Immunosuppressant or Biologic Medications May Increase Risk for ... The Cardiology Advisor
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Category Archives: Cardiology
Worried About Salt and Your Blood Pressure? Here’s What … – The Georgia Sun
Youve likely heard of sweet tooths, but perhaps youre more of a salt lover. And who can blame you? Salt can make a boring dish vibrant with just a dash or two.
First, the good news: Sodium is actually essential for the body, andthe Food & Drug Administrationsays it helps muscles and nerves function. If it tastes good and does the body good, whats all the fuss about salt and blood pressure?
Heres the deal:Studies show that high-sodium diets put a person at risk for increased blood pressure. High blood pressure reduces the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart, which ups the risk for heart disease, according to the CDC.
That may seem scary, particularly if you love salt and have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is common, says Dr. John Higgins, MD, a cardiologist with UTHealth Houston. Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have hypertension.
So, the answer is yes: Cutting sodium intake can help reduce the risk of hypertension. Heres why.
Related:Lower Blood Pressure ASAP With One Habit
Dr. Higgins notes that high salt intake increases blood pressure for several reasons. First, salt increases fluid retention and, consequently, blood volume. [This means]more fluid for the heart to pump, more stress on the heart and more fluid in the blood vessels that puts pressure on the walls, Dr. Higgins explains.
Salt intake can also lead to damage to the blood vessel walls, inflammation and kidney damage. This is because excess salt intake can increase your blood pressure thanks to a disruption of balance within the kidneys, saysDr. Robert Segal, MD, the founder of Manhattan Cardiology, Medical Offices of Manhattan and co-founder of LabFinder.
The kidneys typically filter fluids. However, salt-induced fluid retention may make that more challenging. Then, the heart has to work harder, and blood pressure increases. And it becomes a vicious cycle between kidneys and high blood pressure.
The American Heart Associationalso notes that hypertension is a risk factor for kidney damage and disease because damaged arteries cannot bring enough blood to kidney tissue,
The TL;DR: Too much salt intake harms the relationship between the kidneys, arteries and heart and increases your risk of several chronic conditions, including high blood pressure and kidney disease.
Related:Dealing With High A1C Levels? Endocrinologists Say This Diet Is the Best One To Improve Them
Dr. Higgins notes that the American Heart Associationguidelines suggest no more than 2,300 milligrams daily. Ideally, adultsparticularly those with high blood pressureshould limit sodium consumption to less than 1,500 milligrams per day.
He says that the average U.S. adult eats 8 gramsor 8,000 milligramsevery day. Thats nearly 3.5 times the suggested limit of 2,300 milligrams per day.
Related: A Healthy 32-Year-Old Mom Shares How Recognizing the Strange Signs of a Stroke Saved Her Life
Processed and packaged foods are generally higher in salt intake,says Dr. Segal. But itsnot just classic processed or packaged foods, like chips and pretzels. Dr. Higgins notes that foods with high salt content include:
Dr. Higgins says some foods clearly have a ton of saltyou can taste it. But salt can be sneaky since its even used as a preservative in some foods. Your best bet? Read the label. But what qualifies as low, moderate or high salt content? Dr. Higgins breaks it down here:
So, if a bottle of ketchup has 190 milligrams of salt per teaspoon serving,[Thats] 1.1 gram per 100 grams [or] high salt content, so consider eating only occasionally, Dr. Higgins says.
Aside from crunching numbers in your head, Dr. Higgins says that there are straightforward ways to shake your salt habit, including:
If youre concerned about your salt intake or blood pressure, Dr. Segal says a cardiologist or even primary care doctor can help you figure out the right treatment plan and low-sodium meal plan for you.
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Worried About Salt and Your Blood Pressure? Here's What ... - The Georgia Sun
Ucardia Announces Acquisition of PHAS3; Launches Cardiologist … – Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology
May 8, 2023 Ucardia, a cardiac conditioning software developer, announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire Phas3, a pioneer in home-based cardiac rehab and fellow industry leader. This acquisition will result in a comprehensive, market-leading solution for providers, payers, and consumers, covering all facets of cardiac rehabilitation, conditioning, and remote monitoring for patients affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD).
