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Curr Cardiol Rep 2021 May 7;23(6):64. Epub 2021 May 7.

Lipid and Atherosclerosis Unit, IMIBIC/Reina Sofia University Hospital, University of Cordoba, Avda. Menendez Pidal, s/n., 14004, Cordoba, Spain.

Purpose Of Review: The present narrative review focuses on the up-to-date clinical data on the correlations between olive oil consumption and cardiovascular (CV) diseases (i.e., CHD, stroke, and peripheral artery disease). Read More

Am Heart J 2021 May 3. Epub 2021 May 3.

Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, 920 East 28th Street, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN; Minneapolis Heart Institute, 920 East 28th Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its associated risk factors are the principal drivers of mortality and healthcare costs in the United States with rural residents experiencing higher CVD death rates than their urban counterparts.

Methods: The purpose of this study was to examine incidence of major CVD events over 9 years of implementation of the Heart of New Ulm (HONU) Project, a rural population-based CVD prevention initiative. HONU interventions were delivered at individual, organizational, and community levels addressing clinical risk factors, lifestyle behaviors and environmental changes. Read More

Ann Vasc Surg 2021 May 2. Epub 2021 May 2.

Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Introduction: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) has become a valid alternative to carotid endarterectomy in stroke prevention. However, female gender is still considered as an independent risk factor for CAS procedures, potentially limiting immediate and long-term benefits. Aim of present study was to evaluate gender differences in CAS submitted patients from an Italian high-volume center. Read More

Diabetes Ther 2021 May 3. Epub 2021 May 3.

Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The objectives of this systematic literature review were to identify and synthesize published data describing the epidemiology and mortality of CVD in the T2DM population and the associated economic burden.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review searching the PubMed and MEDES databases from 2009 to 2019 using predefined selection criteria. Read More

Heart Vessels 2021 Apr 21. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Department of Cardiology, Gunma Prefectural Cardiovascular Center, Maebashi, Japan.

Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Risk Score for Secondary Prevention (TRS2°P) is a contemporary risk scoring system for secondary prevention based on nine clinical factors. However, this scoring system has not been validated in other populations. The aim of this study was to validate the TRS2°P in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a nationwide registry cohort. Read More

J Chin Med Assoc 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital Taoyuan Branch, Taiwan, ROC Health Care and Management Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC Division of Cardiology, Heart Center, Cheng-Hsin General Hospital, and School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, I-Shou University and Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC Cardiology Division of Cardiovascular Medical Center and Department of Nuclear Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital and Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC Mackay Memorial Hospital, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, and Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC Department of Cardiology, Buddhist Tzu-Chi General Hospital, Tzu-Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, ROC Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Primary Care Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC Institute of Clinical Medicine and Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.

Background: Lifestyle modification is suggested for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), but the impact of adherence to a healthy lifestyle remains undetermined. The aim of this study is to investigate the association of adherence to a healthy lifestyle with future outcomes and biochemical markers in CAD patients.

Methods: The Biosignature CAD study examined 716 CAD patients who underwent a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Read More

Platelets 2021 Apr 15:1-8. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Cardiology Clinic, Sassari University Hospital, Sassari, Italy.

Platelet reactivity (PR) has been indicated as a pathophysiological key element for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) development. Patients with not-high before-treatment platelet reactivity (NHPR) have been poorly studied so far. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence, clinical characteristics, response to therapy and outcomes of baseline prior to treatment NHPR among patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. Read More

J Nurs Scholarsh 2021 Apr 12. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Lambda Beta-at-large, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.

Purpose: Secondary prevention of coronary artery disease, self-management behavior, and blood pressure control are important to cardiovascular event prevention and promotion of quality of life (QOL), but they are underutilized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a self-efficacy theory-based health information technology intervention implemented through blood control and patient self-management.

Design: A clinical randomized waitlist-controlled trial. Read More

J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Division of Vascular Medicine of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Objective: We assessed the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared with that in a matched cohort with similar cardiovascular risk factors and the effects of DVT and PE on the hospital course.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of prospectively collected data from COVID-19 patients who had been hospitalized from March 11, 2020 to September 4, 2020. The patients were randomly matched in a 1:1 ratio by age, sex, hospital of admission, smoking history, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease with a cohort of patients without COVID-19. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2021 Apr 6;10(8):e019101. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Department of Cardiology Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences Amsterdam Netherlands.

Background In survivors of sudden cardiac arrest with obstructive coronary artery disease, it remains challenging to distinguish ischemia as a reversible cause from irreversible scar-related ventricular arrhythmias. We aimed to evaluate the value of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation in sudden cardiac arrest survivors with presumably reversible ischemia and complete revascularization. Methods and Results This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 276 patients (80% men, age 67±10 years) receiving ICD implantation for secondary prevention. Read More

J Clin Med 2021 Mar 23;10(6). Epub 2021 Mar 23.

