Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Cardiology for February 2019. 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.
ATS Issues Practice Guideline for Pediatric Home Oxygen Therapy
THURSDAY, Feb. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Recommendations have been developed for home oxygen therapy in children with chronic respiratory conditions; the clinical practice guideline from the American Thoracic Society was published in the Feb. 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Advanced Echocardiographic Training Requirements Issued
THURSDAY, Feb. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The training requirements for performing advanced echocardiographic procedures (Level III training) are discussed in a statement from the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the American Society of Echocardiography; the report was published online Feb. 19 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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HEART Care Pathway Reduces Admission, Stress Testing in ACS
THURSDAY, Feb. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Implementing a history, electrocardiogram, age, risk factors, and troponin (HEART) care pathway can reduce use of hospital care and noninvasive stress testing among patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS), according to a study published online Feb. 20 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
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Lowering BP, Lipids in Healthy Elderly Has No Cognitive Effect
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Candesartan plus hydrochlorothiazide, rosuvastatin, or their combination do not impact cognitive decline among older people, according to a study published online Feb. 27 in Neurology.
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Achievement of Targets in T2DM Varies by Season
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- There is seasonal variation in achievement of the guideline targets for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), blood pressure (BP), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol among persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a study published online Feb. 22 in Diabetes Care.
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Kidney Disease Affects Revascularization Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The presence of comorbid chronic kidney disease (CKD) negatively impacts myocardial revascularization outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a study published in the Feb. 5 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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MRI Cardiac Stress Test Predicts Death From Heart Disease
TUESDAY, Feb. 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) can predict mortality in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a study published online Feb. 8 in JAMA Cardiology.
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Prognostic Bleeding Risk Models Developed for Aspirin Use
MONDAY, Feb. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Prognostic bleeding risk models that can estimate the absolute bleeding harms of aspirin have been developed for individuals in whom aspirin is being considered for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a study published online Feb. 26 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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2014 to 2017 Saw Improvement in Burnout for U.S. Physicians
MONDAY, Feb. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- From 2014 to 2017, there was an improvement in burnout and satisfaction with work-life integration among U.S. physicians, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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Incidence of Acute Myocardial Infarctions Up Among Young Women
MONDAY, Feb. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of acute myocardial infarctions (AMI) has increased among younger women, and sedentary time is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among women, according to two studies published in the Feb. 19 issue of Circulation, a "Go Red for Women" theme issue on cardiovascular disease in women.
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National Health Spending Set to Increase 5.5 Percent Annually
FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- National health spending is projected to increase at an annual rate of 5.5. percent from 2018 to 2027, with fundamental economic and demographic factors the main drivers, according to a report published online Feb. 20 in Health Affairs.
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Higher Triglycerides May Be Protective in the Very Elderly
FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Higher triglycerides (TGs) is associated with a decreased risk of cognitive decline, activities of daily living (ADL) decline, frailty aggravation, and mortality in the oldest old, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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FDA: Gout Drug Uloric Increases Risk of Death
FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The gout medicine Uloric (febuxostat) carries a higher risk of death than allopurinol, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Most Patients Do Not Disclose Complementary Medicine Use
FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Just one-third of users of biologically based complementary medicine (CM) disclose their use to traditional health care providers, according to a review published online Feb. 7 in Scientific Reports.
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Higher Salt Intake in DASH Diet Tied to More Lightheadedness
FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Higher sodium intake in the context of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is tied to more frequent and severe lightheadedness, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension.
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Excessively Sleepy OSA Subtype Tied to Increased CVD Risk
FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients with excessive daytime sleepiness are at a substantially increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with individuals with other OSA subtypes, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Odds of Receiving Tx for CAD Up With Medicare Advantage
FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), those enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) are more likely to receive secondary prevention treatments than those enrolled in traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in JAMA Cardiology.
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Vertical Integration Has Little Impact on Quality Measures
THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Vertical integration between hospitals and physicians has little impact on quality measures, while increased hospital market concentration is strongly associated with reduced quality in measures of patient satisfaction, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in Medical Care Research and Review.
