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.

Regularly eating avocados is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.

Plant-based diets—both vegetarian and vegan—linked to lower cholesterol levels, reduced risk of blocked arteries

A new systematic review and meta-analysis of 30 RCTs highlighted numerous benefits associated with vegetarian and vegan diets. Combining a plant-based diet with statin therapy, one researcher noted, could result "in an even larger beneficial effect.”

May 25, 2023
A CTA scan being performed at Beaumont Hospital in Michigan by cardiac CT expert Kavitha M Chinnaiyan, MD. CCTA has largely been used at academic medical centers for the past decade, but it is now expanding in 2022 to community hospitals and clinics thanks to a Class 1A recommendation in the 2021 chest pain guidelines. #CCTA #CTA #Beaumont

Imaging results more helpful than genetics when predicting heart disease, new head-to-head study confirms

The new analysis, published in JAMA, suggests that CT results can help identify medium- and high-risk patients who may need to be considered for statin therapy or other preventive treatments.

May 23, 2023
The World Health Organization has published a new guideline recommending against the use of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose to lose weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases.

WHO warns against use of artificial sweeteners, highlighting CVD and diabetes risks

The World Health Organization has published a new guideline recommending against the use of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose to lose weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases.

May 16, 2023
Open

How improving access to PCI affects heart attack outcomes

When PCI-capable hospitals open and close, how does it impact patient care for the surrounding area? Researchers aimed to find out, sharing their findings in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

May 5, 2023
stock market

Avertix Medical, known for its implantable heart attack detection devices, to go public with initial value of $195M

The healthcare technology company, previously known as Angel Medical Systems, is merging with BIOS Acquisition Corporation to form a new publicly traded company.

May 3, 2023
E-tattoo chest heart monitor designed by engineers with the University of Texas at Austin

A key step forward: Engineers take wearable ‘e-tattoo’ technology for heart disease to the next level

The new-look device, which captures ECG and seismocardiogram measurements at the same time, is completely wireless and runs on batteries that last up to 40 hours. 

May 2, 2023
Paul M. Ridker, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, and the Eugene Braunwald Professor of Medicine, cardiovascular medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, who presented the results of late-breaking study on residual inflammatory risk in contemporary statin treated patients. The study used an analyses of 31,197 patients in the PROMINENT, REDUCE-IT and STRENGTH trials. 

What new data can teach cardiologists about statin use and treating inflammation

"If we do not attack the inflammation, we just are not going to get the best outcomes for our patients," one researcher told Cardiovascular Business. 

May 1, 2023
Janet Wei at Cedars-Sinai Hospital explains INOCA and MINOCA at ACC 2023.

Understanding INOCA and MINOCA epidemiology

Janet Wei, MD, associate medical director of the Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, and co-director of the stress echocardiography lab at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, explains the current information on the INOCA and MINOCA.

April 26, 2023