Cardiovascular patient education archive, 2007–2008
In the source’s own words
Seconds-Count.org Physicians’ Blog — 2008 — January: the monthly archive page recovered from the site backup, carrying four posts.
1/31/2008
It’s one thing for media reports to inadvertently spread confusion based on highly scientific, complex reports and conflicting experts. It’s quite another to spread fear and distrust based on lopsided reporting derived upon unsubstantiated and misleading information.
1/25/2008
A story in the New York Times on Jan. 21 about an upcoming article in the American Journal of Therapeutics on the use of peripheral stents – stents used in the arms and legs, primarily – was alarming to some patients who have received stents in their peripheral arteries. The story talked about “off-label” use of peripheral stents. If you are patient who has received a stent and wonder if it was “off-label,” the first thing you should know is that you do not need to be alarmed or afraid. Following the New York Times story, many physicians like me received numerous calls from patients wondering if “off-label” meant the stents they received were unsafe, or even illegal. I’d like to explain what “off-label” means and why doctors often choose to use medications, devices, and treatments “off-label” to achieve the best outcomes for our patients.
1/25/2008
If you are a cardiovascular patient, you can rest assured that there is no lack of research being done on the various therapies available to you! Just this week, two studies focused on drug-eluting stents and an accompanying commentary piece on the findings appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. Like other recent cardiovascular research, these two studies have received a good amount of media coverage, and justifiably so – cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in America and the treatments used in these studies are performed on millions of our patients each year. Just as patients are always on the look-out for news related to their condition, physicians are always eager to have solid research to help us provide the best possible patient care.
1/17/2008
The recent news about a cholesterol-lowering drug called Vytorin is a good case study for how you, as a patient, should respond to what you read or hear in the news about your prescribed medical therapy.
Every line of text on this site is reproduced from the recovered 2007–2008 files. Nothing has been added, updated, expanded or re-worded.
This site is a historical archive of pages published at seconds-count.org in 2007 and 2008. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions or any other medical society, certifying board, hospital or health authority. The reference to SCAI above is part of the original 2007 homepage text and describes the site as it stood then, not any current relationship.
The material here is reproduced for the historical record. It is not medical advice, it is not current, and it must not be used to make decisions about care. The original “Find A Physician” zip-code lookup is reproduced as archival text only; no physician directory or referral service is offered by this site.