Top in cardiology: Lifestyle program for obesity, best pediatric cardiology center in US

More than 25% of people with obesity participating in a 10-week lifestyle modification program lost more than 3% of their body weight. A report on the program’s effectiveness was the top story in cardiology last week.

Another top story was about the Texas Children’s Hospital being named the best center for pediatric cardiology and heart surgery in the country. The U.S. News & World Report ranked UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and Children’s Hospital of Los Angles second and third.

Read these and more top stories in cardiology below:

Lifestyle intervention program improves CV, mental health in obesity

Patients with obesity experienced improved cardiovascular and mental health after attending a nonjudgmental and personalized lifestyle modification program, according to a study presented at EuroHeartCare. Read more.

Texas Children’s Hospital nets No. 1 rank for pediatric cardiology, heart surgery

Texas Children’s Hospital ranked No. 1 on U.S. News & World Report’s list of best hospitals for pediatric cardiology and heart surgery for the fifth consecutive year. Read more.

Microvascular angina ‘an important global problem’

Microvascular angina is a significant health problem that confers risk for major adverse cardiovascular events, according to registry data from the Coronary Vasomotor Disorders International Study, or COVADIS, Group. Read more.

Decline in CV testing at start of pandemic varied by region

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, diagnostic cardiovascular volumes declined, but the drops varied by U.S. region, according to data from the INCAPS-COVID registry. Read more.

Follow-up imaging after surgical LAA occlusion uncommon

Fewer than half of patients who underwent left atrial appendage occlusion during open-heart surgery had follow-up imaging to determine whether anticoagulation was still needed, researchers reported. Read more.