"With Phas3's compelling software that allows clinicians a convenient way to remotely monitor and engage their cardiac patients, we are confident we have a market-first product that truly allows for patient- and provider-partnered cardiac care for all modalities of remote care from patients immediately post-discharge from a cardiac event who cannot attend traditional cardiac rehab, to patients looking for a supervised program to strengthen their heart at home," said Nick Weber, Ucardia's co-founder and CEO.
Ucardia and Phas3 will continue to support all existing customers and their patients in the companies' joint portfolio and are excited to begin planning exciting new products and services that take advantage of their combined strengths.
"We are pleased to join the Ucardia family and share the company's vision of serving even more CVD patients with our unique and powerful combination of software and clinical services" said Lucas Rydberg, Phas3's co-founder and CEO.
Jointly with this acquisition, Ucardia is announcing its newest offering,Ucardia-at-Home, a comprehensive remote patient monitoring platform that enables cardiologists and physician practices to enhance the monitoring, engagement, education, and self-management of patients between traditional doctor visits and close the gap in patient care management.
"We see serving the physician practice segment as a natural extension of the missions of both Phas3 and Ucardia continuing to make sure every CVD patient has the opportunity to receive critical monitoring and care while in the comfort and convenience of their home," said Dan Ebeling, co-founder and COO of Phas3. "We believe in extending access to every patient who needs this essential care."
For more information:www.ucardia.com
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Is Occupational Complexity Associated With Cognitive Performance … – The Cardiology Advisor
AHA: Diabetes, ASCVD risk varies across Asian American subgroups – Healio
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Type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic CVD risk varies considerably among Asian American subgroups and clinical trials assessing interventions must reflect the disparities within the Asian American population, researchers reported.
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes and stroke mortality is higher among all Asian American subgroups compared with white adults, whereas data show ASCVD risk is highest among South Asian and Filipino adults but lowest among Chinese, Japanese and Korean adults, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association. The statement highlights the biological pathway of type 2 diabetes and the possible role of genetics in type 2 diabetes and ASCVD in Asian adults. The researchers noted that there are challenges to providing evidence-based recommendations because trials often do not reflect the diverse population.
Asian American individuals make up the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, Tak W. Kwan, MD, FAHA, chief of cardiology at Lenox Health Greenwich Village/Northwell Health and clinical professor of medicine (cardiology) at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, told Healio. Type 2 diabetes is a major risk factor for atherosclerotic CVD. Together, type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic CVD are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among Asian American adults. Nevertheless, significant variability in type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic CVD prevalence and risk factors exists within the different subgroups of Asian American people. Most literature aggregates Asian American subgroups into a single racial and ethnic group and fails to distinguish Asian American subgroups individually, which may mask type 2 diabetes and ASCVD disparities that exist between these different subgroups.
Subgroups are broadly categorized by the geographic region of Asian descent and include South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal or Bhutan); East Asia (Japan, China or Korea); Southeast Asia (Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hmong); and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (Hawaii, Guam, Samoa or other Pacific islands).
The scientific statement summarized current literature on the demographics and biological and social mechanisms that contribute to type 2 diabetes and ASCVD among Asian American adults and examines acculturation in the context of culturally appropriate strategies in the prevention and management among this diverse ethnic group, Kwan said.
Tak W. Kwan
This scientific statement provides individual and community-level intervention suggestions for health care professionals who interact with the Asian American population, Kwan said. Cardiologists and community-based efforts can have the potential to educate Asian Americans and the immigrant population on the health/risk behaviors associated CV health.
The statement notes that the highest rate of CAD was among Asian Indian Americans, with rates of 13% for men and 4.4% for women, followed by Filipino Americans (9.2% for men and 4% for women), Chinese Americans (6.4% for men and 2.5% for women), Japanese Americans (6.9% for men and 2.7% for women) and Korean Americans (5.9% for men and 1.7% for women).
Central to these efforts are consideration of family characteristics, social networks, and community resources and supports, Kwan told Healio. Asian American patients and health care professionals should be encouraged to use resources such as the joint AHA/American Diabetes Association initiative Know Diabetes by Heart, for which significant clinical updates are provided for controlling BP, lipids and glucose to reduce ASCVD risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Because of the high incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes among Asian American adults, Kwan said there is an urgent need for specific physiological studies and long-term, prospective, randomized controlled trials that include participants from varying Asian American subgroups to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of interventions.
