How Much Diagnostic Testing for Low-risk Acute Chest Pain?
Acute chest pain is one of the most common reasons for emergency department (ED) visits and is
a symptom of a wide variety of diseases, ranging from a trivial ailment to life-threatening disorders.
Modern Medicine – Issue 3 2021
Causes of Death in Heart Failure are Diverse
Heart failure is a disease with a poor prognosis and its appearance frequently signals the final phase of many processes, one of the most prominent of which is ischaemic heart disease. Mortality is comparable to that of the most common cancers, with <50% four-year survival.1 Deaths due to non-cardiovascular causes, particularly cancer, may be increasing.
Modern Medicine – Issue 3 2021
Fenofibrate Targets Atherosclerosis Progression
Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of mortality worldwide and accounts for approximately 40% of all deaths. Dyslipidaemia is one of the primary causes of atherosclerosis and effective interventions to correct dyslipidaemia should form an integral component of any strategy aimed at preventing cardiovascular disease. Fibrates have played a major role in the treatment of hyperlipidaemia for more than two decades. Fenofibrate is one of the most commonly used fibrates worldwide
Modern Medicine – Issue 3 2021
Moxonidine for Hypertension in Metabolic Syndrome
The centrally acting antihypertensive, moxonidine, reduces blood pressure (BP) in mild-to-moderate hypertensive patients as effectively as most first-line antihypertensives when used as monotherapy, and also in combination with other antihypertensive agents. It improves the metabolic profile in patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus or impaired glucose tolerance, is well tolerated, has a low potential for drug interactions and may be administered once daily in most patients.
Modern Medicine – Issue 3 2021
Managing Residual Cardiovascular Risk with Fenofibrate
Although statins are the first-line treatment for hyperlipidaemia, risk of cardiovascular disease remains even with treatment. Fibrates such as fenofibrate have been shown to have a role in further reducing cardiovascular risk, especially in cases of metabolic syndrome and severe hyperlipidaemia and dyslipidaemia.
Modern Medicine – Issue 2 2021
How to Optimise Therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
The prognosi s for patients with heart failure is poor, with high rates of hospitalisation and mortality. It is essential to optimise pharmacotherapy and device therapies that improve the prognosis for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.
Modern Medicine – Issue 2 2021
Detecting Atrial Fibrillation after Cryptogenic Stroke – NICE Guideline Update
Cryptogenic strokes (including transient ischaemic attack [TIA]) have no identified probable cause after diagnostic assessment, and account for around 15% to 40% of ischaemic strokes. When people are treated for stroke, they are also tested for atrial fibrillation. However, if they have paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, it may not occur during the initial assessment, or during subsequent diagnostic tests. Implantable cardiac monitors can identify atrial fibrillation and are helpful for identifying paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in people who have had a cryptogenic stroke.
Modern Medicine – Issue 1 2021
Closing the Gap for Women with Coronary Artery Disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death among women. Important sex differences in CVD risk factors, pathophysiology, presenting symptoms, treatment, preventive strategies and outcomes are increasingly recognised. The traditional cardiovascular risk factors increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in women more than they do in men. Women can also have nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors such as gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and polycystic ovary syndrome. More focus on female-specific features of CVD might help the development of targeted therapeutic interventions for both primary and secondary prevention in women.
Modern Medicine – Issue 1 2021
Syncope is defined as transient loss of consciousness due to cerebral hypoperfusion. It is characterised by rapid onset, short duration and spontaneous complete recovery. Syncope shares many clinical features with other disorders. This group of disorders is labelled transient loss of consciousness (TLC).
(2018 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope. Eur Heart J (2018); 39: 1883-1948)
Modern Medicine – Issue 6 2020
Moxonidine, Centrally Acting Antihypertensive with Reduced Side Effects
Moxonidine is a second generation centrally acting antihypertensive drug. As it acts on a different pathway to the previous centrally acting antihypertensive drugs, it has fewer side effects, and in addition, has some possible beneficial effects besides.
Modern Medicine – Issue 5 2020
