Top in cardiology: Tirzepatide for obesity-related HF; ‘weekend warrior’ exercise pattern

Findings from the SUMMIT trial demonstrated that the long-acting GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist tirzepatide reduced risk for cardiovascular death or worsening heart failure by 38% vs. placebo in adults with HF with preserved ejection fraction and obesity.

Tirzepatide (Zepbound, Eli Lilly) also improved health status and exercise tolerance, according to researchers.

“[SUMMIT] is a practice-changing trial and cements incretin-based therapies as one of the cornerstones of obesity-related [HF with preserved ejection fraction],” Jennifer E. Ho, MD, cardiologist in the advanced heart failure and transplantation section at Massachusetts General Hospital, and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said. “This is not a study that targeted a small subgroup of patients with [HF with preserved ejection fraction]. This is going to affect how we think about the majority of patients with [HF with preserved ejection fraction] who we see.”

It was the top story in cardiology last week.

In another top story, a phenome-wide association study revealed that individuals who followed a “weekend warrior” physical activity pattern had a similarly lower risk for incident disease vs. those who followed a regular activity pattern.

Read these and more top stories in cardiology below:

Tirzepatide shows ‘practice-changing’ cardiovascular benefits for obesity-related heart failure

In adults with HF with preserved ejection fraction and obesity, treatment with tirzepatide cut risk for cardiovascular death or worsening HF by 38% compared with placebo, with a parallel improvement in health status and exercise tolerance. Read more.

‘Weekend warrior,’ regular physical activity patterns show similar health benefits

Adults who followed a “weekend warrior” physical activity pattern had a similarly lower risk for incident disease compared with those who followed a regular activity pattern, according to study findings published in Circulation. Read more.

Cardiovascular disease deaths rising among younger adults living in rural areas

The rate of deaths from CVD increased in rural areas and decreased in urban areas of the U.S. from 2010 to 2022, and the difference was especially pronounced amid the COVID-19 pandemic and among younger adults, researchers reported. Read more.

Cerebral embolic protection may help prevent stroke after TAVR, but data uncertain

In an exploratory analysis of the PROTECTED TAVR trial of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, cerebral embolic protection reduced risk for short-term stroke in patients from the U.S. but not elsewhere. Read more.

AI-enabled video of skin on face, hands may detect high blood pressure, diabetes

An AI-enabled tool utilizing machine learning, high-speed images and video accurately detected hypertension and type 2 diabetes among Japanese adults compared with continuous BP monitoring and HbA1c testing, researchers reported. Read more.