Future studies of ASCVD risk in Asian American adults also need to be adequately powered, to incorporate multiple Asian ancestries and include multigenerational cohorts, Kwan told Healio. With advances in epidemiology and data analysis and the availability of larger, representative cohorts, further refining the pooled cohort equations, in addition to enhancers, would allow better risk estimation in segments of the population, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and those with social deprivation, and may allow more targeted risk assessment within diverse racial and ethnic groups.
Tak W. Kwan, MD, FAHA, can be reached at tkwan@northwell.edu; Twitter: kwancardio.
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AHA: Diabetes, ASCVD risk varies across Asian American subgroups - Healio
Oxygen therapy improves heart function in patients with long COVID – EurekAlert
Barcelona, Spain 10 May 2023: A small randomised trial in patients with post-COVID syndrome has found that hyperbaric oxygen therapy promotes restoration of the hearts ability to contract properly. The research is presented at EACVI 2023, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1
The study suggests that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be beneficial in patients with long COVID, said study author Professor Marina Leitman of the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University and Shamir Medical Centre, Be'er Ya'akov, Israel. We used a sensitive measure of cardiac function which is not routinely performed in all centres. More studies are needed to determine which patients will benefit the most, but it may be that all long COVID patients should have an assessment of global longitudinal strain and be offered hyperbaric oxygen therapy if heart function is reduced.
Most COVID-19 sufferers fully recover, but after the initial illness approximately 1020% of patients develop long COVID, also called post-COVID condition or syndrome.2 Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, cough, chest pain, rapid or irregular heartbeats, body aches, rashes, loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, dizziness, insomnia, brain fog, depression and anxiety. Patients with post-COVID syndrome may also develop cardiac dysfunction and are at increased risk of a range of cardiovascular disorders.3
This randomised controlled double-blind trial evaluated the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on the cardiac function of long COVID patients. HBOT involves inhalation of 100% pure oxygen at high pressure to increase delivery to the bodys tissues, which is particularly beneficial for tissues that are starved of oxygen due to injury or inflammation. HBOT is an established treatment for non-healing wounds, decompression sickness in divers, carbon monoxide poisoning, radiation injury and certain types of infections
The study enrolled 60 post-COVID syndrome patients with ongoing symptoms for at least three months after having mild to moderate symptomatic COVID-19 confirmed by a PCR test. Both hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients were included. Severe COVID cases were excluded. Patients were randomised to HBOT or a sham procedure in a 1:1 ratio. Each patient had five sessions per week over eight weeks, for a total of 40 sessions. The HBOT group received 100% oxygen through a mask at a pressure of 2 atmospheres for 90 minutes, with 5 minute air breaks every 20 minutes. The sham group breathed 21% oxygen by mask at 1 atmosphere for 90 minutes. All participants underwent echocardiography at baseline (before the first session) and 1 to 3 weeks after the last session.
Echocardiography was used to assess left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS), which is a measure of the hearts ability to contract and relax lengthwise. It indicates how well the heart is functioning and can help detect early signs of heart disease. A healthy heart will have a GLS value of around -20% which means that the heart muscle is able to properly contract and relax in the longitudinal direction. Reduced GLS is an early marker that the heart is not able to contract and relax effectively.
At baseline, nearly half of study participants (29 out of 60; 48%) had reduced GLS. Of those, 13 (43%) and 16 (53%) were in the sham and HBOT groups, respectively. The average GLS at baseline across all participants was -17.8%. In the HBOT group, GLS significantly increased from -17.8% at baseline to -20.2% after the intervention (p=0.0001). In the sham group, GLS was -17.8% at baseline and -19.1% after the sessions, with no statistically significant difference between the two measurements.
Professor Leitman said: It was notable that almost half of long COVID patients had impaired cardiac function at baseline according to GLS despite all participants having a normal ejection fraction, which is the standard method for measuring the hearts ability to contract. This means that ejection fraction is not sensitive enough to identify long COVID patients with reduced heart function.
