VIDEO: Dhruv Kazi, MD, MSc, MS, highlights importance of underutilized cardiac rehab
December 03 ,2023
Overview:PHILADELPHIA — In this Healio video exclusive, Dhruv S. Kazi, MD, MSc, MS, discusses the importance of cardiac rehabilitation, noting that a comprehensive program is “more than just supervised exercise.”Beyond supervised physical activity, cardiac rehab also includes many other tools, such as psychosocial support, guidance on weight loss and nutrition, medication adherence support and, if necessary, smoking cessation support, Kazi, associate director of the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology, director of the cardiac critical care unit at more
VIDEO: Michael C. Honigberg, MD, MPP, discusses bone marrow abnormality linked to CVD
December 02 ,2023
Overview:PHILADELPHIA — In this Healio video exclusive, Michael C. Honigberg, MD, MPP, discusses the latest research on clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential in blood cells, an emerging risk factor for CVD.Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential, also known as CHIP, is perhaps best described as a “pre-pre-pre blood cancer state,” Honigberg, a cardiologist and researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.“While many people with CHIP mutations do not more
Seizures associated with earlier decline to MCI in cognitively healthy adults
December 01 ,2023
Overview:ORLANDO — In cognitively healthy adults, the presence of seizures predicted earlier change from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment but was not associated with change from MCI to dementia. according to research.“Comorbid seizures are common in those with dementia and are associated with accelerated cognitive decline in those with dementia,” Ifrah Zawar, MD, lead study author and assistant professor in the department of neurology at the University of Virginia, and colleagues wrote in a presentation at the American Epilepsy Society annual meeting.As there is limited more
Black, Hispanic, Latino patients with ASCVD less likely to get optimal care
December 01 ,2023
Overview:Despite population-wide improvements in use of lipid-lowering medication and cholesterol control since 1999, significant racial and ethnic disparities persist among patients with a history of atherosclerotic CVD, researchers reported.“Evidence-based secondary prevention guidelines recommend the use of lifestyle modifications and pharmacological medications to reduce risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes. However, previous studies have shown substantial racial and ethnic disparities in adherence to these guidelines, with non-Hispanic Black patients and Hispanic and more
Top news of November: Semaglutide CV outcomes, treating statin intolerance and more
December 01 ,2023
Overview:Healio and Cardiology Today have compiled a list of the most-read news in cardiology of November 2023.Readers were most interested in the results of the SELECT trial of semaglutide in patients with CVD and obesity; strategies to address statin intolerance; AI that evaluates coronary inflammation to assess CV risk events in patients undergoing coronary CTA; and more.In the SELECT trial, treatment with weekly injectable semaglutide 2.4 mg was superior to placebo for reducing cardiovascular risk in adults with preexisting heart disease and overweight or obesity but without diabetes. Read more more
Two post-approval outcome trials of anti-hyperkalemia drug stopped for logistical reasons
December 01 ,2023
Overview:AstraZeneca announced that two post-approval randomized heart- and kidney-related outcome studies of its anti-hyperkalemia drug have been stopped due to slow enrollment and low event rates.The drug, sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (Lokelma), was approved in 2018 for prevention of hyperkalemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and in those with HF taking renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors, which can raise potassium levels.The phase 3 post-approval trials stopped were STABILIZE-CKD and DIALIZE-Outcomes.STABILIZE-CKD was designed to evaluate the effect of sodium more
Etripamil reduces ventricular rate in patients with AF
December 01 ,2023
Overview:PHILADELPHIA — Etripamil, a nasal spray, reduced ventricular rate in patients with atrial fibrillation and rapid ventricular rate, researchers reported at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.“A rapid ventricular rate produces symptoms similar to those experienced after running quickly or after receiving a shocking piece of news. However, since this occurs very suddenly ... it is very frightening to the patient and this anxiety worsens the situation. The feeling of your heart running away with itself is very alarming, especially to those who have not become used to more
Small-dose, short-duration glucocorticoid use increases risk for cardiac events in RA
November 30 ,2023
