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Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Cardiology for December 2018. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
MONDAY, Dec. 31, 2018 -- Catheter ablation is better than drug therapy for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with heart failure, according to a review published online Dec. 25 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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FRIDAY, Dec. 28, 2018 -- The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) has updated its guidance on the management of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia as well as chronic hypertension in pregnant women; the two practice bulletins were published in the January issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
FRIDAY, Dec. 28, 2018 -- Sodium intake is associated with the long-term risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study recently published in the Annals of Medicine.
FRIDAY, Dec. 28, 2018 -- For adults with type 2 diabetes initiating second-line antidiabetic medications (ADM), cardiovascular risk is increased with use of sulfonylureas or basal insulin versus newer ADM classes, according to a study published online Dec. 21 in JAMA Network Open.
FRIDAY, Dec. 28, 2018 -- Parity is associated with cardiovascular disease risk, with a nonlinear J-shaped dose-response relationship observed, according to a meta-analysis published online Dec. 19 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
THURSDAY, Dec. 27, 2018 -- The lowest-priced generic drugs are more likely to experience shortages, according to a study published in the November issue of Value in Health.
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THURSDAY, Dec. 27, 2018 -- Announcement and implementation of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) were associated with increased 30-day postdischarge mortality following hospitalization for heart failure and pneumonia, but not acute myocardial infarction (AMI), according to a study published in the Dec. 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
THURSDAY, Dec. 27, 2018 -- New blood pressure treatment recommendations may not improve survival from cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a study recently published in the European Heart Journal.
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THURSDAY, Dec. 27, 2018 -- The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has developed new guidelines for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE); the clinical practice guidelines were recently published in Blood Advances.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26, 2018 -- Patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) undergoing cardiac surgery have increased complications and costs, according to a study published online Dec. 5 in JAMA Surgery.
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WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26, 2018 -- An institutional gender equity initiative (GEI) can reduce gender-based salary gaps among medical school faculty, according to a study published online Dec. 21 in JAMA Network Open.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26, 2018 -- The American Academy of Pediatrics has developed its first guideline for the management of infantile hemangiomas (IHs); the clinical practice guideline was published online Dec. 24 in Pediatrics.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26, 2018 -- In older adults, the risk of arterial thromboembolic events begins to increase 150 days before the date of cancer diagnosis and peaks 30 days before, according to a study published online Dec. 21 in Blood.
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WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26, 2018 -- From 2007 to 2017 there was an increase in drug-use associated infective endocarditis (DUA-IE) hospitalizations and valve surgeries, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 26, 2018 -- Providers should maximize women's health during the interpregnancy period, continuing care beyond the immediate postpartum period, according to a consensus report published online Dec. 20 in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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MONDAY, Dec. 24, 2018 -- Disparities exist in the emergency medical services (EMS) treatment of women and men with chest pain (CP) or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), according to a study published online Dec. 10 in Women's Health Issues.
FRIDAY, Dec. 21, 2018 -- After infections tied to unapproved stem cell treatments sent 12 people to the hospital this past year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a stern warning about the products.
FRIDAY, Dec. 21, 2016 -- Patients taking fluoroquinolones may be at higher risk for ruptures or tears in the aorta, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.
FRIDAY, Dec. 21, 2018 -- From 1999-2000 to 2015-2016, there was an increase in mean weight, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) for many U.S. adults, according to the Dec. 20 issue of the National Vital Statistics Reports, a publication from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
FRIDAY, Dec. 21, 2018 -- The risk for atrial fibrillation (AF) is increased among antidepressant users, particularly before treatment initiation, according to a study recently published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
FRIDAY, Dec. 21, 2018 -- Endurance exercise has anti-aging effects visible at the cellular level, according to a study published online Nov. 28 in the European Heart Journal.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- Black patients with atrial fibrillation are less likely to receive direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) compared with white patients, even after controlling for clinical and sociodemographic features, according to a study published in the December issue of JAMA Cardiology.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- From 2005 to 2017, there was a substantial increase in telemedicine use, although use was still uncommon in 2017, according to a research letter published online Nov. 27 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- Despite numerous difficulties, early figures show that sign-ups for health coverage next year under the Affordable Care Act are higher than expected.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- For patients initiating oral anticoagulant therapy, the incidence of hospitalization for upper gastrointestinal bleeding is highest and lowest with rivaroxaban and apixaban, respectively, according to a study published in the Dec. 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- Occupational exposures to pesticides and metals are associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Hispanics/Latinos, according to a study published online Dec. 11 in Heart.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- The global lifetime risk for stroke was 24.9 percent among adults aged 25 years and older in 2016, according to a study published in the Dec. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 2018 -- Patient-centered care is emphasized in updated clinical practice recommendations from the American Diabetes Association 2019 Standards of Care, published as a supplement to the January issue of Diabetes Care.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 19, 2018 -- The density of greenness near residences is associated with lower urinary levels of epinephrine and F2-isoprostane, according to a study published in the Dec. 18 issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 19, 2018 -- Postmenopausal women with edentulism are at an increased risk for developing hypertension, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in the American Journal of Hypertension.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 19, 2018 -- A considerable proportion of cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths in Shandong Province, China, may be attributable to high sodium intake, according to a study published online Dec. 19 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
TUESDAY, Dec. 18, 2018 -- From 2007 to 2013, hospitalizations among homeless individuals increased and were most frequently for mental illness and substance use disorder, according to a study published in the January issue of Medical Care.