She concluded: The findings suggest that HBOT promotes recovery of cardiac function in patients with post-COVID syndrome. More research is needed to collect long-term results and determine the optimal number of sessions for maximum therapeutic effect.
ENDS
Authors: ESC Press OfficeMobile: +33 (0)489 872 075Email: press@escardio.org
Follow us on Twitter @ESCardioNews
Notes to editor
Funding: None.
Disclosures: None.
References and notes
1The abstract The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on myocardial function in post-COVID syndrome patients: a randomized controlled trial will be presented during the session COVID which takes place on 10 May at 11:30 CEST at Moderated ePosters 1.
2World Health Organization: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Post COVID-19 condition.
3Xie Y, Xu E, Bowe B, Al-Aly Z. Long-term cardiovascular outcomes of COVID-19. Nat Med. 2022;28:583590.
About EACVI 2023 #EACVI2023
EACVI 2023 is the first patient-focused and unified multi-modality congress. It is organised by the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
About the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI)
The European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging(EACVI) - a branch of the ESC - is the world leading network of Cardiovascular Imaging (CVI) experts, gathering four imaging modalities under one entity (Echocardiography, Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac Computed Tomography). Its aim is to promote excellence in clinical diagnosis, research, technical development, and education in cardiovascular imaging. The EACVI welcomes over 11,000 professionals including cardiologists, sonographers, nurses, basic scientists and allied professionals.
About the European Society of Cardiology
The European Society of Cardiology brings together health care professionals from more than 150 countries, working to advance cardiovascular medicine and help people lead longer, healthier lives.
Information for journalists about registration for EACVI 2023
EACVI 2023 will be held 10 to 12 May at the Fira Gran Via, Hall 8, in Barcelona, Spain. Explore the scientific programme.
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.
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Oxygen therapy improves heart function in patients with long COVID - EurekAlert
AIMed Global Summit 2023 to Focus on Changing Healthcare One … – Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology
May 10, 2023 The AiMed Global Summit will be held June 4-7, 2023, in SanDiego, Calif, and program details offered include a comprehensive agenda of key leaders on artificial intelligence (AI) and its application and implications on healthcare. The event will offer six high-value tracks, 200+ speakers, a dozen keynotes, pre and post summit partner events over three days, offering attendees a chance to gain insights into the latest use cases, perspective and approaches in AI medicine. Participants will also have an opportunity to access the Smart Health Expo, network with 1500 healthcare game changers and hear from top health AI luminaries, facilitating expert insights, proven best practices and real-world success stories, and interact with more than 60 sponsoring exhibitors, according to AiMed Global Summit planners.
An overview of AiMed Global Summit news features and program highlights has been updated by the editorial team at Imaging Technology News/ITN (itnonline.com) and Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology/DAIC (dicardiology.com) who will be on site and offer ongoing coverage.
Representatives from the following top healthcare facilities across the country have been tapped to speak during the Summit, and include but are not limited to: Tenet Health, Mayo Clinic, University of California, Duke AI Health, Harvard Medical School, Phoenix Childrens, Rady Childrens, University of Texas MD Andersen Cancer Center, and CHOC Childrens.
Additionally, leaders from leading associations are scheduled to participate as Speaker Advisors, including President-Elect of the American Medical Association, Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, providing An Update from the AMA on June 5, as well as representatives from the American Hospital Association, and the American College of Cardiology.
Major business speakers include: Bayer - Head of Medical Affairs, Digital Radiology, Ankur Sharma;Nuance Chief Medical Information Officer, Matthew Lungren, MD, MPH;AWS Principal Business Devt Officer-Academic Medical Centers, Rod Tarrago, MD;Google Health Chief Clinical Officer, Michael Howell; Clinical Lead, Public & Population Health, Von Nguyen, MD;Philips Global Practice Leader, Edgar Van Zoelen.
During AiMed 2023, content will be split across six dedicated tracks which planners have described as focusing on these areas:
1) From Data to Delivery:Uncovering how data is being leveraged to drive innovation and help change the way clinicians and healthcare business leaders identify, manage and treat patients.
2) Population Health & Equity:Participants of this track will discuss, question and collaborate on developing, validating, and testing AI approaches for risk prediction, bias situations and areas of prevalence, diagnostics and decision making to provide value for cohorts and improving health equity.
