Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Cardiology for December 2014. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
AMA Identifies Top 10 Issues That Affected Docs in 2014
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The top 10 issues that affected physicians in 2014 include many regulatory issues relating to Medicare and data release, as well as health issues such as overprescribing of antibiotics and the Ebola crisis, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
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Docs Making Changes to Improve Blood Pressure Control
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians have been discussing how minor, easy changes in the way they measure blood pressure have had a positive impact on hypertension control, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
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Ebola, ACA, VA Scandal Top U.S. Health News for 2014
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- It started as a deadly but little-known outbreak in West Africa, but the lethal and unchecked spread of the Ebola virus dominated U.S. headlines for much of 2014, making it one of the year's top health news features.
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Surgeon General Still Has Important Role to Play
TUESDAY, Dec. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The Surgeon General has an important role in educating and mobilizing the public and shaping policy on public health issues, according to an ideas and opinions piece published online Dec. 30 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Non-Chest Pain Presentation Doesn't Worsen MI Outcomes
TUESDAY, Dec. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), presentation with non-chest pain delays door-to-balloon (DTB) time but does not worsen clinical outcomes, according to research published in the Dec. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Physical Activity Assessment Indicates Cardiometabolic Risk
MONDAY, Dec. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Physical activity, as assessed by the Exercise Vital Sign (EVS), is associated with improved cardiometabolic profile, according to research published Dec. 18 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease.
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FDA Approves Saxenda for Weight Management
MONDAY, Dec. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Saxenda (liraglutide [rDNA origin] injection) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment option for chronic weight management, along with a reduced-calorie diet and physical activity.
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2015 Medicare Fee Schedule Offers Payment for Chronic Care
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The 2015 Medicare Fee Schedule includes a Current Procedural Terminology Code that pays for clinical staff time for developing and implementing a care plan for patients with two or more chronic conditions, according to an article published Dec. 18 in Medical Economics.
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Cardiac Risk Up With Noncardiac Surgery Six Months Post-Stent
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Among post-stent patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, the incremental risk of adverse cardiac events is highest in the first six months following stent implantation, according to a study published in the Dec. 30 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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ADA Issues New Standards of Medical Care for Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- New standards of care have been issued by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and published as a supplement to the January issue of Diabetes Care.
Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2015
BP-Lowering Therapy Reduces Stroke, Death in Grade 1 HTN
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with grade 1 hypertension, blood pressure-lowering therapy is associated with a reduction in blood pressure and a lower likelihood of stroke and death, according to research published online Dec. 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Heart Failure Survival Up in Obese, Overweight Patients
TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Obese heart-failure patients appear to live longer than people of normal weight who develop the condition, a new study suggests. The report appears in the Dec. 30 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Ambulatory BP Monitors May Become New Standard
TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Patients suspected of having hypertension may soon be asked to wear an ambulatory blood pressure monitor to confirm the diagnosis, according to a draft recommendation issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The recommendation is based on a review published online Dec. 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Resistance Training Key for Men Fighting Age-Related Weight Gain
TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For men, combining aerobic activities with weight training is key to preserving muscle and avoiding weight gain, particularly age-related increases in waist circumference, according to research published online Dec. 22 in Obesity.
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Mortality Down for Admissions During Cardiology Meetings
TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For high-risk patients with heart failure or cardiac arrest, admission during a national cardiology meeting is associated with reduced 30-day mortality, according to a study published online Dec. 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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CDC: Use of Cholesterol Meds Continues to Rise in U.S.
TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The percentage of adults aged 40 and older taking cholesterol-lowering medications, including statins, rose from 20 to 28 percent between 2003 and 2012, according to a December data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
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Hospitalization Risk Seen With Clarithromycin + Certain Statins
MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Combining clarithromycin with certain statins increases the risk of adverse outcomes that can lead to hospitalization or even death, according to a new study published online Dec. 22 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Tips Offered to Docs, Spouses for Maintaining Happy Marriage
FRIDAY, Dec. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Simple tips can help physicians and their spouses maintain marital happiness, according to an article published in the American Medical Association (AMA) Alliance magazine Physician Family.
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Resting Heart Rate Predicts Renal Outcomes in High-Risk Patients
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease, resting heart rate (RHR) can predict renal outcomes, according to research published online Nov. 27 in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
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Outcomes Best for Early Enrollment in Cardiac Rehab
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Early enrollment may improve outcomes in cardiac rehabilitation (CR), according to research published in the Dec. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Hospital Staff Say 'Crisis Mode' Obstructs Communication
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Staff members who perceive a work climate of crisis mode in their hospital units say that it leads to problems in exchanging patient information, according to research published online Dec. 10 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
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Hypoglycemia Ups Cardio Events, Mortality for Insulin-Treated
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For insulin-treated patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, hypoglycemia is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality, according to a study published online Dec. 9 in Diabetes Care.
