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Cardiology
Digoxin ups risk of death by 21%
A meta-analysis found that among atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure patients who were treated with digoxin, there was an overall 21% increased risk of death from any cause.
Rheumatoid arthritis increases heart risk
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk of a surprise heart attack.
COPD sufferers face increased risk of SCD
Those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a 34% increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) overall, but their risk almost doubles more than five years after first being diagnosed with COPD.
Heart risk increased by traumatic events
Traumatic life events such as the death of a loved one or life-threatening illness increased the chances of a heart attack by more than 65% among middle-aged and older women regardless of heart disease risk factors or socioeconomic status.
Frailty is better risk indicator than age
Frailty among older people with cardiovascular disease appears to be more predictive than age for gauging their risk of heart attack, stroke and death, according to an international study.
Heart stopping news for polygamists
[caption id="attachment_4121" align="alignright" width="300"]
Pic courtesy of Timeslive
President Jabob Zuma with four of his wives[/caption]Polygamy increases the risk of heart disease by more than fourfold, reveals Saudi Arabian research. The risk and severity of heart disease increased with the number of wives. Dr Amin Daoulah, a cardiologist at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, whose multicentre observational study was presented at the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology Congress 2015, said ‘This could be because the need to provide and maintain separate households multiplies the financial burden and emotional expense. Each household must be treated fairly and equally, and it seems likely that the stress of doing that for several spouses and possibly several families of children is considerable.’
Pic courtesy of TimeslivePresident Jabob Zuma with four of his wives[/caption]Polygamy increases the risk of heart disease by more than fourfold, reveals Saudi Arabian research. The risk and severity of heart disease increased with the number of wives. Dr Amin Daoulah, a cardiologist at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, whose multicentre observational study was presented at the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology Congress 2015, said ‘This could be because the need to provide and maintain separate households multiplies the financial burden and emotional expense. Each household must be treated fairly and equally, and it seems likely that the stress of doing that for several spouses and possibly several families of children is considerable.’
Losing too much blood from too many tests
Laboratory testing among cardiac surgery patients can lead to excessive bloodletting, increasing risk of hospital-acquired anaemia and the need for blood transfusion. Patients were found to be undergoing 116 tests each.
Vitamin D doesn't lower blood pressure
A review of clinical trial data found vitamin D supplementation was ineffective at lowering blood pressure and should not be used as an anti-hypertensive
Longer life for elderly from TAVR
Elderly patients once considered too frail for asurgery are living longer, with better quality of life, following minimally invasive trans-catheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) than those followed standard therapy with balloon aortic valvuloplasty but no surgery.
Phase-3 anticoagulation trial terminated
A novel therapy that allowed blood-clotting to be turned off and on in a more controlled way showed similar efficacy to established anticoagulants in angioplasty patients, without improvement in major bleeding, according to data from a Phase-3 trial terminated due to an excess of severe allergic reactions.
Bendavia found not to prevent scarring
Patients who received the new drug Bendavia before undergoing angioplasty or receiving a stent showed no significant reduction in scarring compared to a placebo.
Anti-platelet medication with aspirin
Anti-platelet medication ticagrelor, added to aspirin for one year in patients after their heart attack, reduces risk of cardiovascular death, another heart attack, or stroke by 15%.
SAPIEN valve feasible for high risk patients
Five-year data suggests the SAPIEN trans-catheter heart valve is a feasible option for severe aortic stenosis patients deemed at high risk for open-heart surgery, although valve leakage was more common with the first-generation valve evaluated than with surgery.
Ablation reduces Afib episodes
Patients with atrial fibrillation (Afib) who received ablation during surgery to correct a leaky heart valve had fewer episodes of Afib a year later compared to those who had the valve surgery alone.
Despite new stents, CABG still less risky
Patients with multiple narrowed arteries in the heart who received coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) fared better than those whose arteries were opened with balloon angioplasty and stents.
Weight loss improves prognosis for obese Afibs
Obese patients suffering from atrial fibrillation (Afib) who lose at least 10% of their body weight greatly increase their chances of achieving long-term freedom from this disorder, according to research from the University of Adelaide.
Routine scans could cut heart attack rates
Routine heart scans for patients referred to cardiac clinics with chest pain could reduce heart attack rates, the SCOT-HEART study suggests. A separate Duke University study found that patients with heart disease symptoms have similar outcomes in terms of death and major cardiac conditions, regardless of whether they undergo a functional stress test or a CT scan.
