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Virtual Cardiology: Past, Present, Future Directions, and Considerations
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThrough this review, we attempt to explore the role of telemedicine and virtual visits in the field of cardiology pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 pandemic, their limitations and their future scope for delivery of care.Recent FindingsTelemedicine, which rose to prominence during COVID-19 pandemic, helped not only in reducing the burden on the healthcare system during a time of crisis but also in improving patient outcomes. Patients and physicians also favored virtual visits when feasible. Virtual visits were found to have the potential to be continued beyond the pandemic and play a significant role...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - May 29, 2023 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Echocardiography
AbstractPurpose of ReviewEchocardiography is an integral component in the diagnosis and management of heart disease. This review focuses on the applications of artificial intelligence in echocardiography.Recent FindingsArtificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications continue to prove as useful adjuncts in clinical echocardiography. AI has proven useful in echocardiographic assessment of chamber size and function and Doppler measurement.Similarly, AI applications have demonstrated benefit in the echocardiographic diagnosis of valvular disease and cardiomyopathies as well as predicting outcomes and progno...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - May 11, 2023 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Remote Patient Monitoring: What Have We Learned and Where Are We Going?
AbstractPurpose of ReviewRemote monitoring (RM) of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is an important part of patient follow-up. The increasing number of patients with CIEDs and the recent pandemic pose several challenges for already limited device clinic resources. This review focuses on recent evolutions in RM and identifies future needs to improve RM.Recent FindingsRM has been associated with multiple clinical benefits, including improved survival, early detection of actionable events, reduction in inappropriate shocks, longer battery lives, and more efficient healthcare utilization. The survival benefit was...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - April 22, 2023 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Neuromodulation for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation —How to Optimize Patient Selection and the Procedural Approach
AbstractPurpose of ReviewNeuromodulation for the management of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been a topic of increased interest in recent years; however, there are still challenges regarding which patients would benefit most from these treatments and how we can optimize neuromodulatory procedures to have the greatest effect. We aimed to summarize the current knowledge on optimization of neuromodulatory therapies for AF and discuss the challenges and future directions for research in this area.Recent FindingsIn recent years, the switch from invasive to non-invasive neuromodulatory approaches has made it possible to conduct c...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - March 31, 2023 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

The Efficacy of Mobile Applications for Weight Loss
AbstractPurpose of ReviewA variety of mobile-based applications aimed at weight loss have become popular in recent years. This review describes the features and effectiveness of mobile weight loss apps.Recent FindingsOverall, mobile apps can help patients lose weight either as well as or better than traditional paper-and-pencil weight loss interventions and often better than minimal intervention control groups. Mobile apps promote multiple strategies, including self-monitoring of diet, exercise, and weight, as well as social support and educational content. Significant variation exists in app types, which makes it difficul...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - March 23, 2023 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Genetics of Mitochondrial Cardiomyopathy
AbstractPurpose of ReviewPrimary mitochondrial disorders (PMD) are a heterogeneous group of individual genetic multi-systemic diseases that are challenging to diagnose and manage; currently, there is no cure or FDA-approved therapies for these progressive genetic syndromes. Among the many organs that may be affected by mitochondrial disorders, the heart is one of the most common, given its high energy requirements, leading to mitochondrial cardiomyopathies.Recent FindingsMitochondrial cardiomyopathies are due to underlying genetic defects in genes involved in mitochondrial functioning. These genes, which can be of nuclear ...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - February 10, 2023 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

