CARDIOPROGRESS
Foundation for the advancement of cardiology

Does Blockage in Retinal Artery Signal Heart Issues? A meta-analysis of 11 studies involving more than 502 million individuals revealed that those with retinal artery occlusion had a notably higher risk for acute coronary syndrome and all-cause mortality than individuals without the condition. The risk for adverse cardiac events was more pronounced in patients with central retinal artery occlusion than in those with branch retinal artery occlusion, and it was also increased in those with comorbidities such as atrial fibrillation.

Menopause Linked to Higher ASCVD Risk Menopause was independently associated with an elevated 10-year risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Even after comprehensive adjustment for age as well as lifestyle and metabolic factors, postmenopausal women remained at higher risk than premenopausal women, with the risk being most pronounced among those younger than 60 years.

The relationship between low physical activity and obesity in adolescents In adolescents, low vigorous physical activity was associated with adverse left ventricular diastolic function (LVDF), an early marker of cardiac dysfunction, and this association was independent of adiposity.

Early Switch to Oral Antibiotics Is as Effective as Exclusive Intravenous Therapy for Infective Endocarditis Switching to oral therapy after an initial course of intravenous antibiotics for infective endocarditis proved as effective as continuing intravenous treatment, with no increase in failure rates and patients gaining a median of 12 days alive outside the hospital.

Perceived health, psychological distress and quality of life in 8415 adults with congenital heart disease from 32 countries The global prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) is increasing. Research on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) predominantly originates from high-income countries, resulting in an incomplete understanding of the true global burden of CHD from the patient perspective. Therefore, autors described perceived health, psychological distress and quality of life (QoL) in a large sample of adults with CHD from the globe and explored the relationship between PROs and the income level of the countries.

Determining kidney function-specific thresholds for N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in heart failure risk prediction among patients with chronic kidney disease Elevated N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels are common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but uniform thresholds derived from the general population may not accurately predict heart failure (HF) risk across stages of kidney function.

Urinary Sodium-Potassium Ratio May Signal Heart Health in RA In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), higher urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio and sodium excretion were correlated with impaired coronary microvascular perfusion and might serve as an indicator.

Atrial Fibrillation in Chronic Aortic Regurgitation Linked to Increased Mortality Risk Atrial fibrillation (AF) was present in 1 in 6 patients with chronic aortic regurgitation — either moderate-to-severe or severe — and was independently associated with an increased risk for mortality and more severe symptoms.

Influencers of COVID Vaccine Response in Dialysis Patients Among patients undergoing maintenance dialysis, chronic heart failure and hypoalbuminaemia were significantly associated with a poor humoral response at 3 months after completing three doses of the SARS-CoV-2 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine; however, no association was observed between haemodialysis-related variables and antibody response levels.

Fewer ECG Abnormalities in Early T2D With Combo Therapy In patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) of less than 10 years' duration who were taking metformin monotherapy, ECG abnormalities — including evidence of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy — were common and associated with cardiovascular risk factors. After adding one of four frequently used glucose-lowering agents to metformin, fewer major ECG changes occurred with liraglutide than with the other treatments.

Heart Risks Rise, Care Lags: New Stats Expose Harsh Truths Researchers compiled a national data report on the burden, quality of care, and mortality trends for major cardiovascular risk factors and conditions in the US.

Updated recommendations for adults with congenital heart defects On December 18, updated guidelines for management of adults with congenital heart disease, developed by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) in conjunction with several other societies, were published in Circulation and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Ross Procedure Making a Comeback in Aortic Valve Disease The Ross procedure, which can be used to treat young people with severe aortic valve disease, has seen wide swings in popularity over the years, but now, with consistent data on long-term survival and valve durability, numbers are steadily climbing again.

AHA Advisory Endorses Endovascular Thrombectomy for Large Core Ischemic Stroke Results of six recent trials of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for patients with large-core ischemic stroke (LCIS) provide strong evidence for the benefit of this intervention compared with medical management (MM), a new Science Advisory from the American Heart Association (AHA) has concluded.

AI-Enhanced ECG Predicts Hypertension, Related Risks An artificial intelligence–ECG risk estimation model designed to predict incident hypertension (AIRE-HTN) identifies cases and stratifies the risk for adverse outcomes in addition to traditional markers.

CGM Use, GLP-1s, Drinking Water Key of 2025 ADA Standards The American Diabetes Association (ADA)’s Standards of Care — 2025 offer new guidance on broader use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), use of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) beyond weight loss, management of metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease (MAFLD), plus a strong endorsement for drinking water and much more.

ADA Advises Against Using Compounded GLP-1 RA Medications In a new statement, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has advised against the use of compounded glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) and dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP)/GLP-1 RA medication classes.

New Trial Result Pushes Past Antiarrhythmic Therapy After MI For ventricular tachycardia after myocardial infarction, outcomes are better with upfront catheter ablation than drug therapy, which is typically used first, the multinational VANISH2 trial shows.

New Pill Successfully Lowers Lp(a) Levels Muvalaplin, a novel oral medication, safely and effectively lowers high levels of lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), results from the phase 2 KRAKEN trial show.

The results of the 35th International Congress of Cardiology "Great Wall" and the Asian Congress of Cardiology 2024 The anniversary 35th International Congress of Cardiology "Great Wall" and the Asian Congress of Cardiology were held in Beijing at the National Exhibition Center on November 7-10, 2024. As part of the four-day congress, 415 scientific sessions were organized and 2177 reports were made on various areas of cardiology. The congress was attended by 23,980 national and international experts, professors and specialists from almost 40 countries from all the continents of the world.