Top in cardiology: SGLT2 inhibitor therapy; coordinated cardiovascular care
Patients with heart failure who received an SGLT2 inhibitor were less likely to experience sudden cardiac death compared with those who received placebo, according to a study in Clinical Cardiology.
“The decreased incidence of sudden cardiac death in patients with [heart failure] receiving SGLT2 inhibitor therapy is directly concordant with studies demonstrating that SGLT2 inhibitor therapy has a profound impact on CV death and heart failure hospitalizations in patients with heart failure regardless of ejection fraction,” Connor Oates, MD, a cardiovascular disease fellow with MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute and Georgetown University-Washington Hospital Center, and colleagues wrote.
It was the top story in cardiology last week.
Another top story was about a coordinated intervention in cardiology clinics that boosted prescriptions of guideline-recommended CVD and diabetes therapies. Researchers said they plan to scale this intervention across more cardiology clinics.
Read these and more top stories in cardiology below:
SGLT2 inhibitor therapy reduces sudden cardiac death risk in heart failure
SGLT2 inhibitor therapy in patients with heart failure is associated with a significantly lower incidence of sudden cardiac death vs. placebo, with the benefit persisting independent of other guideline-directed medical therapies. Read more.
Coordinated care can improve prescribing practices of recommended diabetes, CVD therapies
Implementing a coordinated care intervention in U.S. cardiology clinics led to a fourfold increase in the prescription of three groups of guideline-recommended therapies in adults with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic CVD. Read more.
Polypill for blood pressure lowering may improve adherence and reduce mortality
A renin-angiotensin system combination polypill to treat high BP was associated with improved adherence and lower all-cause mortality and cardiovascular event rates vs. taking multiple pills, researchers reported. Read more.
AI identifies reasons for statin nonuse in patients with diabetes at a single center
A deep learning model utilized unstructured electronic health record data to identify specific patient-, physician- and system-level reasons for statin nonuse among patients with diabetes, researchers reported. Read more.
Moderate exercise may be safe for patients with statin-related muscle pain
In a short-term study, researchers found no effect of statin therapy on self-reported muscle injury or symptoms after moderate exercise, regardless of whether patients were symptomatic at baseline. Read more.