Lifestyle changes plus drug therapy inferior to catheter ablation in AF, obesity

March 31 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — For patients with atrial fibrillation and obesity, lifestyle modification plus antiarrhythmic drug therapy conferred various benefits but was inferior to catheter ablation for preventing recurrent AF, researchers reported.For the PRAGUE-25 trial, presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session, Pavel Osmancik, MD, PhD, from Cardiocenter, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University Prague and University Hospital Královské Vinohrady in Prague, and colleagues randomly assigned 203 patients with AF and obesity (mean age, 60 years; 68% men) to more

Cardiac arrest rates during long-distance running races ‘relatively stable’ in recent years

March 31 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — Good news for long-distance runners: The incidence of sudden cardiac arrest during marathons and half-marathons remained relatively stable over the past 2 decades, while the risk for sudden cardiac death markedly declined.New data from the Race Associated Cardiac Event Registry (RACER) on more than 29 million participants of marathons and half-marathons in the U.S. were presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session and simultaneously published in JAMA.“Between 2010 and 2023, the incidence of sudden cardiac arrest during long-distance races has more

Tirzepatide improves outcomes in HFpEF, obesity regardless of kidney function

March 31 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — In patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and obesity, tirzepatide improved clinical outcomes compared with placebo regardless of chronic kidney disease, according to new data from the SUMMIT trial.As Healio previously reported, the main results of SUMMIT demonstrated that tirzepatide (Zepbound, Eli Lilly) reduced risk for CV death and worsening HF by 38% compared with placebo in patients with HFpEF and obesity. Milton Packer, MD, Distinguished Scholar in Cardiovascular Science at Baylor University Medical Center, presented new data stratified by presence more

Trial supports sotatercept as standard of care for high-risk patients with PAH

March 31 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — Sotatercept, an activin signaling inhibitor, was associated with improved outcomes in patients with advanced pulmonary arterial hypertension at high risk for death, a speaker reported.The results of the phase 3, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled ZENITH trial of sotatercept-csrk (Winrevair, Merck) for patients with WHO functional class III or IV PAH were presented the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine.“The idea was to evaluate efficacy and safety in a more advanced more

Accurate pulse oximetry ‘challenging’ in critically ill patients; skin pigmentation a factor

March 31 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — In a new study, pulse oximeters underestimated arterial oxygen saturation among patients in the ICU, and the ability of the devices to detect hypoxemia was especially hindered in patients with dark skin pigmentation.The results of EquiOx, a trial designed to assess differences in pulse oximeter performance across a range of objective and subjective skin pigmentations, were presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session.“We’ve known for decades that these devices performed differently across races and across skin pigment groups,” Carolyn more

Physician enthusiasm for AI on the rise; patients remain skeptical about responsible use

March 31 ,2025

Overview:Physician enthusiasm about the role of AI in health care continues to increase, according to an AMA survey.However, a majority of Americans do not have faith in health systems to utilize AI responsibly, a separate study showed.AMA conducted a survey in 2023 to obtain baseline data about physicians’ opinions about AI in health care.A follow-up survey conducted in fall 2024 assessed changes in physician sentiments, with the goal to capture their views about the increasing use of AI in health care and the needs it may help address.“This is such a quickly evolving technology. We’re more

Novel agent targeting aldosterone lowers blood pressure for adults with resistant hypertension

March 30 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — The investigational aldosterone synthase inhibitor lorundrostat effectively lowered 24-hour BP for adults with well-treated, uncontrolled and “true” treatment-resistant hypertension, according to data from a new phase 2b study.The ADVANCE-HTN study, presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session, is the second trial to assess the ability of once-daily lorundrostat to safely lower BP for adults with persistently elevated levels despite already taking multiple BP medications.“We know aldosterone plays an outsize role in CVD and in more

Lepodisiran lowers Lp(a) substantially with infrequent administration

March 30 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — Lepodisiran, a small interfering RNA agent, lowered lipoprotein(a) levels at 180 days, with a reduction of more than 90 percentage points with a single 400-mg dose compared with placebo, according to results from the ALPACA trial.The phase 2 ALPACA trial of lepodisiran (Eli Lilly), presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine, enrolled 320 patients with elevated Lp(a) (mean, 253.9 nmol/L).“Lepodisiran is attached to a compound known as N-acetylgalactosamine, or GalNAc, that is more

Dapagliflozin benefits older patients with heart failure undergoing valve replacement

March 30 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — The first trial to evaluate use of an SGLT2 inhibitor in people undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement showed benefit with dapagliflozin compared with standard care alone, including in older patients.“Among elderly patients with aortic stenosis undergoing TAVI and at high risk for heart failure, dapagliflozin was safe and reduced the incidence of all-cause death or worsening heart failure,” Sergio Raposeiras-Roubin, MD, PhD, clinical cardiologist at Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital in Vigo, Spain, and professor of medicine at University of Santiago de more

Routine cerebral embolic protection shows no benefit for patients undergoing TAVR

March 30 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — Routine cerebral embolic protection did not reduce the incidence of stroke at 72 hours in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, according to results of the BHF PROTECT-TAVI trial.BHF PROTECT-TAVI, presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine, is the second trial to show no benefit of a cerebral embolic protection device (Sentinel, Boston Scientific) for routine use in TAVR. The PROTECTED TAVR trial was presented and published in 2022.“At the second interim more

