Terminology matters: patient understanding of "opioids" and "narcotics".

Background:  The terms "opioid" and "narcotic" are often used interchangeably by healthcare providers. The purpose of this study was to compare understanding "narcotics" vs. "opioids.

Heart rate control with adrenergic blockade: clinical outcomes in cardiovascular medicine.

The sympathetic nervous system is involved in regulating various cardiovascular parameters including heart rate (HR) and HR variability. Aberrant sympathetic nervous system expression may result in elevated HR or decreased HR variability, and both are independent risk factors for development of cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, myocardial infarction, and hypertension. Epidemiologic studies have established that impaired HR control is linked to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.