Top in cardiology: Hemorrhagic risk with clarithromycin use, stroke risk in black smokers

Researchers observed a small but significant increased risk for major hemorrhage in older patients on direct oral anticoagulant therapy who received clarithromycin vs. azithromycin. It was the top story in cardiology last week.

Another top story was about a recent study that showed black adults who currently smoke cigarettes are at an increased risk for stroke.

Read these and more top stories in cardiology below:

Clarithromycin, direct oral anticoagulant concomitant use may confer hemorrhagic risk

Among older patients on a direct oral anticoagulant, those who took clarithromycin had a small, statistically significant increased risk for major hemorrhage at 30 days vs. those taking azithromycin, researchers found. Read more.

Smoking cigarettes increases stroke risk in black adults

Black adults who currently smoked cigarettes had a dose-dependent higher risk for stroke compared with those who never smoked or did so in the past, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Read more.

Thrombectomy confers improved functional outcomes vs. standard care in Brazil

Patients who underwent thrombectomy within 8 hours after the onset of stroke symptoms in addition to standard care had better functional outcomes at 90 days than those treated with standard care alone, researchers reported. Read more.

Congenital heart defects may confer cardiac, obstetric complications during pregnancy

Women with congenital heart defects were more likely to experience cardiac and obstetric complications during pregnancy compared with women without heart defects, researchers reported. Read more.

COVID-19 pandemic affects rates of patients in urgent CV care

Acute cardiovascular hospitalizations and cardiac catheterization laboratory activations have declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, two studies found. Read more.