An Overview of the Risks of Contemporary Energy Drink Consumption and Their Active Ingredients on Cardiovascular Events
AbstractPurpose of ReviewFrom the introduction of the popular energy drink “Red Bull” in 1997 to the United States, energy drink consumption has rapidly grown and evolved. In the last decade, in particular, these beverages have been considered a potential health hazard. This is due to their large concentrations of caffeine in addition to other components such as taurin e, B vitamins, guarana,l-carnitine, and ginseng that have individual risk as well as potential synergistic risk with other ingredients.Recent FindingsThis review focuses on the evolving market of energy, typical “active” components of the most us...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - February 9, 2023 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Among South Asian Americans
AbstractPurpose of ReviewSouth Asian Americans experience higher cardiometabolic risk and disproportionately high rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent evidence about the role of obesity in CVD risk in South Asian Americans and identify key evidence gaps and future directions for research and interventions for obesity in this group.Recent FindingsSouth Asian Americans are predisposed to abdominal obesity and have a higher distribution of visceral fat, intermuscular fat, and intrahepatic fat compared to adults ...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - February 3, 2023 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Application of Pharmacogenetics for the Use of Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Drugs
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding the pharmacogenetics of antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications. Barriers to clinical implementation and important research gaps in the field are also discussed.Recent FindingsTwo large prospective randomized clinical trials have been conducted in the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) population showing thatCYP2C19-guided antiplatelet prescribing reduces ischemic and bleeding events. Clinical implementation barriers for widespread adoption included availability of a rapid turnaroundCYP2C19 test and endorsement of testing by c...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - January 10, 2023 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Risk Assessment and Management of Outflow Tract Arrhythmias Refractory to Prior Treatments
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe ventricular outflow tracts (OT) are a frequent site of origin of idiopathic premature ventricular complexes (PVC) and ventricular tachycardias (VT). Despite relatively high success rates, catheter ablation (CA) may fail to achieve long-term clinical success in some patients. In this article, we briefly review how to approach risk stratification in patients with OT PVC/VT and the methods to improve outcomes in cases that are refractory to standard ablation approaches.Recent FindingsRisk stratification should consider the potential for malignant arrhythmic events and the occurrence of arrhythmia-...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - December 19, 2022 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Patient Education Strategies to Improve Risk of Stroke in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
We describe the most recent evidence-based treatments to reduce stroke risk and outline challenges that exist in empowering patients to be active participants in decision-making. The shared decision-making (SDM) panorama is highlighted due to its benefits, including increased patient participation in decision-making, patient and clinician satisfaction, and improved outcomes.Recent FindingsOral anticoagulation remains the preferred therapy for stroke prevention in AF. Several barriers to stroke risk reduction persist, including both upstream and downstream barriers on the provider and patient front. Appropriate patient educ...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - December 2, 2022 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Health Techequity: Opportunities for Digital Health Innovations to Improve Equity and Diversity in Cardiovascular Care
AbstractPurpose of ReviewIn this review, we define health equity, disparities, and social determinants of health; the different components of digital health; the barriers to digital health equity; and cardiovascular digital health trials and possible solutions to improve health equity through digital health.Recent FindingsDigital health interventions show incredible potential to improve cardiovascular diseases by obtaining longitudinal, continuous, and actionable patient data; increasing access to care; and by decreasing delivery barriers and cost. However, certain populations have experienced decreased access to digital h...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - November 28, 2022 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Applying Interventions to Address the Social Determinants of Health and Reduce Health Disparities in Congenital Heart Disease Patients
AbstractPurpose of ReviewCongenital heart disease (CHD) is associated with high expenditures, high complications, and the highest hospital readmissions among chronic pediatric diseases. Social determinants of health (SDOH) can further increase the burden of chronic disease on patients and families by reducing access to quality healthcare, safe neighborhoods, and healthy food. Strategies that seek to reduce disparities in the SDOH can have a positive impact on long term outcomes. This is particularly true for CHD patients where more adverse SDOH have been shown to have negative impact on patient outcomes. There is a need to...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - November 7, 2022 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Workplace Meditation Interventions for Reducing Psychological Stress and Other Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Workplace Wellness Policy Implications
AbstractPurpose of ReviewCardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading global cause of mortality and significant sources of economic burden around the world. One major modifiable CVD risk factor —high chronic psychological stress—is associated with factors that increase risk: high blood pressure, inflammation, damaged arteries, and lifestyle behaviors. Most adults spend the majority of their time in the workplace, second only to sleeping; job stress is the most significant source of str ess among US workers, and it is consistently associated with increased risk for CVD. The purpose of this systematic review was to prov...
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - November 3, 2022 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research

Hypertension in Women: Impact of Contraception, Fertility, and Hormone Treatment
We describe here theoretical hormonal mechanisms, screening, and management of hypertension in women, focusing on the relationships between hypertension and contraception, fertility, pregnancy, hormone replacement therapy, and transgender health. (Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports)
Source: Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports - October 24, 2022 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research