Cardiology

As one of the most popular movie franchises in history, Star Wars has reached a wide range of people across the globe. Some have seen ways to apply lessons from the movies to help in the diagnosis of mental health patients.

In a comparison of three non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs), apixaban, dabigatran, and rivaroxaban provided similar levels of stroke prevention, but apixaban was least associated with instances of major bleeding.

Even after the implantation of a left ventricular assist device there is no guarantee that patients will live much past the procedure. Planning for life after the implant can be as important as the time beforehand.

Recent research from the Duquesne University School of Nursing has shown that a relatively low-intensity intervention delivered in community settings led to significant improvements in diet, activity and general health among participants. This type of intervention approach can play a key role in promoting aging in place and preventing transition to a higher level of care.

The extremely robust connection between AF and ischemic stroke is well-established, but the strength of the connection between AF and TIA had not been quantified to nearly the same degree.

“The reason we are talking about vaccinations is that they are some of the simplest interventions we can provide our patients to reduce heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and HF exacerbations,” says Dr. Orly Vardeny, PharmD.

The use of preconditioned mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may offer a new, safer alternative to other cellular therapies used for tissue regeneration, according to recent study.

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

In Finland, subarachnoid hemorrhage prevalence decreased by 45 percent and 38 percent among women and men under age 50 years, respectively. Additionally, in women and men over 50, SAH prevalence decreased by 16 percent and 26 percent, respectively. During the same period, smoking among the population aged 15-64 years decreased by about a third.

Researchers in New York have used transcriptional profiling of platelets to identify genetic factors that appear to put some people at higher risk of cardiovascular events.

The issue of physician assisted suicide can cause people to fervently pick one side or another. For some, their belief is so strong that they are moved to do things they may not have done in their career beforehand.

For many psychiatrists one of their biggest challenges in their daily practice is working to show patients that suicide is not the solution to their problems. Changes in the criteria for physician assisted suicide in Europe which include allowing mental illness as a criteria can fly in the face of that mission.

The issue of physician assisted suicide is one that has been debated both in the medical community and in the general population. Recent law changes by some European countries have brought the issue to the forefront perhaps more than ever before.

There have been great strides made in recent years to help treat patients diagnosed with heart disease. As technology improves and new medications are developed it will be important to ensure they can get to the patients who need them most.

While lifestyle modifications and changes in diet can help prevent heart disease in men and women alike there are some distinct differences when it comes to treating these patients once a diagnosis is made.

As more has been learned over the years about heart disease there is also a greater awareness of the impact it can have on women. Because of this increased awareness a greater effort is underway to help catch these conditions before they become fatal.

Technology may be advancing faster than people can keep up with but there are still times when traditional surgical methods are preferred over newer technologies.

While minimally invasive surgery is not a new concept the rapid advances in technology are helping to treat patients with more wide ranging conditions than ever before.

ECG of the Month: The 28-year-old presents with worsening midsternal chest pain x24 hours. What does the ECG tell you?

“Acute alcohol consumption has long been linked to development of AF. In the Framingham, Copenhagen, and Women's Health Studies, chronic alcohol consumption, especially two or more drinks per day, is associated with up to 30% higher risk for incident AF,” the study authors wrote in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

A two-year-long randomized trial has found that wearable monitors that track activity and vital signs — which are obviously designed to help people achieve their fitness goals — actually hindered weight-loss efforts in young adults with body mass indexes (BMIs) between 25 and 40.

For many, cardiovascular disease can be seen as mostly an issue facing men. However, work has been done to raise the education of women to help ensure their health as well.

While some people may see high blood pressure as a normal factor in pregnancy and delivery it can actually be a serious problem at the time and down the road.

Patient selection, proper up-titration, and insurance barriers must be considered by cardiologists and other physicians seeking to treat patients with the new combo medication.

There is no significant risk of increased cardiovascular events associated with drug regimens containing atazanavir, according to the results of a recent study

Lack of guidelines and recommendations on use, ill-defined value of care, patient preference, and physicians’ lack of awareness are among the factors that can prevent widespread adoption of new medications.

Recent trials involving promising medications to treat patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction have not produced significant reductions in mortality.

The FDA approved a fixed-dose combination of canagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride extended release (Invokamet RX/Janssen).

Research results presented at HFSA 2016 support switching from conventional treatment approaches to the new combination treatment.

A presentation at the 2016 Heart Failure Society of America Scientific Meeting provided details on serelaxin, ularitide, and other new therapies for heart failure.