Colchicine curbs cardiovascular event risk when used with urate-lowering therapy for gout
January 14 ,2025
Overview:Colchicine for gout flare prophylaxis reduces the risk for cardiovascular events among patients initiating urate-lowering therapy, according to data published in The Lancet Rheumatology.“Cardiovascular events have been previously reported to be temporally associated with recent previous gout flares (ie, those within the previous 60 days),” Edoardo Cipolletta, MD, an international research fellow at the University of Nottingham, in the United Kingdom, and colleagues wrote. “Given this finding and the fact that starting urate-lowering therapy can trigger gout flares, more
FDA proposes rule requiring simplified nutrition label on the front of most packaged foods
January 14 ,2025
Overview:The FDA has proposed a rule requiring a new nutrition label on the front of most packaged foods, offering consumers easily visible information about the presence of key nutrients, according to a press release.The front-of-package label would include information about added sugars, sodium and saturated fat content because, when consumed in excess, these nutrients are directly associated with chronic disease, the release noted.“The science on saturated fat, sodium and added sugars is clear,” according to FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, MD.“Nearly everyone knows or cares for more
Rural areas, regions outside of Northeast less likely to offer vital cardiac services
January 14 ,2025
Overview:Rural hospitals were significantly less likely to provide essential cardiac services compared with hospitals in urban areas, according to a research letter published in Circulation.“Multiple factors contribute to the shortage of health care, especially cardiac services, in rural counties,” Gabriel A. Benavidez, PhD, an epidemiologist and assistant professor in the department of public health at Baylor University, and colleagues wrote. “Notably, while nearly one in five Americans live in rural areas, only 9% to 11% of physicians practice there, largely because of challenges more
Trump administration will likely kill the FTC’s controversial noncompete rule
January 13 ,2025
Overview:The noncompete ban issued by the Federal Trade Commission emerged as one of the most talked about employment law issues in 2024 affecting workers, including medical professionals.Noncompete agreements contractually prohibit workers from joining or starting a competing business after leaving their previous employment. These agreements typically contain terms designating for how long and where these restrictions apply. However, with President-elect Donald J. Trump’s incoming administration, significant changes are expected at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2025 that may alter the more
Cutaneous lupus erythematosus associated with cardiovascular disease
January 13 ,2025
Overview:Patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus may be at an increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, even more than those with psoriasis, according to a study.“In dermatology, there is an emerging trend of evaluating comorbid disease with various dermatologic diseases,” Henry W. Chen, MD, a dermatology resident at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, told Healio. “This has been shown pretty well in psoriasis with an association of atherosclerotic disease (ASCVD). So, in this study, we sought to elucidate a potential association with ASCVD and more
Maintaining healthy behaviors in early life essential to preserving future heart health
January 13 ,2025
Overview:Maintaining healthful behaviors may be key to improving the trajectory of heart health from early adolescence into adulthood, according to study findings published in JAMA Cardiology.To identify the age at inflection points across childhood and sociodemographic factors associated with changes in CV health trajectory, Izzuddin M. Aris, PhD, assistant professor in the department of population medicine at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, and colleagues used data from the Massachusetts-based Project Viva, a prospective prebirth cohort that enrolled pregnant more
Drinking coffee in the morning reduces the risk for death
January 10 ,2025
Overview:People who drink coffee in the morning have a lower risk for death from all causes compared with those who do not drink coffee at all, results from an observational cohort study published in the European Heart Journal showed.The association between morning coffee consumption and reduced mortality risk appeared especially strong with respect to CVD, according to researchers. Meanwhile, the analysis revealed that those who drank coffee throughout the day did not achieve the same mortality benefits as morning drinkers.“While moderate coffee drinking has been recommended for the beneficial more
Polypills may be cost-effective for CVD prevention in underserved US communities
January 10 ,2025
Overview:A daily polypill was estimated to be cost-effective for primary CVD prevention among U.S. adults living in historically underserved communities with limited health care access and low income, researchers reported.The cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted in two simulated U.S. cohorts — one based on the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS) the other on all trial-eligible U.S. adults — and the results were published in JAMA Cardiology.“The U.S. spends a disproportionately high proportion of its GDP on health care, compared with other high-income countries. Despite this, more
Chronic hypertension weakens tie between prepregnancy BMI and stillbirth, perinatal death
January 10 ,2025
Overview:Women with high prepregnancy BMI have higher stillbirth and perinatal death risks, but this association weakens with chronic hypertension presence, becoming similar or reversing at 26 to 35 weeks’ gestation, researchers reported.“Prior studies have shown an overall increase in the risk of stillbirth and perinatal death in women with various chronic conditions; however, less evidence is available about gestational age-specific risk of adverse birth outcomes among overweight and obese women with concurrent comorbidity, which is increasingly common,” Jeffrey N. Bone, MSc, more
The year in obesity: New data on semaglutide and tirzepatide, sarcopenic obesity and more
January 10 ,2025
Overview:New findings on semaglutide and tirzepatide published in 2024 revealed that the medications may have benefits beyond lowering glucose levels and body weight.At the Cardiometabolic Health Congress in October, Robert H. Eckel, MD, professor of medicine, emeritus in the division of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes and division of cardiology, the Charles A. Boettcher II Chair in Atherosclerosis, and professor of physiology and biophysics at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, discussed new data published in 2024 on the impact of pharmacotherapy, physical activity and diet on more
Heart disease linked to elevated risk for advanced breast cancer
January 10 ,2025
Overview:Women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer appeared more likely than those with earlier-stage breast cancer to have pre-existing cardiovascular disease, according to results of a retrospective study.The association persisted among women with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer, as well as for those with hormone receptor-positive disease.“Cardiovascular optimization is going to potentially impact cardiovascular disease and cancer outcomes,” Kevin T. Nead, MD, MPhil, assistant professor of epidemiology and radiation oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer more
50 years later, preterm babies do not have significantly worse health outcomes
January 09 ,2025
Overview:After 50 years of life, people who were born preterm had lower odds for some cardiovascular outcomes and similar odds for most other health outcomes compared with those born at term, according to a study published in Pediatrics.This study is a follow-up to the Auckland Steroid Trial, in which pregnant women at risk for preterm birth received antenatal corticosteroids between December 1969 and February 1974 at National Women’s Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. Researchers followed the health outcomes of the 1,218 children born during the trial 30 and 50 years later.Anthony G.B. Walters, more
Do I really have to go to the hospital for my mini stroke?
