FDA designates recall of several implanted cardiac pacemakers as class 1
February 15 ,2019
Overview:The FDA has designated Medtronic’s product recall of implanted cardiac pacemakers as a class 1 recall, the most serious kind. The recall affects 13,440 devices manufactured and distributed between March 2, 2017, and Jan. 7, 2019.Possible circuit errors in the devices, used in patients with bradycardia or no heart rhythm to increase their heart rate, may lead to a lack of pacing and result in patients with low BP, slow heart beats and symptoms such as fainting, lightheadedness and death, according to a MedWatch report from the FDA.The recall affects several devices by Medtronic, more
Higher push-up capacity decreases risk for CVD events
February 15 ,2019
Overview:Patients with higher push-up capacity had a decreased risk for CVD events, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.“Our findings provide evidence that push-up capacity could be an easy, no-cost method to help assess cardiovascular disease risk in almost any setting,” Justin Yang, MD, MPH, occupational medicine resident in the department of environmental health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a press release. “Surprisingly, push-up capacity was more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease risk than the results of submaximal treadmill more
Common triggers for AF episodes modifiable
February 15 ,2019
Overview:Common triggers for atrial fibrillation included caffeine, alcohol, lack of sleep and exercise, according to a study published in HeartRhythm.“Better understanding of individual-level triggers may help empower patients and represents a novel approach to improving quality of life and reducing health care use for AF,” Gregory Marcus, MD, MAS, cardiologist and director of clinical research in the division of cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco, said in a press release.Christopher A. Groh, MD, clinical fellow at the University of California, San Francisco, and more
Bivalirudin, heparin equally effective in elderly patients undergoing CTO PCI
February 15 ,2019
Overview:Among elderly patients at high bleeding risk undergoing PCI for chronic total occlusion, bivalirudin was as safe and effective as unfractionated heparin, researchers reported.The researchers conducted a single-center randomized controlled trial of 123 patients (mean age, 70 years; 46% women) at high bleeding risk as determined by GRACE and CRUSADE scores who were undergoing CTO PCI. Fifty-five patients were assigned unfractionated heparin and 68 were assigned bivalirudin. The heparin group received a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor at the discretion of the operator.The primary efficacy more
CAS outcomes similar to surgery in pooled analysis of asymptomatic patients
February 15 ,2019
Overview:In a pooled analysis of the CREST and ACT I trials, treatment of asymptomatic carotid stenosis with carotid artery stenting yielded similar outcomes to treatment with carotid endarterectomy, according to findings presented at the International Stroke Conference.“Only two of the five recent, large randomized trials have compared carotid stenting and carotid endarterectomy in asymptomatic patients,” Jon S. Matsumura, MD, chairman of the division of vascular surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said during a presentation. “Pooled analysis more
Blindfolds improve leadership in pediatric resuscitation training
February 15 ,2019
Overview:Pediatric team leaders who were blindfolded during resuscitation scenarios improved their leaderships skills by 11%, compared with a 5% improvement in the leaders who were not blindfolded, according to research published in Frontiers in Pediatrics.“Doctors rely heavily on simulation training to prepare for rare emergencies, so even a modest improvement like this might help save lives,” Michael Buyck, MD, of the Geneva University Children’s Hospital in Switzerland, said in a press release. “Simulation-based training has been shown to be effective in teaching clinical, more
Vaccination, antiviral treatment fails to affect stroke risk from herpes zoster
February 15 ,2019
Overview:Contracting herpes zoster increased risk for acute ischemic stroke, and among patients with herpes zoster, vaccination or antiviral treatment did not modify the risk, according to data presented at the International Stroke Conference.Previous studies had shown that herpes zoster increases risk for acute ischemic stroke, but none had evaluated the effect of vaccination or antiviral treatment after herpes zoster infection on stroke risk, Quanhe Yang, PhD, senior scientist with the epidemiology and surveillance branch in the CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, and more
CAROLINA: Linagliptin demonstrates CV safety vs. sulfonylurea in type 2 diabetes
February 14 ,2019
Overview:Top-line results from the CAROLINA study released Thursday demonstrated that the DPP-IV inhibitor linagliptin was noninferior vs. glimepiride for time to first major adverse cardiovascular event in adults with type 2 diabetes at high CV risk, according to a press release from Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly.The study, the first and only active-comparator CV outcomes trial for a DPP-IV inhibitor, showed that linagliptin (Tradjenta) met its primary endpoint, defined as noninferiority vs. glimepiride in time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or nonfatal stroke more
Lower acute MI patient readmission rates tied to heart care navigation teams
February 14 ,2019
Overview:Utilizing heart care navigation teams may reduce 30-day readmission rates in patients with acute MI, according to data presented at the ACC Cardiovascular Summit.William E. Downey, MD, FACC, medical director of interventional cardiology at the Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, Atrium Health, in Charlotte, North Carolina, and colleagues compared data of patients treated for acute MI between July 2016 and June 2017, before the start of the program, and between July 2017 and June 2018, after the start of the program.“After a heart attack, the time between a patient’s discharge more
Elderly patients may fare better with TAVR vs. surgery
February 14 ,2019
Overview:Patients aged 80 to 89 years with aortic stenosis may experience better outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement, as compared with surgical AVR, according to new data.“We did this study in part because, in our clinical experience, we observed that patients above 80 years old tended to do better with TAVR over surgical AVR, regardless of their calculated surgical risk. We felt that there were octogenarians whose surgical risk wasn’t truly reflected in their low Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk scores. What isn’t captured in the scores is lack of physiologic more
