Kidney Patients Less Likely to Get Heart Attack Meds (HealthDay)

MONDAY, July 21 (HealthDay News) -- After having a heart attack, people with kidney disease are less likely to receive recommended medications, a new study finds. The report, published in the September issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, finds people with end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis are often deprived of heart-protecting medicines such as beta blockers and cholesterol-lowering statins. "Kidney function is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and is also associated with a worse prognosis after such events," Wolfgang C. Winkelmayer, of Brigham and Women's Hospital, in Boston, said in a news release issued by the American Society of Nephrology. "One possible explanation is differences in health service delivery. It may be that patients with... [read full story]