Atrial Fibrillation (A-fib, arrhythmia)
Does Your Medicine Have a Boxed Warning? Why You…
When people are poised to participate in risky activities, they are supposed to follow safety protocols. For example, sky divers exercise proper precautions and procedures before each jump. No commerc…
How Are Home Tests and Devices Revolutionizing H…
The FDA announced on March 5, 2024 that it has approved "...the first over-the-counter (OTC) continuous glucose monitor (CGM)." Many people with type 2 diabetes already use such devices, but they requ…
Should Prescribers Discuss FDA’s Drug Warnings…
Physicians, nurse practitioners and physician associates can all prescribe medications. But they are admonished to “do no harm.” That puts them in a double bind. Every single drug that they recomm…
Can You Save Money by Importing Drugs from Canad…
The Trump administration made headlines when it announced a plan to allow the importation of drugs from Canada. The stated goal was to save patients money. Alex Azar, then head of Health and Human Ser…
Is Low Vitamin D a Risk for Atrial Fibrillation?
Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) are cause for concern. Atrial fibrillation (AFib) can lead to fatigue, dizzy spells, shortness of breath and a heart flopping feeling. If uncontrolled, AFib can l…
Magnesium Supplement for Irregular Heart Rhythm
Do you have an irregular heart rhythm? Even premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) that are not believed to be dangerous can be disconcerting. A person is justified in becoming alarmed over more se…
Show 1365: Revealing the Secrets of Sudden Cardi…
This week’s interview is on an underappreciated killer, sudden cardiac death. This is not the same thing as a heart attack. Our guest, Dr. Zian Tseng, has been studying cardiac arrest for years to l…
Long COVID Triggers Heart Problems Like AFib Tha…
Many people assume that once they get over COVID they are done! Get on with life and don’t look back seems to be an evolving message that we hear from many visitors to our website. They maintain tha…
How Can You Find a Legitimate Canadian Pharmacy?
The cost of brand name drugs has skyrocketed in the U.S. Many people are finding it hard to afford their medicines. That's especially true if the copay is very high or if an insurance program does not…
Can You Stay in the Sweet Spot for Your Warfarin…
Warfarin is a classic anticoagulant that is used to prevent strokes and deep vein blood clots. Doctors know a lot about this old inexpensive drug, but they also know getting the warfarin dose just rig…
Is Fish Oil Linked to Heart Rhythm Changes?
Could a supplement that people take for heart health actually lead to heart rhythm changes? Most people take fish oil with the expectation that it will lower their likelihood of a heart attack or stro…
Does Chocolate Really Help Your Heart?
Most people think of chocolate as a sinful indulgence. We may be prepared to pay the price of the extra calories, but we don't expect it to have any health benefits. Might we be wrong, though? Could c…
High-Intensity Interval Training Improves Qualit…
Many people with the heart rhythm disturbance called atrial fibrillation (Afib) report poor quality of life and limitations on their activity. the upper chambers of the heart beat irregularly, often v…
Will Certo and Grape Juice Help Your Sore Knees?
People with sore joints face a terrible dilemma. Pain interferes with quality of life. On the other hand, medications like diclofenac and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can make p…
What Is It About Coffee That Protects Your Brain…
Java lovers appear to enjoy a variety of health benefits, including a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Most recently, Australian scientists discovered that coffee dri…
Getting Systolic Blood Pressure Under 130 Makes …
How important is strict blood pressure control to prevent strokes, heart attacks and other adverse cardiac events? A large randomized, controlled trial from China confirms that getting systolic blood …
Beware Mixing Xarelto or Eliquis and OTC Pain Re…
Anticoagulant medications are frequently prescribed to people with atrial fibrillation (AFib). This arrhythmia can cause blood clots that might lead to a stroke. AFib used to be treated primarily with…
What’s the Best Way to Treat Atrial Fibrillati…
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common type of heart rhythm abnormality. Some experts are calling this arrhythmia an epidemic (Journal of Geriatric Cardiology, March, 2017). That’s beca…
Should You Take CoQ10 for Atrial Fibrillation?
The use of supplements has been controversial for years. Could supplements slow aging and prevent heart disease? Are supplements useless for promoting health? To get an answer, we need to examine the …
Is the FDA’s Definition of Safe a Lie?
