Top news of November: Statins vs. supplements; ‘tectonic shift’ in paid family leave; more

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

Readers were interested in the superiority of statins to dietary supplements for cholesterol lowering; paid family leave in the health care industry; traditional Chinese herbal medicine that may improve outcomes after STEMI; and more.

Statin therapy ‘vastly superior’ to common dietary supplements for cholesterol lowering

Daily rosuvastatin lowered LDL, total cholesterol and serum triglycerides significantly more than placebo and six common over-the-counter dietary supplements, with no supplement lowering LDL more than placebo. Read more

‘Weekend warrior’, regular physical activity patterns both reduce mortality risk

All-cause and CVD mortality were reduced in individuals regularly physically active as well as those only physically active on the weekend, according to a research letter in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Read more

Health care industry struggles to keep pace with ‘tectonic shift’ in paid family leave

For a growing number of Americans, 12 weeks of paid leave from work after the birth of a child, or to care for an ailing family member, is a standard benefit. For many health care providers, including physicians and nurses, the reality of such paid leave is much different. Read more

Chinese herbal medicine may improve outcomes after STEMI

A drug derived from traditional Chinese medicine as an adjunct to guideline-directed therapy improved CV outcomes at 30 days and 1 year compared with placebo after revascularization, with no excess bleeding risk. Read more

Offspring of mothers with preeclampsia have elevated risk for stroke, heart disease

In a Scandinavian cohort, offspring born to mothers with preeclampsia had elevated risk for ischemic heart disease and stroke, researchers reported in JAMA Network Open. Read more

Mindfulness may offer an ‘appealing approach’ to lower blood pressure

A mindfulness-based program adapted for individuals with elevated BP showed “potentially clinically relevant” reductions in systolic BP 6 months after participation. Read more

Califf: US at ‘moment of reckoning’ for heart disease, public health

The U.S. is at a “moment of reckoning” in terms of heart disease and other public health issues, and disastrous consequences will ensue if improvements are not made, the FDA commissioner said. Read more

Limited postpartum follow-up may miss hypertension after delivery

Data from a large safety-net hospital show de novo postpartum hypertension occurs in one of 10 patients in the year after delivery, with nearly half from the delivery hospitalization. Read more

Late menarche associated with MI, stroke in premenopausal women

Late menarche was associated with a 15% to 33% greater risk for MI and stroke among premenopausal women compared with menarche at age 13 years. Read more

Apixaban ‘might be preferable’ to other DOACs due to lower GI bleeding risk

Compared with other direct oral anticoagulants, apixaban was associated with lower rates of gastrointestinal bleeding but similar rates of ischemic stroke and all-cause mortality among adults with atrial fibrillation. Read more