ISCP June 2019 newsletter available online
April 04 ,2019
Overview:Latest newsletter including message from new ISCP President Augusto Gallino and more ISCP news and upcoming meetings. more
Walking intervention tied to fewer fractures, CV events
June 25 ,2019
Overview:Short-term walking interventions using pedometers resulted in fewer cardiovascular events and fractures after 4 years as well as sustained increases in physical activity in participants, according to study results published in PLOS Medicine.“Strong evidence exists that physical activity is protective for a wide range of health conditions, and inactivity is claimed to be the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality,” Tess Harris, MD, MSc, of the Population Health Research Institute at St. George’s University of London, and colleagues wrote.Study authors noted that most more
CREDENCE: Canagliflozin demonstrates CV, renal benefits in type 2 diabetes without CVD
June 25 ,2019
Overview:SAN FRANCISCO — Among adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, the SGLT2 inhibitor canagliflozin reduced risk for a cardiovascular event or renal failure regardless of prior history of CV disease, according to new subgroup analyses from the CREDENCE trial presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions.“The CREDENCE trial is the first trial in 18 years to show prevention of renal or cardiovascular outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes and at high risk for progressive chronic kidney disease,” Meg Jardine, MBBS, PhD, conjoint associate more
AI with CTA may predict adverse events vs. other prediction scores
June 25 ,2019
Overview:Coronary CTA assessed by machine learning was able to better distinguish patients who had an adverse event compared with the Coronary Artery Disease Reporting and Data System, or CAD-RADS, and other scores, according to a study published in Radiology.“The risk estimate that you get from doing the machine learning version of the model is more accurate than the risk estimate you’re going to get if you rely on CAD-RADS,” Kevin M. Johnson, MD, associate professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at Yale School of Medicine, said in a press release. “Both methods perform more
One-third of vascular surgeons self-report burnout, depression
June 25 ,2019
Overview:Three in 10 vascular surgeons met criteria for burnout and more than one-third said they had symptoms of depression, according to the results of a survey presented at the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Annual Meeting.The researchers in 2018 sent an anonymous survey to the 2,905 active members of SVS (33% responded). Burnout was defined as a score of at least 27 on the Maslach Burnout Index emotional exhaustion module.After exclusion of retired surgeons and incomplete responses, 872 participants (mean age, 50 years; 81% men; mean years in practice, 15.7; 40% in academic settings; 41% in more
Obesity increases risk for high BP in children
June 25 ,2019
Overview:Children with excess weight or abdominal obesity at age 4 years had an increased risk for high BP after 2 years of follow-up, according to a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.“The myth that excess weight in children has no consequences hampers the prevention and control of this health problem,” Iñaki Galán, MD, of the National Centre for Epidemiology at the Instituto de Salud Carlos III in Madrid, said in a press release. “Parents need to be more physically active with young children and provide a healthy diet. Women should shed more
Hospital readmissions underreported, higher for Medicare Advantage vs. traditional Medicare
June 24 ,2019
Overview:Medicare Advantage beneficiaries had higher 30-day readmission rates than traditional Medicare beneficiaries, and these admissions may be underreported, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.“One third of Medicare beneficiaries (about 19 million people) are currently enrolled in Medicare Advantage,” Orestis A. Panagiotou, MD, PhD, of Brown University School of Public Health, and colleagues wrote. “Previous studies have reported lower readmission rates in Medicare Advantage than traditional Medicare, leading some policy observers to conclude that more
Certain adrenal tumors may increase cardiometabolic risk
June 24 ,2019
Overview:Although nonfunctioning adrenal tumors and adenomas that cause mild autonomous cortisol excess were not associated with significant tumor changes in size or hormonal function, these benign tumors may increase risk for cardiometabolic comorbidities, according to study results published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.“The incidental detection of adrenal masses by imaging is increasingly common in clinical practice owing to the ever-increasing use of cross-sectional imaging,” Yasir S. Elhassan, MBBS, of the University of Birmingham Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research and more
Trump issues executive order to make health care costs more affordable, transparent
June 24 ,2019