The Food and Drug Administration insists that its focus is on making sure all drugs are “safe and effective. For example, this headline from the FDA’s website says it all: “The FDA's Drug …
The Dangers of Diclofenac and Other NSAID Pain R…
Doctors love NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). That’s largely because they don’t have a lot of other tools in the toolkit when it comes to treating pain and inflammation. Opioids have…
What Can You Do If Ibuprofen Triggers Atrial Fib…
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like diclofenac, ibuprofen, meloxicam or naproxen are extremely popular pain relievers. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen (Aleve) are even availab…
No Study Support for Fish Oil Soothing Dry Eyes
Fish oil is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These compounds have anti-inflammatory activity, and doctors have hoped that fish oil supplements would prove useful against a wide range of…
Will Nuts Protect You from Afib?
Nut lovers are less prone to the heart rhythm abnormality known as atrial fibrillation. In this condition, the upper chambers of the heart don’t pump blood rhythmically and efficiently. As a result,…
Some Eliquis and Xarelto Side Effects NOT in the…
Many health professionals (physicians, PAs, Nurse Practitioners and pharmacists) rely upon the officially FDA sanctioned prescribing information to learn about drug side effects. Electronic drug datab…
Could Your Pain Reliever Harm Your Heart?
Sometimes a health professional takes us to task for something we have said. We appreciate being corrected when we are wrong, but this time we have the research that backs up our warning: NSAIDs ar…
Do Ibuprofen Side Effects Include Scary High Blo…
We have heard ibuprofen referred to as vitamin I. That's because a lot of weekend warriors rely on ibuprofen and other non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to relieve inflammation and pain. …
Is Your Medicine Triggering Scary Atrial Fibrill…
Atrial fibrillation (AFib or AF) is a big hairy heart deal. The CDC estimates that as many as six million Americans suffer from this irregular heart rhythm. That number is expected to double by 2030 t…
Patients Walk a Dangerous Tightrope on Blood Thi…
Walking a tightrope is tricky business. If you have ever watched video of Nik Wallenda crossing the Grand Canyon on a high wire, you know how scary this can be. A misstep can lead to tragedy. When it …
Could Digoxin Protect Your Heart Two Ways?
A very old drug derived from the foxglove plant (Digitalis purpurea) may turn out to be surprisingly effective against heart disease. (How old? you may ask. Its first mention in medical literature dat…
Could a Do-It-Yourself ECG Save Your Life?
Atrial fibrillation is a common change in heart rhythm that can increase a person's risk of developing a blood clot in the upper chamber of the heart that then travels to the brain. This is a recipe …
Is There an Antidote to Pradaxa?
The human heart pushes blood out through the body to all the organs by beating rhythmically. When that rhythm falters, as it does in the condition termed atrial fibrillation, blood is still pumped but…
Fish Oil Fizzled Against Atrial Fib
Although epidemiological studies show that people who eat fish are less prone to death from heart disease, trials of fish oil have been less promising. The latest, a Canadian study published in the Jo…
BPA Substitute May Throw Heart Rhythm Out of Syn…
Negative publicity about the hormone disrupting chemical BPA has encouraged chemical companies to look for substitutes for bisphenol A. One such compound, bisphenol S, is often used in BPA-free consum…
Are Popular Pain Relievers Really Killing People…
Every day millions of people swallow pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, etc) or prescription medications such as celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Catafl…
New Study Fails to Clarify Which Blood Thinner I…
Using anticoagulants is a bit like walking a tightrope. If the dose is too high, there is a danger of hemorrhage. If the dose is too low, there is risk of a deadly blood clot. For years, warfarin, ori…
Could Your Pain Killer Be Killing You?
The Popularity of NSAID Pain Killer Pills: Physicians, pharmacists and patients love NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofena…
Fish Oil Flop for Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a challenging heart rhythm disturbance to control. The new drugs that are prescribed are often expensive and have significant side effects. That's why scientists have been inves…
Painkiller Warning Presents Dilemma
Q. A couple of weeks ago I read that popular painkillers can cause irregular heart rhythms. I stopped taking Aleve for pain because I do experience A-fib and atrial flutters. Since going off the Aleve…
Fish Oil Can’t Fight Atrial Fib
Fish oil has a reputation for helping the heart. Not only has it been linked to lower levels of triglycerides and less inflammation, it has also been shown to reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation af…