Overview:SAN DIEGO — Glucocorticoid doses as small as 5 mg per day, in durations as short as 30 days, and a use period as long as 1 year all increase the risk for major adverse cardiac events in rheumatoid arthritis, said a speaker here.“Up to half of RA patients in the United States use glucocorticoids despite previous evidence of increased odds of major adverse cardiovascular events,” Beth Wallace, MD, of the VA Ann Arbor, Michigan, and of the University of Michigan, told attendees at ACR Convergence 2023. “Ninety days of use may have a two-fold increase in risk.”To more
Recommended exercise leads to 'fairly profound' mortality reduction for cancer survivors
November 30 ,2023
Overview:For individuals diagnosed with cancer, guideline-concordant exercise reduced all-cause mortality by 25% compared with patients with cancer who did not exercise, study results published in Journal of Clinical Oncology showed.The analysis, led by exercise scientist Lee W. Jones, PhD, chief of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Exercise Oncology Service, reported a difference in median survival time of about 5 years for those who exercised vs. non-exercisers after a cancer diagnosis.“When we talk to individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer and cancer survivors, one of more
New atrial fibrillation guideline highlights early rhythm control, prevention strategies
November 30 ,2023
Overview:An updated guideline on the prevention and management of atrial fibrillation includes a new staging system to emphasize disease progression, along with updated recommendations for catheter ablation and left atrial appendage occlusion.Of note, catheter ablation is now recommended as a first-line therapy in certain patients with AF, and lifestyle and risk factor modification are now deemed to be a key component to prevent onset of AF, progression of AF and poor outcomes from AF.The guideline, a joint effort of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, was developed more
Higher BMI linked to increased cancer risk in those with cardiovascular disease
November 30 ,2023
Overview:Higher BMI increased the risk for obesity-related cancer among a cohort of European adults, irrespective of cardiometabolic disease status, according to study results.The findings, published in BMC Medicine, suggest that obesity prevention could translate into further reduction in cancer risk among populations with cardiovascular disease, researchers concluded.“For so long, research has focused solely on how BMI affects cancer risk for the general population. However, a growing proportion of the population is living with chronic conditions, which we thought may render these people more more
In brain-dead potential heart donors, IV levothyroxine does not increase transplants
November 30 ,2023
Overview:Giving IV levothyroxine to hemodynamically unstable brain-dead potential heart donors did not result in more transplants compared with placebo, researchers reported in The New England Journal of Medicine.“Several large observational studies have suggested that more hearts and total organs are transplanted from donors who had received thyroid hormone,” Rajat Dhar, MD, FRCPC, professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and colleagues wrote. “These findings have led to widespread adoption of hormonal resuscitation as a cornerstone of more
Consuming energy drinks before pregnancy may raise risk for gestational hypertension
November 30 ,2023
Overview:Energy drink consumption before pregnancy was associated with an increased risk for gestational hypertension, researchers reported in JAMA Network Open.“Given that the majority of energy drink consumers are young adults of reproductive age, including individuals who may become pregnant, it is of high importance to examine associations of energy drink intake with adverse pregnancy outcomes,” Ming Ding, ScD, researcher in the department of emergency medicine at the University of North Carolina and the department of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and more
Flu vaccine reduces risk for heart attack, cardiovascular death
November 29 ,2023
Overview:Influenza vaccination was linked to significant decreased risks for major cardiovascular events and death, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.“Differing viewpoints exist regarding the impact of influenza vaccination on CVDs,” Fatemeh Omidi, MD, an assistant professor in the department of cardiology at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Iran, and colleagues wrote. “While certain observational investigations suggest a favorable correlation between influenza vaccination and the reduction in occurrences of cardiovascular incidents like acute more
Unfiltered traffic-related air pollution linked to increased BP
November 29 ,2023
Overview:Inhalation of traffic-related air pollution in a car with unfiltered air was linked to a rapid increase in BP, which peaked within 1 hour, a recent study found.According to Michael T. Young, MPH, PhD, from the department of environmental and occupational sciences at the University of Washington, and colleagues, “[traffic-related air pollution (TRAP)] exposure is recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and other health effects.”TRAP is an air pollution mixture made up of roadway sources like brake and tire wear or vehicle exhaust, the researchers explained.“It more