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TUESDAY, Dec. 18, 2018 -- For older adults, declines in memory after heart surgery and cardiac catheterization are similar, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
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TUESDAY, Dec. 18, 2018 -- Appropriate use criteria have been developed for peripheral artery intervention (PAI) in peripheral artery disease, according to a report published online Dec. 17 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
TUESDAY, Dec. 18, 2018 -- From 2007 to 2017, the number of physicians excluded from Medicare and state public insurance programs increased, according to a study published online Dec. 14 in JAMA Network Open.
TUESDAY, Dec. 18, 2018 -- An analysis of electronic health record data reveals considerable differences in hypertension control across health systems, according to a study published in the November-December issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.
MONDAY, Dec. 17, 2018 -- For patients with heart failure, follow-up care within seven days of discharge from the emergency department is associated with lower rates of long-term mortality and subsequent admissions, according to a study published in the Dec. 17 issue of CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
MONDAY, Dec. 17, 2018 -- Adherent patients receiving high-intensity statin and/or ezetimibe therapy have the lowest cardiovascular risk, according to a study published online Dec. 7 in JAMA Network Open.
MONDAY, Dec. 17, 2018 -- A barbershop-based intervention can lead to significantly reduced blood pressure and sustained improvements over one year in black men, according to a study published online Dec. 17 in Circulation.
FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 -- The highest risk for myocardial infarction occurs around 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve, according to a study published online Dec. 12 in The BMJ.
FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 -- Among patients with cancer starting chemotherapy who are at intermediate-to-high risk, rates of venous thromboembolism are significantly lower for thromboprophylaxis with apixaban versus placebo, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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FRIDAY, Dec. 14, 2018 -- Physician mothers experience discrimination in a range of ways, which can impact the medical profession, according to a study published online Dec. 12 in The BMJ.
THURSDAY, Dec. 13, 2018 -- Both pregnancy losses and a history of at least five live births are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, according to a study published online Nov. 27 in the Journal of Women's Health.
THURSDAY, Dec. 13, 2018 -- Medication errors in acute care that result in death occur most often in patients older than 75 years, with the most common error category being omitted medicine or ingredient, according to a study published online Nov. 22 in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy.
THURSDAY, Dec. 13, 2018 -- Despite declining incidence, heart failure hospitalization is increased among individuals with diabetes, according to a study published in the Dec. 11 issue of Circulation.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Enrollment for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act is down with just days left to sign up, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Consumers should not use two electronic cigarette liquids that contain erectile dysfunction drugs because they may pose health risks, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- National health care spending slowed in 2017, according to a report published online Dec. 6 in Health Affairs.
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WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2018 -- Because of greater patient delays from symptom onset to first medical contact, female patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) experience greater total ischemic time than male patients, according to a study recently published in the European Heart Journal: Acute Cardiovascular Care.
