By Amanda Gardner
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) -- Avandia and Fosamax, widely prescribed drugs used to treat two common health conditions, show further evidence of being linked to adverse events.

One study finds that long-term use of thiazolidinediones -- a family of diabetes drugs that includes blockbuster Avandia -- appears to be linked with an increased risk for bone fractures.

MONDAY, April 21 (HealthDay News) -- Adding one step and no more than 20 seconds to heart surgery can greatly improve the results of an operation to treat the common irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, according to a new report.

Study objective
Atrial fibrillation is a significant public health problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent. The clinical epidemiology of US emergency department (ED) visits for atrial fibrillation is uncertain. This study seeks to describe recent trends in ED visits for atrial fibrillation.
Methods
ED visits with a primary diagnosis of atrial fibrillation were analyzed using data from the US National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 1993 to 2004.
Results

A 61-YEAR-old woman with an irregular heartbeat has been told she cannot have an operation to correct the condition - because she is too old. Dorothy Simpson, of Leake, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation three years ago. The condition can cause strokes, palpitations, heart failure, shortness of breath, blackouts, chest pains and sudden death. It can often be corrected by an operation known as a catheter ablation, where the area of cells in the heart responsible for triggering the abnormal rhythm is destroyed.

By Ed Edelson HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Feb. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Statins such as Crestor, Lipitor or Zocor that are prescribed to lower cholesterol levels may also cut the risk of atrial fibrillation, the abnormal heartbeat that boosts the odds of a stroke, French researchers report.