Calcium-Channel Blocker, Clarithromycin Coprescription Increases Kidney Injuries

A prescription for clarithromycin in a patient already taking calcium-channel blockers—or vice-versa—should raise a red flag. A new study quantifies the risk of hospitalization for acute kidney injury in patients combining the drugs and finds it small, but significant. Here are the details.

USPSTF: Evidence Lacking to Recommend Vitamin Supplementation in Healthy Adults

How should pharmacists respond to customers asking about the health benefits of vitamin or mineral supplementation? New recommendations from a government task force provide some answers but possibly raise even more questions. What does the recent report say about the benefits of multivitamins and other supplements in preventing cardiovascular disease or cancer?

Testosterone Replacement Increased Cardiac Events in Veterans With Past Angiography

A new study finds an increased risk of cardiac events in testosterone-replacement therapy users with likely underlying heart disease, and an accompanying editorial calls it “mounting evidence” that the common treatment for hypogonadism may not always be safe. Here is what the Veterans Administration–funded study found and how researchers suggest their results should affect prescriptions for testosterone-replacement therapy.

Metformin Doesn't Lower Measure of Cardiovascular Risk in Nondiabetics

A new study found that the common diabetes drug metformin doesn’t lower cardiovascular risk in patients below the threshold for a diabetes diagnosis. A linked comment published with the article, however, questions the measurements used and argues that the treatment still holds promise if proven in a large, long-term trial. Find out why.