Michael J. Blaha, MD, MPH

Given the popularity of e-cigarette use and potential CV toxicity, there has been considerable interest in understanding CV risks that may attend the use of these products, in absolute terms, and relative to conventional cigarette smoking.

Investigators at University of California, San Diego, recently published a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine, “Effects of Statins on Energy and Fatigue With Exertion.”

For decades, the cardiology community has relied principally on the traditional Framingham risk factors for risk prediction. More recently, some clinical researchers have championed high-sensitivity C-reactive protein as an additional tool.

The clinical utility of statins for mortality reduction in primary prevention has again become a “hot-button issue” in light of four recent articles questioning their presumed benefit.

For more than 20 years, primary care physicians have been advised to follow guidelines recommending that all adults undergo cholesterol profile screening at least once every 5 years beginning at 20 years old.