Articles related to CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD)

The extra calories and lower physical activity of modern culture are yielding higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses. Evidence is mounting that intermittent fasting may help reverse these trends. This neuroscientist brings 25 of studying intermittent fasting to explain why and how it works, and what your patients’ options are.

Up to this point, individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and a normal BMI have often been overlooked. It was assumed their normal BMI equated to a lower risk of more serious conditions than those who are overweight or obese. These findings indicate that lean patients with NAFLD are 50% more likely to have a CVA compared with overweight patients, and 10 to 30% more likely to experience CVD.

This broad review of recent studies in women’s health topics aims to help the primary care physician in discussing and guiding therapy for women in topics from cardiovascular disease to pelvic pain. The review covers such questions as: How does migraine with aura affect CVD risk in women? How do you respond to patient questions about fracture risk and bisphosphonates? Are antidepressants safe for women who are considering pregnancy? Is gabapentin effective for chronic pelvic pain?

In a prospective study following the diet and activity records of more than 100,000 individuals in France, artificial sweeteners were positively correlated with cardiovascular diseases. Analyzing 900,000 person-years of data showed: Total artificial sweetener intake was associated with CVD risk Artificial sweeteners were more strongly associated with cerebrovascular disease Aspartame was associated with increase cerebrovascular events Acesulfame K and sucralose were associated with increased coronary heart disease risk

These recommendations “attempt to provide practical guidance for clinicians and patients regarding the use of nonstatin therapies to further reduce ASCVD risk in situations not covered by the guideline until such time as the scientific evidence base expands.”

The USPSTF comes to the conclusion that statin use has at least a moderate net benefit for adults aged 40 to 75 who have no prior history of CVD, at least one CVD risk factor, and an estimated 10-year CVD event risk of 10% or greater. There is at least a marginal net benefit from using statins to prevent CVD events and all-cause mortality in adults aged 40 to 75 who have no prior history of CVD, at least one of these risk factors, and an estimated 10-year CVD event risk of 7.5% to less than 10%. Still, is the evidence enough?