CARDIOPROGRESS
Foundation for the advancement of cardiology

Obesity-Related Cardiovascular Disease Deaths Surging In contrast to an overall decline in cardiovascular mortality, obesity-related cardiovascular deaths have risen substantially in the past two decades, most prominently among Black women.

Minimizing Atrial Pacing No Benefit in Sinus Node Disease: DANPACE II Minimizing atrial pacing does not alter the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) associated with sinus node dysfunction (SND), suggest results of a trial that randomly assigned patients with SND who had received their first pacemaker implant to one of two pacing programs.

Heartbeat: improving outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest Immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early defibrillation are essential in ensuring survival after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), which is estimated to account for 15–20% of global mortality. Yet widespread training in CPR and availability of public defibrillators remains suboptimal in many places.

Reproductive Technologies Not Tied to Maternal CVD After a median follow-up of 11 years, women who gave birth with the assistance of reproductive technology were not at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to those who did not receive this intervention, a new study shows.

Adverse Fetal Environment Is a Cardiovascular Risk Factor Fetal exposure to poorly controlled diabetes or other situations that overtax the heart, or to intrauterine growth restriction, is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, according to the most recent evidence.

Pulmonary hypertension in significant aortic valve disease: a dive into real-world data Left heart disease is the most common cause of pulmonary hypertension (PHT) accounting for over 65% of all diagnosed cases. In over half of these patients, PHT is the consequence of valve dysfunction, predominantly mitral regurgitation. However, echocardiographic evidence of PHT is not infrequent in the setting of aortic valve disease, particularly in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) in whom an estimated systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (eSPAP) >60 mm Hg has previously been reported in up to 34%.

Heartbeat: elevated pulmonary pressures in adults with aortic valve disease Left heart disease is the most common cause of pulmonary hypertension (PHT) accounting for over 65% of all diagnosed cases. In over half of these patients, PHT is the consequence of valve dysfunction, predominantly mitral regurgitation. However, echocardiographic evidence of PHT is not infrequent in the setting of aortic valve disease, particularly in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) in whom an estimated systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (eSPAP) >60 mm Hg has previously been reported in up to 34%.

Epistaxis and Hypertension: Reviewing a Complex Relationship Epistaxis and hypertension are common conditions in the adult population. Establishing a link between blood pressure level and the incidence of epistaxis in a patient with hypertension is a real issue facing physicians in their clinical practice.

Bipolar Disorder Tied to a Sixfold Increased Risk of Early Death Bipolar disorder (BD) is linked to a sixfold increased risk of early death from external causes and a twofold increased risk of dying prematurely from somatic disease than the general population, a new study shows. In addition, patients with BD are three times more likely to die prematurely of all causes vs the general population, with alcohol-related diseases contributing to more premature deaths than cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Impact of cardiac surgery on left-sided infective endocarditis with intermediate-length vegetations The best strategy to manage patients with left-sided infective endocarditis (IE) and intermediate-length vegetations (10–15 mm) remains uncertain. Researches aimed to evaluate the role of surgery in patients with intermediate-length vegetations and no other European Society of Cardiology guidelines-approved surgical indication.

ESC Issues First Comprehensive Cardiomyopathy Guidelines The European Society of Cardiology has released new guidelines for cardiomyopathies, their first major comprehensive international guidelines to address diagnosis and treatment of the broad causes of heart muscle dysfunction.

AHA/ACC Issue Updated Chronic Coronary Disease Guidelines The latest clinical practice guideline for managing patients with chronic coronary disease (CCD) takes an evidence-based and patient-centered approach to care and includes key updates on revascularization, beta-blocker use, and routine functional and anatomic testing. Developed by the American Heart Association (AHA), the American College of Cardiology (ACC), and other specialty societies, the 2023 guideline both updates and consolidates ACC/AHA guidelines previously published in 2012 and 2014 for the management of patients with stable ischemic heart disease.

New AHA/ACC Performance, Quality Metrics for Coronary Revascularization The American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC), in collaboration with several other professional organizations, have published the first comprehensive set of performance and quality measures specific for coronary artery revascularization.

US News Ranks Top Cardiology, Heart Surgery Hospitals Cleveland Clinic in Ohio is once again the number-one hospital for cardiology and heart surgery, according to US News & World Report latest rankings. In the magazine's 2023-2024 list, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, takes over the number-two spot from Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, which drops to No. 3. Cedars-Sinai held the number-three spot on last year's rankings.

Career paths for cardiologists in industry: pharmaceutical, medical insurance, health technology and management consulting Cardiologists have opportunities to transition to different roles outside of traditional clinical care. In this article, we describe the potential opportunities for cardiologists in pharmaceutical, medical insurance, health technology and management consulting. We highlight some unique considerations for each industry and discuss a strategic approach to engage in these opportunities.

New AHA Statement on Ischemia After Cardiac Surgery The American Heart Association (AHA) outlines "considerations" on the management of acute postoperative myocardial ischemia (PMI) after cardiac surgery in a scientific statement.

New ESH Hypertension Guidelines Aim for Simplified Message The European Society of Hypertension (ESH) has released updated and expanded guidelines for the management of hypertension.

The international activities of the Cardioprogress Foundation are expanding The Cardioprogress Foundation expands its international activities. A register of 7 thousand experts and an opinion of leaders from 46 countries of the world has been created.

Innovative technologies in medicine. International Congress DATS 2023 (Baku, Azerbaijan) From June 17 to June 22, 2023, the International Congress DATS 2023 was held in the capital of Azerbaijan in Baku, organized by the Tabib (State Administration for Medical Territorial Services of Azerbaijan).

WHO Advises Against Nonsugar Sweeteners for Weight Control A new guideline from the World Health Organization (WHO) on nonsugar sweeteners (NSSs) recommends not using them to control weight or reduce the risk for diabetes, heart disease, or cancer. These sweeteners include aspartame, acesulfame K, advantame, saccharine, sucralose, stevia, and stevia derivatives.