Heart Failure

As technology improves telemedicine is becoming a more viable option to treat a wide variety of conditions. While the idea of telemedicine can be easily implemented into practice there are still concerns that need to be addressed for the field to progress. These issues can include liability and governance over doctors and where their patients are located.

Clinicians are urged not to treat central sleep apnea in heart failure patients with adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) therapy, which was reported to increase mortality in heart failure patients.

Barry Greenberg, MD, UCSD Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, La Jolla, California, USA, presented results from the Calcium Up-Regulation by Percutaneous Administration of Gene Therapy in Cardiac Disease Phase 2b (CUPID 2) gene transfer study at the European Society of Cardiology 2015 Congress.

According to trial results presented at ESC Congress 2015, treatment with cyclosporine was no better than placebo for patients who received percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Friday could be a big day for cardiologists. The FDA is due to rule July 24 on what could be the first available PCSK9 inhibitor, one of a new class of cholesterol-lowering agents meant to help patients who cannot get their LDL levels low enough with statins. New York City cardiologist David Vorchheimer, MD. talks about his hopes for the new drugs, and a few concerns

Heart failure may be one of the most common conditions a cardiologist sees on a daily basis but there are also many misconceptions about its treatment and diagnosis. Whether on the football field or running an endurance race there are also other issues doctors are working to address across the scope of the cardiology field.

Study shows that diabetes duration (ie, how long they've had the disease) is linked with an increased risk of thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation, but not with an increased risk of anticoagulation-related bleeding.

Cardiac disease could be a predictive factor for Alzheimer's disease and dementia, according to research published in Circulation.

There are difficult patients, and ideal patients. A cardiologist offers advice on relating to them all.

The US Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of Entresto for the treatment of heart failure.

Researchers have shown that the tendency of atrial fibrillation to impair cognitive function stems, at least in part, from a reduction in blood flow to the brain.

An aging population of hemophilia patients is at risk for various cardiovascular diseases.

It has become a growing trend for many young professionals, particularly women to go to the gym before heading to work. A recent study shows some may be at risk of a rare heart condition which, if not properly diagnosed and treated, could be fatal.

Results from the TECOS trial indicate patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease treated with sitagliptin are not at higher risk for cardiovascular events or hospitalization.

Results from a small trial suggest that injections of botulinum toxin, administered after bypass surgery into the fat pads that surround the heart, may reduce the danger of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) and virtually eliminate the danger of recurrent AF.

Analysis of data from a previous study indicates that opioid use may increase the risk of heart attack by triggering atrial fibrillation.

Changes in the way we think about sodium intake and cardiovascular risk, calcium supplementation, and other topics should remind us all of the advice we heard on the first day of medical school: 50% of what you learn here is wrong or going to disappear over your career; we just don't know which 50%.

More than 13,000 physicians and cardiovascular team members attended the ACC 2015 meeting in San Diego on March 14-16, 2015. In this issue of Cardiology Review, we focus on 6 important studies presented at ACC 2015: LEGACY, OSLER, PEGASUS, EMBRACE-STEMI, MATRIX, and CoreValve.

The recent FDA approvals of ivabradine and the WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device, study results on EHRs and quality of medical care, and more are covered in this installment.

Hospitals have been paying Medicare penalties when patients are readmitted too soon after discharge. So far the focus has been on patients with heart failure and pneumonia but a study from NYU finds sepsis readmissions are also common.

The presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke and thromboembolism (TE) as well as the risk of bleeding, thus complicating their treatment. In this context, it has been suggested that CKD should be included in the CHA2DS2-VASc (Congestive heart failure; Hypertension; Age ≥75 years; Diabetes mellitus; previous Stroke, transient ischemic attack, or thromboembolism; Vascular disease; Age 65 to 74 years; Sex category) score.

After a brutal winter, particularly for those in the Midwest and on the East Coast, spring is finally in the air. I hope everyone had a nice spring break with their families and is eager to read some insightful material on cardiology.

The authors of a study that explored an association between heart disease and hepatitis C say chronic infection of the virus should be considered a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease.

Across the United States, especially within the Veterans Affairs healthcare system, heart failure (HF) is reported to cause hospitalization, disability, and death.

Flare ups from rheumatoid arthritis can increase the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, according to research from the Mayo Clinic.

Study results indicate that obstructive sleep apnea is an independent predictor of atrial fibrillation in cardiac surgery.

The US Food and Drug Administration today announced it has approved Amgen's Corlanor (ivabradine) to reduce hospitalization from worsening heart failure.

Results from a recent study may help physicians decide when to use pulmonary vein isolation on patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and when to try an alternative treatment.

Analysis of a large patient cohort indicates that "isolated" events of atrial fibrillation precipitated by temporary secondary conditions tend to become chronic long-term cases of atrial fibrillation.

FDA approval of the left atrial appendage closure device after a long review process provides a potentially useful alternative to warfarin.