Cardiology (all articles)
Cardiac Patients in Trials Don’t Reflect Real-World Populations – MedPage Today
6 May, 2017 | 20:39h | UTCResearch letter: Applicability of the IMPROVE-IT Trial to Current Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome – JAMA Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full text)
Source: Cardiac Patients in Trials Don’t Reflect Real-World Populations – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Related: Exclusion of patients with concomitant chronic conditions in ongoing randomised controlled trials targeting 10 common chronic conditions and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: a systematic review of registration details – BMJ Open (free) AND Do cancer clinical trials exaggerate the real-world benefits of drugs? – STAT News (free)
Patients in clinical trials are often younger, healthier (with less comorbidities), better plugged in to the health care system, better educated and wealthier, indicating that the external validity or generalizability of much of the current evidence to real-world settings may be relatively weak.
Bystander Efforts and 1-Year Outcomes in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
4 May, 2017 | 20:17h | UTCBystander Efforts and 1-Year Outcomes in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest – New England Journal of Medicine (Link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Quick Take Video Summary: Bystander Efforts in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (free)
Commentary: Bystander CPR and Defibrillation Are Associated with Better Long-Term Outcomes – Journal Watch (free)
In patients who have initially survived after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, those who were submitted to bystander CPR and defibrillation had lower risk of brain damage, nursing home admission and death after one year when compared to patients who survived but were not submitted to bystander CPR.
Selection of patients for intra-arterial treatment for acute ischaemic stroke
4 May, 2017 | 20:18h | UTCNew decision tool: MR CLEAN-R Registry (free)
This new clinical decision tool will improve the selection of patients with acute ischemic stroke who will benefit the most from intra-arterial treatment.
PCSK9 inhibitors for prevention of cardiovascular disease – Cochrane Library
3 May, 2017 | 17:28h | UTCSystematic review: PCSK9 inhibitors for prevention of cardiovascular disease – Cochrane Library (free summary – $ for full-text))
The evidence so far suggests that PCSK9 inhibitor use probably leads to little or no difference in mortality and leads to a modest absolute risk reduction (often less than 1%) in cardiovascular events in high-risk patients.
Effect of Using the HEART Score in Patients With Chest Pain in the Emergency Department
2 May, 2017 | 17:20h | UTCEffect of Using the HEART Score in Patients With Chest Pain in the Emergency Department: A Stepped-Wedge, Cluster Randomized Trial – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
See also: HEART Score for Major Cardiac Events – MdCalc (free)
Commentaries: HEART Score for Chest Pain in ED Found to Be Safe, Cost-Effective – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND HEART Score Safely Informs Chest Pain Decisions in ED – Medscape (free registration required) AND HEART score to risk stratify patients with chest pain is safe but underutilized in the ED – ScienceDaily (free)
CPAP Use in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: What a Cardiologist Needs to Know
2 May, 2017 | 17:17h | UTCReview: CPAP Use in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: What a Cardiologist Needs to Know – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology(free)
Echocardiography and lung ultrasonography for the assessment and management of acute heart failure
2 May, 2017 | 17:18h | UTCExpert consensus document: Echocardiography and lung ultrasonography for the assessment and management of acute heart failure – Nature Reviews Cardiology (free)
Source: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter
ACCF/AHA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure
1 May, 2017 | 16:51h | UTC2017 ACC/AHA/HFSA Focused Update of the 2013 ACCF/AHA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure (free)
Commentaries: Societies Update Heart Failure Management Guidelines – Heart Failure Society of America (free) AND Societies Release HF Guideline Focused Update – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
Normal-Weight Central Obesity and Risk for Mortality
28 Apr, 2017 | 16:38h | UTCNormal-Weight Central Obesity and Risk for Mortality – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Waist circumference stronger predictor of death risk than BMI – Haelio (free) AND Forget Your BMI and Focus on This Measurement Instead – TIME (free) AND Central Obesity Ups Mortality Across BMI Range – Physician’s Briefing (free) AND Central obesity may increase mortality risk from cardiovascular disease – Cardiovascular Business (free) AND People with a normal BMI who carry weight around the middle at greatest risk of death – HealthCanal (free)
Advil, Motrin and other NSAIDs painkillers should be prescription only, Danish study says
28 Apr, 2017 | 16:37h | UTCAdvil, Motrin and other NSAIDs painkillers should be prescription only, Danish study says – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (free) (RT @medpagetodaysee Tweet)
Original article: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use is associated with increased risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a nationwide case–time–control study – European Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy (free)
See more commentaries on this study in our March 17 issue, see #5.
Guidelines For Management Of Dyslipidemia And Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease
27 Apr, 2017 | 16:29h | UTCGuidelines For Management Of Dyslipidemia And Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease – American Association Of Clinical Endocrinologists And American College Of Endocrinology (free PDF) (RT @greg_folkers)
Role of Biomarkers for the Prevention, Assessment, and Management of Heart Failure
27 Apr, 2017 | 16:32h | UTCGuideline: Role of Biomarkers for the Prevention, Assessment, and Management of Heart Failure: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (free PDF)
News release: New guidance on heart failure tests can improve care – American Heart Association News (free)
Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Primary Care
26 Apr, 2017 | 16:09h | UTCUpdated Guideline: Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Primary Care – Toward Optimized Practice (TOP) Guidelines (free)
Practical guideline for primary care providers.
