Month: July 2013

Tracking blood pressure at home and having a pharmacist adjust medicines can improve blood pressure control, a new study finds. The study included 450 adults with blood pressure that was hard to control. They were randomly divided into 2 groups. People in 1 group received a home blood pressure monitor. They talked with a pharmacist about how to use it. They also got advice on how to lower blood pressure with diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes. Then they regularly took blood pressure readings for 6 months. The monitor transmitted results to a pharmacist, who adjusted medicines if needed. The second group just received usual care from their doctors. After 6 months, nearly 72% of those in the home testing group had their blood pressure under control, compared with 45% in the usual-care group. The program stopped, but researchers kept track of people through the 1-year mark.

A new pill works as well as standard treatment to prevent blood clots in the legs and lungs, a new study finds. The study focused on treatment of venous thromboembolism, a clot that forms in a vein. These clots are most dangerous when they travel to the lungs. The clots usually are treated first with injections of the “blood thinner” heparin. This is followed by warfarin (Coumadin), which acts more slowly and is given as a pill. It’s tricky to get the right dose of warfarin. Using too much or too little can lead to bleeding or clots. The new study compared standard treatment with a newer pill, apixaban (Eliquis). It starts acting right away, so heparin is not needed. Nearly 5,400 people with a history of clots were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group got standard treatment. The other received apixaban.

Rates of injury for children riding all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) dropped in recent years, a new study finds. In all, 361,000 children under age 16 were treated in emergency rooms for these injuries between 2001 and 2010. The injury rate peaked in 2004, at 67 per 100,000 children. It dropped to 42 per 100,000 in 2010. But more than 27,500 children were still treated in that year. Boys were twice as likely to be hurt as girls. The authors said they didn’t know why the injury rate went down. They said the recent recession could have depressed ATV sales. The authors said children should not ride adult-size ATVs. They also endorsed safety measures. They said people should wear helmets and avoid paved roads. They also should not carry passengers. The journal Pediatrics published the study July 1.