Polypharmacy Is Rising Among Older Americans, But There’s Some Good News
More older adults are taking five or more medications, but potentially dangerous drug combinations appear to be declining
Oct 2, 2026Menu
Shedding Light on the Risks
& Benefits of Medications
Shedding Light on the Risks
& Benefits of Medications
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Cardiovascular & Hypertension
What To Know About Lipfendra, The New Cholesterol-Lowering Pill
A new oral PCSK9 inhibitor may lower cholesterol by more than half when added to statins and other existing treatments, but whether it prevents heart attacks and strokes remains unknown
Aug 5, 2026 Beta-Blockers Can Calm Performance Anxiety. But They Don’t Work for Everyone
Widely used off-label to steady nerves, beta-blockers can blunt the body’s stress response. But the evidence is limited, the benefits are specific, and the risks — while often low — are real
Apr 16, 2026 Can Red Yeast Rice Lower Cholesterol?
Marketed as a natural cholesterol fix, red yeast rice contains the same active compound as some statins, but with inconsistent dosing, potential contamination, and far less oversight
Mar 9, 2026 Are Statin Side Effects Overstated? Transparency Questions Swirl Around New Study
A large Lancet review finds little evidence for most risks, but some researchers say limited access to the data raises questions
Feb 19, 2026 Ways to Lower High Blood Pressure Without Relying on Drugs
If you have hypertension — high blood pressure — you may think that the only way to control it is to take a drug. But did you know that many classes of hypertension drugs have…
Nov 23, 2024 Everything You Need to Know About Hypertension
High blood pressure (hypertension) is sometimes called the “silent killer.” It often has no symptoms at all, but it can raise your risk of deadly events such as heart attacks and strokes while slowly damaging…
May 13, 2024 4 Science-Backed Lifestyle Changes for Hypertension Management
Managing your blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the best ways to improve your overall health and longevity. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death¹ of men and women worldwide, and the higher your…
May 3, 2024 Heart Disease Prevention, Treatments and Side Effects
Do you ever have acid reflux and wonder if it’s really a heart attack? Do you see headlines every winter warning of the dangers of “Holiday Heart Syndrome” and find yourself wondering if the stress…
Feb 1, 2023 Everything You Need to Know About ACE Inhibitors
Editor’s note (08/06/20): Because COVID-19 is thought to attach itself to ACE-2 enzymes as a way to gain entry to the human body, some people believe that taking ACE inhibitors may increase one’s chances of…
Aug 3, 2020 Edible Marijuana Risks for People with Heart Conditions
That’s a warning from researchers, based on the case of a 70-year-old man with stable heart disease who ate a marijuana edibles, one of the main compounds found in marijuana, because he thought it would…
Feb 13, 2019 Lotensin May Increase Risk of Low White Blood Cell Count
A common drug used to treat high blood pressure may elevate the risk in some patients of a condition in which a person’s white blood cell count is severely diminished, leaving them more susceptible to…
Jun 30, 2016
