Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Cardiology for February 2016. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Cardiovascular Disease Risk Algorithms Valid for Black Adults
MONDAY, Feb. 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Current cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk algorithms are valid for black adults, according to a study published online Feb. 24 in JAMA Cardiology.
Anxiety Tied to Ischemia During Exercise Testing for Women
FRIDAY, Feb. 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For women without history of coronary artery disease (CAD), those with anxiety are more likely to exhibit ischemia during exercise testing than those without anxiety, according to a study published in the February issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Quality of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Varies Among Hospitals
FRIDAY, Feb. 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Hospital process composite performance measures of in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) care vary between U.S. hospitals and are associated with outcome, according to a study published online Feb. 24 in JAMA Cardiology.
Suggestions for Optimizing Practice Feedback Effectiveness
THURSDAY, Feb. 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — In an article published online Feb. 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 15 suggestions are presented to optimize the effectiveness of practice feedback.
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Public Reporting of Hospital Readmissions Hasn’t Cut Rates
THURSDAY, Feb. 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure, and pneumonia, the release of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) public reporting of hospital readmission rates has had no impact on 30-day readmission trends, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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No Benefit From Aspirin Prior to Coronary Artery Surgery
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Preoperative aspirin does not lower risk of death or thrombotic complications among patients undergoing coronary artery surgery, according to research published in the Feb. 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Normative Cardiac Data Identified for NBA Athletes
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — In a study published online Feb. 24 in JAMA Cardiology, researchers provide normative cardiac data for a group of National Basketball Association (NBA) professional athletes.
Women Have Lower Mortality Than Men at One Year After TAVR
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), women have lower mortality than men at one year, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Macrolide Antibiotics Not Linked to Ventricular Arrhythmia
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For older adults, macrolide antibiotics are not associated with a higher risk of ventricular arrhythmia within 30 days compared with nonmacrolide antibiotics, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Authors Urge Caution Before Adopting New Systolic BP Goals
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A small reduction as the primary composite outcome may not justify the increased adverse events and costs associated with an intervention targeting systolic blood pressure (BP) less than 120 mm Hg, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online Feb. 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Bariatric Surgery Tied to Drop in Heart Failure Exacerbations
TUESDAY, Feb. 23, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Bariatric surgery to promote substantial weight loss is linked to reduced rates of emergency department visits and hospitalizations for heart failure exacerbations among obese patients with the condition, according to research published in the March 1 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Low Risk of Recurrent VTE for Upper Extremity DVT, SVT
TUESDAY, Feb. 23, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients with upper extremity deep and superficial vein thrombosis (UEDVT and UESVT) have low risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) but high mortality, according to a study published online Feb. 11 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
Maternal Cardiac Dysfunction Precedes Recurrent Preeclampsia
TUESDAY, Feb. 23, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Women with previous early preeclampsia have signs of diastolic dysfunction and different left ventricular characteristics in the nonpregnant state before a second pregnancy with recurrent preeclampsia, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in Hypertension.
Early Administration of β-Blockers Ups Survival in ACS
MONDAY, Feb. 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), early administration of β-blockers is associated with increased short-term survival and improved left ventricular function, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
ACC Releases 2016 Lifelong Learning Competencies
FRIDAY, Feb. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has released a report outlining lifelong learning competencies for general cardiologists. The report was published online Feb. 19 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Masked HTN Common in CKD, Linked to Target Organ Damage
FRIDAY, Feb. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), masked hypertension is common and is associated with reduced kidney function and cardiovascular target organ damage, according to a study published online Feb. 18 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Pulmonary Artery Pressure-Guided Tx Cuts Hospitalizations
THURSDAY, Feb. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Ambulatory pulmonary artery (PA) pressure-guided management of heart failure patients is more effective in reducing heart failure hospitalizations than management of patient clinical signs/symptoms alone, according to a study published online Feb. 10 in JACC: Heart Failure.