Heart failure risk with diabetes medication
A study examining clinical trials of more than 95,000 patients has found that glucose or sugar-lowering medications prescribed to patients with diabetes may pose an increased risk of heart failure in these patients.
Combo-medication reduces risk of first stroke
In a study of more than 20,000 adults in China with high blood pressure but without a history of stroke or heart attack, the combined use of the hypertension medication enalapril and folic acid, compared with enalapril alone, significantly reduced the risk of first stroke.
Heart failure culprit identified
Working with lab animals and human heart cells, scientists have identified what causes the cell-signalling breakdown that triggers progressive heart failure.
Less risk using artery in arm
Patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing coronary angiogram had a significantly lower risk of major bleeding and death if the heart was accessed through an artery in the arm rather than the groin.
Guidelines on blood transfusion after surgery
Existing national and international transfusion guidelines recommend that blood transfusions only be given to patients who develop very low haemoglobin concentrations. The largest ever randomised trial in the UK in a surgical or cardiac surgery population shows that this strategy may increase the number of deaths in cardiac surgery.
First one-year TAVR mortality data
The first study results of one-year data for more than 12,000 patients who had trans-catheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the US show an overall one-year death rate of 23.7% and a stroke rate of 4.1%.
New statin guidelines may be too generic
The newest guidelines for the use of statins in people at risk of heart disease may be too generic, excluding middle-aged adults who could benefit, and over-prescribing in older adults, according to a study from the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
Elderly with AF face higher risk of falling
Older adults who suffer a fall are twice as likely to have atrial fibrillation, found a Netherlands-led analysis of data on 4,800 adults over age 50 in Ireland.
Stress and depression increase heart risk
A Columbia University study of nearly 5,000 heart patients found the combination of stress and heavy depression can significantly increase risk of death or heart attack.
Post-stroke altepase needs 'urgent' reassessment
Advice to use the anti-clotting drug alteplase more than three hours after an acute stroke should be urgently re-evaluated, say British researchers.
Alternative to statins 'dramatically' cuts cholesterol
A Brigham and Women's Hospital study claims a drug called evolocumab could be much more effective than statins. It reduced cholesterol levels so dramatically that patients' risk of cardiovascular events - such as heart attack and stroke - fell by more than half.
New guidelines on blood thinners in AFib
Nearly all women and people over 65 in the US with atrial fibrillation (AFib) are advised to take blood thinners under new guidelines based on an analysis from the Duke Clinical Research Institute
Decreased heart function link to memory loss
A Vanderbilt University study found participants with decreased heart function, measured by cardiac index, were two to three times more likely to develop significant memory loss over the follow-up period.
Moderate coffee drinking benefits arteries
A South Korean meta-analysis found that people consuming three to five cups of coffee a day had the least risk of coronary calcium in their arteries.
Pro-vegetarian diet lowers heart risk
A pro-vegetarian diet – one that has a higher proportion of plant-based foods compared to animal-based foods is linked to lower risks of dying from heart disease and stroke, according to an analysis of the eating and lifestyle habits of 451,256 Europeans.
Nut intake cuts heart mortality
Researchers at Vanderbilt University and the Shanghai Cancer Institute examined the association of nut consumption with mortality among low-income and racially diverse populations and found that intake of peanuts was associated with fewer deaths, especially from heart disease.
Heart health improved by sense of purpose
Having a strong sense of purpose in life may lower risk of heart disease and stroke by 19%, according to a US meta-analysis. It is associated also with a 23% reduction in death from all causes.
Two hours of daily TV linked to high child BP
A study on European children concludes that more than two hours a day in front of a TV screen increases the probability of high blood pressure by 30%. Less than an hour a day of physical increases this risk by 50%.
NSAIDs link with cardiovascular events
In patients receiving antithrombotic therapy after a heart attack, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with an increased risk of bleeding, heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death, even in short-term treatment, according to a large Danish study.
Calculators overestimate heart attack risk
Four out of five widely used clinical calculators considerably overrate heart attack risk, including the most recent 2013 one by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.
Treadmill performance predicts mortality
Johns Hopkins cardiologists have developed a formula that estimates overall mortality risk based on ability to exercise on a treadmill. Fitness level was the single most powerful predictor.
Heart risk lower in active older women
Middle-aged women who are physically active a few times each week have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and blood clots than inactive women, according to a University of Oxford study. More frequent physical activity does not appear to lower the risks any further.
Fondaparinux reduced bleeding and death
The anticoagulant fondaparinux was associated with reduced major bleeding events and improved survival compared to heparin in a large randomised Swedish clinical trial.