The HCPLive Cardiology condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for heart disease and cardiovascular events, as well as associated diabetes, renal failure, and more...
September 19th 2024
EDG-7500 was well-tolerated in healthy patients in Phase 1 while achieving gradient relief without LVEF reductions in the Phase 2 CIRRUS-HCM trial.
September 12th 2024
September 10th 2024
Elevating Care for PAH: Applying Recommended Management Approaches to Maximize Outcomes
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‘REEL’ Time Patient Counseling™: Navigating the Complex Journey of Diagnosing and Managing Fabry Disease
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Expert Illustrations & Commentaries™: Envisioning Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Managing ANCA-associated Vasculitis
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3-D Printed Heart Models on the Rise
The study of complex congenital cardiac anatomy has previously been limited to 2-dimensional assessment. Now the potential use of 3-dimensional cardiac models could allow for previously unavailable visualization and analysis of anatomy.
Vital Exhaustion and its Role in Cardiac Events
For patients suffering a first-time cardiac event there could be warning signs in the form of a condition called vital exhaustion. A recent study looked at the causes and signs of vital exhaustion and potential preventive measures and treatments for these patients.
Raising Organ Donor Awareness Through Social Media
Although more people than ever are signing up to become an organ donor, the demand for organs still greatly exceeds the number of available donors. Clinicians and advocates have taken a number of measures to raise awareness of organ donation, including the use of social media to help provide education on the topic.
Is Deactivating Defibrillators Assisted Suicide?
Amid the ongoing debate about whether patients are getting the best end-of-life care, a University of Pennsylvania team today presented survey results on a potential ethics question: How would patients feel if doctors turned off their defibrillators against the wishes of patient or family?
Hydroxychloroquine Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular Events in Rheumatoid Arthritis
November 18th 2014The anti-arthritis drug hydroxychloroquine dramatically reduces the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the disease, according to research presented here at the 2014 meeting of the American College of Rheumatology.
Mom's Pre-pregnancy Weight Impacts Risk of Dying Decades Later
Adults whose mothers were overweight prior to pregnancy have a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2014.
UK Mystery: Why More Endocarditis?
The United Kingdom has a medical mystery on its hands: what is causing a recent increase in infective endocarditis? One theory is that the uptick is due to a change in dental care. The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence amended the rules on dental procedures, so patients no longer routinely get prophylactic antibiotics before invasive oral procedures.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Drug Treatment Disappoints
The most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young people is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an inherited condition that can lead to heart failure, angina, arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. There is no medical treatment shown to halt or reverse the progression of the disease-just palliative care or surgery.
Losartan Trial for Marfan Syndrome Has Negative Results
Cardiologists treating pediatric patients with Marfan syndrome were hopeful that positive results from animal studies using losartan would be replicated in humans. But in a comparison of losartan with atenolol, researchers found no difference in the drugs' performance.
ODYSSEY Alternative Trials Show Promise for Hypercholesterolemia Patients
For patients with a statin intolerance, getting the treatment they need to manage their cholesterol levels can be difficult. A recent study has shown that a new class of drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors could help effectively manage cholesterol levels in this patient population.
Fighting the Hollywood Heart Attack
In the Hollywood version of the heart attack, patients clutch their chests, gasp for air, and often keel over. Real life isn't usually like that. But the problem for cardiologists and other physicians whose patients have cardiac events, is that the patient may not realize he or she has had one.
Dual Antiplatelet Therapy: 6 Months as Good as 12?
During a question-and-answer session at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2014, Stefania Schüpke, MD discussed the results of her ISAR-SAFE study of the dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation is still unknown.
Pulse Oximetry Law Finds Newborns' Heart Problems
Undetected neonatal heart defects can cause a variety of serious problems, including an increased risk of death. A recently enacted New Jersey law mandating screening for congenital heart defects has uncovered cases of congenital heart problems and likely saved lives.
LCZ696 Changing the Course of Heart Failure One Patient at a Time
Heart failure is highly debilitating and life threatening – nearly half the patients who die from cardiovascular causes do so suddenly when their heart simply stops pumping, well before medical intervention is even possible.
More Intensive Blood Pressure Goals Reserved for Most Severe Kidney Disease: KDIGO
November 17th 2014Recent updates by the 8th Joint National Committee (JNC 8), the American and International Societies of Hypertension (ASH-ISH), and KDIGO recommend target blood pressure of less than 140/90 mm Hg for most individuals, including those with CKD.
LCZ696 Could Set New 'Gold Standard' for Heart Failure Treatment
With heart failure increasing in prevalence as the US population ages, early detection and more effective treatments are important. Now, data from clinical studies show that treatment with the experimental angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor LCZ696 can significantly reduce patients' risk of sudden death and hospitalization.
Updated Blood Pressure Guidelines from Major Bodies Agree on Targets in Kidney Disease
November 17th 2014Two major sets of hypertension guidelines released in 2014 contain more common threads than differences, and are intended to serve different purposes. Clinicians seeking guidance for managing hypertension in chronic kidney disease (CKD) can look for this common ground to avoid "guideline overload."
Increased Risk of Ischemic Events Upon Discontinuation of Prasugrel
Kirk Garratt, MD, presenting at the 2014 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, said "The TAXUS Liberte Post-approval Study (TL-PAS) was designed to provide long-term safety and efficacy information about the clinical outcomes for the TL stent combined with the use of prasugrel and aspirin."
VP Cheney's Other Role: Heart Patient
Former VP Dick Cheney spoke at AHA 2014 about his experiences as a model heart patient. Speaking with his cardiologist, Jonathan Reiner, MD, of George Washington University, Cheney recounted his 5 heart attacks, a CABG procedure, defibrillator implantation, getting a left-ventricular assistive device, and at age 71, a heart from an anonymous donor.
Hypertension Guidelines Still Leave Room for Clinical Judgment
November 17th 2014Guidelines for hypertension have converged on a blood pressure target of less than 140/90 mm Hg for most individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, studies still need to clarify optimal BPs for advanced disease and optimal cardiovascular prevention.
Left Heart Remodeling in Patients with Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
"Left heart remodeling after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is poorly characterized," according to Marco Magalhaes, MD, who presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2014.
Stressing the Importance of Physical Activity to Patients of All Ages
The days of children playing outside from sunrise to sunset are long gone, and many children also do not get enough exercise at school during gym or recess. Knowing this, it is important for physicians to educated parents and children on the beneficial effect physical exercise can have on children's health now and later in life.
Do Men and Women Really Handle Stress Differently?
Living in the 21st century is stressful for just about everyone. What can change the way it affects a person's life is how they handle it. A recent study looked at whether women handle stress differently and what it can mean to a person's overall health.
High-caffeine energy drinks can cause serious cardiac and neurological symptoms in children. At the 2014 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago, IL, Steven Lipshultz, MD, called for new labeling on the drinks that would spell out risks, particularly for the adolescent consumers manufacturers target for marketing.
Are Hospitals a Bad Place to Have a Heart Attack?
Could hospitals be a bad place to have heart attacks? That's the finding of a North Carolina research team that looked at data from 303 California hospitals. Patients who had heart attacks while hospitalized for a non-cardiac ailment had a more than 3-fold greater in-hospital mortality than patients taken to a hospital.