Heart Attack
Also in the News for Friday, Jan. 26
January 26, 2018Patients six times more likely to have heart attack within week of flu diagnosis ... Two Minnesota health officials under investigation after backlog of elder abuse complaints ... Caregiving at home and at work hurts women who staff nursing homes
Wrong blood-pressure readings being followed to prevent stroke and heart attack, leader of biggest study says
May 21, 2014Providers hoping to get a grip on the likelihood of patients suffering a stroke or an adverse cardiovascular event should pay more attention to nighttime hypertension readings, researchers say.
FDA approves heart attack drug
May 13, 2014The Food and Drug Administration approved Zontivity (vorapaxar) tablets last week. The medication is meant to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular death or a need to operate to restore blood flow for patients with a previous heart attack or blockages in the arteries.

Flu shot cuts stroke risk 24%
March 01, 2014People who are vaccinated against the flu are 24% less likely to suffer a stroke during that flu season, say British researchers who analyzed records of nearly 50,000 patients.
Skyrocketing spending on post-acute care shows need for large bundled payment groups, researchers argue
May 09, 2013Post-acute care was the fastest growing major healthcare spending category for government programs between 1994-2009, according to recently released research. The results support large-scale bundled payments as a way to control costs, the researchers argued.

AGS reverses aspirin vote
May 01, 2013Elderly people with type 2 diabetes should not take aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease, according to draft guidelines from the American Geriatrics Society. This reverses its previous recommendation.
Diabetes research ignores older people, study finds
April 09, 2013Far too few clinical trials are focused on seniors with diabetes, according to an analysis recently published in the journal Diabetologia.

Clarity on how providers fit into the rehospitalization picture
January 24, 2013If you might have had the notion that anxious long-term care providers have been taking the hubbub over rehospitalization rates a bit too seriously, a newly posted study shouts otherwise.

Readmission penalties could harm hospitals and SNFs
August 24, 2012Economic incentives - both good and bad - are a proven way to modify behavior. But what happens when an economic penalty is based on a dubious premise? Many hospitals may soon be forced to answer that question. And many skilled care operators may have to live with some very unwelcome fallout.

Over 2,000 hospitals will be targeted for readmission penalties starting Oct. 1
August 14, 2012In about six weeks, more than 2,000 U.S. hospitals will be subject to financial penalties for preventable readmissions, making their relationships with post-acute providers more important than ever.
Shift workers at higher risk for stroke, heart attack, study finds
July 30, 2012Shift workers, especially those working overnight, are at a higher risk for having a stroke or heart attack, an analysis finds.
Antipsychotics boost heart attack risk in seniors, study finds
March 30, 2012Elderly dementia patients who are prescribed antipsychotics face a greater risk for a heart attack within the first month of treatment, a new study found.
Popular diabetes medication linked to heart attack, death
March 22, 2011A new study links the popular diabetes drug Avandia with an increased risk of heart attack and death, which could have a considerable effect on public health, according to researchers.

What lurks in long-term care residents' minds
March 03, 2011The first rule of any debate, or "heated" discussion, is to know your definitions. If you don't, not much else matters. With caregiving, it comes down to knowing your people.
EMRs have not vastly improved quality measures, study finds
January 03, 2011Hospitals that use electronic medical records have not seen improvement in certain standard quality measures, according to a study published by Rand Corp.
American health experts question study about vaccine's benefit for preventing heart attacks
September 23, 2010A recent British study that finds an association between a flu shot and a lower risk of heart attack is getting some flak from scientists in the United States.
Early-season flu jab could reduce heart attack risk, study finds
September 21, 2010Receiving a vaccination in the late summer or fall could help reduce the risk of a first heart attack by an average of 19%, according to a new study.