News

By modifying the appropriate use criteria (AUC) for transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs) and educating physicians on which tests should be performed in an inpatient versus outpatient setting, researchers at Bridgeport Hospital in Connecticut reduced their inpatient echo order volume by 11.1 percent and boosted the efficiency of their department.

Five-year survival rates and cardiovascular outcomes are similar between elderly patients who undergo both off- and on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), according to research out of Germany.

Women who consumed multiple artificially sweetened beverages per day, including diet sodas and fruit drinks, were significantly more likely to die or suffer ischemic strokes over an average follow-up period of 12 years, according to an observational study published Feb. 14 in Stroke.

Transgender men and women might face an increased risk of cardiovascular ills like MI, stroke and venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) as a result of hormone replacement therapy—an often key aspect of the transitioning process for trans individuals.

A simple educational initiative designed to show cardiac surgeons how often they used blood transfusions—and how much they cost—helped one heart center significantly cut its rate of blood utilization and save a projected $500,000 each year.

A Smyrna, Tennessee, cardiologist who was indicted on six charges of sexual battery against a patient early this year was found to still be practicing medicine more than a month later, according to local outlet the Daily News Journal.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the country’s first interoperable insulin pump Feb. 14, reporting the technology will help diabetics better individualize their treatment regimens.

Results from President Donald Trump’s latest physical, released Feb. 14., reveal the president’s overall cholesterol has improved since last year’s check-up, according to the Associated Press. But Trump has also gained weight and is now classified as obese, which could raise his already elevated risk for heart disease.

Though many physicians are reluctant to change the status quo, a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine Feb. 4 suggests automated office blood pressure measurement (AOBP) is the way to go when recording a patient’s BP, since the approach bypasses the so-called “white coat effect” triggered by more traditional methods.

Physiological age based on exercise performance is a better predictor of long-term survival than chronological age, according to a study of more than 126,000 patients at the Cleveland Clinic.

There’s not much aging individuals can do to beat back age-related cognitive impairment once it begins, but improving consistency in blood pressure seems to help slow the pace of the falloff in those with significant BP swings.

Black Medicare beneficiaries with implanted cardiac devices (ICDs) face a lower risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) than their white counterparts, despite a higher overall burden of vascular risk factors and a greater risk of stroke, researchers reported Feb. 11 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.