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Rivaroxaban Does Not Reduce VTE Incidence in High-Risk Cancer Patients
THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- In high-risk ambulatory patients with cancer, the incidence of venous thromboembolism or death due to venous thromboembolism during 180 days is not significantly reduced for rivaroxaban compared with placebo, according to a study published in the Feb. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Leg Amputation in ESRD Patients Should Prompt Palliative Care Discussion
THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly one in 10 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoes lower-extremity amputation in their last year of life, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Morning Exercise Linked to BP Reduction in Sedentary Seniors
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- In sedentary overweight/obese older adults, morning exercise reduces systolic blood pressure, with additional benefit seen by combining exercise with regular breaks in sitting, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in Hypertension.
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New Kaiser Permanente Medical School Plans to Waive Tuition
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- A new medical school to be opened by California-based health system Kaiser Permanente will waive tuition for all students in its first five graduating classes.
The New York Times Article
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Experimental Test May Quickly Diagnose Sepsis
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- A blood test that can quickly diagnose dangerous sepsis infections has been developed, according to research published in the Feb. 1 issue of Biosensors and Bioelectronics.
CNN Article
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Eating Nuts Tied to Reduced CVD Incidence, Death in T2DM Patients
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Higher consumption of nuts, especially tree nuts, is associated with reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in Circulation Research.
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Late-Onset Migraine With Aura Linked to Increased Stroke Risk
TUESDAY, Feb. 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- There is an increased stroke risk in late life among patients with late-onset migraine with aura (MA), according to a study published online Jan. 21 in Headache.
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Higher Push-Up Capacity Linked to Lower Incidence of CVD Events
TUESDAY, Feb. 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Higher push-up capacity is associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events among male firefighters, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in JAMA Network Open.
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Cardiovascular Risk Increased During Gender Transition
TUESDAY, Feb. 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- People receiving hormone therapy during gender transition have an increased risk for cardiovascular events, according to a study published online Feb. 18 in Circulation.
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Hospital Prices Growing Faster Than Physician Prices
FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Growth in hospital prices and payments outpaced growth in physician prices and payments from 2007 through 2014, according to a report published in the February issue of Health Affairs.
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Artificially Sweetened Drinks Linked to Stroke After Menopause
FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Among postmenopausal women, consumption of artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) is associated with an increased risk for stroke, coronary heart disease, and all-cause mortality, according to a study published online Feb. 14 in Stroke.
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Most A-Fib Patients Have at Least One Identifiable Trigger
FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Most patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) report at least one identifiable trigger, with the most common triggers being alcohol, caffeine, exercise, and lack of sleep, according to research published online Feb. 14 in HeartRhythm.
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Discharge Opioid Rx for Heart Dz Patients May Impact Follow-Up
FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with an admitting diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome and/or acute decompensated heart failure, opioid prescription at discharge is not significantly associated with unplanned health care utilization or mortality but is associated with reduced odds of completed planned health care utilization, according to a study published in the Feb. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association.
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Physical Activity Down Across Chronic Disease Subgroups
THURSDAY, Feb. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- People with a wide variety of chronic diseases are less physically active than individuals without chronic diseases, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
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CVD Does Not Modify Depression-Mortality Link in Elderly
THURSDAY, Feb. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- In older adults, the association between depressive symptoms and mortality is not influenced by the presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Guidelines Updated for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Adults
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- In the latest evidence-based guideline from the American College of Chest Physicians, published online Jan. 17 in CHEST, updated recommendations are provided for the management of adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
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Coexisting Medical Conditions, Smoking Explain PTSD-CVD Link
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The correlation between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not independent and is explained by physical and psychiatric conditions and smoking, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
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Larger Physician Bonus May Improve Care in Chronic Disease
TUESDAY, Feb. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Increased bonus size for physicians caring for patients with chronic disease is associated with improvements in care quality, according to a study published online Feb. 8 in JAMA Network Open.
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CDC: Student Tobacco Use Increased From 2017 to 2018
TUESDAY, Feb. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- From 2017 to 2018, there was an increase in any tobacco use, especially electronic cigarette use, for high school and middle school students, according to research published online Feb. 11 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Health Care Spending Per Person Increased to $5,641 in 2017
TUESDAY, Feb. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- In 2017, health care spending per person reached $5,641, according to the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) annual Health Care Cost and Utilization Report.
Health Care Cost and Utilization Report
Many Systematic Reviews Do Not Fully Report Adverse Events
TUESDAY, Feb. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Many systematic review protocols in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) do not include adverse event reporting, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology.
