Hypertensive Drug Compliance Improves With Positive Affirmation In African-Americans
African-American patients with high blood pressure follow their medication regimen more effectively with a combination of positive affirmations and patient education, concludes a study published Online First in the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. In comparison to white people, African-Americans are disproportionately affected by hypertension. The authors state in the background information of the article, that a poorly adhered to medication regimen tends to explain poor blood pressure control, which can lead to cardiovascular problems and death.
Statins May Work Against Certain Breast Cancers
Statins are commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol, but a recent study suggest certain types of breast cancer may respond to treatment with statins. Led by Carol Prives of New York's Columbia University, the international team found when they treated breast cancer cells carrying a mutant p53 gene with statins, they stopped growing in the disorganized manner characteristic of tumors, and in some cases even died. However a lot more work needs to be done before the lab results translate into clinical success.
Association Between Heart Failure, Loss Of Brain Cells And A Decline In Mental Processes
Australian researchers have found evidence that heart failure is associated with a decline in people's mental processes and a loss of grey matter in the brain. These changes can make it more difficult for heart failure (HF) patients to remember and carry out instructions such as taking the correct medication at the right times. The authors of the study, which is published online today (Wednesday) in the European Heart Journal [1], say: "Our results are consistent with the observation that people with HF have trouble adhering to complex self-care advice, and suggest that simpler approaches to self-management may be required".