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TUESDAY, Dec. 11, 2018 -- Policies for paid childbearing or family leave for residents are lacking at top-ranking medical schools and may be exacerbated by lack of direction from specialty boards, according to two research letters published in the Dec. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
TUESDAY, Dec. 11, 2018 -- After implementation of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) diversity accreditation standards, U.S. medical schools saw increasing percentages of female, black, and Hispanic matriculants, according to a research letter published in the Dec. 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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TUESDAY, Dec. 11, 2018 -- An expert consensus decision pathway has been developed for tobacco cessation treatment; the report was published online Dec. 5 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
TUESDAY, Dec. 11, 2018 -- After extensive adjustment for confounders, influenza vaccination is associated with a reduced risk for all-cause and cardiovascular death among patients with heart failure, according to a study published online Dec. 10 in Circulation.
MONDAY, Dec. 10, 2018 -- Stress related to use of health information technology (HIT) is common and predictive of burnout among physicians, according to a study published online Dec. 5 in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
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MONDAY, Dec. 10, 2018 -- Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals outperform non-VHA hospitals for 14 of 15 outcome measures in 121 regions, according to a research letter published online Dec. 11 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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MONDAY, Dec. 10, 2018 -- Transplant patients with hearts from donors with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and obese donors have similar survival rates as patients with other donor hearts, according to two studies published in the December issue and online Dec. 4 in Circulation: Heart Failure and the Journal of the American Heart Association, respectively.
MONDAY, Dec. 10, 2018 -- Statins are associated with a low risk for side effects, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) published online Dec. 10 in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.
MONDAY, Dec. 10, 2018 -- Patients with cardiac arrest from the poorest neighborhoods have longer emergency medical service (EMS) times, according to a study published online Nov. 30 in JAMA Network Open.
MONDAY, Dec. 10, 2018 -- Less than an hour a week of resistance exercise (RE) is associated with decreased risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related events and all-cause mortality, independent of aerobic exercise, according to a study recently published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
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FRIDAY, Dec. 7, 2018 -- Nearly two-thirds of insured adults with a previous health care visit did not use an online patient portal in 2017, according to a study published in the December issue of Health Affairs.
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FRIDAY, Dec. 7, 2018 -- Intraoperative botulinum toxin (BTX) injections show promise as a way to reduce the risk for postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) following cardiac surgery, according to two studies recently published in Heart Rhythm.
FRIDAY, Dec. 7, 2018 -- An educational intervention can improve patients' ability to self-manage their chronic diseases, according to a study published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
FRIDAY, Dec. 7, 2018 -- For individuals with heart failure, those with impairment in activities of daily living (ADL) take as many medications as those without ADL impairment, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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THURSDAY, Dec. 6, 2018 -- Pictorial presentation of silent atherosclerosis contributes to the prevention of cardiovascular disease, according to a study published online Dec. 3 in The Lancet.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5, 2018 -- There is a J-shaped association for total daily sleep duration with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events, according to a study published online Dec. 5 in the European Heart Journal.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5, 2018 -- A new warning has been added to the multiple sclerosis drug Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) after rare reports of patients suffering strokes and tears in the lining of the arteries in the head and neck, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5, 2018 -- Skin autofluorescence predicts incident type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and mortality in the general population, according to a study published online Nov. 21 in Diabetologia.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5, 2018 -- Only 15.4 percent of physicians work in practices that use telemedicine for a wide spectrum of patient interactions, with larger practice size being an important correlate of telemedicine use, according to a study published in the December issue of Health Affairs.
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WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5, 2018 -- Migraine with aura is associated with an elevated risk for incident atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study published online Nov. 14 in Neurology.
TUESDAY, Dec. 4, 2018 -- Many patients intentionally withhold information from clinicians, according to a study published online Nov. 30 in JAMA Network Open.
TUESDAY, Dec. 4, 2018 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has developed a draft strategy to reduce the health information technology (IT) burden, and the strategy is open for public comment through Jan. 28, 2019.
TUESDAY, Dec. 4, 2018 -- Running a marathon can increase cardiac strain in amateur runners, according to a research letter published online Dec. 3 in Circulation.
TUESDAY, Dec. 4, 2018 -- There is no correlation between urate and blood pressure (BP) in mice or among patients with early Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a study published in the November issue of EBioMedicine.
TUESDAY, Dec. 4, 2018 -- The proportion of hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction attributable to young patients increased between 1995 and 2014, especially among women, according to a study published online Nov. 11 in Circulation.
MONDAY, Dec. 3, 2018 -- Achieving and maintaining 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) blood pressure (BP) goals could prevent a greater number of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events than achieving prior U.S. guideline goals, according to a study published online Nov. 19 in Circulation.
Posted: January 2019