Articles related to CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS

Although many studies have claimed that moderate alcohol consumption and drinks such as red wine can be healthy for the human heart, a new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology 2022 meeting takes a contrarian viewpoint and draws a link between alcohol consumption and heart failure in people with hypertension, diabetes, or obesity.

There haven’t been any national guidelines developed for managing patients with stage 1 hypertension who don’t respond to lifestyle modification. This population represents an important guideline gap: most patients with stage 1 hypertension progress to stage 2 hypertension, which increases the risk for cardiovascular events. The AHA has published a scientific statement to fill the gap – if lifestyle modification fails to reduce blood pressure, consider pharmacotherapy.

CVD is the leading cause of death in the US, accounting for more than one in four deaths. Following a systematic review, the US Preventive Services Task Force has provided an update on the effectiveness of aspirin to reduce the risk of CVD events.

A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine looked at the association between cardiovascular outcomes and the coprescription of nitrates with PDE5 inhibitors in more than 42,000 men over a 10-year period. Two composite outcomes were measured: 1) cardiac arrest, shock, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or acute coronary arteriography; and 2) syncope, angina pectoris, or drug-related adverse event. The authors found no statistically significant increase in measured cardiovascular AEs.

A meta-analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine has concluded that the link between statin-induced LDL lowering and reduction of CV outcomes may not be as robust as previously assumed. According to the researchers, the absolute risk reduction associated with statin use for all-cause mortality was 0.8% (95% CI, 0.4-1.2), whereas for MI it was 1.3% (95% CI, 0.9-1.7) and for stroke it was 0.4% (95% CI, 0.2-0.6). Absolute risk reduction figures were slightly higher for secondary prevention than for primary prevention.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is taking issue with the US Senate’s recently passed legislation that will make daylight saving time (DST) permanent starting in 2023. AASM cautions that this permanent change would lead to health risks that include adverse cardiovascular events, mood disorders, and motor vehicle crashes. The group advocates for establishing permanent standard time instead.