Patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) who struggle to pay their medical bills are at a higher risk for psychological distress, depression and a poor quality of life, according to research published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

People with opioid use disorder (OUD) who have heart surgery suffer in-hospital mortality at a rate on par with other patients but are more likely to experience complications and require longer hospital stays, according to an analysis published in JAMA Surgery.

U.K.-based startup Cambridge Heartware has announced the launch of its company and its first product, a wearable heart monitor powered by artificial intelligence, in early 2019.

A recent analysis of last year’s FOURIER trial has found evolocumab, a PCSK9 inhibitor developed to treat hyperlipidemia, can robustly reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients without any major concern for individual-level variability in response.

Questioning older patients about their weight earlier in life could be a low-tech, low-cost way to better predict a person’s future risk of heart disease, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

A report issued Dec. 14 by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association and Truth Initiative, among other public health groups, ranked Alaska No. 1 in the nation for funding programs that protect high-school aged kids against tobacco use and help current smokers quit.

After years of decline, amputations are increasing among diabetic patients in the U.S., Reuters reported.

The holiday season is a time of merriment for families around the world, but amid the excitement comes a sobering result from a Swedish study: The incidence of heart attacks spikes around the holidays, particularly on Christmas Eve.