Acute Coronary Syndromes

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is most commonly caused by a heart attack (myocardial infarction) where blood flow to the heart is suddenly blocked. This is usually caused by a blood clot from a ruptured coronary artery atherosclerotic plaque. Other causes include spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), which most commonly occurs in women. ACS is usually treated in a cath lab with angioplasty and the placement of a stent to prop the vessel open.

Even lenient plant-based diets can help older adults live longer
Healthy diets that prioritize plant-based foods were associated with reductions in both all-cause mortality or CVD mortality. Diets do not have to be strictly vegan or vegetarian to make that impact, researchers noted.
Radial vs. femoral access during PCI: Real-world data show proof of a ‘sea change’ in cardiology
The use of radial access during PCI procedures is increasing throughout the United States, and new data presented at the SCAI's annual meeting suggest that could be beneficial for patients.
PAD patients face greater risk of death, complications after a heart attack
PAD and CLI patients who show signs of coronary heart disease may benefit from early treatment, according to a new study of nearly 4 million hospitalizations.
ChatGPT struggles to evaluate heart risk—but it could still help cardiologists
Relying on the AI-powered chatbot for heart assessments could be "dangerous," researchers warn, but the technology may still be helpful in certain situations.
Statin therapy may help HFpEF patients lower their risk of death, heart attack or stroke
All participants were free of ASCVD and had no history of statin use at the start of the study.

New tool predicts risk of MI, cardiac arrest in older surgery patients

A tool designed to predict the risk of MI and cardiac arrest (MICA) after noncardiac surgery in older patients works significantly better than two widely used models that aren’t age-specific, according to a study published Nov. 16 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

November 17, 2017

Research suggests pooches are heart-healthy pets

Owning a dog could be linked to a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in single-person households and lower all-cause mortality in the general population, a 12-year study of Swedish canine owners suggests.

November 17, 2017

Researchers ID protein that may protect against coronary artery disease

Elderly people with higher levels of the protein CXCL5 in their blood tend to have clearer arteries, researchers reported in the American Journal of Pathology.

November 16, 2017

Continuous and high-adherent statin users had lower baseline arterial stiffness which also grew more slowly over time, a new JAMA Network Open study finds.

Most young MI sufferers aren’t recommended for statin treatment

Only 1 in 8 people who suffer a heart attack at age 50 or younger are on preventative statin therapy prior to their event, a new study reported. And what is even more concerning, according to researchers, is most of the untreated individuals weren’t eligible for statins based on guidelines.

November 16, 2017

Consumption of nuts may cut risk of heart disease by 20%

People who regularly eat nuts have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) when compared to people who rarely or never eat nuts, according to a study published Nov. 13 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

November 14, 2017

A, B, AB blood types at increased risk for heart attack in high pollution

Cardiac patients whose blood type is A, B or AB are at increased risk for myocardial infarction (MI) in highly polluted environments, according to research out of two Utah medical centers.

November 14, 2017

New Analyses Presented At AHA 2017 Show Repatha® (evolocumab) Significantly Reduced Cardiovascular Events In Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease And In Patients With A History Of Heart Attacks

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Nov. 13, 2017 — Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced five new subgroup analyses from the Repatha® (evolocumab) cardiovascular outcomes study (FOURIER) that showed the addition of Repatha to statin therapy improved clinical outcomes with significant reduction of cardiovascular (CV) events, such as heart attack (also called myocardial infarction or MI) and stroke, in high-risk patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), and in patients with a history of heart attack.

November 14, 2017

Steroid use linked to early coronary artery disease

The use of anabolic androgenic steroids could be associated with early onset coronary artery disease, according to research presented Nov. 4 at the Brazilian Congress of Cardiology.

November 13, 2017

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Acute Coronary Syndromes

Even lenient plant-based diets can help older adults live longer

Radial vs. femoral access during PCI: Real-world data show proof of a ‘sea change’ in cardiology

PAD patients face greater risk of death, complications after a heart attack

ChatGPT struggles to evaluate heart risk—but it could still help cardiologists

Statin therapy may help HFpEF patients lower their risk of death, heart attack or stroke

Around the web