3) Ethics & Regulation:With a lens of ensuring humans remain in the loop, discussions explore the nuances of AI so that it promotes well-being, patient equity, human safety and the public interest. This track deep dives into the R.E.A.L (regulation, ethics, accountability and legal) issues around AI and the wider considerations.
4) Tools & Deployment Track:Participants will be able consider use cases and lessons learned to aid your deployment decisions and benefit from the transformational opportunities that AI can provide in medicine and healthcare operations. Dig into the AI tool kit and explore RPA, wearable technology, NLP, digital twins, neural networks, machine and deep learning, extended reality, etc. For those wondering how to implement AI in their roles, scale up, just getting started or already an expert.
5) Strategies for Healthcare Leaders:This track translates these nuances in detail to build sector resilience as we reimagine the future of healthcare with AI. Seeks to answer the question: do we have the policy, strategy, funding models, education and people in place to deliver at scale?
6) Application in Clinical Domains:As the scope increases, providing clinicians with further insights into patient conditions, this track shares the latest applications and use cases across clinical domains.
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHiME) is hosting the Innovation in Clinical Informatics as part of AiMed Global Summits Pre-Summit Program onon Sunday, June 4 and Monday, June 5.CHiME is the professional organization for Chief Information Officers and other senior healthcare IT leaders. CHiME enables its members and business partners to collaborate, exchange ideas, develop professionally and advocate the effective use of information management to improve the health and care throughout the communities they serve. Learn from leading experts at this jam-packed program led by C-level healthcare executives, delivering the roadmap to implement next-gen solutions in your practice.
ABAIM AI Review Course
The American Board of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (ABAIM) is hosting an AI Review Course as part of AiMed Global Summits Pre-Summit Programming. ABAIM is a nascent multidisciplinary AI advisory group of domain experts formed to provide educational content and a certification examination for healthcare participants in the course as they embark on their journey of AI in medicine. In partnership with AiMed Global Summit, ABAIM is offering a CME-accredited course led by industry experts. This one-day course is the perfect foundation for gaining an educational certification assessment in AI. With a live faculty of industry leading experts, it is not to be missed! Learn from AiMed Founder Anthony Chang, and ABAIM executives leading the way for AI in medicine, and join the conversation in developing best practices set to advance digital healthcare. The activity will be worth eightcredit hours based on the current schedule.
The AiMed 2023 Networking Reception will also take place Sunday evening.
CHOCs Chief Intelligence and Innovation Officer, Anthony Chang, MD, MBA, MPH, MS, is the Chairman and Founder of AIMed, who will join with AIMed CEO Freddy White to deliver the Grand Opening Keynote address on Monday, June 5.
The Headlines Stage, featuring expert sources on key topics daily, will kick off on day one with an address focused on AI Foundations: 2023 Update of AI in Healthcare. Presenters joining AIMed Founder Chang for this session include Alfonso Limon of Oneirix Labs,Karen B Seagraves, PhD,Sharief Taraman, MD, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine.
Official opening of the AiMed Smart Health Expo featuring vendors providing solutions, services, inspiration, as well as open floor layout for optimized networking and making connections over refreshments.
AI Foundations: a foundation level masterclass provides a multidisciplinary and comprehensive overview of the principles and application of data science, artificial intelligence and intelligence-based medicine. Covering its basic concepts and its real-life applications at a top level. This masterclass is a must attend for any clinician and practitioner seeking to strengthen their foundational level knowledge of AI.
Additionally, the Smart Health Expo opens Monday, June 5, offering an open floor plan for improved networking.Subspecialty Group Meetups will also take place on the first day of the summit.
Breakfast Workshops will allow participants to take a deep dive into a range of key areas impacting AI in medicine, from Leveraging Natural Language in Healthcare to a C-Suite Primer and additional sessions.
Breakout Tracks allow attendees to engage in all aspects impacting their work: From Data to Delivery; Ethics & Regulation; Population Health & Equity; Tools & Deployment; Strategies for Healthcare Leaders; Applications in Clinical Domains; The Computer Lab.
