Mixed Bag

Warfarin May Be Good Even With Kidney Disease
Among patients with atrial fibrillation and a recent heart attack, warfarin use was associated with improved outcomes -- without excess bleeding -- regardless of the level of kidney function, a Swedish study showed.

Through 1 year after the myocardial infarction (MI), patients who were prescribed warfarin at discharge had a significantly lower rate of death, readmission due to MI, or ischemic stroke, a finding consistent for those with normal renal function, moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease, and end-stage renal disease, according to Juan Jesús Carrero, PhD, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and colleagues. The findings were similar when bleeding was included in the endpoint, they reported in the March 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. MedPage Today

Lung transplantation: A treatment option in end-stage lung disease
In the past five years, the number of lung transplantations carried out has increased by about 20%. In the end stage of various lung diseases, transplantation is the last remaining option for treatment, and it can both prolong life and improve its quality. Marc Hartert and colleagues have studied how patients do after a lung transplant, and their review appears in the current edition of the Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2014; 111(7): 107–16). Eurekalert!

Lipitor Without a Rx? Pfizer Pushes Ahead With OTC Plans
Pfizer, the maker of Lipitor, is pushing forward with efforts to sell its drug to patients without a doctor's prescription, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The company recently launched a 1200-patient study to investigate whether patients could successfully take over-the-counter (OTC) atorvastatin to lower their LDL-cholesterol levels. Patients in the trial, which is currently recruiting at 35 US pharmacies, would get their own blood tests and would make decisions based on those results. Medscape

Screening for Sexual Assault in a Primary Care Setting
In this article, we will review key populations that may be most vulnerable and/or the least likely to report sexual assault and consider how screening for evidence of sexual violence can aid clinicians in the accurate diagnosis, treatment, and referral of victims of sexual assault. Medscape