Top in cardiology: Salt substitute cuts hypertension risk; screen for CVD after pregnancy

Older adults with normal BP living in China were 40% less likely to develop hypertension when using a potassium-enriched salt substitute for 2 years, according to researchers.

“Among adults with normal BP, replacing regular salt with a salt substitute that contains 25% potassium chloride would stop BP rising with aging instead of reducing BP and thus effectively prevent the users from developing hypertension while not causing additional hypotension episodes,” Yangfeng Wu, MD, PhD, professor of epidemiology and sciences in clinical research at Peking University and executive director of the Peking University Clinical Research Institute in Beijing, told Healio. “Together with evidence from previous research on the health benefits of potassium-enriched salt substitutes for adults with hypertension and high CV risk, these data add support for the use of potassium-enriched salt substitutes as a whole-population strategy, targeting hypertensive and normotensive people, for the prevention and control of CVD.”

It was the top story in cardiology last week.

In another top story, a new scientific statement from the AHA highlighted the importance of screening and carefully following women during the first year after pregnancy to reduce CVD risk.

“In this statement, we provide a practical approach providers can use to educate patients, provide counseling and guide them on when to screen for risk factors,” Jennifer Lewey, MD, MPH, director of the Penn Women’s Cardiovascular Health Program and co-director of the Pregnancy and Heart Disease Program at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, told Healio. “My hope is people will print out the table and keep it in their office, perhaps to use as a script for patients. This is for OB/GYNs, primary care physicians and cardiologists. It emphasizes the importance of making sure these women do not fall through the cracks.”

Read these and more top stories in cardiology below:

Salt substitute cuts hypertension risk among older adults with normal blood pressure

Replacing usual salt with a potassium-enriched salt substitute in the kitchens of elder care facilities in China for 2 years reduced risk for incident hypertension by approximately 40% for adults with normal BP, data show. Read more.

AHA: 1-year period after pregnancy ‘critical time’ to assess long-term CVD risk

Clinicians should screen and carefully follow women during the first year after delivery to reduce long-term CVD risk and optimize CV health after pregnancy, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Read more.

Smartphone app uses AI to potentially detect symptoms of stroke

An artificial intelligence-enabled smartphone application developed to detect symptoms of stroke accurately evaluated facial asymmetry, arm weakness and speech changes in line with stroke onset, a speaker reported. Read more.

Spinal cord injury appears to raise risk for heart disease

People with spinal cord injury have elevated risk for heart attack, heart failure and atrial fibrillation compared with controls, researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Read more.

Insertable cardiac monitor for atrial fibrillation detection likely cost-effective in US

Insertable cardiac monitoring for atrial fibrillation detection was found to be cost-effective, especially among high-risk patients, according to an economic analysis of the STROKE AF trial presented at the International Stroke Conference. Read more.