The Headliners Roundup for June 6 features a session, Whats Influencing Clinical Medicine and Healthcare Today? and will include Michael Howell, MD,Google Health, Jack Hampson, ofDeeper Insights, and PatricioA. Frias, MD,Rady Children's Hospital.
The Shark Tank Startup Showcase on June 6 will allow the shortlisted five start-ups four minutes to deliver a shark tank style pitch of their solution followed by six minutes for Q&A. The prestigious judging panel of healthcare entrepreneurs and VCs who invest in seed rounds will rank each pitch to determine the winner.
AI Champions Awards will presented as an evening to celebrate and recognize the great people and organizations that are helping to drive the agenda for artificial intelligence in healthcare. To be held the evening of Tuesday, June 6, the AI Champion Awards is described as an evening to celebrate and recognize the great people and organizations that are helping to drive the agenda for artificial intelligence in healthcare.
On the final day of AiMed 2023, another 15 sessions will take place, including Breakfast Workshops focused on Digital Twins, Operationalizing AI and other hot topics. Also on June 7, the AiMed Abstract Competition will give students, early and established career clinicians and data scientists the opportunity to present posters to an esteemed panel of judges.
Closing out the 3-day event on the Headliners Stage will be a series of keynotes from senior healthcare leaders. Breakout tracks covering 6 key areas will offer Stargazing AI in Healthcare: What Does the 5 Year Roadmap Ahead Look Like?
Panelists include: Anthony Chang MD, MBA, MPH, MS, of CHOC and Founder, AiMed;Eric Eskioglu, MD, MBA, formerly withNovant Health; Eric Wicklund, from mHealthIntelligence; G. Hamilton Baker, MD, of The Medical University of South Carolina;Karen B Seagraves, PhD, MPH;and William W Feaster, MD, CHOC Children's Hospital.
AiMed is described as a driving force ensuring the healthcare sector is not left behind, whose stated goals are to eradicate challenges, define AI enabled solutions and create an efficient workplace, with patient outcomes at its core. The organization notes that its aim is to assist medical professionals to discover new ways to incorporate advances in technology to help the way they work.The Childrens Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) Medical Intelligence and Innovation Institute (MI3) is funded by the Sharon Disney Lund Foundation with the purpose of advancing data science and artificial intelligence in medicine around the world. Our vision is for this institute as well as AiMed to serve as a clarion call to start a revolution to embrace this exciting new paradigm for healthcare and medicine.
For more information: https://ai-med.io
AiMed Global Summits Lineup Announced
AiMed 2023: Changing Healthcare One Connection at a Time
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New report finds action is required to protect UK health research – Imperial College London
A new report from the Academy of Medical Sciences has outlined that the UK needs to do more to retain its exceptional strengths in health research.
The report titled Future-proofing UK Health Research: a people-centred, coordinated approachwas produced by 30 experts from across the UK, including Imperials Dr Rasha Al-Lamee, Clinical Senior Lecturer at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London and cardiology consultant Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
The report calls for coordinated action to secure a sustainable future for research and deliver maximum health benefits for people everywhere, which involves Governments across the UK, public and charitable funders, higher education institutions, industry, NHS leaders, patients, carers and the public.
Listen to Dr Al-Lamee on BBC Radio 4 Today Programme(from 51m 53s)
It concludes that UK health research is in danger of being taken for granted and sets out what needs to be done to improve and future-proof it.
The importance of clinical academics was highlighted as being crucial to support the over-burdened NHS and calls on regulators, funders, the NHS and universities to improve support for clinical academics and pilot a scheme where healthcare professionals have protected time for research.
Dr Rasha Al-Lamee works jointly between Imperials National Heart and Lung Institute and as a cardiology consultant at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and spends 70% of her work-life running clinical trials on how to relieve the symptoms of heart disease and 30% of her time seeing patients.
Dr Al-Lamee noted that"hospitals doing research have better patient outcomes overall.
Despite this, there has been a decline of almost a quarter of the number of clinical academics at my career level across the UK over the last decade.
To avoid detrimental effects on patients and healthcare workers like me, the sector needs to make it easier to hold these dual careers in a secure and flexible way.
