Top news of October: USPSTF statin statement, refined grains tied to CAD risk and more

Healio and Cardiology Today have curated a list of the most-read news in cardiology of October 2022.

Readers were most interested in U.S. Preventive Services Task Force statement on statins for primary prevention; smartphone speech analysis to detect worsening HF; the impact of refined grains on CAD risk; and more.

Lost opportunities for prevention if clinicians adopt USPSTF statin recommendations

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in August published a statement regarding the initiation of statin therapy for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic CVD. Read more

Smartphone speech analysis detects worsening heart failure prior to an event

A novel speech analysis system was able to detect impending heart failure events in ambulatory patients with congestive HF more than 3 weeks ahead of time, a speaker reported. Read more

Eating refined grains may raise premature CAD risk

Iranian adults who reported eating more refined grains were at elevated risk for developing premature CAD, whereas those who consumed more whole grains were at reduced risk. Read more

Esports may raise risk for cardiac arrythmias, sudden death in susceptible children

Electronic gaming can precipitate lethal cardiac arrhythmias in children with proarrhythmic conditions, though worldwide incidence appears to be low overall. Read more

Addition of sleep metric in updated Life’s Essential 8 predicts CVD incidence

The incorporation of sleep as a CV health metric, as recently done with the American Heart Association’s updated Life’s Essential 8 risk calculator, may enhance CVD primordial and primary prevention efforts, data show. Read more

In obesity, treat excess weight first to address underlying cardiometabolic disease

New drugs and devices can reduce weight and weight-related comorbidities, and physicians should optimize therapy choices for patients with several common conditions to reduce their cardiometabolic risk, according to a speaker. Read more

Particle radioactivity exposure from radon gas linked to CVD mortality

Chronic, long-term exposure to a radioactive property of fine particulate matter common with radon gas may drive CVD mortality, particularly from MI and stroke. Read more

Recognize, treat ‘pre-obesity’ to reduce cardiometabolic risk

So-called pre-obesity, or a BMI of 25 kg/m² to 30 kg/m², is associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality similar to overt obesity and treatment should begin early to reduce cardiometabolic risk. Read more

PE-related deaths increased through 2020, regardless of COVID-19 status

In 2020, there was an increase in pulmonary embolism-related mortality not limited only to patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a research letter published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Read more

Lp(a) ‘should be measured at least once’ in adults to target CV risk

There is strong evidence for a casual association between lipoprotein(a) concentration and CV outcomes across ethnicities, and Lp(a) “should be measured at least once” in all adults to identify high CV risk. Read more