Monday, December 17, 2012

Study links heart medication digoxin to deaths | Essentials

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Study links heart medication digoxin to deaths

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Trick photo, decapitated man with bloody knife, holding his head by George Eastman House
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The study, which was published online in the European Heart Journal on Nov. 27, 2012, showed that patients who took digoxin who had atrial fibrillation (AF) -- a condition where the heart's upper chambers flutter erratically -- died in significant numbers while on the medication. Digoxin is made from an extract from the foxglove plant used on patients who have AF and heart failure. Theoretically, it makes the heart beat stronger and more regularly. It is notoriously hard to use because there is a narrow dose range between where it is helpful and when it can cause harm. High doses have been seen to increase death in patients. For the study, researchers looked at data from 4,060 AF patients who took digoxin before or during the 3. 5 year study.

People:

Dr. Ali Ahmed

Overall Sentiment: -0.282751

Relevance: 0.158512

SentimentQuote
0He said other "confounders" ...
-0.0931523"This should be taken with extreme caution, because of the potential for confounding and bias from a variety of sources," Ahmed, who wasn't involved in the new research, said. ...
Sentiment Stats:
  • Number of Quotes: 2
  • Aggregate Sentiment: -0.0931523
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  • Standard Deviation: 1.7320508075689

Claude Elayi

Overall Sentiment: -0.284806

Relevance: 0.14906

SentimentQuote
-0.0686159"These results mean that among AF patients taking digoxin compared to those not on digoxin in the AFFIRM trial, within five years one additional patient out of six will die from any cause, one additional patient out of eight will die from cardiovascular causes, and one additional patient out of 16 will die from arrhythmias," Samy Claude Elayi, associate professor of medicine at the Gill Heart Institute, University of Kentucky, in Lexington, Ky., said
-0.0362309"But in patients that have no heart failure and (have) atrial fibrillation, I think there is no reason to use this drug as a first line," Elayi said. ...
Sentiment Stats:
  • Number of Quotes: 2
  • Aggregate Sentiment: -0.1048468
  • Mean: -0.0524234
  • Standard Deviation: 0

Natasha Stewart

Overall Sentiment: 0.0544591

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Additional Info:

Drug: digoxin

Overall Sentiment: -0.0394347

Relevance: 0.885512

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