Carotid plaque and hearing loss; exercise intervention for atrial fibrillation; MitraClip lock problem

In the community atherosclerosis-risk cohort, those with carotid atherosclerosis in middle age were more likely to have hearing deterioration decades later. (JAMA Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery)

In individuals over the age of 70, higher HDL cholesterol is associated with a higher fracture risk (JAMA Cardiology)

Regarding screening for dyslipidemia in children, the United States Preventive Services Task Force plans to stick to its “I statement” (i.e., excluding benefit-risk profile assessment due to limited evidence). the task force said in its draft statement of recommendations.

Note the increased risk of angioedema among real-world Sacubitril/Valsartan (Entresto) users who have recently switched from angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers. (Journal of the American College of Cardiology)

The ACTIVE-AF randomized trial showed that a 6-month exercise intervention reduced the severity of atrial fibrillation symptoms over 12 months. (JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology)

Physical activity also emerged as perhaps the first identified modifiable risk factor for cardiac conduction disease. (European Heart Journal)

10+ year old implantable defibrillator leads do not necessarily cause more complications during removal in the hands of an experienced and skilled operator. (Europe)

More people are undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions in centers with low patient numbers, and this trend may be impacting certain socioeconomic groups more than others. (pro swan)

Spontaneous reports suggest that MitraClip has an increasing rate of lock failures. Operators are advised to always double check the locking mechanism during device preparation and prior to final release. (JACC: Cardiovascular intervention)

Among anti-HER2 therapies for cancer, the combination of trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta)/trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyra) was disproportionately associated with heart failure reports in pharmacovigilance databases. (JACC: Cardiovascular Oncology)

The REGARDS Algorithm has won the Stroke Risk Calculator Showdown. However, researchers report a need for continued refinement of modeling techniques. (jam)

In Florida, hospitals that self-certify to Comprehensive Stroke Center standards show poorer quality of stroke care compared to accredited hospitals. (stroke)

Ralph Sacco, MD, former president of the American Heart Association and the American Neurological Association and a stroke expert, died last week at the age of 65.neurology)

A proposed early marker for cardiotoxicity from anthracycline therapy: the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes. (clinical cardiology)

Eating less food per day, but not intermittent fasting, was associated with weight loss. (American Heart Association Journal)

The use of secondary prevention therapy for people with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease continues to be influenced by gender and racial disparities. (JAMA network open)

of BBC During a TV segment, it issued a note apologizing for allowing a guest cardiologist to claim excessive cardiovascular deaths from the COVID mRNA vaccine.