The updated US guidelines for high blood pressure (HBP) emphasize that HBP is the most common and modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases—including coronary artery disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, dementia, chronic kidney disease, and all-cause mortality—with a treatment goal of <130/80 mm Hg for most adults, while allowing […]
A Chinese multicenter, participant-blinded, randomized controlled trial found that remote ischemic conditioning (RIC)—a neuroprotective therapy involving twice-daily cuff inflation to 200 mmHg (four cycles of 5 minutes of ischemia followed by 5 minutes of reperfusion) for 7 days—significantly improved recovery in patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing endovascular thrombectomy. Among […]
Two recent trials from China evaluated strategies to improve outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke treated within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. In the first open-label trial, 550 patients with large-vessel occlusion were randomized to receive either intravenous tenecteplase followed by endovascular thrombectomy or thrombectomy alone. Functional independence at […]
A global analysis of over 2 million individuals from 133 cohorts across 39 countries found that five classic risk factors—high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, underweight/overweight or obesity, diabetes, and smoking—account for about half of the global cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden. Researchers estimated lifetime risks and outcomes up to age 90 based […]
A contemporary review with meta-analysis demonstrated that exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (ExCR) appears beneficial and safe for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The study analyzed data from 20 randomized clinical trials involving 2,039 participants with a mean follow-up of 11 months. ExCR did not significantly affect all-cause mortality (8.3% vs 6.0%; […]
A recent randomized crossover trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of combining dapagliflozin with spironolactone versus using dapagliflozin alone in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction. Involving 108 participants (median age 76, 57% women), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 72 mL/min/1.73 m2，the 12-week study found […]
A recent US clinical trial explored two strategies for reducing sedentary behavior and their effects on health in overweight or obese postmenopausal women. Over a 3-month period, 407 participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group focused on general healthy living, a group aiming to reduce […]
A Chinese prospective, randomized, parallel-group, superiority clinical trial revealed that bedtime dosing provides superior nocturnal blood pressure (BP) control and circadian rhythm improvement without compromising daytime or 24-hour BP control. The trial was conducted at 15 hospitals in China between June 2022 and April 2024 with a 12-week follow-up, compared […]
An international case–control study suggested that vascular risk factors influence stroke risk differently across age groups. The study enrolled age- and sex-matched cases of the first acute stroke and controls across 32 countries between Jan 11, 2007, and Aug 8, 2015. Participants underwent clinical assessments and provided blood and urine […]
An individual patient-data pooled analysis of the four Intensive Blood Pressure (BP) Reduction in Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trials (INTERACT) supports the safety and efficacy of early intensive BP-lowering in intracerebral hemorrhage. There were 404 patients in INTERACT1, 2829 in INTERACT2, 7036 in INTERACT3, and 1043 in INTERACT4, respectively. INTERACT1–3 enrolled […]