Top in cardiology: E-cigarettes linked to heart failure; FDA labels LVAD recall as class I

People who used e-cigarettes had a 19% elevated risk for heart failure compared with never users, according to a study of 175,667 participants that was presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session.

“More and more studies are linking e-cigarettes to harmful effects and finding that it might not be as safe as previously thought,” Yakubu Bene-Alhasan, MD, resident physician at MedStar Health in Baltimore, said in a related press release. “The difference we saw was substantial. It’s worth considering the consequences to your health, especially with regard to heart health.”

It was the top story in cardiology last week.

In another top story, Abbott/Thoratec Corp. issued a recall of two left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) after receiving reports that biological material buildup caused obstruction with long-term use. The FDA designated the recall as class I, the most serious type. There have been 273 injuries and 14 deaths related to the issue, according to the agency.

Read these and more top stories in cardiology below:

E-cigarette use could raise heart failure risk up to 19%

Individuals with a history of e-cigarette use may have increased risk for incident heart failure, regardless of concomitant cigarette, cigar, hookah or smokeless cigarette use, a speaker reported. Read more.

LVAD obstruction linked to 14 deaths; FDA designates recall as class I

Abbott/Thoratec Corp. issued a recall of two of its left ventricular assist devices due to risk for obstruction from the long-term buildup of biological material during use. Read more.

Remote postpartum BP monitoring could address gaps in care, cut heart disease risk

Implementing a remote postpartum BP monitoring program for women with persistent hypertension after delivery was shown to be feasible and linked to higher rates of primary care provider visits and BP control, researchers reported. Read more.

Arrhythmias tied to poorer survival in adults with congenital heart disease

Arrhythmia disorders in patients with adult congenital heart disease may significantly contribute to hospitalization and mortality risk, according to data published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Read more.

Heart failure a more common complication than stroke in people with atrial fibrillation

In a large Danish cohort, heart failure was a more significant cardiovascular complication than stroke after diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, which became more common over 20 years. Read more.