28th June 2022.
COVID 19 vaccinations are safe in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease according to a recent publication by the European Society of Cardiology. This is a particularly important bit of research as many previous studies have shown a higher in hospital mortality for COVID 19 vaccination in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease. Read more.
21st June 2022.
14th June 2022.
7th June 2022.
28th May 2022.
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young and physically fit athletes is a well known entity. It usually occurs due to a sudden arrhythmia that is precipitated by exercise. There are other uncommon causes as well including congenital abnormalities of the coronary arteries. In a (Heart) recently published study in the British Medical Journal (Heart) which looked at 6867 SCDs it was found that SCD was much more common in young men than in young women. The male gender is associated with a significantly higher risk of SCD according to the authors, especially in the young.
21st May 2022.
Quit smoking and gain 5+ years in life expectancy for free! Read more.
14th May 2022.
The revised guidelines, endorsed by the AHA, ACC and HFSA for the management of heart failure has been recently published in the journal Circulation. Read it here.
7th May 2022
A mediterranean diet is well known to have cardio protective effects. According to recent research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, it could have beneficial effects during pregnancy as well especially in lowering the risks of pre-ecclampsia. Read more.
28th April 2022.
A new addition to the list of drugs useful to treat acute de-compensated heart failure is Colchicine, a drug that is also useful in the treatment of Gout according to recent research. The beneficial effects of Colchicine are thought to be mediated by its well known anti-inflammatory properties. Read more.
21st April 2022.
Angina (chest pain due to Coronary Artery Disease) despite a normal coronary angiogram is possible due to coronary mircovascular dysfunction according to recent research published yesterday in the British Journal of Cardiology. The presence or absence of coronary microvascular dysfunction can be assessed by measuring the index of myocardial resistence (IMR) using special catheters according to the authors. Coronary microvascular dysfunction can be effectively treated by drugs and does not need angioplasty or coronary bypass surgery.
14th April 2022.
According to a recent news update from the American Heart Association, obesity and an late menopause are very significant risk factors for the development of heart failure in women. Read more.
7th April 2022.
Aspirin which has been the cornerstone for the prevention of coronary artery may be replaced by statins in the near future according to recent research published in the journal Radiology the official publication of the Radiological Society of North America.
28th March 2022.
A cardiac MRI has been found to be the best tool for the diagnosis of COVID 19 vaccine induced myocarditis. Read more.
21st March 2022.
A myocardial infarction (heart attack) could cause a cognitive decline in some people according to a recently published study. A cognitive decline could gradually progress to dementia.
14th March 2022.
In a landmark study recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, authors described a close association between Schizophrenia and the incidence of heart disease in these patients. Read more.
7th March 2022.
“The biological clock shock ………” !
The American Heart Association recently published a news bulletin alluding to previous studies which showed an increase in heart disease, stroke and atrial fibrillation associated with change to daylight saving time. According to the AHA, research supports the view that losing an hour sleep may not be the only thing to dread about “jumping forward” when clocks move up for daylight saving time later this month. The concept of daylight saving time refers to the practice of setting clocks “forward” by one hour from standard time during the transition to the summer months in order to maximize the effective use of natural sunlight. This year, daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 13. The AHA highlighted previous scientific studies reported an increase in the incidence of heart disease, stroke and atrial fibrillation during the transition.
28th February 2022.
Sodium glucose co-transporter inhibitors are a class of antidiabetic drugs that have recently been shown to have significant beneficial effects in the treatment of heart failure. Empagliflozin is on such SGLT2 that has recently been approved by the US FDA for use in both heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (diastolic heart failure), and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (systolic heart failure). Read more.
21st February 2022.
Routine household chores could have significant cardiovascular health benefits especially in elderly women according to recent research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Read more.
14th February 2022.
A significant percentage of people who have suffered COVID 19 infections (both hospitalised and nonhospitalised) can have cardiac complications upto 1 year after the acute infection according to recent research published in the journal Nature. Read more.
7th February 2022.
Even mild COVID 19 disease could result in cardiac complications for upto a year after the acute illness according to a study recently published in the journal Nature.
28th January 2022
7 simple lifestyle changes to improve heart health by the American Heart Association. Read more here.
21st January 2022
Eliminating butter or other artery-clogging fats in diet for heart-healthy olive oil could significantly increase longevity according to research recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology according to research recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. People who consume more than 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil a day are less likely to die from ischemic heart disease, various cancers, degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or lung diseases compared to people who consume less olive oil.
14th January 2022.
Two major surgical societies in the USA, (American Association for Thoracic Surgery and Society of Thoracic Surgeons) have opted not to endorse the recently published new joint guidelines for coronary artery revascularisation, issued in late 2021 by three major cardiology bodies (American College of Cardiology, American Heart Asociation, Society for Angiography and Cardiovascular Intervention), as they believe that the guidelines do not reflect their interpretation of the best treatment for patients with ischaemic heart disease. This lack of agreement between major professional organisations could add further confusion to patient care in the future.
7th January 2022.
In a first of its kind, a pig’s heart has been successfully transplanted into a human at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Read more about this ground breaking surgical procedure.
1st January 2022.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared Inclisiran (Leqvio) manufactured by Novartis to lower LDL-Cholesterol with only two injections in a year, after an initial loading dose and a second booster at 90 days following the first dose. This promising drug provides LDL-C reduction of up to 52% vs placebo according to the CEO of Novartis. Inclisiran reduces LDL-C levels in the blood by enhancing the ability of the liver to prevent the production of a protein that plays a key role in keeping circulating cholesterol levels high. Inclisiran will be available for clinical use from mid January 2022. Read more.