Top stories in cardiology: Sleep duration linked to stroke risk, FDA approves therapy for some patients with heart failure

Among the top stories in cardiology this week was a study that concluded that the amount of sleep was tied to stroke risk and a FDA approval of a new therapy option for some patients with advanced heart failure.

Other popular stories included findings that omega-3 therapy reduced gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with left ventricular assistance devices, a protocol that ascertained the extent of some types of chest pain, and a study that found that death from sepsis was common and might be preventable in some patients with heart failure. – by Janel Miller

Sleep duration related to stroke risk, varies by race

Black men who sleep for a short amount of time had a decreased risk for incident stroke, and white men with longer sleep duration had an increased risk for incident stroke, according to a study published in Neurology. Read more.

Device approved as destination therapy

Abbott announced that its newest-generation left ventricular assist device has been approved by the FDA for implantation in patients with advanced heart failure ineligible for a heart transplant. Read more.

Omega-3 therapy confers reduced gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with left ventricular assist devices

The use of omega-3 therapy may reduce gastrointestinal bleeding in patients supported with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices, according to a study published in Circulation: Heart Failure. Read more.

Accelerated diagnostic protocol determines risk in patients with chest pain

An accelerated diagnostic protocol to identify patients who present to the ED with chest pain as low risk and for early discharge without further testing increased the identification of myocardial infarction and decreased hospitalizations, according to a study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Read more.

Death from sepsis common, possibly preventable in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction

Sepsis is a leading cause of death in people with chronic heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and may be preventable, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Read more.