycle of ischaemia in heart disease, a leading cardiologist has suggested Speaking at the launch in Dublin recently of the newly available anti-anginal, Prof John Camm of St George’s at the University of London said late sodium current occured if [...]

Pre-operative non-invasive cardiac stress testing improves one-year survival and reduces hospital stay in patients undergoing intermediate to high-risk non-cardiac surgery, a large retrospective study finds. Of almost 24,000 patients who underwent stress testing within 180 days before having elective non-cardiac procedures, those who had intermediate-to-high-risk procedures had significantly improved one-year survival (P=0.03) than those who [...]