Overview:President Donald J. Trump issued what he called a “groundbreaking” executive order Monday afternoon that seeks to make certain health care prices more affordable.Trump said during his remarks at the White House that HHS will issue a rule that oversees efforts that require hospitals to publicly disclose amounts that reflect what people actually pay for services in an easy-to-read format. The president added that HHS will also start making information on out-of-pocket spending more readily available to patients before they receive care and that Health Savings Accounts and other more
CMS finalizes coverage requirements for TAVR
June 24 ,2019
Overview:CMS issued the final version of its decision memo outlining requirements that must be met for coverage of transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedures, including the elimination of the requirement for evaluation by two surgeons before the procedure.As Cardiology Today’s Intervention previously reported, the requirement for two surgeons to sign off before a TAVR procedure was controversial, with some experts saying it was a barrier to patients with severe aortic stenosis getting prompt treatment.Coverage requirementsAccording to the memo, TAVR procedures will be covered if they meet more
Smoking increases STEMI risk in women more than men
June 24 ,2019
Overview:Women who smoke had a significantly increased risk for STEMI compared with men who smoke, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.“The study is the first to quantify the differential effect of cigarette smoking between sexes on STEMI risk,” James Palmer, BMedSci, MBChB, of the Sheffield Medical School at The University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, and colleagues wrote. “It has provided strong evidence that smoking incurs a greater STEMI risk to all female patients compared with male.”Researchers analyzed data from more
Cell therapy receives orphan drug designation for chronic heart failure
June 24 ,2019
Overview:The FDA granted orphan drug designation to rexlemestrocel-L for the prevention of postimplantation mucosal bleeding in patients with end-stage chronic heart failure who require a left ventricular assist device.Rexlemestrocel-L (Revascor; Mesoblast) is an investigational allogeneic mesenchymal precursor cell therapy under development for injection into the heart muscle in patients with moderate to advanced or end-stage chronic HF.“We are very pleased that the FDA has granted our heart failure cell therapy product candidate, Revascor, orphan drug designation for use in patients with LVADs more
Coronary wall thickness may be CAD risk factor in asymptomatic women
June 24 ,2019
Overview:Among asymptomatic women, the use of MRI in measuring coronary vessel wall thickness may help determine risk for CAD, according to findings published in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging.The researchers also found that age was a strong risk factor in men.Khaled Z. Abd-Elmoniem, PhD, MHS, and colleagues investigated the association between coronary vessel wall thickness measured by MRI and CAD risk in asymptomatic groups at low and intermediate risk based on the Framingham score.“A single image and measurement of coronary vessel wall thickness with MRI can be used to gauge the extent of more
HDL apolipoproteomic score may predict risk for CV death in CAD
June 24 ,2019
Overview:An HDL apolipoproteomic score was linked to the presence of CAD in patients without prevalent MI who were referred for coronary angiography, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.Pradeep Natarajan, MD, MMSc, director of preventive cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and colleagues analyzed data from 943 patients (mean age, 67 years; 72% men) from the CASABLANCA study who were referred for coronary or peripheral angiography with or without intervention between 2008 and 2011. more
‘Significant number’ of vascular surgeons experience workplace sexual harassment
June 24 ,2019
Overview:More than 40% of vascular surgeons said they have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, according to the results of a survey presented at the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Annual Meeting.Matthew Smeds, MD, chief of the division of vascular and endovascular surgery at Saint Louis University, and Bernadette Aulivola, MD, FACS, director of the division of vascular surgery and endovascular therapy at Loyola University Medical Center, mailed an anonymous survey including questions on gender bias and sexual harassment to 346 vascular surgery faculty members at 52 U.S. training more
Exercise-based cardiac rehab confers improvements in HF
June 23 ,2019
Overview:Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation in patients with HF resulted in improvements in exercise capacity and health-related quality of life compared with patients who did not exercise, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.“These results, based on an [individual participant data] meta-analysis of randomized trials, support the class I recommendation of current international clinical guidelines that [exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation] should be offered to all HF patients and the need to improve current poor uptake of [exercise-based more
