Lead exposure necessary to address ‘if we want to prevent chronic disease’

November 08 ,2024

Overview:Low-level lead poisoning remains prevalent across the United States and globally, warranting screening and identification of those at highest risk, according to a recently published review.Such poisonings are especially dangerous in children because of their adverse links to cognitive and behavioral development, the researchers pointed out in The New England Journal of Medicine.“Low-level lead poisoning is a great example of how most chronic disease is man-made and driven by environmental (not genetic) determinants that are beyond the control of individuals,” Bruce Lanphear, MD, more

Clinician input essential in entire cardiology AI tool development process

November 08 ,2024

Overview:Editor's Note: This is part three of a three-part Healio Exclusive series on the development and use of AI to improve clinical outcomes in cardiovascular medicine and considerations for regulatory labeling and patient privacy .Part 1 can be viewed here. Part 2 can be viewed here.Physician involvement in the development of AI tools is imperative to ensuring their success in not only improving clinical outcomes but also improving daily workflow and reducing physician workload.“AI has a potential to help facilitate our work. We like to call it ‘augmented intelligence’ because more

Swallowable capsule that expands in stomach shows weight-loss, cardiometabolic benefit

November 08 ,2024

Overview:SAN ANTONIO — A swallowable hydrogel capsule that expands in the stomach demonstrated significant weight-loss, cardiovascular, glycemic and quality of life benefits for patients with overweight or obesity, a speaker reported.Jamy Ard, MD, clinical researcher and obesity medicine specialist at Wake Forest School of Medicine, co-director of the Wake Forest Baptist Health Weight Management Center and professor in the department of epidemiology and prevention and internal medicine, presented the results of the prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled RESET trial at more

Anticoagulant therapy reduces risks for vision loss, stroke in giant cell arteritis

November 07 ,2024

Overview:Patients with giant cell arteritis who use anticoagulants demonstrate lower risks for vision loss, stroke and other cranial ischemic complications, according to data published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.Meanwhile, older age and hypertension appeared to increase the risk for these complications in patients with GCA, the researchers wrote.“Patients with GCA may present systemic symptoms, such as fever, malaise and weight loss; cranial symptoms, such as headache, scalp tenderness, jaw or tongue claudication, with or without cranial ischemic complications, such as vision loss or stroke,” more

Bioadaptor may flatten event curve after PCI, including in complex lesions

November 07 ,2024

Overview:WASHINGTON — A bioadaptor implant adaptable to vessel physiology was linked to fewer target lesion failure events after 6 months compared with a drug-eluting stent, including in high-risk lesions, researchers reported.As Healio previously reported, in the main results of the INFINITY-SWEDEHEART trial of patients with CAD requiring PCI, the implant (DynamX bioadaptor scaffold, Elixir Medical) was noninferior to a contemporary DES (Resolute Onyx, Medtronic) for target lesion failure at 1 year and reduced event rates vs. the DES after 6 months. David Erlinge, MD, PhD, head of the more

High phthalate, plasticizer metabolite concentrations tied to metabolic syndrome in young

November 07 ,2024

Overview:SAN ANTONIO — Higher concentrations of some phthalate and plasticizer metabolites were associated with higher odds of metabolic syndrome in U.S. adolescents and young adults, according to an analysis presented at ObesityWeek.“Adolescence represents a pivotal stage in human development marked by rapid physical changes and exposure to toxic chemicals or the onset of metabolic disorders can disrupt normal growth processes and increase the risk of long-term health issues,” Deepali K. Ernest, MPH, PhD candidate at the University of Texas Health Science Center at the University of more

AI in cardiology: A call for robust validation, regulatory labeling and security of data

November 06 ,2024

Overview:Editor’s Note: This is part two of a three-part Healio Exclusive series on the development and use of AI to improve clinical outcomes in cardiovascular medicine and considerations for regulatory labeling and patient privacy. Part one can be read here. Part three can be read here.As the development of AI tools for use in clinical practice hastens, a successful framework for their useful, safe and equitable implementation remains paramount.The American Heart Association councils in February issued a scientific statement on the use of AI to improve cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. The more

Transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement effective treatment for severe regurgitation

November 05 ,2024

Overview:In patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation, transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement plus medical therapy improved outcomes compared with medical therapy alone, researchers reported at TCT 2024.For the TRISCEND II trial, whose main findings were simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine and whose quality of life findings were simultaneously published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the researchers randomly assigned 400 patients (mean age, 79 years; 76% women; eight were not treated after randomization) with severe symptomatic tricuspid more

Tirzepatide safe, effective for weight loss, preventing diabetes progression at 3 years

November 05 ,2024

Overview:SAN ANTONIO — Tirzepatide demonstrated long-term weight-loss benefits and prevention of diabetes progression in patients with obesity and prediabetes, but only so long as they continued the weight-loss medication, a speaker reported.The SURMOUNT-1 trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study for which patients with overweight plus one weight-related comorbidity or obesity and without diabetes were randomly assigned to 72 weeks of tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg doses (Mounjaro/Zepbound, Eli Lilly) or placebo.As Healio previously reported, adults with overweight or more

Blood test may predict severe preeclampsia risk for women in labor

November 05 ,2024

Overview:A blood test to measure fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio predicted preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia risk in laboring women compared with other blood markers, potentially providing a useful tool for anesthesiologists, researchers reported.Findings from the preliminary study were presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ ANESTHESIOLOGY annual meeting in Philadelphia.“We know preeclampsia is an inflammatory condition that affects up to 10% of pregnant women, potentially leading to many complications during and after pregnancy,” Lucy Shang, BA, a medical student at more