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Digital Self-Scheduling Set to Increase Considerably by 2019
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Digital self-scheduling is set to increase considerably in the next five years, according to a report published by Accenture.
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Yoga Heart Health Benefits Similar to Brisk Walking
TUESDAY, Dec. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People randomly assigned to yoga classes saw improvements in their weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol, similar to the health benefits of conventional exercise such as brisk walking. These research findings, the result of a review of trials, were reported online Dec. 15 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
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Challenges ID'd in Development of the Physician Compare Website
TUESDAY, Dec. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), information must be made available to allow the public to compare physicians, although there are considerable challenges surrounding the development of the physician performance website, Physician Compare. These challenges are addressed in a health policy brief published online Dec. 11 in Health Affairs.
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Support for Electronic Health Information Varies With Use
TUESDAY, Dec. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Consent and purpose are important for public support of secondary uses of electronic health information, according to a study published in the Dec. 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Physicians Reminded of Ethical Obligations Regarding Torture
TUESDAY, Dec. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- With the issuing of the new U.S. Senate report on interrogations, the American Medical Association (AMA) is reminding physicians of their ethical obligations relating to torture and interrogation.
News Release
AMA Statement
Direct Oral Anticoagulants Have Distinct Bleeding Profiles
TUESDAY, Dec. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have distinct bleeding profiles and require individualized management approaches, according to a state-of-the-art review published in the December issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.
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Doctors Not Providing Sexual Counseling for Heart Patients
TUESDAY, Dec. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Fewer than one out of five acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients get advice from their doctor on whether they can resume sexual activity, and what information they do get often is wrong. These findings were published online Dec. 15 in Circulation.
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FDA: New Test Estimates Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new screening test designed to estimate a person's risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Physicians Should Scrutinize Job Offers Before Accepting
MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians should scrutinize job offers and pay attention to specific issues before accepting a job, according to an article published Dec. 3 in Medical Economics.
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Webcast Scheduled to Discuss Maintenance of Certification
MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- New data relating to Maintenance of Certification (MOC) will be discussed in a free webcast to be held Dec. 17 by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
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ICU Diaries May Aid Survivors in Recovery After Discharge
MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Patient diaries kept during a hospital stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) for a critical illness may be used as a therapeutic tool to assist survivors in recovery after discharge, according to research published online Dec. 8 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
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In Nursing Homes, Statins Often Continued in Advanced Dementia
MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For nursing home (NH) residents with dementia taking statins, most continue statins with the progression to advanced dementia, according to research published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Transesophageal ECHO Impacts Cardioembolic Stroke Care
MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- As a result of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for suspected cardioembolic stroke, 16.7 percent of patients experience a significant change in management, according to a study published in the Dec. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Tips Offered for Docs to Manage Their Online Reputation
FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians can manage their online reputation, according to a report from the American Medical Association (AMA).
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Less Blood Transfused in Surgery OK for Heart Patients
FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Cardiovascular disease patients who receive smaller amounts of blood during surgery do as well as those who get more blood, according to the findings of a new study published online Dec. 9 in The Lancet.
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Prospective Safety Surveillance of Medical Devices Feasible
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Distributed automated prospective safety surveillance of newly approved medical devices is both feasible and can be performed in near real-time, according to a study published online Dec. 9 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
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More Students Enrolling in U.S. Medical Schools
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- More students are enrolling in medical schools, and enrollees are more diverse than before, according to a report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
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More Docs, Patients Not Speaking Same Language
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People applying to become medical residents in the United States speak a wide range of non-English languages, but many aren't the languages spoken by patients with limited English skills, according to a research letter published in the Dec. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on medical education.
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Spending Cuts May Have Mixed Effects on Stroke Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The long-term effects of fee-for-service (FFS)-based reimbursement cuts on processes and outcomes of care for stroke may be mixed, according to research published online Dec. 9 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
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Statins Not Tied to Male Gonadal, Sexual Dysfunction
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Statins do not appear to affect male gonadal and sexual function, according to a study published online Nov. 25 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
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Work-Hour Restrictions Have Not Improved Outcomes
TUESDAY, Dec. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Reducing medical residents' work hours hasn't improved mortality rates, hospital readmission rates, or outcomes of surgery, according to two new studies published in the Dec. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on medical education.