Some ofthe report's other key findings include the need to place people at the heart of the UK health research system by improving research culture and career structures, maximise the research potential of the NHS and, crucially, ensure that the true cost of excellent health research is adequately covered by addressing the current model of research funding where universities are required to cross-subsidise research costs from international student fee income.
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New report finds action is required to protect UK health research - Imperial College London
Common Sedative vs Afib; Fishbone Pierces Heart; Oral PCSK9 … – Medpage Today
When people actually prove their adherence to the Mediterranean diet using blood tests, this eating pattern was associated with stronger protection from type 2 diabetes than previously thought. (PLOS Medicine)
The global burden of cardiovascular deaths attributable to very cold and very hot temperatures increased from 1990 to 2019. (European Journal of Preventive Cardiology)
The common sedative dexmedetomidine was associated with reduced new-onset atrial fibrillation (Afib) in ICU patients. (JAMA Network Open)
Afib was associated with an overabundance of certain species in the gut microbiome. (eBioMedicine)
Procedural efficacy was high in the early experience with the new Heliostar irrigated radiofrequency balloon, which was designed to give operators impedance values that quantify the grade of contact during pulmonary vein isolation. (EP Europace)
An interatrial shunt without a permanent implant? Radiofrequency-energy excision of the interatrial septum showed promise in terms of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and functional improvement at 6 months. (JACC: Heart Failure)
DELIVER trial participants derived consistent benefits from dapagliflozin (Farxiga) across the spectrum of ejection fraction. (JAMA Cardiology)
The case where a swallowed fishbone, nearly an inch long, pierced through the heart into the left atrium and caused a Staphylococcus aureus infection. (European Heart Journal)
FDA cleared the Heart Seat -- a smart toilet seat that measures heart rate and oxygen saturation -- maker Casana announced.
Medtronic said the FDA approved its next-generation Micra AV2 and VR2 leadless pacemakers featuring 40% more battery life than older devices.
The Endurant abdominal aortic aneurysm stent graft system boasted 94.7% freedom from aneurysm-related mortality and 64.1% sac regression in 10-year postmarketing data, Medtronic also announced.
Among young people who survive acute myocardial infarction (MI), women are disproportionately more likely to be rehospitalized for cardiac and noncardiac reasons. (Journal of the American College of Cardiology)
After coronary artery bypass grafting, subsequent angioplasty on the graft, as opposed to the native artery, was tied to a higher 5-year MI risk. (Clinical Cardiology)
Merck scientists report phase I data supporting the macrocyclic peptide MK-0616 as an oral PCSK9 inhibitor that may lower LDL cholesterol. (Circulation)
People with more painful areas on their body were prone to MI but not stroke. (JACC: Advances)
In 2000-2014, Black Americans with better survival rates tended to be those born in Africa, the Caribbean, South America, and Central America. (Journal of the American Heart Association)
A country with fewer than 10 cardiac specialists, Zambia just had its first total aortic arch replacement surgery with guidance from University of Michigan surgeons. (Michigan Medicine)
MPI 8, an anticoagulant targeting polyphosphate, is being developed for potential clinical use without bleeding side effects. (Nature Communications)
Scientists are hoping that their "vein on a chip" could be a good lab model of blood clot formation, according to the University of Birmingham.
Nicole Lou is a reporter for MedPage Today, where she covers cardiology news and other developments in medicine. Follow
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Common Sedative vs Afib; Fishbone Pierces Heart; Oral PCSK9 ... - Medpage Today
More Rehospitalizations for Younger Women 1-Year Post-MI – Medscape
Younger women (those aged 18-55) have more adverse outcomes than men in the year after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and are at greater risk for both cardiac and noncardiac rehospitalizations, a new analysis of the VIRGO study suggests.
All-cause hospitalization rates within 1 year of discharge were 34.8% for women compared with 23% for men. Most hospitalizations for women were coronary-related.
Women with a myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) had lower rates of rehospitalization than women who experienced myocardial infarction with obstructive coronary artery disease (MI-CAD).
There was a more significant sex disparity between women and men for noncardiac hospitalizations compared with all other hospitalizations (incidence rate, 145.8 [women] vs 69.6 [men] per 1000 person-years).
