Highlights from AHA: Omega-3 and the heart, Fauci on COVID-19, GALACTIC-HF and more

Healio and Cardiology Today have aggregated the most-read news from the virtual American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

Readers were interested in the CV effects of omega-3s and vitamin D supplementation; the results from the GALACTIC-HF trial of omecamtiv mecarbil (Amgen/Cytokinetics/Servier) in HF; the impact of high- vs. low-dose influenza vaccine in CVD prevention among high-risk patients; and more.

No benefit of daily omega-3, vitamin D supplementation for AF prevention

Taking omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D3 supplements did not increase nor decrease the risk for incident atrial fibrillation over 5 years, according to results of the VITAL Rhythm trial. Read more

Fauci: Underlying CVD drives risk for COVID-19 severity, death

COVID-19 can cause severe CV complications, manifested by arrythmias, myocardial injury, thromboembolic phenomenon and cardiomyopathies, Anthony S. Fauci, MD, said during a presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Read more

STRENGTH: No CV benefit with omega-3 carboxylic acid

Administration of high-dose omega-3 carboxylic acid compared with corn oil placebo did not reduce incidence of major adverse CV events among statin-treated adults with elevated triglycerides at high CV risk. Read more

INVESTED: High-dose influenza vaccine fails to reduce death, CV events in high-risk cohort

Injection of a high-dose influenza vaccine did not affect all-cause death, cardiac or pulmonary hospitalization compared with a lower dose in patients with prior MI or HF hospitalization, according to findings from the INVESTED trial. Read more

Omecamtiv mecarbil lowers CV death/HF events in HFrEF: GALACTIC-HF

Omecamtiv mecarbil, a novel selective cardiac myosin activator, was associated with an 8% reduction in CV death or first HF events in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction, according to results of the GALACTIC-HF trial. Read more

AHA issues call to action to address systemic racism in US

In an American Heart Association presidential advisory, the association issued a call to action with steps to be taken to address structural racism as a driver of health disparities. Read more

COVID-19 CVD registry highlights racial/ethnic disparities, risk in obesity

CVD complications in patients with COVID-19 are less common than were believed, but COVID-19 complications disproportionately affect patients with obesity and Black and Hispanic individuals, according to new registry data. Read more

Daily polypill plus aspirin lowers risk for CVD, death

Adults at intermediate CV risk assigned a polypill plus aspirin were 31% less likely to experience a CV event or death compared with those assigned double placebo over a nearly 5-year period, according to new data from the TIPS-3 trial. Read more

ISCHEMIA trial results consistent by CTO status

Among patients with stable ischemic heart disease enrolled in the ISCHEMIA trial, those with chronic total occlusion lesions had similar outcomes compared with those who did not. Read more

Cannabis use may confer increased admission for acute MI, worse outcomes in PCI

Cannabis use in the U.S. is rising, and although users are typically younger, their risk for acute MI is elevated, and after PCI, cannabis users may be at increased risk for bleeding and stroke compared with nonusers, researchers reported. Read more

Iron supplementation for deficiency in acute HF lowers risk for future hospitalization

Supplementation in iron-deficient patients hospitalized with acute HF reduced subsequent HF hospitalization by approximately 26% compared with placebo, according to findings from the AFFIRM-AHF trial. Read more