Smoking cessation may lower odds for recurrent CV events at any age
June 22 ,2019
Overview:Quitting smoking after an initial CV event led to reduced risk for recurrent vascular events and all-cause mortality regardless of age, according to findings published in the American Heart Journal.The researchers wrote that smoking cessation was effective in reducing CV risk compared with pharmaceutical treatment of risk factors and should be an objective for patients with vascular disease.M. Johanneke van den Berg, MD, and colleagues investigated the relation between smoking cessation after a first CV event and risk for recurrent CV events and mortality.“Although presence of CV more
Obstructive sleep apnea screening methods utilize snoring, BMI, hypertension symptoms, other characteristics
June 21 ,2019
Overview:Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is halfway through its sixth decade of being mentioned in medical journals, according to a report in the World Journal of Otorhinolaryngology of Head and Neck Surgery.Yet, the condition is often omitted from discussions primary care physicians have with their patients, Jennifer N. Miller, PhD, and Ann M. Berger, PhD, sleep specialists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, wrote in Sleep Medicine Reviews.“The current practice model of screening and assessment for OSA in primary care is fragmented and ineffective. Primary care providers encounter more
Trauma among sexual minority women heightens cardiometabolic risk
June 21 ,2019
Overview:Lesbian and bisexual women who reported experiencing childhood, adulthood or lifetime trauma were more likely to report obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes when compared with women who did not experience traumatic life events, according to findings published in the Journal of Women’s Health.“A growing number of studies, including my previous work, indicate that sexual minority (lesbian, bisexual and other non-heterosexual) women have higher rates of cardiometabolic risk than heterosexual women; however, factors that contribute to this elevated risk are not well understood,” more
Fewer than 15% of patients undergo diabetes screening
June 21 ,2019
Overview:The rate of diabetes screening in the U.S. rose from 2012 to 2015 but still remained below 15%, according to findings recently published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.The same study also concluded that clinicians mostly prescribed lifestyle changes, such as exercise and a healthy diet, and occasionally metformin to prevent diabetes.“Treatment of [diabetes mellitus] was estimated to cost $237 billion in direct medical costs and approximately $90 billion due to lost productivity in 2017,” Kayce M. Shealy, PharmD, associate professor and chair, department of more
ACE inhibitors beneficial in endovascular intervention for CLI
June 21 ,2019
Overview:Among patients who had endovascular interventions for critical limb ischemia, those taking ACE inhibitors had higher rates of overall and amputation-free survival than those not taking them, according to results presented at the Society for Vascular Surgery Vascular Annual Meeting.Sikandar Khan, MD, clinical assistant professor of surgery at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and colleagues analyzed patients listed in the Vascular Quality Initiative database who underwent an endovascular intervention for CLI between April 2010 and January 2017. The more
PHFI announces eLearning courses on Health Promotion & Tobacco Control
June 12 ,2019
Overview:The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) is a public private initiative that has collaboratively evolved as a response to redress the limited institutional capacity in India for strengthening training, research and policy development in the area of Public Health. These courses commenced in 2011 as a capacity building initiative for those looking to gain […] The post PHFI announces eLearning courses on Health Promotion & Tobacco Control appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
Air pollution and cardiovascular disease: a window of opportunity
June 11 ,2019
Overview:In recent years, air pollution and its impact on people’s health has become a significant issue on the global health agenda. Nine out of ten people worldwide breathe polluted air, which disproportionately affects those living in low-resource settings. According to a recent World Health Organisation report, more than twenty percent of all cardiovascular disease deaths are caused by air […] The post Air pollution and cardiovascular disease: a window of opportunity appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
Following 110 years of neglect, the World Health Assembly declares an official day for Chagas disease
May 24 ,2019
