The American journal of medicine
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Drug-induced osteoporosis is common and has a significant impact on the prognosis of patients suffering from chronic debilitating diseases. Glucocorticoids are the drugs causing osteoporotic fractures most frequently, but osteoporosis with fractures is observed also in women treated with aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer, in men receiving anti-androgen therapy for prostate cancer, in postmenopausal women treated with high doses of thyroxine, and in men and women treated with thiazolinediones for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Bone loss with fractures also occurs in patients treated with drugs targeting the immune system, such as calcineurin inhibitors, antiretroviral drugs, selective inhibitors of serotonin reuptake, anticonvulsants, loop diuretics, heparin, oral anticoagulants, and proton pump inhibitors.
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Review Meta Analysis
Does warfarin for stroke thromboprophylaxis protect against MI in atrial fibrillation patients?
The Randomized Evaluation of Long-term anticoagulation therapY (RE-LY) study demonstrated a significant increase in myocardial infarction events with dabigatran compared with warfarin, provoking renewed interest in whether vitamin K antagonists are useful drugs for the prevention of myocardial infarction in high-risk patients with atrial fibrillation. Present analyses examined whether there was an increased risk of myocardial infarction associated with non-warfarin anticoagulants (Stroke Prevention with the ORal direct Thrombin Inhibitor ximelagatran compared with warfarin in patients with non-valvular atrial Fibrillation III and IV, RE-LY, Amadeus) or "anticoagulant equivalents" (Atrial fibrillation Clopidogrel Trial with Irbesartan for the prevention of Vascular Events) in patients with atrial fibrillation who are prescribed anticoagulation for stroke thromboprophylaxis. ⋯ Sensitivity analyses, excluding RE-LY, revealed a nonsignificant reduction in myocardial infarctions (relative risk 0.83; 95% CI, 0.62-1.10); an analogous analysis excluding the Atrial fibrillation Clopidogrel Trial with Irbesartan for the prevention of Vascular Events demonstrated a significant reduction in myocardial infarctions (relative risk 0.80; 95% CI, 0.64-1.00). Warfarin might provide a protective effect against myocardial infarction compared with non-warfarin anticoagulants or "anticoagulation equivalents" in patients with atrial fibrillation who are prescribed anticoagulation for stroke thromboprophylaxis.
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Atrial fibrillation is associated with substantial mortality and morbidity from stroke and thromboembolism. Despite an efficacious oral anticoagulation therapy (warfarin), atrial fibrillation patients at high risk for stroke are often under-treated. This systematic review compares current treatment practices for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation with published guidelines. ⋯ This systematic review demonstrates the underuse of oral anticoagulation therapy for real-world atrial fibrillation patients with an elevated risk of stroke, highlighting the need for improved therapies for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation.
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Editorial Comment Review
A review of clinical guidelines with some thoughts about their utility and appropriate use.
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Despite their proven mortality and morbidity outcomes benefits, beta-blockers remain substantially underused in patients with cardiac conditions. Reluctance to prescribe beta-blockers may be owing to concerns about tolerability with the traditional drugs in this class. Beta-blockers with vasodilatory properties, such as carvedilol and nebivolol, may overcome the tolerability and metabolic issues associated with traditional beta-blockers. Because endothelial dysfunction, the pathophysiologic hallmark of hypertension, may be heightened in populations with difficult-to-treat hypertension (e.g., elderly patients, African American patients), a vasodilating beta-blocker may be a particularly appropriate choice for these patient groups.