I remember in high school, as an assignment, I wrote a letter to a prominent business person. I will try it again. In 2010, this would be an e-letter. To: J Martin CarrollCEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation: The makers of the recently-released exciting new oral blood-thinner, dabigatran (Pradaxa). Dear Sir, To start off on a positive […]
Category: Atrial fibrillation
The dabigatran party isn’t even cleaned-up yet, when another warfarin competitor has hit the press wires. As reported on Cardiobrief from a Bayer press release, Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) was as effective as warfarin in stroke prevention in patients’ with AF. A composite of major and minor bleeding events were also similar to warfarin. Rivaroxaban is a […]
There can only be one cardiology story to report today. Earlier today, the FDA approved Dabigatran (Pradaxa), an oral anticoagulant for the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation. Previously, the only drug approved to prevent stroke in patients’ with AF was warfarin. Despite the well known sound scientific data in support of warfarin for the […]
Sunday nights in Autumn means one thing for this doctor-cyclocross racer: aches and pains. Tonight, just as the thought popped into my head: “a few Alleve(s) probably wouldn’t fire up that reflux very much,” I hear from the computer room… “Hey John, how much alleve were you taking when you had your AF,” asked my […]
Sometimes it is easy. The problem is in front of you and the solution is clear and defined. Sometimes though, the solution requires a journey–an odyssey, with a faithful companion. The experienced clinician knows this but the new patient does not. Recently, I found myself in a stressful situation; stressful for many reasons, not the […]
He was here for routine follow-up. He has atrial fibrillation. He is, and has been well controlled on generic, well-tolerated anti-arrhythmic medicine for years. “I feel great, Doc” He is happy, as am I. But he was confused. Why hadn’t he been switched to the “new” AF medicine. Hmm. Uh-oh. Here we go again. He […]
It has been a very busy few weeks. Â Â Medicine is like that; seldom is ‘business’ steady. Â Like rainy weeks in the southeast when you think it will never be sunny again, there are weeks when you think everyone’s atria are fibrillating. So, there were shocks, and burns, and wires installed. The heart rhythm was rocking, […]
True or False: Local TV “health reporting” is a reliable source of medical information? Let me tell you a story, as a hint. Just when one thinks mainstream media cannot sink much lower, we witness this fantastically misleading and sophomoric reporting, on the complex treatment options for atrial fibrillation. Their moniker says that they are “working for […]
I have heard this for years, “Doc, that stuff is rat poison!” But only lately have I heard this, “Doctor M, that company who can’t talk about their drug brought lunch again today.” Well, it is finally here (well almost), the first warfarin substitute, dabigatran. Sine antiquity, or at least it seems that long, the blood […]
Categories
Middle-age…
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” An intermission, the curtain has closed on youth, but the next act awaits. Caring for hiccups of the heart, like atrial fibrillation for example, often throws me in front of the mirror, of middle-age that is, and sadly the reflections show imperfections. Since […]
Dear Cyclists (or other endurance athletes), Since your heart—a muscle, like any other muscle in your body—is at the crux of cycling performance, I thought a story on a common heart condition might be helpful. The story involves a common cardiac condition called “tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy.” Now hold on a minute; don’t click away yet. Let […]