Heart Health

This news channel includes content on cardiovascular disease prevention, cardiac risk stratification, diagnosis, screening programs, and management of major risk factors that include diabetes, hypertension, diet, life style, cholesterol, obesity, ethnicity and socio-economic disparities.

Medtronic and Abbott make progress on interoperable diabetes tech—is FDA clearance next?
Two of the world's leading medtech companies have been collaborating to improve patient access to CGM technology. It now looks like Medtronic and Abbott could be close to gaining FDA clearance and moving forward to the next phase of their partnership.
AI-powered risk model evaluates long-term risk of coronary artery disease
The advanced machine learning model tracks more than 50 different factors to make its predictions. It has already been found to be more accurate than popular prediction methods for heart disease that are currently available.
Mediterranean diets that include some lean red meat can still boost cardiovascular health
The study's authors focused on blood pressure reductions and arterial stiffness, sharing their findings in Current Developments in Nutrition.
Plant-based diets may help patients with diabetes, heart disease live longer
Researchers focused on data from nearly 78,000 adults with cardiometabolic disorders, sharing their findings at ACC.25 in Chicago.
Oral semaglutide reduces heart risks while helping patients move past ‘fear of the needle’
Researchers still think patients should receive an injectable version of semaglutide when possible, but new data out of ACC.25 confirm that an oral formulation of the drug is associated with significant benefits.

ACC offers guidance on using diabetes drugs for CV event reduction

A new expert consensus document from the American College of Cardiology singled out liraglutide and empagliflozin as the preferred drugs in their classes to reduce cardiovascular risk among patients with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Smoking bans in restaurants, workplaces linked to lower SBP

Smoke-free policies in public places like bars and restaurants were linked to lower systolic blood pressures (SBPs) among participants from the longitudinal CARDIA study, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

SGLT2 inhibitors tied to ketoacidosis, limb amputation in diabetics

An observational study of nearly 35,000 Scandinavian patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) has found sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, a class of prescription drugs approved by the FDA to lower blood sugar in adults with T2D, may almost double patients’ risks of lower limb amputation and diabetic ketoacidosis compared to glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) receptor agonists.

Even ‘intermittent’ exposure to Western lifestyle leads to BP increases

A study of two neighboring communities living in the remote Venezuelan rainforest is poking holes in the idea that blood pressure inevitably increases with age.

3rd blood pressure drug recalled due to cancer concerns

A third blood pressure drug has been recalled over a carcinogenic impurity, the FDA announced Nov. 8.

AHA.18: VITAL, REDUCE-IT deliver mixed results for fish oil products

VITAL and REDUCE-IT—both highly anticipated trials revolving around the cardiovascular benefits of fish oil products—delivered mixed results at this year’s AHA Scientific Sessions in Chicago, with one trial observing few heart benefits from omega-3s while the other saw a 25 percent reduction in major cardiovascular events with a purified eicosapentaenoic acid product.

AHA.18: Nonstatin therapies, CAC testing claim larger role in cholesterol guidelines

New cholesterol guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend adding ezetimibe and/or PCSK9 inhibitors to statin therapy for select high-risk patients, and also propose using coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring as “a tiebreaker” to guide statin decisions for those at intermediate risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Blue light shows promise for reducing blood pressure

Exposure to blue light could decrease an individual’s systolic blood pressure by as much as 8 mm Hg in just half an hour, researchers report in a study co-led by the University of Surrey, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and Philips.

Heart Health

Medtronic and Abbott make progress on interoperable diabetes tech—is FDA clearance next?

AI-powered risk model evaluates long-term risk of coronary artery disease

Mediterranean diets that include some lean red meat can still boost cardiovascular health

Plant-based diets may help patients with diabetes, heart disease live longer

Oral semaglutide reduces heart risks while helping patients move past ‘fear of the needle’