Heart Area, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most frequent cause of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Etiopathogenic and prognostic characteristics in young patients may differ from older patients and young women may present worse outcomes than men. We aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of men and women with premature STEMI. Read More

J Rehabil Assist Technol Eng 2021 Jan-Dec;8:2055668321996572. Epub 2021 Mar 16.

Heart Center, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany Both authors contributed equally.

Introduction: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Lifestyle change is a crucial part of secondary prevention. Only 30% of CAD patients follow the corresponding guideline recommendations. Read More

Curr Atheroscler Rep 2021 Apr 1;23(6):28. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Department of Medicine and Center for Cardiometabolic Disease Prevention, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, MS BCM285, Houston, TX, USA.

Purpose Of Review: The potential of polygenic risk scores (PRS) to improve atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk assessment and management has stoked significant interest in their incorporation into clinical management. The goal of this review is to apprise the readers of the latest developments and evidence of PRS readiness for clinical integration. We also discuss current limitations that must be addressed before PRS can be implemented into routine clinical practice. Read More

Can J Cardiol 2021 Mar 26. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada.

The 2021 guidelines primary panel selected clinically relevant questions and produced updated recommendations, on the basis of important new findings emerging since the 2016 guidelines. In subjects with clinical atherosclerosis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, most subjects with diabetes or chronic kidney disease, and those with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥5 mmol/L, statin therapy continues to be recommended. We have introduced the concept of lipid/lipoprotein treatment thresholds for intensifying lipid-lowering therapy with non-statin agents, and have identified the secondary prevention patients who have been shown to derive the largest benefit from intensification of therapy with these agents. Read More

Radiol Cardiothorac Imaging 2021 Feb 25;3(1):e200563. Epub 2021 Feb 25.

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine (L.V.K., E.K.O., C.A.) and Acute Vascular Imaging Centre (C.A.), Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Level 6, West Wing, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, England; and Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Conn (E.K.O.).

Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) has evolved into a first-line diagnostic test for the investigation of chest pain. Despite advances toward standardizing the reporting of CCTA through the Coronary Artery Disease Reporting and Data System (or CAD-RADS) tool, the prognostic value of CCTA in the earliest stages of atherosclerosis remains limited. Translational work on the bidirectional interplay between the coronary arteries and the perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) has highlighted PVAT as an in vivo molecular sensor of coronary inflammation. Read More

JACC Basic Transl Sci 2021 Mar 22;6(3):287-304. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a pandemic disease that is highly preventable as shown by secondary prevention. Primary prevention is preferred knowing that 50% of the population can expect a cardiac event in their lifetime. Risk stratification for primary prevention using the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology predicted 10-year risk based on conventional risk factors for CAD is less than optimal. Read More

J Midlife Health 2020 Oct-Dec;11(4):187-195. Epub 2021 Jan 21.

GMCH, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.

With the cessation of estrogen and progesterone at menopause, the hormone withdrawal affects various systems in the woman's body. In earlier days, menopausal hormone therapy (HT) was prescribed for primary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD) and osteoporosis, which were thought to be because of estrogen deprivation and epidemiologic data supported a beneficial effect of estrogen on the heart and bone. Later on, robust data from the Women's Health Initiative study comparing two HT trials demonstrated adverse outcomes in terms of excess risk of CAD, stroke, venous thromboembolism, and breast cancer. Read More

Eur Heart J 2021 Mar 25. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK.

Cardiovascular disease remains the main cause of mortality in individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) and also results in significant morbidity. Premature and more aggressive atherosclerotic disease, coupled with an enhanced thrombotic environment, contributes to the high vascular risk in individuals with DM. This prothrombotic milieu is due to increased platelet activity together with impaired fibrinolysis secondary to quantitative and qualitative changes in coagulation factors. Read More

Am Heart J 2021 Mar 21;237:135-146. Epub 2021 Mar 21.

PET Center for Preventing and Reversing Atherosclerosis, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, TX. Electronic address:

Background: The literature reports no randomized trial in chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) of a comprehensive management strategy integrating intense lifestyle management, maximal medical treatment to specific goals and high precision quantitative cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) for identifying high mortality risk patients needing essential invasive procedures. We hypothesize that this comprehensive strategy achieves greater risk factor reduction, lower major adverse cardiovascular events and fewer invasive procedures than standard practice.

Methods: The CENTURY Study (NCT00756379) is a randomized-controlled-trial study in patients with stable or at high risk for CAD. Read More

Future Cardiol 2021 May 17;17(3):521-534. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Department of Cardiology, The Zena & Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.

Diabetes mellitus is a complex disease that leads to long-term damage to various organ systems. Among the numerous cardiovascular disease-related complications, thrombotic events frequently occur in patients with diabetes. Although guidelines exist for treating and preventing most diabetes-related co-morbidities, the evidence on antithrombotic therapy in primary and secondary prevention is limited due to the scarcity of randomized trials dedicated to patients with diabetes mellitus. Read More

Lancet 2021 Mar 9;397(10279):1085-1094. Epub 2021 Mar 9.

Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

Background: In cardiovascular disease, prevention strategies targeting standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (SMuRFs; hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia, and smoking) are crucial; however, myocardial infarction in the absence of SMuRFs is not infrequent. The outcomes of individuals without SMuRFs are not well known.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed adult patients with first-presentation ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) using data from the Swedish myocardial infarction registry SWEDEHEART. Read More

Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 2021 Apr 25;19(4):313-324. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Klinik für Herz- und Kreislauferkrankungen, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.

Introduction: Despite a timely mechanical reperfusion with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) display an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Several studies have demonstrated that guideline-directed antithrombotic therapy is effective to reduce this risk. However, there is still much to be accomplished to improve antithrombotic therapies in this clinical setting. Read More

Circ Rep 2021 Jan 14;3(2):69-76. Epub 2021 Jan 14.

Division of Cardiology, Saiseikai Kumamoto Hospital Kumamoto Japan.

There has been no large multicenter clinical trial on the prognosis of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy with a defibrillator (CRT-D) in Japanese patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of the present study was to compare differences in the prognoses of Japanese patients with CAD between primary and secondary prevention, and to identify potential predictors of prognosis. We investigated 392 CAD patients (median age 69 years, 90% male) treated with ICD/CRT-D enrolled in the Japan Implantable Devices in CAD (JID-CAD) Registry. Read More

Am Heart J 2021 Mar 6;237:79-89. Epub 2021 Mar 6.

National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. Electronic address:

Background: Studies found that patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) often fail to receive optimal evidence-based secondary prevention medications. We evaluated the effectiveness of a smartphone-based quality improvement effort on improving the prescription of medical therapies.

Methods: In this cluster-randomized controlled trial, 60 hospitals were randomized to a control arm (n = 30) or to an intervention arm using smartphone-based multifaceted quality improvement interventions (n = 30). Read More

Polymers (Basel) 2021 Feb 26;13(5). Epub 2021 Feb 26.

Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council of Italy, 00128 Rome, Italy.

Atherosclerosis-related coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading sources of mortality and morbidity in the world. Primary and secondary prevention appear crucial to reduce CAD-related complications. In this scenario, statin treatment was shown to be clinically effective in the reduction of adverse events, but systemic administration provides suboptimal results. Read More

Circulation 2021 Apr 2;143(16):1571-1583. Epub 2021 Mar 2.

Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (A.W.P., Z.A.D., R.S.B., O.D., O.H.O., S.M.I.U., M.B.M., M.J.Blaha).

Background: There are limited data on the unique cardiovascular disease (CVD), non-CVD, and mortality risks of primary prevention individuals with very high coronary artery calcium (CAC; ≥1000), especially compared with rates observed in secondary prevention populations.

Methods: Our study population consisted of 6814 ethnically diverse individuals 45 to 84 years of age who were free of known CVD from MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis), a prospective, observational, community-based cohort. Mean follow-up time was 13. Read More

Heart Surg Forum 2021 02 15;24(1):E121-E129. Epub 2021 Feb 15.

Department of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is emerging as an important outcome among patients with documented coronary artery disease (CAD). The primary objective of this study was to report the HRQOL of CAD patients under secondary prevention-related treatment and follow-up using the 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) tool.

Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional survey done in a hospital/clinic setting. Read More

Eur J Prev Cardiol 2020 Dec 29. Epub 2020 Dec 29.

Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Gent, Belgium.

Aims: Most patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) are at very high risk for developing recurrent events. Since this risk varies a lot between patients there is a need to identify those in whom an even more intensive secondary prevention strategy should be envisaged. Using data from the EUROASPIRE IV and V cohorts of coronary heart disease (CHD) patients from 27 European countries, we aimed at developing and internally and externally validating a risk model predicting recurrent CVD events in patients aged < 75 years. Read More

J Hum Hypertens 2021 Feb 15. Epub 2021 Feb 15.

Department of Cardiology, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

To investigate the optimal blood pressure (BP) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), we conducted subgroup analysis using SPRINT data. The study sample included 1206 participants with CAD (of whom 692 underwent coronary revascularization) and 8127 participants without CAD. Participants were randomized into two groups (systolic BP target of 140 mm Hg vs. Read More

Atherosclerosis 2021 03 8;321:1-7. Epub 2021 Feb 8.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.

Background And Aims: Identifying patient subgroups with cardiovascular disease (CVD) at highest risk for recurrent events remains challenging. Angiographic features may provide incremental value in risk prediction beyond clinical characteristics.

Methods: We included all cardiac catheterization patients from the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Disease with significant coronary artery disease (CAD; 07/01/2007-12/31/2012) and an outpatient follow-up visit with a primary care physician or cardiologist in the same health system within 3 months post-catheterization. Read More