Heart Medications Archive

People who are prescribed generic medications after a heart attack are more likely to stop taking them if their refill pills are a different color or shape, according to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine. Generic versions of medications often look different from one another and from the brand-name versions, even though in general they work equally well. Doctors often prescribe generics to prevent or treat heart disease because they are widely available and more affordable than brand-name drugs.

The study included more than 11,000 heart attack survivors who were prescribed generic drugs. By tracking their refill habits over the following year, researchers found that more than a third of the participants stopped taking a medication. Quitting a drug was 66% more likely among those whose refilled pills were a different shape and 34% more likely if the pills were a different color.

Daily aspirin offers a small benefit, but can cause bleeding, too.

The cornerstones of heart health are a healthy diet and exercise, but for some men daily aspirin also has a role. For anyone who has already experienced a heart attack, stroke, or other problem related to clogged arteries, aspirin is strongly recommended because it prevents more problems than it causes—the biggest concern being unwanted bleeding. But for otherwise healthy men who want to prevent cardiovascular disease, preventive aspirin remains controversial.

Resistant hypertension poses a serious threat to your heart's health.

About one in three American adults has high blood pressure, defined as a top (systolic) blood pressure reading of 140 or higher or a bottom (diastolic) reading of 90 or higher. Also known as hypertension, this often-symptomless condition is a leading cause of stroke and heart attack. The good news is that more people have their blood pressure under control than in years past. The bad news? Nearly 10 percent of people who've been prescribed multiple medications to treat their hypertension still have dangerously elevated blood pressure readings.

These special filters protect against pulmonary embolism but also carry risks.

A common complication after surgery, trauma, or a prolonged period of bed rest is the formation of a blood clot in a vein deep inside the legs. Doctors call this a deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. If the clot breaks free of the vessel wall, it can travel through the bloodstream and lodge in a lung artery, causing a catastrophic stoppage of blood flow. This consequence, known as a pulmonary embolism, can be deadly.

The controversial heart failure drug has a new role in limiting hospital stays.

You are unlikely to experience side effects from these drugs. If you do, there are ways to reverse them.

Do you take a cholesterol-lowering statin drug or are you considering it? If so, you may be concerned about potential side effects. The most commonly reported ones are muscle aches, but you may have also heard that statins cause diabetes and memory problems.

Using niacin to raise "good" cholesterol doesn't lower your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

A few supplements show limited, possible benefits for people with heart disease. But some popular ones don't—and others may be dangerous.

If you regularly take aspirin or ibuprofen to relieve arthritis pain, you already know that you need to be mindful of side effects—including to your heart, kidneys, and digestive tract. In recent years, researchers have discovered that people who take such nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be at higher risk for the most common form of irregular heart rhythm—atrial fibrillation. A Dutch study published online April 8, 2014, in BMJ Open found that people ages 55 or older who used NSAIDs for 15 to 30 days were much more likely to develop atrial fibrillation than those who weren't taking these pain relievers at the time of the study. The authors say the reason for the increased risk may be that NSAIDs block cyclooxygenase enzymes, which are produced in the kidneys. Blocking these enzymes may cause the body to hold on to more fluid, leading to a rise in blood pressure, which is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation.

NSAIDs may also lessen the effects of diuretics and other drugs meant to lower blood pressure. The authors say the increased risk begins shortly after people start taking pain relievers, and it may eventually disappear. Though the link between NSAIDs and atrial fibrillation is still not proven, because atrial fibrillation can increase your risk for stroke, heart failure, and death, it's important for you to use caution when taking these pain relievers, especially if you have a history of high blood pressure or heart failure.

Q. I've heard that taking statins can raise your risk of diabetes. Is this really true?

A. While it's true that some research has shown a link between statin use and a higher risk of diabetes, that observation doesn't necessarily prove a cause-and-effect relationship. However, in a small number of people, statins may raise blood sugar levels—potentially enough to trigger a new diagnosis of diabetes. The risk appears to be greater with higher-potency statins, such as atorvastatin (Lipitor) and simvastatin (Zocor), according to some research.