CARDIOPROGRESS
Foundation for the advancement of cardiology

Prasugrel Bests Ticagrelor in Acute Coronary Syndrome Care Prasugrel is associated with lower rates of mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke than ticagrelor under conditions of routine care of patients discharged after invasive treatment for acute coronary syndrome, with the effects being particularly pronounced in those with ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI).

Smarter Pregnancy App Links Improved Lifestyle Habits to Lower Maternal Blood Pressure in Early Pregnancy Digital lifestyle coaching through the Smarter Pregnancy program reduces maternal blood pressure (BP) by approximately 2 mmHg during the first trimester of pregnancy. The program enhances lifestyle behaviors through personalized coaching on vegetable and fruit intake, smoking cessation, and alcohol abstinence.

Mobile Stroke Units Linked to Improved OutcomesAmong Patients WithAcute Ischemic Stroke Patients with acute ischemic stroke treated in mobile stroke units have better outcomes, with lower global disability scores, faster thrombolysis times, and comparable safety outcomes, than those receiving standard emergency medical services (EMS) care.

Decision Support Tool Fails to Boost Anticoagulation Initiation in US Emergency Departments A multipronged intervention in US emergency departments (EDs) has been found to not significantly increase anticoagulation initiation within 30 days of discharge for patients with primary atrial fibrillation or flutter (AFF).

Motor vehicle crash risk after cardioverter-defibrillator implantation Limited empirical evidence informs driving restrictions after implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation. We sought to evaluate real-world motor vehicle crash risks after ICD implantation.

Exercise training improves cardiovascular fitness in dilated cardiomyopathy caused by truncating titin variants Participation in regular exercise activities is recommended for patients with chronic heart failure. However, less is known about the effect of exercise in patients with genetic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). We sought to examine the effect of vigorousintensity training on physical capacity in patients with DCM caused by truncating titin variants (TTNtv).

Managing cardiogenic shock and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in Takotsubo syndrome: current insights and challenges Over the past decade, Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) has gained increasing recognition as a serious acute cardiovascular condition and now represents an important differential diagnosis in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome. Current evidence suggests that TTS is likely related to a catecholamine storm leading to coronary microvascular dysfunction in the absence of epicardial coronary artery culprit lesion.

The impact of COVID-19 vaccination on patients with congenital heart disease in England: a case-control study Studies predating widespread COVID-19 vaccination identified patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) as a group at increased risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19. Here we evaluate the impact of vaccination on COVID-19 outcomes among patients with CHD.

Brain Recovery at Discharge Predicts Survival After Cardiac Arrest Cardiac arrest survivors with complete neurologic recovery at hospital discharge show significantly improved long-term survival rates, found a study.

Percutaneous coronary intervention plus medical therapy versus medical therapy alone in chronic coronary syndrome: a propensity score-matched analysis from the Swedish Coronary Angiography an Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is frequently used for patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). However, the role of PCI beyond symptom relief in CCS remains controversial. The objective of this study was to determine whether PCI is associated with better outcomes, compared with medical therapy (MT) alone.

Quadpill Strategy Gains Ground in Hypertension Several new antihypertensive agents are reshaping the therapeutic strategies for patients with uncontrolled or resistant hypertension. Agents such as baxdrostat, the first selective aldosterone synthase inhibitor, and aprocitentan, a dual endothelin receptor A and B antagonist, are paving the way for new drug combinations and a more personalized approach to blood pressure control.

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.

New Atrial Fibrillation Guidelines Confront Underlying Illness Updated guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation released by the European Society of Cardiology are revamping the approach to care for this complex, multifactorial disease.

In situ assembly of an injectable cardiac stimulator Without intervention, cardiac arrhythmias pose a risk of fatality. However, timely intervention can be challenging in environments where transporting a large, heavy defibrillator is impractical, or emergency surgery to implant cardiac stimulation devices is not feasible. Here, we introduce an injectable cardiac stimulator, a syringe loaded with a nanoparticle solution comprising a conductive polymer and a monomer that, upon injection, forms a conductive structure around the heart for cardiac stimulation.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Hidden Risk for Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases? Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) face an increased risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D), metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and cardiovascular disease (CVD), although these risks vary depending on PCOS phenotype.

Can Electronic Decision Support Improve Acute Heart Failure Care in EDs? An electronic decision support tool may increase the prescription of guideline–directed medical therapy for patients with acute heart failure (AHF) in emergency departments (EDs), with no serious adverse events (SAEs) within 30 days among very low-risk patients who are discharged.

Evaluation of the World Health Organization-HEARTS hypertension control package in Bangladesh: a quasi-experimental trial The World Health Organization (WHO) promotes the HEARTS technical package for improving hypertension control worldwide, but its effectiveness has not been rigorously evaluated.

Common Eye Disorder May Be Linked to Maternal Hypertension Children whose mothers have a hypertensive disorder in pregnancy (HDP) may have an increased risk for strabismus, including exophoria and intermittent exotropia, new research shows. Preeclampsia and poorly controlled blood pressure may confer the greatest risk.

PET Imaging Finds Vulnerable Plaques That Cause MI A new technique that can locate vulnerable coronary plaques at risk of rupturing and causing a myocardial infarction (MI) could help identify patients at high cardiovascular risk who might need more intensive treatment.

New Insight Into CVD, Stroke Risk in Migraine Researchers are unraveling the complex relationship between cardiovascular (CV)- and stroke-related outcomes in migraine with, and without, aura.