Genetic Calcium Levels Linked to Risk of CAD and MI

A mendelian randomization study concluded that a genetic predisposition to higher serum calcium levels was associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction (MI). The study included 60 801 CAD cases (approximately 70% with MI) and 123 504 noncases, with baseline data collected from 1948 and populations derived […]


BMI Linked to Cardiometabolic Diseases

http://jamanetwork.com/The cross-sectional baseline data from a population-based cohort study in UK identified associations between body mass index (BMI) and risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressures. The study included 119 859 participants with complete phenotypic (medical and sociodemographic) and genetic data between […]


Bleeding Risk with Aspirin Increased with Age

A UK prospective population-based study of long-term antiplatelet treatment (predominantly daily aspirin 75 mg enteric coated) in secondary prevention of vascular disease showed that the severity, case fatality, and poor functional outcome of bleeds increased with age, and that in patients aged 75 years or older, most major upper gastrointestinal […]


Lithium Use in Early Pregnancy Linked to Congenital Cardiac Defects

A US cohort study suggested that maternal use of lithium during the first trimester was associated with an increased risk of cardiac malformations, including Ebstein’s anomaly (right ventricular outflow tract obstruction defects). The study included 1,325,563 pregnancies in women who delivered a live-born infant between 2000 and 2010. Cardiac malformations […]


Intensive BP Control Supported

A systematic review and network meta-analysis, which allowed the simultaneous comparison of multiple achieved systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels on clinical outcomes while preserving trial-level treatment randomization, indicates that treating patients to reduce SBP below currently recommended targets may significantly reduce risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality, with […]


Chondroitin Effective in Osteoarthritis

A prospective, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo and celecoxib (200 mg/day)-controlled trial concluded that a 800 mg/day pharmaceutical-grade Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is superior to placebo and similar to celecoxib in reducing pain and improving function over 6 months in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients. The trial included 604 patients of knee osteoarthritis in […]


Early Onset Hypertension Linked to Risks and Heritability

A multigenerational, prospective cohort study in the US concluded that early onset (age <55 years) compared with late onset hypertension was associated with greater odds of cardiovascular death and with greater risk for hypertension in offspring. The study included 3614 first generation participants with mortality data and 1635 initially non-hypertensive […]