An international, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial suggested that digitoxin modestly lowered the combined risk of death from any cause or hospital admission for worsening heart failure (HF) than placebo in patients with advanced HF receiving modern therapy. The trial evaluated digitoxin in 1,240 patients with chronic HF and reduced ejection fraction […]
In a US community-based study of patients aged ≤65 years between 2003 and 2018, researchers identified 1,474 index myocardial infarction (MI) events and classified them into six pathophysiologic mechanisms: atherothrombosis, spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), embolism, vasospasm, MI with nonobstructed coronary arteries of uncertain cause (MINOCA-U), and supply/demand mismatch secondary […]
A sub-analysis of a Spanish randomized clinical trial showed that diets with varying ketogenic potential had differing impacts on blood pressure (BP). Ninety six participants with obesity (BMI >30 kg/m²) were assigned to one of five dietetic interventions: early time-restricted eating (eTRE), late time-restricted eating (lTRE), modified alternate-day fasting (mADF), […]
A UK cohort study suggested that both shared and sex-specific fat patterns influence cardiovascular ageing. In the study of 21,241 UK Biobank participants, machine learning was applied to 126 image-derived measures of vascular function, cardiac motion, and myocardial fibrosis to estimate cardiovascular age, with the difference from chronological age defined […]
A UK randomized, single-blind, controlled trial of 135 otherwise healthy participants with periodontitis showed that intensive periodontal treatment (IPT) improved vascular outcomes beyond endothelial function. Participants were randomized to IPT (scaling, root planning, and corrective surgery if needed) or control periodontal treatment (CPT: supra-gingival scaling and polishing) and followed for […]
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%; […]