RNA interference therapies safely lower atherosclerotic cholesterol
November 29 ,2023
Overview:PHILADELPHIA — Three phase 2 trials, two of apolipoprotein C-III inhibition and one of angiopoietin-like protein 3 inhibition, demonstrated the efficacy and safety of dyslipidemia treatment via RNA interference.The results of the SHASTA-2, MUIR and ARCHES-2 trials were presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.“Apolipoprotein C-III inhibits triglyceride clearance by reducing lipoprotein lipase-mediated hydrolysis and hepatocyte uptake of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. ARO-APOC3, a hepatocyte-targeting RNA interference therapeutic, inhibits ApoC-III messenger more
Early-onset heart disease drives risk for Alzheimer's disease, other dementias
November 29 ,2023
Overview:Adults with a diagnosis of coronary heart disease before age 45 years are 36% more likely to develop dementia over 13 years of follow-up compared with those without a CHD diagnosis, data from the UK Biobank show.In an analysis of more than 430,000 adults, researchers also found that risk for dementia rose in direct proportion to the younger age of CHD onset, Fanfan Zheng, PhD, of the School of Nursing at Peking Union Medical College in Beijing, and colleagues wrote in the Journal of the American Heart Association.“What surprised us most was the linear relationship between the age of more
Novel equations estimate long-term risk from cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome
November 29 ,2023
Overview:PHILADELPHIA — A speaker unveiled the American Heart Association’s new PREVENT equations to evaluate 10- and 30-year absolute risk associated with cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome.Details on the PREVENT equations were presented at the AHA Scientific Sessions and simultaneously published in Circulation.“The current guidelines for primary prevention released in 2019 offer several recommendations focusing on risk assessment of cardiovascular disease for U.S. adults. This framework ... is to calculate risk for U.S. adults aged 40 to 79 years using the pooled cohort more
Statin use tied to lower breast cancer death risk
November 29 ,2023
Overview:Statin use after breast cancer diagnosis was associated with reduced breast cancer mortality and reduced serum cholesterol levels compared with not using a statin, according to cohort study results published in JAMA Network Open.“It has been suggested that statins may be beneficial for breast cancer survival in patients with metastatic disease. Moreover, serum cholesterol level may have a role in breast cancer outcome,” Mika O. Murto, MD, general surgeon in the department of general surgery at the Tays Cancer Centre at Tampere University Hospital, Finland, and colleagues wrote. more
TRANSFORM trial will harness AI to evaluate personalized heart disease care strategies
November 28 ,2023
Overview:PHILADELPHIA — A randomized controlled trial will assess whether pairing coronary CT angiography with an investigational AI algorithm to stage coronary plaque burden is superior to usual care for primary prevention of CV events.For the TRANSFORM trial, researchers will compare whether adults at risk for but without a history of CVD are less likely to experience a CV event with a treatment strategy guided by coronary CT angiography paired with the plaque staging system (Cleerly Health) compared with coronary CT plus usual care, according to Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, director of Mount more
Optimal Antiplatelet Therapy In NSTE-ACS: Results From A Novel Crowdsourcing Survey
July 07 ,2021
Overview:The choice and duration of antiplatelet therapy in NSTE-ACS undergoing PCI is complex and is a hotly debated topic – particularly amongst patients at high bleeding risk. To gain insight […] more
Results of an international crowdsourcing survey on the utilisation of antiplatelet therapy in NSTE-ACS
June 09 ,2021
Overview:Choosing an antiplatelet strategy in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) at high bleeding risk (HBR), undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), is complex given that one must […] more
Hello world!
February 04 ,2021
Overview:Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! The post Hello world! appeared first on World Heart Federation. more
ACC.20/WCC Virtual continues!
April 05 ,2020
Overview:The World Heart Federation and American College of Cardiology held their first ever virtual congress March 28-30. But it’s not over. All of the ACC.20/WCC Virtual live sessions are now available […] more
2020 ISCP Annual Meeting cancelled
February 26 ,2020
Overview:Notice of Cancellation We regret to have to inform our colleagues and friends that the 2020 ISCP Annual Scientific Meeting in Miami will now be cancelled. The Board of Directors […] 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, […] 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 […] more