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Atrial fibrillation Doctoring General Medicine

How dangerous are NSAIDs in patients with AF?

One of the most commonly asked questions in the office is the treatment of arthritis pain. This comes up because of the concern over taking NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) in patients who are on anticoagulants (such as warfarin, or dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban). My views on this matter have changed. But first, I want to […]

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Cycling Stuff Doctoring General Cardiology General Medicine Health Care Healthy Living inflammation

NSAIDs — Yet another dubious “health” product at CVS

Now that the ‘healthiness’ of products sold at CVS stores is a matter of public discourse, it seems a perfect time to mention the common pain relievers known as Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). It just so happens that two FDA advisory committees are meeting today and tomorrow to discuss the cardiovascular risks of NSAIDs. The […]

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Cycling Stuff Cycling Wed Exercise inflammation

Could NSAIDs actually cause inflammation?

This one is for you exercisers out there. You know me; I love to write about dogma-busters. I’ve got a good one for you tonight. For endurance exercisers, runners and cyclists alike, few myths have been more persistent. Imagine: We actually think taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) before exercise improves performance and relieves post-effort soreness. […]

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Doctoring Health Care Health Care Reform Reflection

Weekend Posts…

I’ve written two new posts at the end of this week. The first is on the state of heart rhythm medicine, or as we call it, electrophysiology. The editor of the TheHeart.org asked me to look at a recent series of state-of-the-art review papers published in the British journal, the Lancet. The last time the […]

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Doctoring Healthy Living inflammation

In the Prime Post up: The dangers of pain medicines — Part 1

I’m tiptoeing out on a limb. In my state of Kentucky, few potatoes are hotter. I started this In the Prime post fully intending to discuss the under-appreciated dangers of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), like ibuprofen, naprosyn, and celecoxib (Celebrex). Three things got me thinking about the thorny issue of treating pain. First: More than one […]

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Cycling Wed Exercise Healthy Living

CW: Regular Exercise: An amazingly effective elixir

It’s Wednesday, so I would like to tell you about some cool things I learned this past week about the science of how exercise can be used as a treatment for three common ailments. First, some background about exercise: The great thing about exercising every day that you eat is that this magic potion is […]

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Atrial fibrillation Cycling Wed General Medicine

Cycling Wed: NSAIDs and Atrial Fibrillation: Part 2

Reports documenting the dangers of Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) continue to generate headlines. It’s a steady stream of bad news for patients who take these widely-available pain relievers. Sorry about the repetition folks, but it’s hard to ignore my daily email updates from the American College of Cardiology when they so directly pertain to endurance athletes. […]

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General Medicine Healthy Living Reflection

The Seven Golden Rules

In the better-late-than-never category comes my shout out for World Kidney Day, which was yesterday. I love their slogan: “Protect your Kidneys, Save your Heart.” As an organ, the kidneys are a lot like offensive lineman in football; they do all the hard work but remain mostly anonymous. They sit motionless in the back of […]

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Cycling Wed General Medicine Healthy Living

CW: Put your arm in the machine

Hey Cyclists, I know. You ride a lot. You eat well. You stay thin. So you rightfully call yourself athletic. Congratulations. Now, take the time in the off-season to go get your blood pressure checked. Doing so is free in most grocery stores and pharmacies.  Plus, you get to grin at that funny voice that […]

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Atrial fibrillation General Medicine

Atrial Fibrillation and NSAIDs

Sunday nights in Autumn means one thing for this doctor-cyclocross racer: aches and pains.  Tonight, just as the thought popped into my head: “a few Alleve(s) probably wouldn’t fire up that reflux very much,”  I hear from the computer room… “Hey John, how much alleve were you taking when you had your AF,” asked my […]