Cardiovascular Diseases


Exercise Lowered High Blood Pressure

A network meta-analysis of 391 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) confirmed modest but consistent reductions in systolic blood pressure (SBP) in many studied exercise interventions across all populations but individuals receiving medications generally achieved greater reductions than those following structured exercise regimens. The analysis included 197 RCTs of exercise interventions (10 461 […]


Red Meat Increases Trimethylamine N-oxide

An US randomized crossover study showed that chronic dietary red meat increases systemic trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) levels through enhanced dietary precursors, increased microbial trimethylamine (TMA)/TMAO production from carnitine, but not choline, and reduced renal TMAO excretion. Discontinuation of dietary red meat reduces plasma TMAO within 4 weeks. There were 113 healthy […]


Sleep Pattern Matters

A prospective global cohort study suggested that total sleep duration of 6–8 h per day is associated with the lowest risk of deaths and major cardiovascular events (MCEs). Daytime napping is associated with increased risks of MCEs and deaths in those with >6 h of nighttime sleep but not in those sleeping […]


Qualified Health Claim for High Oleic Acid Oils

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) responded to a petition for a new qualified health claim for edible oils containing high levels of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that’s been shown to have cardiovascular benefits when it replaces heart-damaging saturated fat. Manufacturers of these oils can choose to include […]


Fish Oil and Vitamin D Supplementation Not Beneficial

A nationwide, randomized, placebo-controlled trial revealed that daily supplementation with high-dose vitamin D or n-3 fatty acids for 5 years among initially healthy adults in the US did not reduce the incidence of cancer or the incidence of major cardiovascular events. The trial included 25,871 participants (5106 black, ages >/=50 […]


Lifestyle, Genetics and Stroke

An UK prospective population based cohort study found that genetic and lifestyle factors were independently associated with risk of incident stroke. The study recruited 306 473 men and women, aged 40-73 years, between 2006 and 2010. During a median follow-up of 7.1 years (2 138 443 person years), 2077 incident strokes (1541 ischemic […]


ACEIs Linked to Lung Cancer

A population based cohort study in the UK showed that the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. The association was particularly elevated among people using ACEIs for more than five years. The cohort of 992 061 patients newly treated with antihypertensive […]


MI Linked to Weather

A prospective, population-based and nationwide Swedish study revealed that low air temperature, low atmospheric air pressure, high wind velocity, and shorter sunshine duration were associated with risk of myocardial infarction (MI) with the most evident association observed for air temperature. A total of 280 873 patients were included from 1998 […]


Silent MI Deadly

A population-based, prospective cohort study in Iceland revealed that the long-term mortality risk of unrecognized myocardial infarction (UMI) can be as high as clinically recognized myocardial infarction (RMI). 935 participants (aged 67-93 years, 48.3% men) were characterized with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) from January 2004 to January 2007 and followed […]


Aspirin for Primary Prevention Challenged

Findings of two randomized, placebo controlled clinical trials challenged the role of aspirin in primary prevention in a low-risk population and in patients of diabetes. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study was done in seven countries. Between July 5, 2007, and Nov 15, 2016, 12 546 eligible patients aged 55 years […]