TAVR remains noninferior to surgery for low-risk patients at 5 years

March 30 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — Among patients with severe aortic stenosis at low surgical risk, transcatheter aortic valve replacement and surgery conferred similar rates of death and disabling stroke at 5 years, new data from the Evolut Low Risk Trial show.The results, presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, were consistent with previously reported data from 2 years, 3 years and 4 years.The trial included 1,414 patients (mean age, 74 years; 35% women) who had severe aortic stenosis and were at low more

New data question benefit of fluid restriction in chronic heart failure

March 30 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — A new study that looked at how liberal vs. restrictive fluid restriction impacts health status for patients with chronic heart failure found no added risks or benefits with either strategy, researchers reported.Results of the FRESH-UP study were presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session and simultaneously published in Nature Medicine.“Fluid restriction in heart failure has been recommended to patients with heart failure for decades [based] on the intuitive assumption that patients should have a fluid restriction in order to prevent episodes of more

Oral semaglutide cuts risk for heart events by 14% in high-risk type 2 diabetes

March 29 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — Oral semaglutide reduced risk for major adverse CV events by 14% in high-risk adults with type 2 diabetes regardless of SGLT2 inhibitor use, according to data presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session.Researchers presenting findings from the SOUL trial, simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine, also found that the overall safety profile of oral semaglutide 14 mg (Rybelsus, Novo Nordisk), a GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for people with type 2 diabetes, was similar to what has been observed in previous semaglutide trials, adding more

Rivaroxaban a ‘viable alternative’ to warfarin for blood clots after heart attack

March 29 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — In the RIVAWAR trial, patients hospitalized for a heart attack who were treated with rivaroxaban for left ventricular thrombus had comparable outcomes at 3 months to patients treated with warfarin.At 3 months of follow-up, efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban was similar to warfarin for resolution of left ventricular thrombus (LVT). Moreover, there were no excess deaths, strokes or major bleeds.“These findings support rivaroxaban as a viable alternative to warfarin, offering predictable dosing and eliminating the need for routine INR monitoring in patients with post-MI more

Three months may be the ‘sweet spot’ for dual antiplatelet therapy after PCI

March 29 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — Three months of dual antiplatelet therapy after PCI may safely balance thrombosis and bleeding risk in both patients with low and high bleeding risk, compared with 1 and 12 months of DAPT, according to new data.To evaluate the impact of bleeding risk on DAPT duration after PCI, Hyo-Soo Kim, MD, PhD, professor of internal medicine at Seoul National University Hospital in South Korea, and colleagues conducted the HOST-BR trial. Results were presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session.“This is the first randomized study to stratify patients according more

Antidote to ticagrelor reverses bleeding, restores platelet function

March 29 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — Bentracimab, a recombinant human immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody fragment, restored platelet function in patients on ticagrelor undergoing urgent surgery or with major bleeding, according to data from the REVERSE-IT trial.The phase 3 trial was presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session. Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, MBA, director of the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital, the Dr. Valentin Fuster Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a Healio | Cardiology Today Editorial Board member, and colleagues more

Intensive medical therapy does not help or harm women with chest pain: WARRIOR

March 29 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — Among women with suspected ischemia with nonobstructive coronary disease, an intensive medical therapy strategy did not reduce risk for major adverse CV events at 5 years compared with usual care.Researchers at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session emphasized that the neutral findings from WARRIOR — the largest study of women with suspected ischemia with nonobstructive coronary disease (INOCA) and the only trial with a major adverse CV outcome in this population — should not be interpreted as endorsing discontinuation of statins, ACE inhibitors or more

Low-dose apixaban for extended anticoagulation may be option for preventing cancer-related VTE

March 29 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — For patients with cancer requiring extended anticoagulant therapy, a strategy of reduced-dose apixaban was noninferior to full-dose apixaban for prevention of cancer-associated recurrent venous thromboembolism.Reduced-dose apixaban also resulted in a lower incidence of clinically relevant bleeding.Results of the randomized, double-blind, noninferiority API-CAT trial evaluating regular vs. low-dose apixaban (Eliquis, Bristol Myers Squibb/Pfizer) in patients with cancer and proximal deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism were presented at the American College of Cardiology more

Ozempic boosts walking distance for patients with diabetes, peripheral artery disease

March 29 ,2025

Overview:CHICAGO — Among patients with diabetes and peripheral artery disease, semaglutide 1 mg increased walking distance vs. placebo, according to data from the STRIDE trial presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session.Marc P. Bonaca, MD, MPH, executive director of CPC Clinical Research and CPC Community Health, director of vascular research and professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and holder of the William R. Hiatt Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Research, and colleagues randomly assigned 792 patients with diabetes and PAD (mean age, 68 more

Cannabis use tied to elevated heart attack risk in younger adults

March 28 ,2025

Overview:New research links regular cannabis use with heart attack and other adverse cardiovascular events in otherwise healthy adults aged 50 years and younger.The findings come from a retrospective study of more than 4.6 million people and a meta-analysis of 12 previously published studies, both slated for presentation at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session.“Clinicians should actively screen for cannabis use in patients, provide appropriate counseling and recognize that cannabis is not as benign as commonly perceived. Its cardiovascular risks warrant further clinical 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

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