Top stories in cardiology: Low coronary artery calcium associated with low CV risk; patients with carpal tunnel syndrome at increased risk for heart failure, amyloidosis

Among the top stories in cardiology last week were research that determined older adults with low coronary artery calcium scores had low CV risk and a study that found patients with carpal tunnel syndrome who underwent surgical treatment had an increased risk for heart failure and amyloidosis compared with controls.

Other highlights included a study that found patients with LDL concentrations less than 70 mg/dL had an increased risk for intracerebral hemorrhage, a study that found older patients with incident atrial fibrillation had an increased risk for dementia independent of clinical stroke and research that suggested ‘apple’-shaped women may have a higher risk for CVD than ‘pear’-shaped women.

Elderly adults with low coronary artery calcium may have lower risk for CVD

Older adults with low coronary artery calcium scores were found to have significantly low CV risk, according to findings published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Read more.

Carpal tunnel syndrome associated with 12-fold increase in rate of amyloidosis

Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome who underwent surgical treatment had an increased risk for heart failure and amyloidosis compared with controls, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Read more.

LDL below 70 mg/dL increases hemorrhagic stroke risk

Patients with LDL concentrations less than 70 mg/dL had an increased risk for intracerebral hemorrhage, which became nonsignificant once LDL levels surpassed 70 mg/dL, according to a study published in Neurology. Read more.

Incident atrial fibrillation increases risk for dementia in older patients

Older patients with incident atrial fibrillation had an increased risk for dementia independent of clinical stroke, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal. Read more.

‘Apple’-shaped women may have increased CVD risk vs. ‘pear’-shaped women

An increased risk for CVD was seen in women who were postmenopausal and had BMI with higher trunk fat or lower leg fat, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal. Read more.