Articles related to HEART ATTACK/MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

Questions run across a host of topics, and in September you can challenge yourself in mortality risk, myocardial infarction (MI), insomnia, liver cancer, lipids, and Parkinson’s disease guidelines. Each question is worth 4 points with bonuses for quick response. Speed matters in this quiz. Why not give it a try and see if you can get on the leaderboard of the Smartest Doc?

To assess short-term risk for severe cardiovascular events (excluding myocarditis and pericarditis) after COVID-19 vaccination, adults younger than 75 years hospitalized for PE, acute MI, hemorrhagic stroke, or ischemic stroke (73,325 events) were reviewed in relation to a 1st or 2nd COVID vaccine dose. No association was found between the Pfizer–BioNTech or Moderna vaccine and severe cardiovascular events. The first dose of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine was associated with acute MI and PE in the second week after vaccination. An association with MI in the second week after a single dose of the Janssen vaccine could not be ruled out.

More than 15 professional societies now recommend the use of icosapent ethyl to treat ASCVD, but clinical questions about the use of omega-3 fatty acids remain. Drs. Leslie Cho and Erin Michos discuss the role of DHA and EPA and whether all omega-3 fatty acids are the same. But what about EPA plasma levels, incidence of atrial fibrillation, and differences between the STRENGTH and REDUCE-IT trials? Tune in to get these answers and more in this 13-minute, 0.25-CME credit hours video podcast.

In a look “Beyond the Guidelines,” a preventive cardiologist and a general internist discuss their approach in the case of a 57-year-old woman with high cholesterol and a family history of heart disease.

A new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine looks at the link between cardiovascular disease among adults with type 2 diabetes, which might be more prevalent than previously thought. This study compares cardiovascular outcomes in patients taking first line metformin vs. SGLT-2 inhibitors, based on claims data over a 7-year period. SGLT-2 inhibitor use was associated with lower rates of hospitalization for heart failure and all cause mortality. Rates for MI and stroke were similar for the two treatments.

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.