Q J Med 2002; 95: 419-421
© 2002 Association of Physicians
Editorial |
What do Cochrane reviews tell us about anti-thrombotic therapy in heart failure with sinus rhythm?
Viscount Royston Professor of Clinical Cardiology, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College School of Medicine at Royal, Brompton Hospital, London e-mail: ajscoats@aol.com
| The first 10% of the full text of this article appears below. |
Although major advances have been made in the treatment of many cardiovascular disorders,1 many patients with advanced cardiovascular disease remain symptomatic and are far from cured. For most of the history of medicine, treatments have been designed to relieve symptoms and suffering, and to render the patient more fully functional. In the modern era, the concepts of disease and cure have taken on new meaning, and the idea of curative therapy has become widespread. Even more recent is the concept of preventive therapy, whose sole aim is to prolong life or prevent some future catastrophe in people who are presently well. These are not people complaining of something: they are people we seek out to recommend therapies that themselves may cause disability or unpleasant symptoms, in the hope of reducing