Owning a dog may improve CV event outcomes, tooth loss may predict CVD risk — top stories in cardiology

A study found that dog owners had improved outcomes and a lowered risk for death after major cardiovascular events and another identified an association between the number of teeth a patients loses and their risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

These and more were among the week’s top stories in cardiology.

Dog ownership may improve outcomes, reduce mortality risk after CV events

Now people may have another reason to love their dogs even more: Dog ownership was linked to improved outcomes after a major CV event and with a lower risk for death in the long term, according to two studies published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Read more.

Nontraumatic tooth loss may be predictive of CVD risk

Researchers observed an independent association between the number of teeth a patient has lost and their risk for developing CVD, according to findings presented at the American College of Cardiology Middle East Conference. Read more.

Maintained weight loss improves cardiometabolic risk factors in diabetes

Among patients with diabetes who lost weight, those who maintained their weight loss significantly improved their cardiometabolic risk factors compared with those who regained weight, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Read more.

Role of wearable devices increasing in health care

The integration of wearable devices into clinical care is still in its beginning stages, but the devices’ use for ECG and the diagnosis of various arrhythmia disorders remains a top priority for research, according to a presentation at Cardiometabolic Health Congress. Read more.

Anxiety, depression may reduce adherence to cardiac rehabilitation

Cardiologists should take the mental health of their patients into consideration, as a recent study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that patients with anxiety, stress or depression who were participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program were more likely to drop out compared with those without the conditions. Read more.