Beta Blocker News and Research

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Beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agents (beta-blockers) are drugs with multiple actions on the heart. Blockade of beta-1 receptors results in slowing of heart rate, reduction in myocardial contractility, and lowering of systemic blood pressure. In the context of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), which represents a state of reduced oxygen supply to the affected portion of the heart, these effects may be beneficial as they result in reduced myocardial workload and oxygen demand. Furthermore, beta-blockers may reduce the risk of ventricular arrhythmias, which are an important cause of death following AMI.

Concerted effort yields significant progress in reducing depression, HIV/AIDS, and osteoporosis in women

A concerted effort to boost research on women's health over the last two decades has lessened the burden of disease and reduced deaths among women due to cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and cervical cancer, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. The effort has yielded less but still significant progress in reducing the effects of depression, HIV/AIDS, and osteoporosis on women, added the committee that wrote the report.

24 Sep 2010

Scientists discover molecular playbook to block cardiac hypertrophy

Like a well-crafted football play designed to block the opposing team's offensive drive to the end zone, the body constantly executes complex 'plays' or sequences of events to initiate, or block, different actions or functions.

24 Sep 2010

Study finds no benefit from self-management counseling in patients with heart failure

Patients with mild to moderate heart failure who received educational materials and self-management counseling in an attempt to improve adherence to medical advice did not have a reduced rate of death or hospitalization compared to patients who received educational materials alone, according to a study in the September 22/29 issue of JAMA.

22 Sep 2010

Researchers discover chronic stress accelerates breast cancer progression

Chronic stress acts as a sort of fertilizer that feeds breast cancer progression, significantly accelerating the spread of disease in animal models, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have found.

17 Sep 2010

ANTIPAF trial reveals ARBs do not reduce number of AF episodes in paroxysmal AF patients

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting about 7 million people in Europe. It is a progressive chronic disease in which episodes become more frequent and long-lasting over time. Conventional anti-arrhythmic therapy aims at halting progression and reducing symptoms, but the use of most anti-arrhythmic drugs is compromised by severe side effects, such as pro-arrhythmia or extra-cardiac organ toxicity.

31 Aug 2010

UNC Hospitals receives NCDR ACTION Registry-GWTG Silver Performance Achievement Award

UNC Hospitals has received the American College of Cardiology Foundation's NCDR ACTION Registry-GWTG Silver Performance Achievement Award for 2010 - one of only 26 hospitals nationwide to do so.

26 Aug 2010

Renin test can predict appropriate drugs for BP patients: Study

Commonly prescribed drugs used to lower blood pressure can actually have the opposite effect-raising blood pressure in a statistically significant percentage of patients. A new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University suggests that doctors could avoid this problem-and select drugs most suitable for their patients-by measuring blood levels of the enzyme renin through a blood test that is becoming more widely available. The study appears in the online edition of the American Journal of Hypertension.

20 Aug 2010

Clinicians in rural hospitals demonstrate high standard of care to patients: Study

Smaller, rural hospitals may be quicker and more efficient at implementing surgical safety initiatives than their larger, urban counterparts, and are capable of providing a standard of surgical care that is at par with major hospitals that provide a comprehensive array of care services, according to an 18-month series of studies led by researchers from the University of Louisville Department of Surgery.

28 Jul 2010

Process improvement program improves adherence to evidence-based CRT, ICD and drug therapy

Results of the largest U.S. outpatient heart failure clinical study show that implementation of a process improvement program significantly improved adherence to evidence-based, guideline-recommended cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and drug therapy.

27 Jul 2010

Study tests new performance intervention to improve heart failure patients in outpatient setting

A study led by UCLA tested a new performance intervention to help improve adherence to national guideline-recommended therapies for heart failure patients in an outpatient setting.

27 Jul 2010

Study reveals link between allergies, asthma and old age

Mistaken for illnesses like bronchitis and emphysema, exacerbated by medications like aspirin, and overlooked by patients and doctors alike, asthma is a common and highly treatable condition in older adults. And while allergies tend to decrease with age, they also are frequently disregarded as a potential cause of misery for the elderly.

23 Jul 2010

Forest Laboratories reports first-quarter diluted EPS of $0.39

Forest Laboratories, Inc., an international pharmaceutical manufacturer and marketer, announced that diluted earnings per share equaled $0.39 in the first quarter of fiscal 2011. Excluding the charge related to the United States Department of Justice investigations described below, and a charge of $50.0 million, or $0.17 per share net of tax, for a new product licensing fee, non-GAAP earnings per share for the first fiscal quarter were $0.95 per share.

20 Jul 2010

Que She herbal weight loss supplement contains harmful ingredients, FDA warns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned that Que She, marketed as an herbal weight loss supplement, contains active pharmaceutical ingredients not listed on the product label that could harm consumers, especially those with cardiovascular conditions.

9 Jul 2010

Biotage launches AFFINILUTE Molecularly Imprinted Polymer columns for analytical sample preparation

Biotage, a leading supplier of tools and technology for analytical and medicinal chemistry, announced the introduction of high-performance, AFFINILUTE MIP (Molecularly Imprinted Polymers) columns for analytical sample preparation. Highly selective extractions with AFFINILUTE MIPs are considerably simplified resulting in faster, more robust and ultimately lower cost sample preparation.

7 Jul 2010

Patients receiving TMP-SMX antibiotics are more likely to develop hyperkalemia: Study

Older adults taking the antibiotic combination trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX)—widely prescribed for urinary tract infections—are at increased risk of elevated potassium levels, called hyperkalemia, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

2 Jul 2010

Study: Medicare 'pay-for-performance' could increase care inequality

"The U.S. government's plan to base Medicare payments to hospitals on certain quality-of-care measures could end up transferring funds away from hospitals in the nation's poorest, underserved areas," according to a study published Tuesday in the journal PLoS Medicine.

1 Jul 2010

Bayer signs agreement to supply Adalat XL product to Teva Canada

Bayer Inc. and Teva Canada Limited today announced they have entered an agreement regarding Bayer's Adalat XL (nifedipine) 20, 30 and 60 mg product. Effective immediately, Bayer Inc. will supply Adalat XL exclusively to Teva Canada Limited and Teva Canada Limited will become the sole distributor in Canada of brand name Adalat XL product.

28 Jun 2010

Two experimental drugs have potential to restore pumping strength to failing hearts, study finds

We've all experienced the strong heartbeat that accompanies emotions such as fear and rage. But can the body's natural response to these emotions be used to combat heart failure? Results of a study published online today in the journal Circulation Research present a strong case.

25 Jun 2010

Relypsa commences enrollment for RLY5016 Phase 2 study in heart failure patients with chronic kidney disease

Relypsa, Inc., today announced the initiation of patient enrollment in a Phase 2, open-label titration clinical study of the company's lead drug candidate, RLY5016, in heart failure patients with chronic kidney disease. RLY5016 is a novel non-absorbed oral potassium binder intended to prevent and treat hyperkalemia, a serious condition characterized by elevated serum potassium levels.

16 Jun 2010

Programs try cash incentives to get forgetful patients to take meds

The New York Times reports on a new approach to getting patients to take their medications consistently: financial incentives. "One-third to one-half of all patients do not take medication as prescribed, and up to one-quarter never fill prescriptions at all, experts say. Such lapses fuel more than $100 billion dollars in health costs annually because those patients often get sicker. Now, a controversial, and seemingly counterintuitive, effort to tackle the problem is gaining ground: paying people money to take medicine or to comply with prescribed treatment."

14 Jun 2010