What's new about old drugs

Every month new clinical trials are published that provide relevant insight into medical care. Health care professionals are expected to review the results of these trials to update their knowledge and clinical practice. Although it is impossible to review every clinical trial, it is important to evaluate study findings in one's area of interest or practice. For nurses and other practitioners in the field of geriatrics, clinical trials involving drug therapy can be particularly valuable. This article is a review of clinical trials published in the past year that provide new information about drug therapy used by elderly patients. It reviews recent clinical trials in the areas of cardiology (hypertension, dyslipidemia, antioxidants for cardiovascular disease, hormone replacement therapy, atrial fibrillation, systolic heart failure), hematology (venous thromboembolic disease), neurology (Parkinson's disease, post-herpetic neuralgia), and rheumatology (osteoarthritis). Major findings and implications for geriatric clinical practice are included.