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Top stories in cardiology: Shaq discusses heart failure, and some without CVD could benefit from aspirin

Many of the top stories in cardiology last week were from Healio’s live coverage of the Heart Failure Society of America’s Scientific Meeting. They included an interview with retired basketball star Shaq, who discusses how a new campaign intends to raise awareness of heart failure in blacks.

Also, a recent analysis revealed which patients without CVD would benefit from an aspirin regimen.

Q&A: Shaq 'gets real' about heart failure awareness in black population

PHILADELPHIA — Shaquille O’Neal, PhD, FHFSA, retired basketball star and winner of four NBA championships, discussed the recently launched campaign Shaq Gets Real, which focuses on raising awareness about heart failure in the black population and providing support for improved access to medication and treatment, at the Heart Failure Society of America Scientific Meeting. Read more.

Dapagliflozin improves heart failure- related health regardless of diabetes status

PHILADELPHIA — In patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction with or without diabetes, the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin was associated with clinically meaningful improvements in heart failure-related health status or N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide at 12 weeks, according to results of the DEFINE-HF trial presented at the Heart Failure Society of America Scientific Meeting. Read more.

Right ventricle enlargement among predictors of events in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

PHILADELPHIA — Right ventricular enlargement, left ventricular hypertrophy and elevated left- and right-sided pressures were among the predictors of heart failure hospitalization or CV death among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, according to data from the PARAGON-HF echocardiographic substudy.

Some people without CVD may benefit from aspirin regimen

If one CVD event was considered to be equivalent to one major bleed, 2.5% of women and 12.1% of men without CVD were likely to have a 5-year net benefit from an aspirin regimen, researchers reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more.

Higher-intensity statins reduce mortality in peripheral artery disease

PARIS — Patients with peripheral artery disease who maintained use of high-intensity statin therapy had significantly lower mortality than those who reduced the intensity of statin treatment or stopped taking statins, researchers reported during a presentation at the European Society of Cardiology Congress. Read more.