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Financial Hardship From Medical Bills Common in ASCVD
TUESDAY, Feb. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- A considerable proportion of nonelderly adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) have financial hardship from medical bills, according to a report published in the Feb. 19 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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CDC: Screening Policies for Critical Congenital Heart Dz Widespread
TUESDAY, Feb. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- All 50 states and the District of Columbia have implemented newborn screening policies for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD), although there are opportunities for improving data collection, according to research published in the Feb. 8 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Low Fitness, Obesity Linked to Later Disability Pension
MONDAY, Feb. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Among men, low cardiorespiratory fitness and obesity in adolescence are associated with an increased risk for later receipt of a disability pension, according to a study published online Feb. 12 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Functional Decline Seen for Many Frail Patients After TAVR, SAVR
MONDAY, Feb. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Older patients with severe frailty undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) frequently experience subsequent functional decline or lack of improvement, according to a study published online Feb. 4 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Walgreens Worst Violator in Tobacco Sales to Minors, FDA Says
FRIDAY, Feb. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Walgreens' high rate of violations for selling tobacco products to minors has led U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., to ask for a meeting with the company to discuss the issue.
CNN Article
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Johnson & Johnson to Provide Drug Prices in TV Ads
FRIDAY, Feb. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- In a drug industry first, Johnson & Johnson will start giving the list prices of its prescription drugs in television ads.
AP News Article
CDC: Heart Attack Awareness Improved Since 2008
FRIDAY, Feb. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Since 2008, there has been an increase in the number of U.S. adults with awareness of heart attack symptoms and knowledge of the appropriate response to a heart attack, according to research published in the Feb. 8 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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High-Risk HPV Infection Linked to Increased Risk for CVD in Women
FRIDAY, Feb. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is associated with an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a study published online Feb. 7 in Circulation Research.
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Dialysis Staff-Initiated CPR Ups Outcomes in Cardiac Arrest
THURSDAY, Feb. 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurring in outpatient dialysis clinics, dialysis staff-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is associated with improved outcomes, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Donor Heart Recovery From Drug-Intoxicated Deaths Has Increased
THURSDAY, Feb. 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The percentage of donors from whom hearts were recovered for transplantation who died from drug intoxication increased from 1999 to 2016, according to a study published in the Feb. 7 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Postconditioning During PCI for STEMI Shows Delayed Benefits
THURSDAY, Feb. 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The benefits of postconditioning (PostC) balloon inflations in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may not be apparent immediately, according to a study recently published in Circulation Research.
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Most Americans Concerned About Weight, Link to Heart Health
THURSDAY, Feb. 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Most Americans are concerned about their weight and understand the connection between weight and cardiovascular health, but a substantial proportion of them are not doing much to lose excess weight, according to a Cleveland Clinic survey.
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Psoriasis Tx Linked to Drop in Noncalcified Coronary Plaque
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment of psoriasis with biologic therapy is associated with a reduction in noncalcified coronary plaque and improved plaque morphology, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in Cardiovascular Research.
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Hypertensive Crisis Prevalent in Urban African-Americans
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The urban African-American population has a high prevalence of hypertensive crisis and hypertensive emergencies, according to a study published online Jan. 22 in Blood Pressure.
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Burden of Sudden Cardiac Death Higher in Black Men, Women
TUESDAY, Feb. 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- African-Americans have a higher burden of sudden cardiac death (SCD) than whites, especially among women, according to a study published online Feb. 4 in Circulation.
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Expanded Recall of Warfarin Level Monitoring Test Strips
MONDAY, Feb. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Certain lots of Roche Diagnostics test strips should not be used with CoaguChek test meter devices to check levels of the blood thinner warfarin because patients may get inaccurate results and be at risk for serious injury or death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says in an updated recall notice.
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E-Cigarette Use Linked to Cigarette Initiation in Adolescents
MONDAY, Feb. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Electronic cigarette use is associated with an increased risk for cigarette initiation and use in adolescents, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in JAMA Network Open.
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High Physical Activity Levels Tied to Coronary Artery Calcification
MONDAY, Feb. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- High levels of physical activity correlate with prevalent coronary artery calcification (CAC) but are not linked to increased mortality, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in JAMA Cardiology.
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Pharmacist-Led Phone Follow-Up May Cut Readmission Rates
FRIDAY, Feb. 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- A pharmacist-led, postdischarge structured telephone follow-up (TFU) intervention can reduce 30-day and 90-day readmission rates for polypharmacy patients, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
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