CARDIOPROGRESS
Foundation for the advancement of cardiology

PASCAL for MV Repair Noninferior to MitraClip in CLASP IID, FDA Took Notice A newly available transcatheter device for edge-to-edge mitral valve (MV) repair, named for a famed scientist-inventor, is similar to the long-available MitraClip (Abbott) for short-term efficacy and safety, suggests an interim but prespecified analysis from a randomized trial.

How Does Salt Intake Relate to Mortality? Intake of salt is a biological necessity, inextricably woven into physiologic systems. However, excessive salt intake is associated with high blood pressure. Hypertension is linked to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and it is estimated that excessive salt intake causes approximately 5 million deaths per year worldwide. Reducing salt intake lowers blood pressure, but processed foods contain "hidden" salt, which makes dietary control of salt difficult. This problem is compounded by growing inequalities in food systems, which present another hurdle to sustaining individual dietary control of salt intake.

Cumulative Blood Pressure Load: A Better Predictor of CV Events? Cumulative systolic blood pressure load, which can be calculated from serial blood pressure measurements, may provide better prediction of major cardiovascular events compared with traditional blood pressure measures, a new study suggests.

Vitamins or Cocoa: Which Preserves Cognition? Unexpected results from a phase 3 trial exploring the effect of multivitamins and cognition have now been published. Findings from a phase 3 study show daily multivitamin use, but not cocoa, is linked to a significantly slower rate of age-related cognitive decline.

Premature menopause is associated with increased risk of heart problems Menopause before 40 years of age is associated with elevated risks of heart failure and atrial fibrillation, according to a study published today in European Heart Journal, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Social isolation, loneliness raise risk of death from heart attack or stroke by nearly a third Loneliness increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by almost a third, according to new research. Socially isolated individuals are about 30 percent more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack — death from either. (San-Diego)

As Y Chromosomes Vanish With Age, Heart Risks May Grow It’s been known for more than half a century that many men lose their Y chromosomes as they age. But no one knew if it really mattered. The loss of Y could just be a sign of aging, like gray hair, with no clinical relevance. (Subscription required in order to read the article).

People With Diabetes Are More Vulnerable to Heart Disease. How to Reduce the Risk If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, know that you’ve got plenty of company. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) reports that in 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, 37.3 million adults in the U.S.—about 11.3% of the population—had the chronic condition, and that number continues to grow.

Increasing moderate activity could cut stroke risk by 40%, research suggests New analysis adds further evidence to the link between a sedentary lifestyle and risk of disease and disability.

Why L.G.B.T.Q. Adults Are More Vulnerable to Heart Disease Experts say that a leading cause of death often goes overlooked.

3 challenges to watch in global health in 2023 For the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, people working in the infectious diseases and global health spheres were largely focused on the new disease. In 2022, however, gears shifted. Covid didn’t go away, but diseases like flu that had been held in abeyance by the new virus and the measures we used to slow its spread — well, they’re baaack. From late summer onward in the United States, hospitals have been packed with people sick with one respiratory illness or another.

ADA Advises New BP, Lipid Targets for People With Diabetes New more aggressive targets for blood pressure and lipids are among the changes to the annual American Diabetes Association (ADA) Standards of Care in Diabetes — 2023. The document, long considered the gold standard for care of the more than 100 million Americans living with diabetes and prediabetes, was published December 12 as a supplement in Diabetes Care. The guidelines are also accessible to doctors via an app; last year's standards were accessed more than 4 million times.

New ACC Guidance on Cardiovascular Consequences of COVID-19 The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has issued an expert consensus clinical guidance document for the evaluation and management of adults with key cardiovascular consequences of COVID-19. The document makes recommendations on how to evaluate and manage COVID-associated myocarditis and long COVID and gives advice on resumption of exercise following COVID-19 infection.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF SOVIET HEALTHCARE WORKERS TO THE VICTORY IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR It is difficult to overestimate the contribution of healthcare workers to the Victory in the Second World War. The losses in the war could have been more devastating if not for the courage of people were fighting for the lives of the wounded and sick on the battlefields. Over 200,000 doctors and a half-million army of paramedics worked at the front and in the rear.

Lowering BP According to Newest Guidance Would Cut CV Events Using the 2021 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guideline target of systolic blood pressure (BP) < 120 mm Hg, 66% of adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) would be eligible for BP lowering, according to a study from South Korea.

Distress-Related Metabolite Levels Predicts Future Cardiovascular Events A metabolite-based distress score derived from measurements of molecular biomarkers in women related to chronic distress can predict future risk for cardiovascular disease. The study covered in this summary was published in medRxiv.org as a preprint and has not yet been peer reviewed.

Ending Rheumatic Heart Disease is achievable if we put our heads and minds to it Preventable, yet persistent, Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) is the most commonly acquired heart disease in people under 25 years of age. The World Heart Federation (WHF) is committed to the fight to ensure cardiovascular health for everyone. Through WHF’s network of Members and the power of personal testimonials, we are spreading awareness that RHD can be prevented, diagnosed, and treated. This editorial was authored by WHF Director of Policy and Advocacy Jeremiah Mwangi and was first published in FORESIGHT Global Health on 19 August 2021.

Dear colleagues! I welcome you on behalf of the Organizing Committee of the XI International Forum for Cardiology and Internal Medicine, which will be held from March 22 to 24, 2022 in Moscow.

Polypill Shows LDL-Lowering Advantage in High-risk Primary Prevention Patients: VULCANO Key Takeaways The CNIC (Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares) polypill contains acetylsalicylic acid (100 mg), atorvastatin (30 mg or 40 mg), and ramipril (2.5 mg, 5 mg, or 10 mg), and is the only polypill for cardiovascular disease (CVD) currently marketed in European countries.

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2022 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health.