The HCPLive Cardiology condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for heart disease and cardiovascular events, as well as associated diabetes, renal failure, and more...
May 15th 2024
New analyses show adults aged ≥65 years old are at about 30% increased risk of hypertension when diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.
Elevating Care for PAH: Applying Recommended Management Approaches to Maximize Outcomes
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‘REEL’ Time Patient Counseling™: Navigating the Complex Journey of Diagnosing and Managing Fabry Disease
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Expert Illustrations & Commentaries™: Envisioning Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Managing ANCA-associated Vasculitis
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Insulin as a strategy to optimize glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes
November 14th 2008Treatment of type 2 diabetes should achieve and maintain euglycemia, thereby preventing complications from this progressive disease. Current antidiabetic therapies should be a part of a multimodal management program that includes diet, exercise, and blood pressure and lipid control. Oral antidiabetic drugs are still first-line therapy for type 2 diabetes, but intensification of therapy, including starting insulin, should occur every 2 to 3 months as needed to achieve euglycemia. The first insulin added is typically a basal insulin, which is effective in lowering fasting plasma glucose (FPG). A persistently elevated glycated hemoglobin (HgbA1C) level despite near or complete normalization of FPG, however, indicates postprandial hyperglycemia. In these cases, the addition of bolus insulin is required to reduce postprandial glucose (PPG). Several approaches to initiate and titrate insulin can be used based on FPG, PPG, HgbA1C, and patient factors.
Glycemic control and CVD outcomes: Randomized clinical trials in 2008
November 14th 2008The relationship of glucose levels to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, especially coronary heart disease (CHD), in observational data sets has been the subject of several studies. These studies have shown that the relationship between fasting (and postprandial glucose) and CHD risk is continuous and graded, and that this relationship extends below the currently defined threshold for diagnosing diabetes mellitus. The assumption has been that glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus should favorably affect CVD outcomes in randomized clinical trials; however, the results of several large trials have not consistently confirmed this hypothesis. In fact, ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) data suggest a small increased risk in mortality for patients at high risk for CHD events.
Alogliptin: The newest agent to fight the diabetes pandemic
November 14th 2008According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 23.6 million children and adults have diabetes (8% of the US population) and another 5.7 million cases remain undiagnosed. Epidemiologists predict that these statistics will double by 2030, further taxing the healthcare system. Medical expenditures are approximately 2.3 times higher for diabetic versus nondiabetic patients, and the annual cost of diabetes is estimated to be $116 billion.
New Guidelines Released on the Management of Congenital Heart Disease in Adults
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association announced the joint release of a comprehensive set of new practice guidelines on the management of adults with congenital heart disease.