Subcutaneous oxygen biosensor shows promise for patients with CLI
February 14 ,2019
Overview:An injectable tissue-integrated biosensor with an intelligent data platform successfully measured changes in tissue oxygen levels in humans and may provide information that predicts outcomes after endovascular revascularization in patients with critical limb ischemia, according to two studies presented at the Leipzig Interventional Course.In a feasibility study, Peter A. Schneider, MD, vascular surgeon and chief of the vascular therapy division at Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Honolulu, and colleagues compared tissue oxygen levels measured using the subcutaneous biosensor (Lumee oxygen more
Incidence of stroke elevated over time in black adults
February 14 ,2019
Overview:Black adults have a substantially higher incidence of stroke compared with white adults, without a significant change in disparity over time, according to data presented at the International Stroke Conference.Dawn O. Kleindorfer, MD, professor and division director of cerebrovascular disease at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and colleagues sought to identify recent temporal trends and racial disparities in stroke incidence within a large, biracial population — five counties in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region — using data from 2010 to 2015.The more
Artificially sweetened beverages increase risk for stroke in women
February 14 ,2019
Overview:Patients who had a high intake of artificially sweetened beverages had increased risks for stroke, CHD, small artery occlusion ischemic stroke and all-cause mortality, according to a study published in Stroke.“Many well-meaning people, especially those who are overweight or obese, drink low-calorie sweetened drinks to cut calories in their diet,” Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, PhD, associate professor of clinical epidemiology and population health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, said in a press release. “Our research and other observational studies more
Update from the 144th Session of the WHO Executive Board
February 14 ,2019
Overview: Twice a year, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 34 members of the Executive Board (EB) get together ahead of the World Health Assembly (WHA), which is the decision-making body of the WHO. The WHO EB’s main functions are to determine policies, agree on the WHA agenda, appoint the director, supervise financial policies, and review […] The post Update from the 144th Session of the WHO Executive Board appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
Walgreens to pay $270 million for overbilling prescription drugs, insulin pens
February 14 ,2019
Overview:With all of the attention currently placed on prescription drug prices, it’s difficult to believe that a major retail distributor of medications would do anything but toe the proverbial line when it comes to sales practices. However, last month, Walgreens was ordered to pay more than $270 million for improperly billing Medicare, Medicaid and other state- and federal-level programs over the course of 10 years.The suit is broken down into two components. In one part, the company has been ordered to pay $209.2 million for improper billing practices surrounding the dispensation of hundreds more
TAVR with transcarotid approach safe in patients with severe aortic stenosis
February 13 ,2019
Overview:The use of a transcatheter heart valve in patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement with the transcarotid approach was safe and effective, according to a study published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.“The transcarotid approach could be considered as a safe alternative approach for TAVR when the transfemoral access is prohibited,” Pavel Overtchouk, MD, of Lille University Hospital in France, and colleagues wrote.French Transcarotid TAVR registryResearchers analyzed data from 314 patients (median age, 83 years; 63% men) with severe symptomatic aortic more
FDA clears WavelinQ 4F endoAVF system
February 13 ,2019
Overview:Becton, Dickinson and Company recently announced it has received FDA 501(k) clearance for its WavelinQ 4F endoAVF system.The system, building on BD’s WavelinQ 6F endoAVF system, lends to the creation of an arteriovenous fistula in either the ulnar artery and ulnar vein or the radial artery and radial vein, which is less invasive than open surgery for patients with ESRD who are on hemodialysis, according to a company press release. The system reportedly reduces the risk of scarring or arm disfigurement that often accompanies open surgical arteriovenous fistula creation.“People more
Point-of-care ultrasound shows diagnostic, cost-saving potential
February 13 ,2019
Overview:Point-of-care ultrasound provided diagnostic capabilities in several clinical areas and reduced costs, according to a systematic review recently published in Annals of Family Medicine.“Point-of-care ultrasound is the future stethoscope for every clinician. Point-of-care ultrasound empowers the primary care physician by providing more diagnostic information or increasing precision in clinical procedures,” Camilla Aakjær Andersen, MD, of Aalborg University Fyrkildevej in Denmark, told Healio Primary Care Today.She explained several potential benefits.“The physician may more
Bariatric surgery improves BP variability, may decrease resistant hypertension burden
February 13 ,2019
Overview:Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery significantly reduced use of antihypertensive medications while promoting a similar 24-hour BP profile and nondipping status compared with medical therapy alone, according to findings published in Hypertension.Carlos A. Schiavon, MD, PhD, FACS, from the Heart Hospital – HCor in São Paulo, and colleagues assessed the effect of bariatric surgery on a 24-hour BP profile, BP variability and resistant hypertension prevalence.“Consistent evidence from the literature suggests that bariatric surgery is an effective strategy for promoting significant more
RESCUE: Thoracic stent graft system safe, effective for blunt aortic injury
February 13 ,2019
