Peripheral arterial disease and hypertension
Purpose of review
Hypertension (HTN) is a well known risk factor for atherosclerosis and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). PAD affects more than 250 million people globally and is associated with worse clinical outcomes. Although multiple studies have been performed to evaluate treatment of HTN in patients with PAD, blood pressure management in this high-risk cohort remains poor.
Recent findings
There has been conflicting evidence regarding blood pressure goals in PAD with some recent studies showing adverse outcomes with low blood pressure in this patient population. Current guidelines, however, continue to re...
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - August 15, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: SPECIAL COMMENTARIES Source Type: research
The role of temporary mechanical circulatory support as a bridge to advanced heart failure therapies or recovery
Purpose of review
Temporary mechanical circulatory support (tMCS) has become central in the treatment of refractory cardiogenic shock and can be used to bridge patients to durable MCS, heart transplant or recovery. This review will discuss contemporary data regarding bridging strategies utilizing tMCS.
Recent findings
There has been significant growth in tMCS use recently, driven by increased familiarity with tMCS devices, and increased experience with both implantation and management. Identifying goals of therapy at the time of therapy initiation can facilitate better outcomes. The three primary goals are bridg...
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - August 15, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: SPECIAL COMMENTARIES Source Type: research
Impact of ultrasound enhancing agents on clinical management
Purpose of review
Ultrasound enhancing agents (UEAs), microbubbles which are composed of lipid or albumin shells containing high molecular weight gases with nonlinear acoustic properties in the ultrasound field, are important components of the diagnostic armamentarium in echocardiography. This review highlights the substantial value of UEAs in delineating endocardial border definition and influencing downstream decision-making in cardiovascular ultrasound.
Recent findings
In this article, we review recent updates to the clinical applications of UEAs, special circumstances regarding use, the impact of use on down...
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - August 15, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: IMAGING AND THE TRICUSPID VALVE: Edited by Sherif Nagueh Source Type: research
Editorial introduction
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology)
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - August 15, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION Source Type: research
What cardiologists should know about cardiac sarcoidosis in 2022?
Purpose of review
Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is a potentially fatal condition when unrecognized or not treated adequately. The purpose of this review is to provide new strategies to increase clinical recognition of CS and to present an updated overview of the immunosuppressive treatments using most recent data published in the last 18 months.
Recent findings
CS is an increasingly recognized pathology, and its diagnostic is made 20 times more often in the last two decades. Recent studies have shown that imaging alone usually lacks specificity to distinguish CS from other inflammatory cardiomyopathies. However, im...
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - July 1, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: LIPIDS AND EMERGING RISK FACTORS: Edited by Dimitri P. Mikhailidis and Debabrata Mukherjee Source Type: research
Update on cancer therapy-induced atherosclerosis
Purpose of review
Recent advances in oncologic therapies have significantly improved overall survival for patients with malignancy. However, cardiovascular complications have not only increased in this population due to shared risk factors and pathophysiology, but also due to the therapies themselves. One key mechanism that warrants further attention is accelerated atherosclerosis due to these agents.
Recent findings
Here we review recent studies focusing on four classes of anticancer agents with the potential to accelerate atherosclerosis, including breakpoint cluster region-Ableson (BCR-ABL) tyrosine kinase in...
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - July 1, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: LIPIDS AND EMERGING RISK FACTORS: Edited by Dimitri P. Mikhailidis and Debabrata Mukherjee Source Type: research
RNA interference-based therapies for the control of atherosclerosis risk factors
Purpose of review
Atherosclerosis, characterized by lipid accumulation and chronic inflammation in the arterial wall, is the leading causes of death worldwide. The purpose of this article is to review the status of RNA interference (RNAi) based therapies in clinical trials for the treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis risk factors.
Recent findings
There is a growing interest on using RNAi technology for the control of atherosclerosis risk factors. Current clinical trials utilizing RNAi for atherosclerosis are targeting lipid metabolism regulating genes including proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9, ap...
