Top news of May: BP control via medication reduction, dapagliflozin approval and more
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Healio and Cardiology Today have compiled a list of the top cardiology news from the month of May.
Readers were most interested in the CV impact of COVID-19, the FDA approval of dapagliflozin for HF with reduced ejection fraction, sugar-sweetened beverages and CVD in women and more.
BP control in older patients feasible with medication reduction
Medication reduction in older patients treated with multiple antihypertensive medications was noninferior to usual care regarding the control of systolic BP at 12 weeks, according to data from the OPTIMISE trial published in JAMA. Read more
COVID-19 and the heart: Knowledge ‘evolving by the hour’
The world is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. The popular media mainly considers the virus’s respiratory manifestations, but evidence has emerged that it also has major effects on the CV system. In this Round Table, experts weigh in on the CV implications of COVID-19. Read more
FDA approves dapagliflozin for HFrEF regardless of diabetes status
The FDA approved AstraZeneca’s SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin to reduce risk for CV death and HF hospitalization in patients with HFrEF with and without type 2 diabetes. Read more
Randomized trial underway to assess RAAS inhibitors in COVID-19
Many international medical societies have endorsed the continuation of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors such as ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists to control BP in patients during the COVID-19 pandemic despite concerns about the drugs’ relationship to ACE2, the receptor that helps the virus bind to cells. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine recently started the REPLACE COVID trial to provide more information about the effects of these medications in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Read more
New study questions fasting before cardiac catheterization
Patients undergoing cardiac catheterization are generally instructed to follow nothing by mouth, or NPO, before the procedure. A single-center study reported at the virtual Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions Scientific Sessions showed no significant difference in adverse events with standard fasting compared with unrestricted oral intake. Read more
Gradual return to exercise after COVID-19 requires ‘cautious approach’
In patients with COVID-19, the severity of the disease and the possibility of CV involvement should be taken into account when considering a return to intense exercise training and competition. Read more
Sugar-sweetened beverage intake increases CVD risk in women
The consumption of one or more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per day was associated with an increased risk for CVD, stroke and revascularization, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Read more
Icosapent ethyl reduces revascularization events: REDUCE-IT REVASC
A prespecified analysis of the REDUCE-IT trial highlighted a reduction in first and total revascularization events with icosapent ethyl in patients with elevated triglycerides at high CV risk despite statin therapy. Read more
Systemic anticoagulation may improve outcomes in COVID-19 hospitalizations
Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who received systemic anticoagulation had improved mortality rates compared with those who did not receive the treatment, according to a research letter published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Read more
Evidence suggests no COVID-19-related harm from RAAS antagonists
Because the virus that causes COVID-19 acts through the ACE2 receptor, there was concern that use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system antagonists such as ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, which are used to treat hypertension, HF and other CV conditions, might predispose people to COVID-19 or worsen its effects. But emerging data suggest that concern is unfounded. Read more
Alcohol consumption increases risk for PAD, stroke
Higher alcohol consumption predicted by genetics was associated with elevated risk for peripheral artery disease and stroke, according to a study published in Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine. Read more
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