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.

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.
$Performing CT-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) improves the accuracy of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and helps limit unneeded invasive coronary angiography (ICA), according to a new study published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. Heartflow$
New cardiac imaging strategy could reduce ICA, PCI rates
Radiologists with Massachusetts General Hospital found that the selective use of cardiac CT and AI-based CAD evaluations could make a significant impact on patient care.
Critics call out ‘woefully inadequate’ CMS proposal for inpatient Medicare payments
CMS has issued its proposed rule for the 2025 Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment system, suggesting a payment increase of 2.6%. According to the American Hospital Association, this update would not be enough at a time when hospitals are already struggling to stay open.

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.

Women less likely to receive recommended doses of statin following MI

Despite recent efforts to eliminate sex-based treatment differences in cardiovascular care, women remain less likely to receive a high-intensity statin following myocardial infarction (MI), according to a study published online April 16 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

April 17, 2018

Wildfire smoke may cause spike in CVD events

Smoke from wildfires may trigger heart- and stroke-related events, particularly among seniors, suggests data from the 2015 California wildfire season published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

April 11, 2018

Outcome Health, WomenHeart partner to bring CV info to minorities

Chicago-based Outcome Health announced a collaboration with advocacy group WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, to “provide actionable educational information” to cardiology providers across Outcome Health’s network of providers.

April 3, 2018

Can social isolation, loneliness be associated with cardiovascular disease?

Socially isolated and lonely individuals face increased risk for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke compared to those with personal networks, according to new research published online March 27 in Heart. Those with a history of AMI and stroke are also at an increased risk for death.

March 30, 2018

Gold patches could be flashy way to fix damaged heart tissue

Damaged tissue resulting from myocardial infarction could one day be repaired with specially engineered patches seeded with cardiac cells to encourage the regeneration of healthy cells in the muscle.

March 28, 2018

Tooth loss in middle age linked to increased CVD risk

Losing two or more teeth during middle age is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, according to recently presented findings at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Session 2018 on March 21 in New Orleans.

March 26, 2018

Odd physical signs sometimes warn of heart disease

Many people don’t know they have cardiovascular disease until they end up in the hospital with myocardial infarction. But a few strange external signs could signal all is not right with the heart, an anatomy professor noted in The New Zealand Times.

March 23, 2018

Amgen Receives Positive CHMP Opinion Recognizing That Repatha® (evolocumab) Prevents Heart Attacks And Strokes

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion to include a new indication in the Repatha® (evolocumab) label for adults with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction, stroke or peripheral arterial disease) to reduce cardiovascular risk by lowering LDL-C levels.

March 23, 2018

Acute Coronary Syndromes

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

New cardiac imaging strategy could reduce ICA, PCI rates

Critics call out ‘woefully inadequate’ CMS proposal for inpatient Medicare payments