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - July 1, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: LIPIDS AND EMERGING RISK FACTORS: Edited by Dimitri P. Mikhailidis and Debabrata Mukherjee Source Type: research
N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for cardiovascular risk
This article provides a review of the data surrounding these trials and discusses the differing results of the two trials. There are key differences in the design of the two trials, the most notable is the use of mineral oil in the REDUCE-IT trial, which was potentially a nonneutral comparator. Additionally, both trials showed an increase in the incidence of atrial fibrillation. With the unclear benefit of OM3FA supplementation and possibility of harm, the current data suggest that the risk of routine use of OM3FA outweighs the possibility of reduction in risk of cardiovascular events. (Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology)
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - July 1, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: LIPIDS AND EMERGING RISK FACTORS: Edited by Dimitri P. Mikhailidis and Debabrata Mukherjee Source Type: research
Semaglutide for weight loss and cardiometabolic risk reduction in overweight/obesity
Purpose of review
Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the risk is heightened in the presence of obesity. We review semaglutide, a drug recently approved for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or who are overweight.
Recent findings
On 4 June 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration approved semaglutide injection at 2.4 mg once weekly for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes mellitus, or high cholesterol. This subcutaneous injection...
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - July 1, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: LIPIDS AND EMERGING RISK FACTORS: Edited by Dimitri P. Mikhailidis and Debabrata Mukherjee Source Type: research
Diet and vascular risk
Purpose of review
The basis for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) inevitably involves lifestyle modification, including dietary pattern (DP). The aim of this review is to address the different models of healthy DP with their peculiarities and nutritional components as well as their importance in the management of CVD.
Recent findings
Classical cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes are strongly influenced by diet and physical activity. However, current evidence supports the role of emerging risk factors such as inflammatory status, oxidative stress...
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - July 1, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: LIPIDS AND EMERGING RISK FACTORS: Edited by Dimitri P. Mikhailidis and Debabrata Mukherjee Source Type: research
Coronavirus disease 2019 and the cardiologist
Purpose of review
There continues to be extensive clinical and epidemiological data to suggest that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is associated with numerous different types of cardiac involvement.
Recent findings
Myocardial injury has been reported in over 25% of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 infection and is not only associated with a worse prognosis but with higher mortality, approaching 40%. Currently proposed mechanisms of myocardial injury include direct viral infection, cytokine storm, endothelial inflammation, demand ischemia, interferon-mediated response and stress cardiomyopathy...
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - July 1, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: LIPIDS AND EMERGING RISK FACTORS: Edited by Dimitri P. Mikhailidis and Debabrata Mukherjee Source Type: research
Editorial: the year in lipids and emerging risk factors
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology)
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - July 1, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: LIPIDS AND EMERGING RISK FACTORS: Edited by Dimitri P. Mikhailidis and Debabrata Mukherjee Source Type: research
Hypertension and cognitive function: a review of life-course factors and disparities
This study provides an overview of the differences in the associations across the lifespan, and the role of social determinants of health (SDoH).
Recent findings
Clinical trials support HTN management in midlife as an avenue to lower the risk for late-life cognitive decline. However, the association between HTN and cognition differs over the life course. SDoH including higher education modify the association between HTN and cognition which may differ by race and ethnicity. The role of blood pressure (BP) variability, interactions among CV risk factors, and cognitive assessment modalities may provide information to b...
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - July 1, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: HYPERTENSION: Edited by Hector O. Ventura and Carl J. Lavie Source Type: research
New wrinkles in hypertension management 2022
Purpose of review
High blood pressure (BP) is the world's leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death. This review highlights findings during the past 18 months that apply to the management of high BP in adults in the context of the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (AHA) BP guideline.
Recent findings
A comprehensive meta-analysis of clinical trials that employed a novel statistical method identified a substantially linear relationship between dietary sodium intake and BP, strongly supporting the AHA daily dietary sodium intake recommendation of less than 1500 ...
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - July 1, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: HYPERTENSION: Edited by Hector O. Ventura and Carl J. Lavie Source Type: research
Electronic health strategies to improve medication adherence in patients with cardiometabolic disease: current status and future directions
Purpose of review
Enabled by widespread technological advancements, electronic health (eHealth) strategies have expanded rapidly over the last decade, presenting opportunities to support self-management including medication adherence for cardiometabolic disease control. eHealth can minimize access barriers to medications, enable timely assessment and shared decision-making, and provide medication reminders and health data feedback. This review summarizes current evidence for effectiveness of eHealth strategies for improving medication adherence in patients with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and/or hyperlipidemia, and ...
Source: Current Opinion in Cardiology - July 1, 2022 Category: Cardiology Tags: HYPERTENSION: Edited by Hector O. Ventura and Carl J. Lavie Source Type: research
