Top in cardiology: Benefits of aspirin in patient subgroup; fish oil supplement risks

Older adults with elevated lipoprotein(a)-associated genotypes may benefit from low-dose aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events, according to researchers.

Previous results from the ASPREE trial showed that low-dose aspirin did not reduce CVD risk vs. placebo, but Paul Lacaze, PhD, and colleagues further examined a subgroup of the trial participants who carry genotypes associated with elevated plasma Lp(a) to see if they benefitted from aspirin. It was the top story in cardiology last week.

The second top story covered a study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology that compared the incidence of atrial fibrillation in people who habitually use fish oil supplements vs. those who do not. The study found an increased risk for atrial fibrillation in those who routinely took fish oil supplements, regardless of genetic predisposition and CVD status at baseline.

Read these and more top stories in cardiology below:

Aspirin ‘benefit may outweigh harm’ in some elevated Lp(a) genotypes

Low-dose aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events may benefit older adults with elevated lipoprotein(a)-associated genotypes, according to a new analysis of the ASPREE trial. Read more.

Routine fish oil supplementation increases risk for incident AF

Risk for incident atrial fibrillation was higher in those who habitually used fish oil supplementation compared with those who did not, researchers reported in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Read more.

Women more likely than men to have adverse events after AF ablation

Among patients who had catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation, women were more likely than men to require hospitalization for more than 1 day, to have major adverse events and to have poor quality of life outcomes, researchers reported. Read more.

Frozen embryo transfer confers risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

Risk for a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy after a frozen embryo transfer was substantially higher than after natural conception, even when controlling for constant parental characteristics within sibships, researchers reported. Read more.

Poor medication adherence tied to CV events, all-cause death in CAD

Data from a meta-analysis show that a 20% improvement in cardiovascular medication adherence could reduce risk for any cardiovascular event by 8% and risk for all-cause mortality by 12% among patients with coronary artery disease, researchers reported. Read more.