Top news of August: Impact of naps, plant-based meats, cannabis on CV health

Healio and Cardiology Today compiled a list of the top-read cardiology news of August.

Readers were most interested in the impact of naps on CVD, plant-based meats, cholesterol guidance for younger patients and more.

Naps longer than 1 hour may confer risk for CVD, mortality

Adults who napped longer than 1 hour per day had elevated risk for CVD and mortality compared with those who did not nap at all, according to a meta-analysis presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress. Read more

AHA: Evidence suggests no CV benefit, possible harm from cannabis use

There is no documented benefit of cannabis use for CVD prevention or treatment, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Read more

Plant-based meat products reduce trimethylamine-N-oxide, other CVD risk factors

Replacing animal meat with plant-based alternatives improved several CVD risk factors, including trimethylamine-N-oxide, in generally healthy participants compared with a diet with animal meat, researchers found in the SWAP-MEAT trial. Read more

Menopause presents critical time for CVD risk reduction

Menopause can be a good time to start addressing CVD risk reduction even though it should be discussed way before then, according to a presentation at the virtual Heart in Diabetes Conference. Read more

Sleep apnea common in AF, often undiagnosed

Despite its prevalence in patients with atrial fibrillation, sleep apnea is often undiagnosed in this patient population, researchers found. Read more

Cholesterol guideline suitability questioned in younger patients with, at risk for MI

The 2018 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol does not flag most younger patients with premature MI as candidates for statin therapy before their event, researchers found. Read more

Combination therapy reduces risk for abnormalities, treatment failure in Kawasaki disease

Corticosteroids with standard treatment for patients with Kawasaki disease reduced the risk for coronary artery abnormalities and treatment failure, researchers found. Read more

Complications after TAVR may occur in patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm

Among patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement, those with thoracic aortic aneurysm had elevated risk for aortic dissection and cardiac tamponade after the procedure, researchers reported. Read more

Bleeding risk, protective effects of aspirin for primary CVD prevention must be weighed

The current literature does not support the use of aspirin for primary prevention in patients with diabetes, according to a speaker at the virtual Heart in Diabetes conference. Read more

Dapagliflozin cuts renal, CV events in CKD, regardless of diabetes status

In the DAPA-CKD trial, treatment with the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin reduced risk for worsening renal function and death due to CVD or renal disease in patients with chronic kidney disease, both with and without type 2 diabetes. Read more