Top cardiology news of January: CV impact of antipsychotics, medical cannabis and more

Healio | Cardiology Today compiled a list of the top headlines in cardiology of January 2024.

Readers were most interested in the risk for QTc prolongation from two antipsychotic drugs; a phone app that evaluates eye movement to detect vestibular stroke; mortality benefit from attending cardiac rehab; and more.

Two antipsychotic drugs prolong QTc interval, may cause arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death

The antipsychotic drugs quetiapine and haloperidol were associated with severe QT prolongation, ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, researchers reported in HeartRhythm. Read more

Risk for death, heart events rises when combining erectile dysfunction drugs, nitrates

Men with CAD taking nitrates for chest pain plus a PDE5 inhibitor for erectile dysfunction were at greater risk for death or major adverse CV events compared with men taking nitrates alone, Swedish registry data show. Read more

‘EyePhone’ app evaluates eye movement to detect vestibular strokes

A novel smartphone app was shown to diagnose vestibular stroke symptoms via tracked eye movements in healthy volunteers with an accuracy similar to current clinical standard devices, researchers reported. Read more

New CLEAR Outcomes data: Bempedoic acid cuts risk for recurrent CV events

A prespecified analysis of the CLEAR Outcomes trial shows that the benefits of bempedoic acid extend to patients with recurrent CV events, including a total reduction in MI risk of 31% vs. placebo. Read more

Each cardiac rehab session attended cuts readmission, death risk by 2%

Patients with CAD who enrolled in cardiac rehab saw a 42.7% reduction in all-cause hospital readmission or death vs. those who did not attend sessions, a much larger effect size than seen in previous cardiac rehab studies, data show. Read more

Medical cannabis for chronic pain treatment linked to arrhythmia risk

Medical cannabis use for chronic pain may confer increased risk for de novo arrhythmia compared with nonuse or other treatments for chronic pain, researchers in Denmark reported. Read more

Bruce L. Wilkoff, MD, remembered for ‘immeasurable’ contributions to electrophysiology

Healio | Cardiology Today Editorial Board Member Bruce L. Wilkoff, MD, FACC, FHRS, FAHA, an electrophysiologist who performed groundbreaking research in lead extraction, has died, Cleveland Clinic and the Heart Rhythm Society announced. Read more

Data show Apple Watch records arrhythmia events in children

A review of electronic medical records show the Apple Watch detected heart rhythm abnormalities in children that led to a new arrhythmia diagnosis for some, and also recorded some arrhythmias that traditional ambulatory monitors did not. Read more

BP medication may reduce anxiety symptoms in children, young adults with autism

Children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder experienced reduced anxiety symptoms after 12 weeks of treatment with the BP medication propranolol vs. placebo, though it did not improve scores for social interaction and language. Read more

FDA approves second pulsed field ablation system to treat atrial fibrillation

The FDA approved a second pulsed field ablation system for the treatment of adults with drug-refractory, recurrent, symptomatic, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Read more