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Intensive Diabetes Therapy Cuts CVD Incidence by 30 Percent
THURSDAY, Feb. 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Participants who were taught intensive therapy for type 1 diabetes during the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) experienced clinically beneficial effects on cardiovascular outcomes at 30 years of follow-up, according to research published online Feb. 9 in Diabetes Care.
Review: Higher Concentration of PUFAs in Organic Meat
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Organic meat and milk have higher concentrations of total and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), according to two meta-analyses published online Feb. 16 in the British Journal of Nutrition.
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Hidradenitis Suppurativa Tied to Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is independently associated with increased risk of adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes, according to a study published online Feb. 17 in JAMA Dermatology.
Many Med Schools Appear Unwelcoming Regarding Disability
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Most medical schools need to post, update, or clarify technical standards (TSs), required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), that detail what a school will do to accommodate a student with a disability, according to a study published online Jan. 19 in Academic Medicine.
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Mortality Down for AMI Patients Developing Cardiogenic Shock
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients who develop cardiogenic shock during hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction, the rates of death seem to have declined in recent years, according to research published online Feb. 16 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
CPX Testing Predicts Mortality in Heart Failure With Reduced EF
TUESDAY, Feb. 16, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Variables measured during a cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) test can predict and discriminate mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), according to a study published in the Feb. 23 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Albuminuria Predicts Cardiovascular Outcome After PCI
TUESDAY, Feb. 16, 2016 (HealthDay News) — An elevated urinary albumin excretion rate can predict adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Financial Loss Incentives Most Effective for Exercise
MONDAY, Feb. 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A loss incentive is most effective for increasing physical activity among overweight and obese adults, according to a study published online Feb. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Factor VII-Antithrombin Complex Predicts Mortality in CAD
FRIDAY, Feb. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Activated factor VII-antithrombin complex (FVIIa-AT) levels correlate with increased mortality risk in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a study published online Jan. 27 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
Beet Juice Aids BP, Aerobic Endurance With Heart Failure
FRIDAY, Feb. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Beetroot juice (BRJ) improves submaximal aerobic endurance and blood pressure in elderly patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF), according to a small study published online Feb. 10 in JACC: Heart Failure.
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Use of Digoxin Down Among Patients With Heart Failure
FRIDAY, Feb. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Only one-in-five patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) receive digoxin at discharge, according to a study published online Feb. 10 in JACC: Heart Failure.
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CDC: Number of Uninsured Persons in U.S. Down Since 2013
FRIDAY, Feb. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The percentage of uninsured persons is decreasing in the United States, according to a report published by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
Active Asthma Ups Risk of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
THURSDAY, Feb. 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Asthma is associated with increased risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and rupture, according to research published online Feb. 11 in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
Physicians Concerned By Increasing Cost of Generics
THURSDAY, Feb. 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Pennsylvania physicians have called for state- and national-level medical associations to take an active role in addressing the issue of increasing generic drug prices, according to an article published by the Pennsylvania Medical Society.
Cardiovascular Fitness, Exercise BP Linked to Brain Volume
THURSDAY, Feb. 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Poor cardiovascular (CV) fitness and greater exercise blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) responses in middle age correlate with smaller brain volume later in life, according to a study published online Feb. 10 in Neurology.
Higher Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease in ‘Healthy’ Obese
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk of development of chronic kidney disease (CKD), even in patients who are metabolically healthy, according to research published online Feb. 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Admission to VA or Non-VA Hospitals Impacts Outcome
TUESDAY, Feb. 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For older men, mortality and readmission for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, and pneumonia vary with admission to Veterans Affairs (VA) and non-VA hospitals, according to a study published in the Feb. 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Decline in Severity of Metabolic Syndrome for U.S. Teens
TUESDAY, Feb. 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For U.S. adolescents, metabolic syndrome (MetS) severity decreased from 1999 to 2012, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in Pediatrics.
