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Cardiology
Crystallised cholesterol role in heart attacks
A US emergency room analysis found that 89% of heart attack patients has an excessive amount of cholesterol arteries obstructing the coronary arteries.
The Michigan State University...
Pneumonia or sepsis in adults associated with increased CVD risk
Pneumonia or sepsis in adults that results in hospital admission is associated with a six-fold increased risk of cardiovascular disease in the first year,...
Aspirin not increasing heart failure events in heart failure patients – WARCEF trial
Aspirin does not increase heart failure events in heart failure patients, according to the 10-year Warfarin and Aspirin for Reduced Cardiac Ejection Fraction (WARCEF) trial,...
Negative media coverage stopping people taking statins
Negative media coverage of the side effects associated with taking statins, and patients' own experiences of taking the drugs, are among the reasons cited...
Heart failure is associated with loss of important gut bacteria
In the gut of patients with heart failure, important groups of bacteria are found less frequently and the gut flora is not as diverse...
Working long hours increases atrial fibrillation risk
People who work long hours have an increased risk of developing an irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation, according to a study of...
Contracting shingles doubles stroke and heart attack risk
Contracting shingles, a reactivation of the chickenpox virus, increases a person's risk of stroke and heart attack, according to a research letter.
According to the...
Persistent mental distress linked to higher risk of death in heart patients
In patients with stable coronary artery disease, persistent psychological distress of at least moderate severity is associated with a substantial increase in cardiovascular and...
Using electronic medical records to predict a second stroke
A US study has used electronic medical records to predict the likelihood of a person experiencing atrial fibrillation after either of two kinds of...
Little evidence that moderate drinking protects against heart disease
Many people believe that having a glass of wine with dinner – or moderately drinking any kind of alcohol – will protect them from...
Heart attack risk increases 17-fold following respiratory infections
The risk of having a heart attack is 17 times higher in the seven days following a respiratory infection, University of Sydney research has...
Aspirin use doesn't lower risk of stroke for a-fib patients
Atrial fibrillation patients who received a catheter ablation and were low risk for stroke didn't benefit from long-term aspirin therapy, but are at risk...
Statin side effects are the result of negative expectations
An Imperial College London study suggests that common statin side effects of muscle pain and weakness are not a result of the drugs themselves,...
Non-O blood groups associated with higher heart attack risk
Having a non-O blood group is associated with a higher risk of heart attack, according to a large analysis presented at Heart Failure 2017...
Grey hair linked with increased heart disease risk in men
A high hair whitening score was associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease, independent of chronological age and established cardiovascular risk factors, found...
Greater atrial fibrillation risk for tall, large-boned women
Big women have a nearly threefold greater risk of atrial fibrillation than small women, according to research presented at EuroPrevent 2017. The study included...
LVADs should be a tool to assist patients with severe heart failure
A UK study has shown that nearly 40% of severe heart failure patients initially fitted with a mechanical heart pump, which was later removed,...
Trans fatty acid bans improving heart health
People living in areas that restrict trans fats in foods had fewer hospitalisations for heart attack and stroke compared to residents in areas without...
Vitamin D supplementation does not prevent cardiovascular disease
Monthly high-dose vitamin D supplementation does not prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD), a large University of Auckland randomised trial found.
Studies have reported increased incidence of...
Lack of sleep increases heart attack and stroke risk
A bad night’s sleep raises the risk of potentially fatal heart attacks and strokes, research has found. And experts warn that women are at...
Five simple tests to predict heart disease risk
Five simple medical tests together provide a broader and more accurate assessment of heart-disease risk than currently used methods, cardiologists at University of Texas...
Painkillers associated with increased cardiac arrest risk
Painkillers considered harmless by the general public are associated with increased risk of cardiac arrest, according to research. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among...
Bolivian Amazon tribe has healthiest hearts in the world
A high carbohydrate diet of rice, plantain, manioc and corn, with a small amount of wild game and fish – plus around six hours...
Blood test for a protein can identify patients with heart damage
A blood test for a protein called high-sensitivity troponin T, which is released into the bloodstream when injury to the heart occurs, can identify...
Digoxin for atrial fibrillation increases mortality risk
Patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) who are given digoxin to control their symptoms have an increased risk of death, whether or not they have...
Online behavioural intervention helping hypertension control
Participants in an online behavioural intervention for high blood pressure had a greater reduction in systolic blood pressure compared with the online control intervention,...
Brain microbleed common in older TAVR patients
Small leakages from blood vessels in the brain, known as microbleeds, increase with age and are associated with cognitive decline. Of 84 older patients...
Heart and diabetes risk higher in those with 'apple-shaped' bodies
Gene variants associated with an 'apple-shaped' body type, in which weight is deposited around the abdomen rather than in the hips and thighs, increases...
Heavy drinking can prematurely age arteries
Heavy alcohol drinking habits over the years may prematurely age arteries, especially in men, putting them at an increased risk for heart disease, according...
Recreational drugs hasten biological ageing of the heart
The use of recreational amphetamine, popularly known as 'speed', 'ice', and 'ecstasy', may hasten the biological ageing of the heart, suggests Australian research. The...
Increased heart risk for young adults with coronary artery calcium
The presence of any coronary artery calcium among adults ages 32 to 46 years was associated with a 5-fold increase in fatal and nonfatal...
Higher cardiovascular risk for habitual e-cigarette users
Habitual e-cigarette use was associated with a shift in cardiac autonomic balance toward sympathetic predominance and increased oxidative stress, both associated with increased cardiovascular...
High survival rate for elderly patients with ICD
Of patients over age 65 who received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) after surviving sudden cardiac arrest or a near-fatal arrhythmia, almost 80% survived two...
Recommendations on acute heart failure
Urgent diagnosis and treatment in acute heart failure has been emphasised for the first time in joint recommendations published in the European Heart Journal.
POAF not a transient phenomenon
A Loyola University study has found that post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is not a transient phenomenon as widely believed and can significantly increase the risk of heart attack or stroke during the first 12 months after surgery.
Heart rate link to diabetes risk
An association between resting heart rate and diabetes suggests that heart rate measures could identify individuals with a higher future risk of diabetes, according to a large international study.
BP drugs effective in end-stage kidney disease
Blood pressure lowering drugs do not improve life expectancy among adults with diabetes and kidney disease. However, the study, which brings together 157 studies involving more than 43,000 adults, shows that angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) treatments, are the most effective drug regimen for preventing end-stage kidney disease
33% lower stroke risk with cholesterol drugs
Use of cholesterol lowering drugs is associated with a one third lower risk of stroke in older adults without previous disease.
Exercise improves ICD patients' survival
Patients who had higher activity levels following insertion of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) had better survival.
Depression doubles stroke risk
Persistent depression may double the risk of stroke in adults over 50 – and stroke risk remains higher even after symptoms of depression go away, according to Harvard research.