Troponin and Natriuretic Peptide Change with Intensive BP Control

A US study showed that intensive systolic blood pressure (SBP) lowering increased hs-cTnT (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T), mediated by reduced kidney filtration; and decreased NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide), mediated by the drop in SBP. The observed changes in hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP levels with intensive SBP lowering were associated with […]


Micronutrient Supplementation and CVD Risk

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled intervention trials of micronutrients on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and clinical events concluded that some but not all micronutrients may be beneficial. The analysis identified a total of 884 randomized controlled intervention trials evaluating 27 types of micronutrients among 883,627 participants (4,895,544 person-years). […]


No Survival Benefit for Invasive Management of Stable CAD

An interim report of a US randomized trial in patients with stable coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia concluded that there was no difference in all-cause mortality for an initial invasive strategy compared with an initial conservative strategy, with lower risk of cardiovascular mortality but higher risk of non-cardiovascular […]


Intensive BP Control Harmful After Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke

An open-label, blinded-endpoint, randomized controlled trial in China suggested that intensive control of systolic blood pressure (SBP) to lower than 120 mm Hg should be avoided to prevent compromising the functional recovery of patients who have received endovascular thrombectomy due to intracranial large-vessel occlusion. The trial enrolled 821 patients (aged […]


Gum Disease Linked to Atrial Fibrosis

A prospective histological cohort study in Japan revealed the association of periodontitis with atrial fibrosis. The study enrolled 76 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF, 55 with nonparoxysmal AF, 25 with mitral valve regurgitation, 18 with left atrial appendages [LAA] thrombus) who were scheduled to undergo LAA excision during cardiac surgery. […]


Sex-Specific Relationship of Lean Body Mass to Cardiovascular Capacity

A Canadian study of healthy adults showed that leg and arm lean body mass (LBM) independently associate with internal cardiac dimensions, ventricular relaxation, and systemic vascular resistance in a sex-specific manner, predominantly in women. The study included 70 white women and men matched by age (60±12 vs 58±15 years), physical […]


Short Sleep Duration Linked to Multimorbidity

A prospective UK cohort study suggested that short sleep duration was associated with the onset of chronic disease and multimorbidity. The study included 7,864 (32.5% women) participants free of multimorbidity. Self-reported sleep duration was measured 6 times between 1985 and 2016. Incidence of multimorbidity was defined as having 2 or […]