Cardiology

Pieter Muntendam, MD, scPharmaceuticals, and colleagues hoped their productive can help reduce patients' length of stay in the hospital.

At the Heart Failure Society of America's 20th Annual Scientific Meeting, Pieter Muntendam, MD, scPharmaceuticals, discussed his work in developing a hospital strength treatment option for patients with fluid overload using the well known drug furosemide, now for subcutaneous administration.

According to Joseph Rogers, MD, Duke University, the HFSA has grown positively over the years to become a platform showcasing high level science, as evidenced through the late breakers that were presented.

Joseph Rogers, MD, Duke University discusses palliative care and how it fits into the overall treatment regimen of very sick patient populations.

Researchers reported black patients enrolled in the PARADIGM-HF study had more favorable prognostic baseline characteristics than white patients in the study. However, black patients exhibited a higher risk for cardiovascular death and hospitalizations.

Subcutaneously administered furosemide yields nearly identical outcomes compared with the traditional intravenous method of delivery, but is more convenient and well tolerated.

While there's no yet proven treatment for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, the team is really aiming to understand the pathophysiology to design better targeted treatments.

Study results presented at the 2016 Heart Failure Society of America Scientific Meeting show that treatment with omecantiv mecarbil improved cardiac function and quality of life in patients with heart failure.

"Heart failure is a disease that happens because of other diseases, so it's kind of the end result of diabetes, heart attacks, and cancer therapies, so it's hard to be a heart failure doctor and not spend a lot of time thinking about all the other medical specialties," concluded Allen.

With many new drug discoveries and medical devices int he field of advanced heart failure, Larry Allen, MD, MHS and his team are working to create patient decision support tools to help them navigate any challenges.

A high percentage of people with HIV are also cigarette smokers, a problem that the state of Michigan is tackling with targeting smoking cessation programs.

A meta-analysis of 104 cohort studies involving more than 9.5 million patients concludes that atrial fibrillation is associated with elevated rates of cardiovascular disease, renal disease and early death. Its authors conclude the treatment of AF should expand its focus beyond stroke prevention.

Younger patients with coronary heart disease who may have familial hypercholesterolemia need earlier diagnosis and treatment in order to reduce risk, according to the results of a recent study. FH is widely underdiagnosed, and is life-threatening.

Will our next president be medically fit? And how much is the public entitled to know about candidates’ personal health?

Patients with anemia who experience stroke are more likely to die, according to evidence in a new study. Results of previous studies examining the association between anemia and stroke mortality have been conflicting.

High-risk patients with a history of myocardial infarction have lower stroke risk after taking ticagrelor 60 mg twice per day, but those with coronary disease need a more intensive therapy, according to a recent study.

From the ventricular assist device and beyond the treatment of heart failure has made a considerable number of advancements. Even small steps like longer battery life and smaller devices can make a big difference in a patient's daily life going

As medications on the market get new indications and surgical procedures get further developed patients diagnosed with heart failure will continue to see better results in care and treatment.

Patients diagnosed with heart failure are living longer and with a higher quality of life than ever before. These advancements have come as a result of a considerable amount of work with much more work to be done going forward.

This "history book of ACS science" is a worthwhile download for the busy cardiologist.

At the European Society of Cardiology (ESC 2016) Congress late last month, Laila Staerk, MD, of Herlev and Gentofte University Hospital in Denmark, presented the findings of a large study on bleeding among patients with atrial fibrillation who were prescribed various stoke prevention medicines.

There is a known connection between atrial fibrillation and stroke risk. Finding the best way to handle this connection can determine the success of care and the quality of life for patients.

Patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation will often need treatment extending over a long period of time. In many cases ablation can be the best way to manage their symptoms requiring the work of an electrophysiologist.

The European Society of Cardiology's ESC Congress 2016 in Rome, Italy was huge, hot, and full of drama. Will any of the thousands of research reports delivered change practice?

There are many factors which can contribute to a patient developing Alzheimer's which goes beyond proteins which may be found in the brain.

Analysis of a large cohort group has found a significant connection between gut microbes and 2 of the largest risk factors for diabetes.

A new analysis of data published in JAMA Cardiology concludes that apixaban (Eliquis) tends to be both safer and more effective than warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation, regardless of their renal function.

At The European Society of Cardiology Congress 2016 (ESC), Ibrahim Danad, MD, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands, explained the results from his team's PACIFIC trial, which assessed two non-invasive coronary artery imaging tools: positon emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Research suggests that lipid screening appears to remain particularly underutilized in adults taking antipsychotic medications, despite improvements in recent years in the use of diabetes screening in this patient population.

Thousands of cardiologists and other attendees at the ESC Congress 2016 got to meet Pope Francis, who told them he marveled at the science and human mystery of the heart.