Cardiovascular

This paper estimates the costs and benefits of over-the-counter (OTC) statins using data on statin use and cardiovascular risk, clinical studies of statin safety and efficacy, and an OTC statin use trial.

The authors evaluated the clinical applicability, accuracy, and implications of using an automated risk calculator and risk-based decision tool in an integrated health system.

A small study of sudden out-of-hospital deaths raises questions about the quality of primary care, especially for women.

Greetings from First Lady Michelle Obama and a lecture from a non-cardiologist on population health set the stage for the 65th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology. Prevention is the focus of this year's meeting.

Results from the HOPE-3 trial, presented on the opening day of the 65th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, suggest cholesterol-lowering statins could have preventive benefits in broader groups of patients than previously thought.

The study from researchers at Cleveland Clinic found that during the years before full implementation of the Affordable Care Act, a shift in treatment methods for patients with a painful condition was associated with fewer amputations and deaths. But large disparities remain.

Coronary artery bypass grafting and cardiac valve surgery have dramatically different risk-adjusted outcomes over the 90 days following discharge, and demonstrate the opportunity for care improvement.

The profile of high-cost patients in a Massachusetts ACO differed greatly, depending on their enrollment in Medicare, Medicaid, or a commercial plan.

Last year, an FDA advisory panel called for an updated label for saxagliptin, but the agency is still gathering information.