Abstract - Patel
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Docs Trained in High-Cost Areas Practice More Costly Medicine
TUESDAY, Dec. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors who were trained in high-cost areas of the United States may be more likely to practice expensive medicine, a new study suggests; however, that effect gradually decreases over time. The study was published in the Dec. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on medical education.
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Higher Paid Docs Earn More Money From More Procedures
TUESDAY, Dec. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- High-income doctors make more money by ordering more procedures for each patient rather than by seeing more patients, according to an analysis of 2012 Medicare data published in a research letter Dec. 8 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Bisphenol A in Canned Goods Linked to Higher Blood Pressure
TUESDAY, Dec. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Eating food from cans lined with the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) could raise blood pressure, a new study suggests. The report was published online Dec. 8 in the Hypertension.
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American Chemistry Council Statement
Depression, Anxiety Tied to T-Wave Abnormalities
TUESDAY, Dec. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Depression and anxiety are independently, yet oppositely, associated with electrocardiographic (ECG) T-wave inversions, according to a study published in the Dec. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Hard Hit to Chest Triggered A-Fib in Teen Football Player
MONDAY, Dec. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A hard hit to the chest during a football game resulted in three days of an irregular heart rhythm for a 16-year-old player, researchers report in a new case study.
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Statin Use Linked With Higher Risk for Cataracts
FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Statin use may raise the risk of developing cataracts, researchers report. The study was published in the December issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
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Low-Dose ASA Risks Outweigh Benefits in Younger Women
FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For women younger than 65, taking low-dose aspirin for years lowers the risks of heart attack, stroke, and colorectal cancer by a small amount, but the benefit is countered by an increase in the risk of major gastrointestinal bleeding, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in Heart.
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Patent Foramen Ovale Closure Cost-Effective Over Long Term
FRIDAY, Dec. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with patent foramen ovale (PFO) and cryptogenic stroke, PFO closure is associated with higher costs but seems to be cost-effective over the long term when modeling medical treatment costs, according to research published in the Nov. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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AMA: Social Determinants of Health to Be Taught in Med School
THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new policy implemented by the American Medical Association (AMA) supports integrating more training on the social determinants of health into undergraduate medical education, according to a report published by the AMA.
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Mediterranean Diet May Help Boost Longevity
THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Adhering to the Mediterranean diet appears to be associated with longer telomere length, an indicator of slower aging, according to research published Dec. 2 in The BMJ.
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Racial Disparity Seen With Congenital Heart Surgery
THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- There are poorer medical outcomes in black and Hispanic patients undergoing surgical intervention for congenital heart disease, although mortality is not increased, according to a study published in the Dec. 1 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
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Low Testosterone Linked to Adverse Outcomes in T2DM
THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For men with type 2 diabetes, low serum testosterone seems to be implicated in adverse clinical outcomes, according to a review published online Nov. 3 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.
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Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs Impact LDL-C, HDL-C
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Childhood obesity prevention programs are beneficial for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the December issue of Obesity Reviews.
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Statin Tx Not Found to Protect Bones Amidst Inflammation
TUESDAY, Dec. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Although research has suggested that statins used to treat cardiovascular disease may also reduce the risk of fracture, treatment with rosuvastatin does not reduce the risk of fracture among men and women with evidence of inflammation, according to a new study published online Dec. 1 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Management of Risk Factors Important in A-Fib Ablation
TUESDAY, Dec. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Aggressive management of risk factors improves the long-term outcomes in patients receiving catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF), according to research published in the Dec. 2 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Safety of Epinephrine in Cardiac Arrest Questioned
TUESDAY, Dec. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Four out of five people who receive epinephrine to restart their heart end up suffering significant damage to brain function, and the risk increases with the dose. These findings were published in the Dec. 9 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Too Much Patient Care Tied to Faculty Members' Intent to Leave
TUESDAY, Dec. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Spending "far too much/too much" time/effort on patient care is associated with increased intent to leave the institution, according to research published in Academic Medicine.
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Low Bilirubin Predicts Cardiac Risk in Metabolic Syndrome
MONDAY, Dec. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Low serum total bilirubin levels may improve risk prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with metabolic syndrome, according to research published in the Dec. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Doctor Discusses Ways to Keep Morale in Medicine High
MONDAY, Dec. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Despite the many frustrations for doctors in medical practice, there are ways to keep morale high, according to an article published Nov. 20 in Medical Economics.
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Many Physicians Report Their Incomes Have Plateaued
MONDAY, Dec. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Many physicians report that their personal income has not changed since last year, according to the results of the Physicians Practice 2014 Physicians Compensation Survey.
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