Empagliflozin Effective in HFpEF

A double-blind, randomized trial revealed that empagliflozin reduced the combined risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure (HF) in patients with HF and a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), regardless of the presence or absence of diabetes. The trial included 5988 patients (average 72 years, about 45% women, and […]

Gut Microbiome Might Be the Link of Healthy Foods and Lower BP

A community-based cohort study in Germany suggested that the composition of the gut microbiome might explain the cross-sectional association of habitual flavonoid and flavonoid-rich food intake with blood pressure (BP). The study included 904 participants, and 16S ribosomal RNA was sequenced for the gut microbiome composition. Higher total flavonoid intakes […]

Escitalopram Safe and Effective for Anxiety in CHD

A US randomized clinical trial showed that for patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and high anxiety, escitalopram was safe and effective for reducing anxiety. The trial included 128 outpatients (mean age 64.6 years, 29% women) with stable CHD and a diagnosed anxiety disorder between January 2016 and May 2020. […]

Statin Use Linked to Lower Risk Plaques

A cohort study suggested an association of statin use with slower plaque progression and increasing calcium density. The study included 2458 coronary lesions in 857 patients (mean age 62.1 years, 63.0% men, 63.9% received statin therapy) from 2013 to 2016 at 13 sites in 7 countries and had serial quantitative […]

Plant Foods Linked to Lower CVD Risk

Two separate studies in the US suggested that plant-based foods were associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in young adults andpostmenopausal women. One study included 4,946 adults, 18 to 30-years-old at the time of enrollment from 1985 to 1986; 2,509 Black and 2,437 white adults, 54.9% women overall. […]

Healthy Lifestyle May Lower Genetic Cancer Risk

The analysis of genetic and lifestyle factors with cancer incidence in a general-population cohort suggested that genetic cancer risk may be reduced by adopting a healthy lifestyle. An incidence-weighted overall cancer polygenic risk score (CPRS) was constructed based on 20 cancer site-specific polygenic risk scores. Lifestyle was determined according to […]

ARBs May Be Safer Than ACE Inhibitors

A retrospective, new-user comparative cohort study revealed that angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) do not differ statistically significantly in effectiveness at the class level compared with ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors as first-line treatment for high blood pressure but present a better safety profile. The study included all patients with high blood […]

Diagnosis and Management of Myocarditis in Children

A scientific statement from the American Heart Association has been released for the diagnosis and management of myocarditis in children. Myocarditis remains a clinical challenge in pediatrics. Originally, it was recognized at autopsy before the application of endomyocardial biopsy, which led to a histopathology-based diagnosis. Given the invasive and low-sensitivity […]

How to Help People Out of a Catastrophe

Dr. Markowitz at Columbia University outlined the types of therapies that are proven to work for people with a major trauma.  The most common diagnosis and response to trauma is depression. A lot of other people are going to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Other people will develop substance abuse. […]

Nociplastic Pain

The International Association for the Study of Pain has proposed a new term, nociplastic pain, to describe a third category of pain that is mechanistically distinct from nociceptive pain, which is caused by ongoing inflammation and damage of tissues, and neuropathic pain, which is caused by nerve damage. The mechanisms […]