This site is intended for healthcare professionals
AHA explains the difference between heart attack and cardiac arrest
Heart attacks occur when an artery gets blocked, preventing blood supply to a part of the heart and leading to the death of the artery. It can be immediate and start with mild to no symptoms. In contrast, cardiac arrest is sudden without warning when the heart stops beating and pumping blood due to electrical malfunctioning. Death can occur within minutes after cardiac arrest.
American Heart Association
Adding less salt to your food at the table may lower heart disease risk
Adding more salt to food less often reduced the risk of heart failure, heart disease, and ischemic heart disease, as per a new study. Also, following behavioural interventions to reduce salt intake and the DASH-style diet could improve heart health. These findings could encourage patients as they suggest reducing salt intake but not removing salt entirely from the diet.
American College of Cardiology
Persistent asthma could cause plaques in carotid arteries
People with persistent asthma may have almost two times more plaque buildup in the arteries leading to the brain than those without asthma, as per a study. Also, such people have higher levels of inflammation than those without asthma. Carotid artery plaques raise the risk for cardiovascular disease, suggesting people with persistent asthma should address these risk factors.
American Heart Association
Can indobufen replace aspirin in dual antiplatelet therapy after PCI?
Dual antiplatelet therapy with clopidogrel plus indobufen was found non-inferior to clopidogrel plus aspirin in terms of rates of cardiovascular events in people who had a percutaneous coronary intervention, according to the findings from the OPTION study. Indobufen was also linked to better tolerability, benefit-risk profile, and platelet selectivity.
Healio
Empagliflozin can reduce the progression of kidney disease
Patients with chronic kidney disease were randomized to the drug or placebo in a study. Fewer patients in the drug group had progressed kidney disease or died due to cardiovascular causes than in the placebo group (13.1% vs 16.9%). These findings were consistent among participants with or without diabetes. The hospitalization risk was also lower in the drug group.
Twitter @AmitGoyalMD
Continuation of ACE inhibitors, even with potassium fluctuations, could benefit
ACE inhibitor continuation reduced the risk of major vascular events, cardiovascular death, and all-cause death by 9%, 14%, and 18%, respectively. These magnitudes did not differ across the hyperkalemia, hypokalemia, and normokalemia subgroups. The findings suggest continuing these drugs to increase the benefits of lowering CV risks with cautious attention to potassium levels.
Renal & Urology News
What are the natural ways of lowering blood pressure?
Eating less salt or sodium, consuming more potassium, adopting the DASH diet, being physically active by doing aerobic exercises, limiting alcohol use, achieving a healthy weight by shedding a few pounds, quitting smoking, getting enough and good quality sleep, and reducing stress and anxiety are some of the ways to lower blood pressure naturally.
Twitter @ClevelandClinic
Race may determine the heart disease risk indicated by cholesterol levels
A recent study showed that lower levels of HDL or good cholesterol were tied to a higher risk of heart issues in the long term, only in white people. In contrast, the lower HDL levels were not linked to a higher risk of heart issues in Black people. Moreover, higher HDL levels, which are believed to be protective, were not tied to lower heart disease risk in both races.
Twitter @Reuters_Health
Age-related macular degeneration tied to heart disease
A study, for the first time, has linked specific high-risk heart diseases to a particular form of an eye disease called AMD with subretinal drusenoid deposits, which is the leading cause of blindness. Heart damage or a blocked carotid artery could directly reduce the blood supply to the eye, leading to eye damage and vision loss, ultimately causing blindness.
Mount Sinai Hospital
Renal denervation trial for hypertension does not meet its primary endpoint
The SPYRAL HTN-ON MED clinical trial failed to meet its goal of reducing blood pressure with renal denervation compared to a sham procedure in people taking antihypertensive drugs, as per a study. The denervation procedure caused a 6.5 mmHg reduction compared to 4.5 mmHg with the sham procedure, with only a 51% probability of denervation being superior.
TctMD
