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A coalescence of factors usually conspires to cause resistant hypertension, which is defined as the failure to reach goal blood pressure in patients adhering to full doses of an appropriate three-drug antihypertensive treatment regimen, says Domenic Sica, MD.

Low-dose aspirin did not result in a significant reduction in first atherosclerotic events in patients with type 2 diabetes, reports Hisao Ogawa, MD, PhD (pictured), lead investigator of the Japanese Primary Prevention of Atherosclerosis with Aspirin for Diabetes (JPAD) trial.

The final nail has been driven into the homocysteine-lowering coffin as a means to prevent recurrent coronary events. The results from the homocysteine-lowering arm of the SEARCH (Study of the Effectiveness of Additional Reductions in Cholesterol and Homocysteine) trial found no benefit to folic acid combined with vitamin B12

Neither vitamin C nor vitamin E is effective for primary prevention of cardiovascular events in men, according to results of the Physician’s Health Study II, which evaluated the risk and benefits of both vitamins as well as a multivitamin in preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer. Results relating to cancer prevention will be presented November 17 at the Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research conference.

Rosuvastatin treatment of patients with better than average lipid profiles but with elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) resulted in a 44% relative risk reduction in cardiovascular events and a 20% reduction in all-cause mortality, reports Paul Ridker, MD (pictured), lead investigator for the JUPITER Trial Study Group. JUPITER was an investigator-initiated trial sponsored by AstraZeneca.

Johns Hopkins researchers have identified five proteins that may serve as an early warning of impending myocardial infarction (MI) in patients presenting to emergency rooms with ischemia symptoms. A blood test to detect all, or a subset of these proteins, could be used by physicians and paramedics in the 12- to 24-hour window before ischemia causes tissue damage or death.

Recovery following an acute coronary syndrome is a phase in a larger cardiovascular disease continuum, and prevention of downstream complications needs to begin immediately following the event, says Shirley M. Moore, PhD, RN.

A survey of new Rx, new OTC, new indications, and new generics

Physical and personal trainers recommend supplements and OTC products to their clients without considering possible interactions with other supplements or meds. By becoming an information resource to trainers, pharmacists can take the lead in promoting safe use of these products.

Information on OTC indigestion remedies that pharmacists can use to brief patients

As baby boomers age, the pool of patients needing prostate treatment is expanding dramatically. With more patients asking questions, pharmacists need to be ready with answers.

In the wake of hurricanes Gustav and Ike, volunteer pharmacists from around the country dispensed medications in the field, kept pharmacies open, and helped reopen others.

Jim Plagakis reports on what it was like to go through Hurricane Ike in Galveston.

Regulation of pharmacy techs in Florida goes into effect January 1, 2010.

Barr Pharmaceuticals has received final FDA approval for galantamine, its generic version of Ortho McNeil Janssen's Razadyne ER, for the treatment of mild to moderate dementia of the Alzheimer's type.

Pharmacists speak out about drug kiosks, tobacco sales, fee for service, and e-prescribing.

Medicare has stopped paying hospitals for blood conditions caused by poor inpatient glycemic control. Health-system pharmacists can help prevent these conditions and reduce uncompensated expenses by insisting on proper protocols.

The new Touro College in Harlem offers a 4-year PharmD program with an emphasis on community practice.

Pharmacists can help patients stay well by encouraging their compliance in use of prescribed medications. InnovationRx and other groups have launched a pilot program supporting their efforts.

The pharmacy school at University of Maryland is building an expansion to open in fall 2010. It will feature a dispensing lab, research facilities, lecture halls, and a distance-learning facility.

Flat-rate generic drug programs give pharmacy customers greater satisfaction, according to a 2008 national pharmacy study by J.D. Power and Associates.

Reyataz (atazanavir) used in combination with ritonavir wins FDA approval for treatment of HIV-1 patients.

Online prescription drug trafficking, abuse, and availability are the targets of the newly passed Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act.

A San Francisco judge denied Philip Morris' request for a temporary restraining order against the ban on pharmacy sales of tobacco products. The ban will affect 52 of 54 Walgreens as well as other chain pharmacies such as Rite-Aid and Longs.

The Joint Commission's anticoagulant safety goal goes into effect Jan. 1, 2009. Physicians, pharmacists, and nurses at health-care systems around the country are collaborating to improve best practices and to put more stringent measures in place.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is notifying health care professionals and patients that Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Covidien) is recalling one lot of ReliOn sterile, single-use, disposable, hypodermic syringes with permanently affixed hypodermic needles due to possible mislabeling. The use of these syringes may lead to patients receiving an overdose of as much as 2.5 times the intended dose, which may lead to hypoglycemia, serious health consequences, and even death.

As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ongoing efforts to ensure that heparin for patients remains safe, the government today seized 11 lots of heparin from Celsus Laboratories Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) recently named its new executive vice president and CEO. The decision was made on the heels of the announcement earlier in 2008 that its current CEO is stepping down. Read on to find out what direction APhA will head.