A prospective study to assess the safety of MRI at a magnetic field strength of 1.5 Tesla in patients with a pacemaker (58%) or an implantable cardioverter–defibrillator (42%) that was not considered to be MRI-conditional (termed a “legacy” device) showed no long-term clinically significant adverse events. The study included 1509 […]
A study revealed that many middle-aged individuals free of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) have atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis presence and extent was associated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and glycosylated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c). The study evaluated 1,779 (45.0 ± 4.1 years old, 50.3% women) participants. CVRF freedom was defined as no current […]
A population-based study in the US did not find evidence of a survival advantage for obesity among persons with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study used data from an ongoing, nationally representative longitudinal survey of more than 30,000 people age 50 years and older initiated in 1992, with follow-up through […]
A 20-year cohort analysis of medical records in the UK revealed that blood pressure (BP) decreased for more than a decade before death in patients dying at 60 years and older. The analysis included 46 634 participants dying aged at least 60 years (51.7% female; mean age at death 82.4 years), […]
A retrospective analysis of heart failure (HF) patients in the US found that concurrent hemoconcentration and worsening renal function (WRF) identified a group with significantly improved post discharge survival. The analysis included 3061 patients hospitalized with HF. Hemoconcentration was defined as an increase in both hemoglobin and hematocrit, and WRF […]
A prospective biobank study concluded that genetic variants of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) were associated with altered high-density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism but not lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and had no significant association with risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study included 151 217 individuals aged 30 to 79 […]
An updated guideline for high blood pressure (BP) in adults has been released. BP progressively increases with age. Observational studies have demonstrated graded associations between higher systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly above a BP of 120/80 mm Hg. However, after […]
A blinded, multicenter randomized trial of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus a sham procedure for angina relief in the UK revealed that in patients with medically treated angina and severe coronary stenosis, PCI did not increase exercise time or improve symptoms. 230 patients with ischemic symptoms and severe (≥70%) single-vessel […]
The US Food and Drug Administration warns moderation on licorice, or liquorice, a low-growing shrub mostly grown for commercial use in Greece, Turkey, and Asia. It is in black licorice and has been used as a treatment for heartburn, stomach ulcers, bronchitis, sore throat, cough and some infections caused by […]
A population-based, prospective cohort study revealed that a trajectory of increasing disability became significantly steeper after stroke but not after myocardial infarction (MI). The study included 5888 individuals 65 years or older from 1989 to 2013, mean age was 72.8 years; 2495 were male. During a mean follow-up of 13 […]