Falls and TBI in the Elderly

Dr. Bermanand Dr. Boguskisummarized the risk factors for falls in the elderly and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Risk factors for falls include lower body weakness; past history of a fall; difficulties with walking and balance; use of medicines, such as tranquilizers, sedatives, or antidepressants and medicines affect balance; vision problems; […]

Medication on Par with Early Invasive Treatment for Stable IHD

An international randomized trial revealed that an initial invasive approach compared to optimal medical therapy (OMT) in stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) patients with moderate-severe ischemia did not reduce risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) end points at a median of 3.3 years. The trial enrolled 5179 SIHD patients with moderate-severe ischemia […]

Low-Dose Colchicine Effective in CVD

A randomized, double-blind trial in Canada concluded that among patients with a recent myocardial infarction (MI), colchicine at a dose of 0.5 mg daily led to a significantly lower risk of ischemic cardiovascular events than placebo.A total of 4745 patients within 30 days after a MI were randomly assigned to […]

Lower Blood Pressure Might Reduce Dementia Risk

A meta-analysis of individual participant data from eligible observational studies suggested that use of any antihypertensive medications (AHM) with efficacy to lower blood pressure (BP) might reduce the risk for dementia among people with high BP. However, no evidence was found that a specific AHM drug class was more effective […]

Early Life Vascular Risk Linked to Brain Pathology Later

A prospective longitudinal cohort study in Britain revealed that early adulthood vascular risk is strongly associated with smaller whole-brain volume (WBV) and greater white matter–hyperintensity volume (WMHV) at age 69 to 71 years. The study assessed 502 participants in a birth cohort in 1946. Framingham Heart study–cardiovascular risk scores (FHS-CVS) […]

Bedtime BP-lowering Medications Work Better

A Spanish multicenter, controlled, prospective endpoint trial suggested that routinely taking blood pressure (BP)-lowering medications at bedtime, as opposed to upon waking, results in improved ambulatory BP (ABP) control and decreased occurrence of major cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. A total of 19 084 hypertensive patients (60.5 ± 13.7 years of age,  8470 women) […]

The Younger to Treat Familial Hypercholesterolemia the Better

A 20-year follow-up study in the Netherland concluded that initiation of statin therapy during childhood in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) slowed the progression of carotid intima–media thickness and reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Of the original cohort, 184 of 214 FH patients and 77 of 95 […]

Gait Speed Linked to Aging

A population-based cohort study in New Zealand suggested that gait speed at midlife may be a summary index of aging and brain health. The study included a representative 1972 to 1973 birth cohort of 1037 original participants (91% of eligible births; 51.6% male) and observed to age 45 years (until […]

Childhood Hypertension More Common

A systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that global prevalence of hypertension in children is becoming more common. The analysis included 47 studies of children ages 6 to 19, from 1994 to 2018 with at least 3 separate blood pressure measurements. Standardized definitions of hypertension was based on the fourth report […]

Hypothermia Improved Neurologic Outcome for Cardiac Arrest with Nonshockable Rhythm

A French open-label, randomized, controlled trial showed that among patients with coma who had been resuscitated from cardiac arrest with nonshockable rhythm (asystole or pulseless electrical activity), the use of moderate therapeutic hypothermia at 33°C led to a higher percentage of patients who survived with a favorable neurologic outcome at […]