NIH stops to the study of niacin to prevent crises cardiac

WASHINGTON - a drug that stimulates the good popular cholesterol not a go to prevent heart attack or stroke, leading authorities to abruptly stop an important study Thursday.

Disappointing results imply niacin super-strength, a type of vitamin b that many physicians prescribe already as a potential heart protection. Study failed mark the latest setback in the quest to exploit the good cholesterol against bad type.

"This sends a little to the drawing board", said Dr. Susan Shurin, cardiovascular Chief at the National Institutes of Health.

The wrong kind of cholesterol, called LDL, is the main source of artery clogs. Popular statin drugs, sold under such names as Zocor and Lipitor, generic shapes, are the pillars by lowering LDL. Yet many Statin users still have heart attacks, because LDL is not history.

Cholesterol HDL, the good kind, helps combat accumulation artery carrying fats in the liver to be disposed of. It is one of the reasons that people with too little HDL are also at risk of heart disease. If scientists are checking if giving HDL-stimulate statin drugs could provide cardiac patients added protection.

The latest study tested Abbott Laboratories' Niaspan, a form of niacin extended-release is a dose more than found in food supplements. The drug has been sold for years, and previous studies have shown that it increases levels of HDL. But nobody knew if that translates in heart attacks.

Researchers enrolled more than 3 400 Statin users to the United States and the Canada who had heart disease stable and controlled LDL, but was at risk due to low concentrations of HDL and too much a different bad fat triglyceride. They received Niaspan or a dummy pill to add to their daily medicine.

As expected, Niaspan users saw their rise of levels of HDL and their levels of drop of more than risky triglycerides people taking a statin alone. But the treatment of the combination does not reduce heart attacks, stroke, or the need for compensation artery as angioplasty procedures, said the NIH.

This conclusion "" unexpected and striking contrast with the results of previous tests, "said Dr. Jeffrey Probstfield, Washington University, who helped conduct the study."

But he led the NIH to stop the study 18 months in advance.

Adding the decision was a small increase of strokes in users high-dose niacin — 28 among those 1,718 given Niaspan, compared to 12 among the users of 1,696 placebo. The NIH said that it was not clear if this small difference was simply a coincidence. previous studies have shown no risk of stroke of niacin. In fact, some of the strokes occurred after Niaspan users stop taking this drug.

What is the message for cardiac patients?

Users Statin that have very low LDL levels, like those in this study have not need an additional prescription for niacin, said Dr. Robert Eckel, cardiologist of the University of Colorado and spokesperson for the American Heart Association who was not involved in the study.

But it is not clear if niacin would have no effect on people at high risk or those who do not yet have a diagnosis of heart disease, but take niacin as preventive, said study co-leader Dr. William Boden, of the University at Buffalo.

"We cannot generalize these findings... for patients that we investigate," he said.

Eckel said it is "really hard to envision exactly what will happen in offices of physicians" in coming weeks as they discuss the niacin with patients. The NIH has urged people not to stop high-dose niacin without consulting a physician.

Neither the conclusions stop hope that raise HDL finally will be panoramic, Eckel said. While two other drugs were not so, it closely monitors some much higher HDL-boosters, including a drug from Merck & Co., called anacetrapib, which are being developed.

Woman revived after the heart stops at Lady Gaga concert

an evening long-awaited a Lady Gaga concert turned into a nightmare for a Tennessee woman aged 33 years, whose heart has been restarted after shutdown for five minutes when she had a cardiac arrest.

Crystal Thornton, of Lyles, Tennessee, was enjoying Act on the opening of the concert at the arena of Bridgestone in Nashville with her best friend, Christina Tugman Tuesday evening when she had a seizure, according to information provided by Vanderbilt Medical Center.

"She stopped breathing, his eyes rolled back in his head and his body began jerking movements," said Tugman. "I asked if she was OK, and it was not responding."

Tugman ran to the lobby for assistance. It took Jerry Jones, an EMT supervisor with the program of LifeFlight event medicine at Vanderbilt University, a minute more to join it.

"The patient was unconscious with no heartbeat," said Jones.

Using a portable automatic external defibrillator, Jones and other paramedics spent more than five minutes, until what they could finally get the heart of Thornton flying once again.

It was then transported to the emergency of the Vanderbilt Medical Center, where doctors immediately used therapeutic hypothermia to cool the temperature of the body of Thornton to between 93 and 86 degrees - less than the normal temperature of the body of 98.6 degrees.

Even if his heart was working again, the doctors wanted to slow traffic to prevent the death of brain cells - and, therefore, brain injury - caused by the prolonged absence of oxygen. Chilled water blankets were placed on the body and the head of Thornton, and the medical staff then used a machine to lower its body temperature for 48 hours.

"The patient has received incredible care from the moment where she experienced problems at the Bridgestone arena," said Dr. Jared McKinney, Medical Director of the event LifeFlight medicine. "It is only through a team effort coordinated that its success was possible."

After two days of therapy of cooling, temperature of the body of Thornton was slowly restored to normal. It resumed consciousness and neurologically continues to improve, according to his doctors in Nashville.

On Friday afternoon, she was in a stable, said Hospital of Tennessee State.

His cardiologist, Dr. John McPherson, stated that Thornton is a battery of tests to determine why she suffered a heart attack. He told CNN that it seems she has a hypertrophy of the heart-"a genetic condition which, unfortunately, has no warning symptoms and often results in an emergency situation as Thornton has known".

Next week, she will have surgery to put a defibrillator implantable cardioverter in his chest. The device sends electric shocks which will be automatically start if his heart begins to beat irregularly and restore normal, in the hope of preventing another heart attack.

Leigh Sims, a technician of emergency medical and Vanderbilt of medicine, the event Manager, said that the defibrillator saved the life of the woman.

"Without a DEA, this patient would not survive," said Sims. "He restored his pulse."

While she is very grateful, it is an effect of blur for Thornton. And she did not have to be able to see Lady Gaga strut and sing on stage.

"I'm so crazy, that I missed the concert," she said, according to a statement issued by the hospital.

Tugman said Friday that she was grateful to have his friend back - including after another scare Thursday night, when "suddenly she stopped breathing, his eyes restored and all these machines started to away."

"They came and he shocked, and she returned to the right, said Tugman.".