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Sepsis Tied to Higher Post-Discharge Mortality Risk
TUESDAY, Feb. 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Sepsis survivors have a substantially increased risk of all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events after discharge, according to a study published online Jan. 25 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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AMA Highlights Issues Relating to Medical Liability Reform
MONDAY, Feb. 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Medical liability reforms are likely to be advanced and challenged in 2016, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Influenza Infection Tied to Increased Risk of A-Fib
MONDAY, Feb. 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Influenza infection is associated with increased odds of atrial fibrillation (AF), which can be reduced through vaccination, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in Heart Rhythm.
Patients More Satisfied With Care From Hospitalists
MONDAY, Feb. 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — More patients report satisfaction with overall care in a nonteaching hospitalist service than in a general medicine teaching service, according to research published in the February issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Doctors Offer Suggestions for Electronic Health Records
FRIDAY, Feb. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Physicians recently met in Seattle to discuss the difficulties and benefits associated with electronic health records (EHRs) in a third town hall meeting on the subject, according to a report published by the American Medical Association.
Vagal Nerve Stimulation Can Lead to Cardiac Complications
FRIDAY, Feb. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Stimulation of the vagus nerve as part of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) during thyroid surgery can result in severe cardiac complications, according to a case report published online Feb. 1 in Head & Neck.
Seven Tips Provided for Optimizing Practice Revenue
THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Business operations data represent a relatively untapped resource for optimizing practice revenue, and can indicate areas of strength and opportunities for improvement, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Video Games Offer Educational Methods for Med Students
THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Video games can play a role in medical education, offering new methods for teaching medical students, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
High Rate of Clopidogrel Non-Adherence After DES Placement
THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing drug-eluting stent placement, there is a high rate of clopidogrel nonadherence, according to a study published in the Feb. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Patient-Centered System Recommended for Medical Billing
THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Simplification, consolidation, and real time point-of-care information could address the inefficiencies in the medical billing system, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online Feb. 2 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Safety Issues Raised in Key Trial Supporting Rivaroxaban Use
THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Use of a faulty device in a regulatory drug trial has raised questions relating to rivaroxaban use, according to a feature article published online Feb. 3 in The BMJ.
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Benefits for Women With Women-Only Cardiac Rehab
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 3, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Women-only cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs may confer behavioral and psychosocial advantages for women, according to a study published online Feb. 2 in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
Neutral Long-Term Effect for Intensive Glycemic Control
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 3, 2016 (HealthDay News) — During long-term follow-up, the impact of a four-year period of intensive glycemic control has a neutral effect on death and nonfatal cardiovascular events, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in Diabetes Care.
Tips Presented for Encouraging Treatment Adherence
TUESDAY, Feb. 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Tips for increasing patient adherence to treatment plans include patient engagement and addressing barriers to adherence, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Echo Underused During Critical Cardiovascular Hospitalizations
TUESDAY, Feb. 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Despite increasing rates of use, echocardiography (echo) may be underused during critical cardiovascular hospitalizations, according to a study published in the Feb. 9 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Researchers Say JNC8 Recs May Put Some Patients at Risk
TUESDAY, Feb. 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For people 60 and older, the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC8) in 2014 recommended raising the blood pressure level at which doctors prescribe treatment from 140 to 150 systolic blood pressure. But individuals with systolic blood pressure of 140 to 149 have a 70 percent increased risk of stroke compared to people with lower blood pressure, according to research published online Feb. 1 in Hypertension.
Mobile Texts May Up Adherence to Meds for Chronic Illness
MONDAY, Feb. 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Mobile telephone text messaging may be a promising new way to improve adherence to medications for chronic diseases, according to research published online Feb. 1 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Patients and Families Highlight Value of Nurse Practitioners
MONDAY, Feb. 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients and their families believe that teams in acute and primary care are more effective when they include nurse practitioners, according to research published online Jan. 27 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
Many Physicians Show Tendency to Undertreat With Statins
MONDAY, Feb. 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Some clinical departments tend to undertreat when prescribing statins, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
No Benefit From Aliskiren-Tied Drops in Albuminuria
MONDAY, Feb. 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Reduction in albuminuria with the renin inhibitor aliskiren may be too small to confer clinical benefit in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online Jan. 13 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
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