Painkillers, antibiotics and cardiovascular medications made up the bulk of unused first-time prescriptions turned in during a recent National Drug Take-Back event, according to a study published in the July-August issue of The American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits.

While cardiovascular disease causes nearly one-third of deaths in the U.S. every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in its Sept. issue of Vital Signs reported that at least 200,000 of these deaths can be prevented through lifestyle changes. 

The existence of certain risk factors at the time children are diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may signal a worse prognosis, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in The Lancet. Researchers found that diagnosis at younger than one year of age, inborn errors of metabolism, mixed types of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, low body weight, congestive heart failure or abnormal structure or function of the left ventricle as indicated by echocardiography were associated with a higher risk of death or heart transplantation. 

The American Heart Association (AHA) will present 19 special reports in addition to late-breaking clinical trials Nov. 17-19 at its scientific sessions in Dallas.

Less may be more when it comes to improving medication adherence in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). In the Use of a Multidrug Pill in Reducing Cardiovascular Events (UMPIRE) trial, patients were more likely to continue their drug regimens on a long-term basis if they used fixed-dose combinations. These “polypills” also improved systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Results from a multinational clinical trial found that while the antihyperglycemic drug saxagliptin met the FDA’s cardiovascular safety standards, it offered no cardiovascular protection and unexpectedly increased the risk of hospitalization for heart failure among diabetics at high risk for heart disease. These findings were presented Sept. 2 at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2013 in Amsterdam and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

AQUARIUS, a randomized trial designed to assess aliskiren’s ability to slow or prevent the progression of coronary atherosclerosis, didn’t provide evidence to support its use in that context. Results presented Sept. 2 at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2013 in Amsterdam and simultaneously published online in JAMA highlighted opportunities for further research.

GoDanRiver.com of Danville, Va., reported that a cardiovascular surgeon at Danville Regional Medical Center died in a plane crash Aug. 29.