Overview:Thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair with a thoracic stent graft was safe and effective at 5 years in patients with blunt thoracic aortic injury, according to findings from the RESCUE trial presented at the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting.The researchers evaluated the performance of the stent graft (Valiant Captivia, Medtronic) in 50 patients treated at 20 sites for blunt thoracic aortic injury between 2010 and 2012.“These data from the RESCUE trial demonstrate that TEVAR with Valiant Captivia continues to be a valuable, safe and less invasive alternative to open surgery more
PTSD with other factors increase risk for CVD
February 13 ,2019
Overview:The increased risk for CVD in patients with PTSD was associated with psychiatric and physical conditions, in addition to smoking, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.“This suggests there is no single comorbidity or behavior that explains the link between PTSD and cardiovascular disease,” Jeffrey Scherrer, PhD, professor and director of the division of research in the department of family and community medicine at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, said in a press release. “Instead, a combination of physical disorders, more
WHF Co-Organises RHD Regional Regional Workshop in Egypt
February 12 ,2019
Overview:From 21-22 January 2019, the World Heart Federation were proud to co-organise the EMRO Rheumatic Heart Disease Consultative Meeting alongside partners Reach and the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO EMRO). Held at the EMRO office in Cairo, Egypt, the meeting was convened to focus on the development of national programmes […] The post WHF Co-Organises RHD Regional Regional Workshop in Egypt appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
Lifestyle change programme run for fans by football clubs scores health goals
February 06 ,2019
Overview:A programme which targeted the lifestyles of male football fans of 15 European football clubs has been more effective in improving physical activity than other physical activity intervention programmes, according to research published in PLOS Medicine today. The European Fans in Training (EuroFIT) programme, an EU-funded randomised control trial of 1113 men aged 30-65, carried […] The post Lifestyle change programme run for fans by football clubs scores health goals appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
WHF and the European Federation of Periodontology to hold workshop on periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases
February 06 ,2019
Overview: Preparations are being finalised for next month’s Perio & Cardio Workshop, which will explore the links between periodontal disease and cardiovascular diseases and draw up a series of recommendations. The workshop will take place in Madrid on February 18 and 19, organised jointly by the World Heart Federation and the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP), in […] The post WHF and the European Federation of Periodontology to hold workshop on periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
Developing a Roadmap on cardiovascular diseases among people living with diabetes
February 04 ,2019
Overview:An international collaboration with WHF and IDF members Last month, a small group of CVD & Diabetes experts from the World Heart Federation (WHF) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) came together at Emory University, Atlanta, to discuss the crisis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and the increasing incidence of CVD. With the burden expected […] The post Developing a Roadmap on cardiovascular diseases among people living with diabetes appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
WHF launches Report on Hypertension Roadmap implementation in Kenya
January 30 ,2019
Overview:On 30 January 2019, at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, the World Heart Federation (WHF) launched a new report titled Accelerating Cardiovascular Health and Care in Kenya. The report centres around a WHF/Kenya Cardiac Society Roundtable event held in March 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya, which convened speakers and participants from the Ministry of Health […] The post WHF launches Report on Hypertension Roadmap implementation in Kenya appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
WHF signs open letter urging WHO to reject partnership with tobacco companies
January 28 ,2019
Overview:More than 200 organizations and individuals from around the world signed an open letter sent today to the Director General and Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) to urge them to reject the partnership offered by the Philip Morris International-funded entity, Foundation for a Smoke Free World (FSFW). *************** To the Director General and […] The post WHF signs open letter urging WHO to reject partnership with tobacco companies appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
WHF and Partners say no to tobacco industry policy interference
January 25 ,2019
Overview:On 24 January 2019, the first day of the 144th session of the Executive Board, the Philip Morris-funded ‘Foundation for a Smoke-free World’ issued an open letter to the WHO Executive Board. WHF and its partners have issued the following statement in response to this attempt at tobacco industry interference in global health decision-making. ************************************* Distinguished […] The post WHF and Partners say no to tobacco industry policy interference appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
26 January 2019 is International Kawasaki Disease Awareness Day!
January 25 ,2019
Overview:On International Kawasaki Disease Awareness Day, Societi Foundation calls for awareness and action to combat this, the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children. The key and urgent messages to note are the following: Doctors need to EXPECT to see and be READY to treat Kawasaki Disease Kawasaki Disease is increasingly common, more common […] The post 26 January 2019 is International Kawasaki Disease Awareness Day! appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
Global Heart welcomes new Editor-in-Chief
January 11 ,2019
Overview:Global Heart is the principal journal for research, opinion and educational material on the prevention, treatment and control of cardiovascular diseases with a special emphasis on countries with middle and lower economies. The World Heart Federation is pleased to welcome the journal’s new Editor-in-Chief, Diederick E Grobbee, MD, PhD. Diederick Grobbee is Professor of Clinical Epidemiology […] The post Global Heart welcomes new Editor-in-Chief 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