Cardiovascular Diseases


ACEIs/ARBs May Be Protective for COVID-19 Patients

A systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) may be associated with protective effects for patients with COVID-19. The analysis included 52 studies that evaluated clinical outcomes among 101 949 total patients, of whom 26.0% were receiving ACEIs or ARBs. When adjusted for […]


Personalized Exercise Prescription for High Blood Pressure

The European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) and the ESC Council on Hypertension have proposed that type of exercise can be prescribed according to initial blood pressure (BP) level to optimize lifestyle interventions for the prevention and treatment of high BP.  A systematic review of meta-analyses was performed to determine […]


Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to CVD

A US prospective cohort study supports that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality. The study included 3,003 adults free from CVD with valid dietary data at baseline and followed from 1991 to 2014/2017. Ultra-processed foods were defined according to […]


Cancer and CVD Share Risk Factors

A prospective study revealed that cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, 10-year atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) risk score, and natriuretic peptide concentrations are associated with increased risk of future cancer. Conversely, a heart healthy lifestyle is associated with a lower risk of future cancer. The study included 20,305 participants, mean age 50 […]


Fish Intake Linked to Lower Risk in CVD Patients

A pooled analysis of individual participant data of 4 international cohort studies suggested that fish intake of 2 servings weekly is associated with lower risk of major cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality among patients with prior CVD. The analysis involved 191 558 participants with a mean age of 54.1 years, 47.9% […]


Muscle Pain with Statin and Nocebo Effect

A series of randomized, placebo-controlled n-of-1 trials (a randomized trial in individual patients) found no overall effect of atorvastatin 20 mg on muscle symptoms compared with placebo in participants who had previously reported severe muscle symptoms when taking statins. A total of 200 participants who had recently stopped or were […]


Glycemic Index Linked to CVD and Death Globally

A global study concluded that a diet with a high glycemic index was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death. The study included 137,851 participants between the ages of 35 and 70 years living on five continents, with a median follow-up of 9.5 years. Country-specific food-frequency […]


Myocardial Injury in Recovered COVID-19 Patients

A multi-parametric cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) assessment revealed myocardial injury in approximately half of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. A total of 148 hospitalized COVID-19 patients (64 ± 12 years, 70% male, 32% requiring ventilatory support) and troponin elevation discharged from six hospitals in the UK underwent convalescent CMR (including adenosine stress perfusion if indicated) […]


Sex Differences in BP/CVD Associations

Analyses of community-based cohort studies suggested increasing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk beginning at lower thresholds of systolic blood pressure (SBP) for women than for men. The study included 27 542 participants (54% women) without baseline CVD who had standardized SBP measurements performed in 1 of 4 community-based cohort studies. Over 28±12 […]


BP Causally Linked to AF

A Mendelian randomization (MR) study provided the evidence that the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) might be causal. Genetic variants associated with the BP traits were retrieved from 299 024 subjects of European ancestry. Two-sample MR analyses were used to examine the potential causal association […]