Articles related to Cardiology

A malpractice lawsuit alleges a prosthetic heart valve was implanted upside down during pediatric cardiac surgery, resulting in prolonged postoperative shock and ECMO support before revision surgery at a second institution. The allegations remain unproven and litigation is ongoing.

Emerging evidence suggests the sodium-to-potassium ratio may better reflect cardiovascular risk than sodium intake alone. Experts emphasized that increasing dietary potassium alongside sodium reduction may support blood pressure control, while acknowledging important safety considerations for select patient populations.

Discontinuing statins in adults 75 years and older without prior cardiovascular disease did not increase mortality or major cardiovascular events over three years in a randomized trial. LDL cholesterol rose substantially after discontinuation, and longer-term effects remain uncertain.

In the randomized DECAF trial, patients undergoing cardioversion who consumed at least one caffeinated coffee daily experienced fewer clinically detected atrial fibrillation recurrences than those abstaining from caffeine. The study was modest in size and further validation is needed.

A randomized crossover trial of 108 habitual cannabis users found fewer premature atrial contractions on cannabis-use days than abstinence days. The short-term physiologic findings provide mechanistic insight but were not designed to evaluate long-term cardiovascular health outcomes.

Among more than 7,300 Swedish patients with Alzheimer’s disease and atrial fibrillation, NOAC use was associated with slower cognitive decline than warfarin or no anticoagulation. The observational findings did not establish causality but suggest potential differences in long-term cognitive outcomes.