Most-read news of April: CV impact of COVID-19, vegetarian diet and more

Healio and Cardiology Today have compiled a list of the most-read cardiology news of April 2021.

Readers were most interested in the long-term CV effects of COVID-19; new research surrounding the barbershop BP study; the pros and cons of hypertension labels for low-risk patients; and more.

‘Enormous wave of death and disability’ from chronic diseases may come after pandemic

Chronic diseases, especially cardiometabolic ones, will become more prevalent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to two commentaries published in Circulation. Read more

Vegetarian diet tied to reduced risk for ischemic heart disease mortality

A vegetarian diet was associated with reduced risk for ischemic heart disease mortality compared with a nonvegetarian diet but had no effect on all-cause and cerebrovascular mortality, researchers reported. Read more

Barbershop intervention for hypertension may be cost-effective

An intervention for uncontrolled hypertension in the setting of a barbershop may be a cost-effective strategy to improve systolic BP control among Black men, according to data published in Circulation. Read more

‘Hypertension’ and ‘high-normal’ labels may cause more harm than good in low-risk patients

Labeling low-risk individuals based on a high BP reading led to increased worry and disease perceptions and no changes in willingness to make lifestyle changes, researchers reported. Read more

Risk for CV events, mortality varies by physical activity type

Higher self-reported leisure-time physical activity was associated with reduced major adverse CV event and all-cause mortality risk, but higher occupational physical activity was linked to increased risks, researchers reported. Read more

Rosuvastatin/ezetimibe tablet approved for LDL reduction in hyperlipidemia, HoFH

Althera announced the FDA approved its rosuvastatin/ezetimibe tablets as an adjunct to diet for treatment of elevated LDL in adults with primary nonfamilial hyperlipidemia or homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Read more

Q&A: In breast, prostate cancer survivors, hormonal therapies may raise CV risk

In a consensus statement published in Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine, Tochi M. Okwuosa, DO, FACC, FAHA, associate professor of medicine and cardiology, director of the cardio-oncology program at Rush University Medical Center, and colleagues described the risk factors associated with adverse CV outcomes from cancer treatment with hormonal therapies and addressed areas of uncertainty. Read more

U.S. dietary food quality improvement greatest in schools

The diet quality of foods consumed at schools improved dramatically while diet quality of foods consumed from grocery stores, restaurants and worksites showed small to modest gains, researchers reported. Read more

Q&A: New universal definition, classification of HF ‘clinically relevant and simple’

For a discussion of the new universal definition and classifications of HF, Healio spoke to Biykem Bozkurt, MD, PhD, The Mary and Gordon Cain Chair and Professor of Medicine and director of the Winters Center for Heart Failure Research at Baylor College of Medicine, the immediate past president of the Heart Failure Society of America and the chair of the writing committee. Read more

Healthy diet, exercise linked to reduced risk for metabolic syndrome later in life

Adherence to guideline-recommended physical activity or diet conferred benefits for cardiometabolic health later in life; however, adherence to both may confer the greatest risk reductions, researchers reported. Read more