GLP-1s reduce incident hypertension risk for adolescents with obesity

November 05 ,2024

Overview:SAN ANTONIO — In adolescents with obesity, GLP-1 receptor agonists were associated with lower risk for incident hypertension development 5 and 10 years after initiation vs. other anti-obesity medications, a speaker reported.“Here in the U.S., about 20% of adolescents have obesity, and prevalence varies significantly by state. We also know that non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic adolescents face disproportionately high risk for both obesity and severe obesity. This is likely due to many of the same factors that drive the other multitude of health disparities in the U.S., including more

TAVR could be ‘preferred therapeutic option’ over surgery for women

November 05 ,2024

Overview:WASHINGTON — Women with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis had better 1-year outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement vs. surgery, according to a pooled analysis of only women in the PARTNER 3 low-risk and RHEIA trials.“We report the largest all-female analysis in symptomatic severe aortic stenosis patients exploring the relative treatment effects of TAVR with the balloon-expandable Sapien 3 or Sapien 3 Ultra system compared with surgery with any commercially available valve,” Didier Tchetche, MD, interventional cardiologist and head of the structural heart more

Deep learning model outperforms echocardiography in identifying pulmonary hypertension

November 05 ,2024

Overview:BOSTON — A multimodal fusion model outperformed transthoracic echocardiography in identifying pulmonary hypertension, according to a study presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting.This model could reduce the need for invasive procedures and facilitate personalized treatment, Zhihua Huang, MD, PhD, Fuwai Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing, and colleagues wrote.Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and other diagnostic tools require invasive right heart catheterization to confirm pulmonary hypertension. However, the Multimodal Fusion Model for Pulmonary Hypertension (MMF-PH) uses data from more

Cancer diagnosis may raise psychological, cardiovascular risks for spouses, relatives

November 05 ,2024

Overview:A cancer diagnosis may lead to higher risk for psychological or cardiovascular illnesses among a patient’s family members, according to retrospective study results.Researchers used the Utah Population Database to identify 49,284 people diagnosed with genitourinary cancers between 1990 and 2015, as well as 77,938 of their first-degree relatives. The analysis also included a matched control group of 246,775 people without genitourinary cancers and 81,022 of their first-degree relatives.Follow-up occurred at 1, 3, and 5 years.Within 5 years of a person being diagnosed with genitourinary more

Cardiovascular risk may take decades to erase after quitting for heavy smokers

November 04 ,2024

Overview:Ex-smokers with a light lifetime smoking burden had a CVD risk shortly after quitting similar to those who have never smoked, results from a cohort analysis showed.However, findings from the retrospective study suggest that ex-smokers who smoked heavily may need to restrain from smoking for more than 25 years to have a cardiovascular risk similar to those who have never smoked.The time passed after quitting smoking and the subsequent changes in (CVD) risk “are not properly reflected in guidelines and contemporary clinical practice,” according to Jun Hwan Cho, MD, from the more

SELECT ‘legitimized obesity medical therapy’ for treatment of cardiometabolic disease

November 04 ,2024

Overview:SAN ANTONIO — The disruptive SELECT trial not only bolstered the idea of medical obesity therapy as an avenue for heart disease prevention, its subanalyses continue to generate interesting new hypotheses, speakers reported.SELECT was a randomized trial to evaluate once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy, Novo Nordisk) compared with placebo for the reduction of secondary major adverse CV events in a cohort of 17,604 adults with CVD and overweight or obesity without diabetes over nearly 40 months of follow-up (28% women).As Healio previously reported, once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg was more

AI stands to change cardiology practice, but guidance, evidence of benefit are needed

November 04 ,2024

Overview:Editor’s Note: This is part one of a three-part Healio Exclusive series on the development and use of AI to improve clinical outcomes in cardiovascular medicine and considerations for regulatory labeling and patient privacy. Part two can be read here. Part three can be read here.Interest in the use and development of AI to not only improve outcomes but enhance day-to-day productivity is on the rise, and rigorously validated tools and clinical guidance are needed to best implement its use.In February, American Heart Association councils issued a scientific statement on the use of AI to more

Fewer deaths in pulmonary embolism plus pancreatic cancer cases in 2020 vs. 2001

November 04 ,2024

Overview:BOSTON — Fewer patients hospitalized for acute pulmonary embolism with pancreatic cancer died in 2020 compared with rates in 2001, according to a presentation at the CHEST Annual Meeting.“The incidence of acute PE cases among patients with pancreatic cancer is not uncommon,” Akashdeep Singh Grewal, MBBS, of Trinity Health Hospital in Michigan, said during his presentation. “However, there is noteworthy improvement in mortality cases.”Using the 2001 to 2020 National Inpatient Sample database, Grewal and colleagues assessed 74,395 patients hospitalized for acute more

Gout-prone genetic profile predicts higher cardiovascular disease risk

November 04 ,2024

Overview:A genetic predisposition for gout predicts an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, but a healthy lifestyle can curb that risk, according to data published in RMD Open.“Despite the active research on the relationship between [serum uric acid (SUA)] levels and [cardiovascular disease (CVD)], the genetic relationship between gout and CVD has not been sufficiently studied,” Ki Won Moon, of the department of internal medicine at the Kangwon National University School of Medicine, in South Korea, and colleagues wrote.“Clinically, hyperuricemia and gout are different phenotypes,” more

FDA panel votes against sotagliflozin for glucose control in type 1 diabetes, CKD

November 01 ,2024

Overview:The FDA’s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee recommended not approving sotagliflozin for glucose control as an adjunct to insulin in adults with type 1 diabetes and CKD.In a 3-11 vote, the committee determined that the risks, especially those for diabetic ketoacidosis, did not outweigh the benefits of glucose control conferred by sotagliflozin (Zynquista, Lexicon) in this population, defined as patients with type 1 diabetes and estimated glomerular filtration rate 45 to < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or eGFR 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio 30 mg/g.“I 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