Overview:[Spanish version below] Delegates at the 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA) have today approved the creation of a World Chagas Day. People affected by Chagas worldwide celebrate this important step in fighting for recognition of this neglected disease. Geneva, 24 May 2019 – The International Federation of People Affected by Chagas Disease (FINDECHAGAS) today celebrates […] The post Following 110 years of neglect, the World Health Assembly declares an official day for Chagas disease appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
‘Chagas Disease – Breaking the Silence’
May 13 ,2019
Overview:Chagas Disease affects more than 7 million people worldwide, but only 1 in 10 are diagnosed and less than 1% receive treatment. When left untreated, Chagas can cause serious heart and digestive system problems – 12,000 people die each year from causes associated with the disease. Chagas often affects the poorest and most marginalised, and like other neglected tropical diseases, it has been […] The post ‘Chagas Disease – Breaking the Silence’ appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
RHD Resolution – one year on
May 13 ,2019
Overview:On 25 May last year, the World Health Organization and its Member States took a momentous step as they adopted a Resolution on Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. In recognition of the urgent need to prevent and control RF and RHD, 23 different countries across 5 continents […] The post RHD Resolution – one year on appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
WHO unveils sweeping reforms in drive towards “triple billion” targets
May 10 ,2019
Overview:On 6 March, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the details of far-reaching organisational reform and the reshuffling of the WHO’s top leadership. The new structure aims to reduce “silos” within the organisation and to promote “one WHO”. For example, there will only be one Deputy Director-General (DDG) reporting to Dr Tedros: Zsuzsanna Jakab, […] The post WHO unveils sweeping reforms in drive towards “triple billion” targets appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
WHF attends UN Interactive Hearing on UHC
May 10 ,2019
Overview:On 20 April, the President of the UN General Assembly and the World Health Organization (WHO) convened an interactive hearing with non-state actors as part of the preparatory process for the UN High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) on 23 September 2019. The hearing was an opportunity for civil society and other stakeholders […] The post WHF attends UN Interactive Hearing on UHC appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
Advancing heart health in Kenya
May 09 ,2019
Overview:The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is significant in Kenya, where heart diseases cause 25 percent of hospital admissions and 13 percent of deaths. To tackle this health challenge, the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Kenya joined forces with the Kenya Cardiac Society (KCS) and the World Heart Federation (WHF) to […] The post Advancing heart health in Kenya appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
WHF joins WHO call on food industry to eliminate artificial trans fat
May 08 ,2019
Overview:Along with Resolve to Save Lives, NCD Alliance, and the American Heart Association, WHF has added our voice to the WHO’s call for industry to replace artificial trans fat by directly calling on dozens of major food, fat, and oil industry players to commit to elimination by 2023. The below letter was sent on 1 May […] The post WHF joins WHO call on food industry to eliminate artificial trans fat appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
International Society of Nephrology shines a light on kidney health policy in Asia and Pacific
April 23 ,2019
Overview:The International Society of Nephrology (ISN), a member of the Global Coalition for Circulatory Health, held its biannual World Congress of Nephrology Forum in Melbourne – 12 to 15 April 2019. The ISN Global Kidney Policy Forum, held on the Friday 13 April, focused on the quality, sustainability and equity of access to kidney care […] The post International Society of Nephrology shines a light on kidney health policy in Asia and Pacific appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
European Cardiology Review (ECR) now on PubMed and PubMed Central
October 30 ,2018
Overview: European Cardiology Review (ECR) confirms that it has been accepted for indexing on PubMed Central and PubMed. All ECR articles starting from the first issue in July 2014, will now be published online in full on PubMed Central, providing greater access for our authors’ articles amongst the global cardiology community. ECR is a […] more
WHF to attend the WHO Executive Board meeting in January 2017
January 23 ,2017
Overview:From 23 January to 01 February 2017, the World Health Organization(WHO) will host the 140th session. From 23 January to 01 February 2017, the World Health Organization(WHO) will host the 140th session. From 23 January to 01 February 2017, the World Health Organization(WHO) will host the 140th session. From 23 January to 01 February 2017, […] more