Cardiology

“We found that the risk of ischemic stroke...the most common stroke subtype, is increased in overweight and obese women,” study author Gillian Reeves, explained. “By contrast, the risk of hemorrhagic stroke...is decreased in overweight and obese women.

Acupuncture has been used and studied as an alternative pain management method, and although it appears to offer some benefit as a treatment for some forms of chronic pain, the evidence supporting its positive effect on other health conditions is uneven at best.

The MD Magazine editors rounded up the 10 best stories from October – did you read them all?

Researchers calculate that more than 300,000 people in the US are now affected by the parasitic illness Chagas Disease, once limited to Latin and South America.

A large registry study has found that short bouts of atrial fibrillation (AF) are not associated with any adverse events and, therefore, may not require anticoagulation or any other treatment.

For patients living a sedentary lifestyle, adding a little extra physical activity can go a long way in improving their overall health.

There have been many times where exercise has been shown to be important in a person's life. This is especially true for people with diabetes in order to best manage their symptoms.

About a quarter of stroke patients were diagnosed with depression within two years of their stroke, researchers learned. Additionally, half of the cases of stroke patients who developed depression were diagnosed within the first three months.

What do you suspect in a 45-year-old woman presenting with hypotension, bradycardia, and no significant medical history? ECG, here.

The new study joins previous works that have found a significant connection between ablation and improved outcomes in atrial fibrillation patients.

Socioeconomic status is associated with stroke prevalence, and can be mapped by neighborhood. These geographic patterns could be useful in designing interventions for people at risk of stroke.

Although there are difference in how and to whom oral anticoagulants (OACs) are prescribed, UK researchers have found that those taking apixaban seem to have higher persistence rates.

Three New York City area medical centers teamed up with the FDNY to launch the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit (MSTU), an emergency transport vehicle specifically fitted to answer to patients who experiencing symptoms of strokes.

A robotic device designed for use in the home could improve outcomes for stroke survivors.

The mortality rate of AMD patients who received a bevacizumab injection 3 or 6 months after stroke was, in the study’s words, “worrying” compared to the rate of those who did not.

PCSK9 inhibitor therapy in high-risk groups would avert 1.9-2.8 million deaths, save $3.4-$5.1 trillion.

This first episode of arrhythmia occurs after completion of a customary 4-mile run. HR: 172 beats/min. View ECG here.

Stroke patients stayed in the rehabilitation facilities for an average of about 16 days, but half of the patients were discharged about one day earlier than expected. Patients without social support were typically associated with lower odds of a short stay in the group of stroke patients.

Controlling blood pressure may be more important in stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation than thought.

A new tool called X-map may be useful to supplement a standard computed tomography (CT) scan, but cannot replace it in diagnosing acute cerebral infarction.

After an ischemic stroke, oral anti-coagulants reduce the risk of recurrence, but does giving these drugs early increase the risk of intracranial bleeding? A study found such early dosing does not appear to add to the chances of such a hemorrhage.

While estrogen therapy may not be the best option for all women in menopause, there is an effort underway to help educate patients and providers alike as to how best to approach this topic to provide the best results possible.

There are several products on the market designed to help patients manage the symptoms associated with menopause. New research was recently presented on one option which does not include progesterone and what that means for care.

At The North American Menopause Society 27th Annual meeting (NAMS), Holly Thomas, MD, MS, University of Pittsburgh, discussed her program of research mainly focuses on how sex changes for women as they move through midlife and into older age.

At The North American Menopause Society 27th Annual Meeting (NAMS), Rebecca Thurston, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, discussed her research on the relationship between sleep and cardiovascular disease in menopause patients.

As Peter Schnatz, DO, Reading Health System, completes his term as President of NAMS, he reflected on the initial goals he'd had before assuming his position. His primary initiative was to bring the best care they could to menopausal women. Schnatz said they'd been working really hard on reopening the conversation of the use and utilization of hormonal therapy.

Peter Schnatz, DO, Reading Health System, current President of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), spoke about his presidential address, which discussed breast arterial calcification (BAC) and the association with risk factors and atheroscleratic cardiovascular disease.

The aim of the present meta-analysis was “to estimate the yield of AF detection in patients with stroke due to small and large vessel disease and in stroke patients in whom stroke etiology was not defined,” say the researchers.

The prevalence of vascular cognitive impairment and vascular dementia are increasing among the elderly. This presents a diagnostic problem, as about 40 percent of patients have coincident vascular cognitive disorder and Alzheimer’s disease pathologic processes

Previous research has found that hypertension and cardiovascular health is linked to the age that a woman goes through natural menopause. A study led by researchers from the Netherlands aimed to find if blood pressure has an impact.