January 09 ,2025
Overview:JJ is a 75-year-old man who presents to the office after his wife made an appointment for him this morning for evaluation of an episode of garbled speech that occurred yesterday.The medical assistant (MA) checked in the patient and recorded his medical history:The MA summarized the patient’s history and described the reason for today’s appointment: “Doc, Joe is here reporting an odd spell yesterday where, all of a sudden, he began talking gibberish. He generally doesn’t talk a whole lot, but he was with his wife and she became concerned. The whole episode lasted about more
Sugary drinks linked to millions of new diabetes, cardiovascular disease cases worldwide
January 09 ,2025
Overview:A significant proportion of new cases of CVD and diabetes globally can be attributed to the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, according to a new study published in Nature Medicine.In 2020 — the last year of the study period — researchers estimated that one in 10 new cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus could be connected to the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages.The effects of the drinks on these diseases were especially pronounced in developing countries and show a need for “urgent, evidence-based interventions to curb consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages more
Q&A: Expert offers tips on how to grow your brand, practice with social media
January 09 ,2025
Overview:Healio spoke with an expert about the importance of social media, why physicians should utilize it and the do’s and don’ts behind this growing form of communication.When thinking about the type of content posted on social media, some of the first things that come to mind may be funny cat videos or DIYs. However, recent surveys have shown that social media is being used for much more than entertainment.According to a 2024 survey by market.us, over 80% of internet users aged 18 to 49 years have reported seeking health information on social media platforms. Health care content on more
Weight gain after breast cancer diagnosis linked to greater heart failure risk
January 09 ,2025
Overview:Weight gain after a breast cancer diagnosis elevated a person’s risk for heart failure, according to results of an observational study in the Republic of Korea.Researchers did not observe any association between weight loss and heart failure.“The findings underscore the importance of effective weight intervention in the oncological care of patients with breast cancer, particularly within the first few years after diagnosis, to protect cardiovascular health,” Wonyoung Jung, MD, PhD, MSc, postdoctoral researcher of medicine at Perelman School of Medicine at University of more
Race-, gender-based microaggressions during obstetric care tied to higher postpartum BP
January 09 ,2025
Overview:Gendered racial microaggressions during obstetric care were associated with elevated blood pressure among postpartum individuals up to 3 months after delivery, researchers reported.A study evaluating the impact of gendered racial microaggressions on postpartum BP among Asian, Black and Hispanic people was published in Hypertension.“Postpartum hypertension is a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, and we were seeking modifiable factors that may influence patients’ BP after they return home from the hospital. We had heard previously from interviews with women that they more
Novel drug confers weight loss of up to 20% at 1 year in phase 2 study
January 09 ,2025
Overview:Maridebart cafraglutide, a novel injectable GLP-1 receptor agonist/GIP receptor antagonist, reduced body weight by up to approximately 20% at 1 year in patients with overweight or obesity without a weight loss plateau, according to a presentation.Results from a double-blind, dose-ranging phase 2 study of maridebart cafraglutide (MariTide, Amgen) were presented at the World Congress on Insulin Resistance, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease.“MariTide is a first-of-its-kind peptide antibody conjugate that activates the GLP-1 receptor and simultaneously antagonizes or blocks the GIP receptor,” more
Medical institutions can — and should — advance health equity
January 08 ,2025
Overview:Health equity has become a buzzword in medical institutions and health care organizations, especially when it comes to rural communities. But too often, the conversations don't move past the talking stage.Rural communities face unique challenges, from limited access to health care to higher rates of chronic diseases. Many of these issues are driven by social and environmental factors that create persistent inequities. As a Black woman working and living in rural South Georgia, and as someone deeply engaged in community relations at the intersection of health care and education, I have more
AAP updates recommendations for screening newborns for congenital heart disease
January 08 ,2025
Overview:The AAP published updated recommendations for screening newborns for critical congenital heart disease with a new algorithm it said could catch more infants than the previous one.Screening for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) has been part of the United States’ recommended uniform screening panel for newborns since 2011. At that time, the AAP endorsed an algorithm using pulse oximetry.Since then, studies have shown that early infant deaths related to CCHD fell 33%, according to Matt E. Oster, MD, MPH, FAAP, a pediatric cardiologist and director of the Children’s Program to 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