Rejected and unfilled prescriptions for new, more expensive cholesterol drugs tied to higher heart, stroke risk
Study Highlights:
- Prescriptions for the newest – but more expensive – cholesterol-lowering drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors that are not covered by insurance companies or unfilled by patients are related to higher risk of cardiovascular problems for high risk patients.
- High co-payments may make patients less likely to fill prescriptions, even if insurers approve […]
Astronauts less likely to faint on Earth if they exercise in space; findings may help others with fainting issues
Circulation Journal Report
Study Highlights:
- Up to two hours of endurance and resistance exercises daily during a long space flight mission, combined with IV fluid replacement after landing, helps astronauts prevent dizziness and fainting during normal activity when they return to Earth.
- The study findings also have implications for […]
Protect your heart in the heat
DALLAS, July 18, 2019 — With much of the nation facing a heat advisory this weekend, the American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, is urging people to take precautions to protect their hearts.
Hot temperatures and high humidity can cause a dangerous heat index […]
Broken heart syndrome linked with cancer
Study Highlights:
- In an international study, 1 in 6 people with broken heart syndrome also had cancer.
- Broken heart syndrome, when the heart’s main pumping chamber temporarily enlarges and doesn’t pump well, is known to be associated with emotional stress, but those with cancer were less likely to report an emotional trigger for […]
Bystander CPR less likely for black kids in poorest neighborhoods
Study Highlights:
- African American kids from the most disadvantaged areas are about half as likely to receive emergency bystander CPR following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest than white children in disadvantaged or more prosperous neighborhoods.
- Targeted CPR training for non-white majority, lower education and low-income neighborhoods may increase bystander CPR rates.
[…]
Cardiac arrest among hospitalized patients may be underestimated
Study Highlights:
- More patients may be having cardiac arrests in the hospital than previously believed.
- The health burden of in-hospital adult cardiac arrest is about 38% greater than earlier reports and 18% greater for children, according to one study.
Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT / 5 a.m. ET […]
Microvascular disease anywhere in the body may be linked to higher risk of leg amputations
Study Highlights:
- Microvascular disease, a disorder of very small blood vessels, may increase the risk of leg amputation independent of other blood vessel conditions and regardless of the location of the microvascular issue, such as eyes (retinopathy), kidneys (nephropathy) or feet (neuropathy).
- Study participants with both microvascular disease and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) […]
Caring for children after cardiac arrest
Statement Highlights:
- During transportation to the hospital, children who had a cardiac arrest should receive the same care as those in the hospital setting
- Clinicians should consider the child’s quality of life and how that affects their family
- Cardiac arrest in children may result in post-cardiac arrest syndrome, which may include neurobehavioral and neuropsychiatric […]
More people born with a single lower heart chamber survive, but face challenges in quality and length of life
Statement highlights:
Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT / 5 a.m. ET Monday, July 1, 2019
DALLAS, July 1, 2019 — The Fontan procedure has allowed more people born with only one ventricle — the lower pumping […]
New certification aims to improve heart failure patient outcomes by implementing standardized care treatment
DALLAS, June 27, 2019 — The new Post-Acute Care Heart Failure Certification offered from the American Heart Association, provides education and resources to skilled nursing facilities to reduce the hospital readmissions for heart failure patients.