"We were surprised to see the significance of sex difference in 1-year outcomes despite adjusting for over 30 variables, variables that often hold significant impact, such as belonging in the self-reported non-Hispanic Black population and lower socioeconomic status, [and] scores on health status questionnaires," Mitsuaki Sawano, MD, PhD, of the Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, told theheart.org | Medscape Cardiology. "Our findings indicate that women may indeed be at higher risk for 1-year hospitalizations."
Comprehensive data capturing healthcare utilization in young patients with AMI is lacking in the United States, Sawano said. "That is exactly why the VIRGO (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients) study started more than decade ago."
"Since there is no indication that much has changed in the care provided to young patients over the last decade, we think the data from VIRGO remains relevant to this day," he added.
The results were published online May 1 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The VIRGO study enrolled men and women with AMI across 103 US hospitals. Average age of the patients was 47 years and 70% self-identified as non-Hispanic White. A high proportion of women self-identified as non-Hispanic Black compared with men.
Women also had a higher prevalence of comorbidities, including obesity, congestive heart failure, prior stroke, and renal disease, and a greater history of depression at baseline (48.7% vs 24.2%).
Among the 2979 patients (67% women) included in the analysis, at least one hospitalization occurred in 905 (30.4%) in the year after discharge.
The leading causes of hospitalization were coronary-related (incidence rate [IR], 171.8 among women vs 117.8 among men), followed by noncardiac hospitalization (IR, 145.8 vs 69.6) and dissection and vasospasm (1.4% vs 0.2%).
Women with MINOCA had a lower incidence of 1-year all-cause, coronary-related, and stable or unstable angina hospitalizations compared with women with MI-CAD. The women with MINOCA also reported lower treatment satisfaction compared with men or women presenting with MI-CAD.
At the time of discharge, the total length of stay was longer for women vs men, and women received lower rates of guideline-recommended medical therapies, including aspirin (92.6% vs 95%), statins (67.5% vs 71.7%), beta-blockers (89.6% vs 94.1%), and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (61.2% vs 70.6%).
"Greater burden of risk factors, chest discomfort symptoms deemed 'noncardiac,' delays in hospital presentation, delays in care after arriving at the hospital, inequalities in timely reperfusion therapies or any revascularization, lower prescription and continuation rate of optimal medical therapy, etc. all have been proposed as contributing factors to worse clinical outcomes in young women," Sawano said. "More importantly, we have not seen any full-scale attempts to lessen sex disparity."
To minimize the risk of avoidable hospitalizations, a multidisciplinary team of cardiologists, psychiatrists, ob/gyn doctors, diabetes clinicians, and obesity specialists, among others, "is warranted during the index hospitalization," he added.
"Clinicians would need to understand the patient better," including factors like financial status, insurance, access to healthcare, and possible constraints related to household roles. "All are relevant to taking care of the young patients," he said.
"I am not surprised by the current findings, as young women are the least aware of their risk for heart attacks," American Heart Association volunteer expert Nieca Goldberg, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine andmedical director of Atria, New York City, told theheart.org | Medscape Cardiology. "The current health system seems fixed on the image of men and older women being at risk for heart disease. A different analysis will likely have the same results."
Physicians need to look beyond traditional risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, family history, cigarette smoking, lack of exercise and obesity, she said. "They should incorporate questions about autoimmune disease and pregnancy-related disorders such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm birth as well as mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and stress. These disorders can widen out the net of women who are at risk for heart disease."
Martha Gulati, MD, MS, Cedars-Sinai Smidt Heart Institute, Los Angeles, California, and colleagues conclude in a related editorial that the new analysis "adds to decades worth of literature clearly illustrating that young women with AMI experience more adverse outcomes than men.
"The disparities are evident," they conclude. "Now it is time to stop adding insult to infarct and to solve these persistent sex gaps in cardiovascular care."
The VIRGO study (NCT00597922) was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Sawano reports no relevant financial relationships, but several co-authors report ties to industry; the full list can be found with the original article. The editorialists and Goldberg report no relevant financial relationships.
J Am Coll Cardiol. Published online May 1, 2023. Abstract, Editorial
Follow Marilynn Larkin on Twitter:@MarilynnL.
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Read more from the original source:
More Rehospitalizations for Younger Women 1-Year Post-MI - Medscape