Association between active commuting and incident cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality
21 Apr, 2017 | 15:19h | UTCEditorial: Active commuting is beneficial for health (free)
See also: Cycling to work can cut cancer and heart disease, says study – BBC News (free) AND Cycling to work: major new study suggests health benefits are staggering – The Conversation (free)
Syncope and Its Impact on Occupational Accidents and Employment
20 Apr, 2017 | 14:29h | UTCNews release: Fainting spells may increase risk of workplace accidents, job loss – American Heart Association News (free)
See also: 2017 ACC/AHA/HRS Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Patients With Syncope (free PDF) AND First fainting guidelines issued to diagnose life-threatening heart conditions – American Heart Association News (free)
β-Blocker Exposure in Pregnancy and Risk of Fetal Cardiac Anomalies
20 Apr, 2017 | 14:28h | UTCβ-Blocker Exposure in Pregnancy and Risk of Fetal Cardiac Anomalies – JAMA Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
See also: No Fetal Heart Risk from Mom’s Beta-Blocker Use – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Single Cardiac Troponin Test Plus ECG Can Quickly Rule Out MI
19 Apr, 2017 | 14:10h | UTCRapid Rule-out of Acute Myocardial Infarction with a Single High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T Measurement Below the Limit of Detection: A Collaborative Meta-analysis – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
See also: High-Sensitivity Troponin T Test Rules Out AMI in ED – Medscape (free registration required) AND Meta-Analysis: Single Cardiac Troponin Test Plus ECG Can Quickly Rule Out MI – Physician’s First Watch (free)
“This analysis indicates that a nonischemic ECG and a single negative High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T only misses about 1 in 100 myocardial infarctions – and can provide rapid, useful information in an assessment.” (from Physician’s First Watch commentary above).
ACC/AHA vs. USPSTF statin guidelines
19 Apr, 2017 | 14:11h | UTCComparison of Recommended Eligibility for Primary Prevention Statin Therapy Based on the US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations vs the ACC/AHA Guidelines – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
See also: ACC/AHA vs. USPSTF statin guidelines – Cardiology News (free)
Although recommended by most guidelines for individuals at high risk, there is still some controversy over prescribing statins for primary prevention and over what patients benefit the most – see related commentary: Cholesterol-lowering statin therapy for healthy people is not as simple as ‘yes’ or ‘no’ – The Pharmaceutical Journal (free)
Adherence to the 2016 USPSTF recommendations for statin therapy, compared with the 2013 ACC/AHA guidelines, could lead to a lower number of individuals (an estimated difference of 9.3 million individuals in the U.S. population) recommended for primary prevention statin therapy.
New drugs, new toxicities: severe side effects of modern targeted and immunotherapy of cancer and their management
18 Apr, 2017 | 14:05h | UTCSource: Critical Care Reviews Newsletter
Can machine-learning improve cardiovascular risk prediction using routine clinical data?
17 Apr, 2017 | 13:57h | UTCCan machine-learning improve cardiovascular risk prediction using routine clinical data? – PLOS One (free)
See also: Self-taught artificial intelligence beats doctors at predicting heart attacks – Science (free)
“When expert MD guidelines are outperformed by machine learning for heart risk prediction” (RT @EricTopol see Tweet)
Banning trans fats in New York prevented thousands of heart attacks
13 Apr, 2017 | 16:08h | UTCHospital Admissions for Myocardial Infarction and Stroke Before and After the Trans-Fatty Acid Restrictions in New York – JAMA Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Sources: Banning trans fats in New York prevented thousands of heart attacks, study finds – STAT News (free) AND Trans Fat Bans Tied to Fewer Heart Attacks and Strokes – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Other localities might consider doing the same as well.
Screening for Endocrine Hypertension
14 Apr, 2017 | 16:27h | UTCScreening for Endocrine Hypertension: An Endocrine Society Scientific Statement (free)
Source: Screen for Endocrine Hypertension, Endocrine Society Says – Medscape (free registration required)
“The statement provides guidance on screening for 15 hormonal disorders that present with hypertension and that can be potentially cured with surgery or treated with medication” (from Medscape commentary above).
Respiratory effect of beta-blockers in people with asthma and cardiovascular disease
11 Apr, 2017 | 15:48h | UTCRespiratory effect of beta-blockers in people with asthma and cardiovascular disease: population-based nested case control study – BMC Medicine (free) (RT @atscommunity)
Cardioselective beta-blockers, mostly atenolol and bisoprolol in this cohort, were not associated with increased risk of moderate or severe asthma exacerbations. In contrast, non-selective beta-blockers, mostly sotalol and carvedilol in this cohort, were associated with increased risk.
Multivitamins are probably a waste of money
12 Apr, 2017 | 15:50h | UTCVitamins and the Failure of Free-Market Health – The Atlantic (free)
“The booming dietary-supplement industry is plagued by outlandish claims, undermining credible science, and seeding confusion”.
Effect of Baseline Nutritional Status on Long-term Multivitamin Use and Cardiovascular Disease Risk – JAMA Cardiology (link to abstract – $ required for full-text)
See also: Multivitamins may not improve heart health in men – UPI (free) AND Other recent commentary on multivitamins: Multivitamins a waste of money and just create ‘very expensive urine’ – The Guardian (free)
“Multivitamin use does not prevent major CV disease events in men, regardless of baseline nutritional status” (RT @CaulfieldTim)
Hypertension Canada’s 2017 Guidelines
10 Apr, 2017 | 16:10h | UTC