Cardiology

Empagliflozin, a diabetes drug that controls glucose levels, may also help ameliorate erectile dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Two studies show that stroke patients are more likely to recover when blood flow to the brain is restored by stents that remove the clots that are causing damage.

With the global boom in type 2 diabetes mellitus, many patients have greatest access to and are well-cared for by their primary care practitioners (PCPs). For those with basic, predictable, garden-variety diabetes, PCPs are perfectly capable of helping them. It's unclear when referral to a specialist for consultation or chronic management is most sensible.

Results from 2 trials presented at the recent Heart Rhythm Society meeting suggest that 2 alternative ablation technologies work about as well as those that are commonly used on patients with atrial fibrillation.

A drug normally used to treat hypertension reduced the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in mice models of the disease.

Obesity rates have climbed nearly 50 percent since 1997, with as much as 30 percent of the population classified as obese. There is strong belief within the health care industry that obesity should be treated as a primary medical condition, with physicians playing a major role. Evidence suggests that patients are more likely to lose weight when they are advised by their primary care physicians to do so.

Sitagliptin appears to have beneficial systemic and adipose anti-inflammatory effects in combination antiretroviral therapy-treated HIV-positive adults with impaired glucose tolerance. The drug may prevent cardiovascular problems by reducing inflammation linked to heart disease and stroke in this patient population.

The results of the largest study of its kind to date indicate that new antipsychotic medications-including quetiapine, olanzapine, and risperidone-do not appear to put women at additional risk of developing gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, or major blood clots that obstruct circulation, all conditions that often develop during pregnancy or with the use of older antipsychotic medications.

Click here to review the Cardiology Review editorial advisory board.

More than 13,000 physicians and cardiovascular team members attended the ACC 2015 meeting in San Diego on March 14-16, 2015. In this issue of Cardiology Review, we focus on 6 important studies presented at ACC 2015: LEGACY, OSLER, PEGASUS, EMBRACE-STEMI, MATRIX, and CoreValve.

Mortality in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is higher than in the general population, and whether mortality improves or alters with glycemic control is unknown.

Refractory angina is a loosely defined term generally referring to the persistence of life-impacting angina despite maximal antianginal medications and, when possible, coronary revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] or coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG]). Numerous novel pharmacotherapies and mechanical interventions have been proposed, and studies conducted, to treat patients with refractory angina.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) often coexist. The use of beta-blockers in HF patients has a class 1A recommendation in both the European and American guidelines. In current guidelines for heart failure therapy, the recommendation for beta-blockers is not restricted to patients with sinus rhythm, and includes all HF patients.

In the era of progressive technology, the diagnostic modalities for stable coronary artery disease are various. The original cardiac stress test has been used in the past for many purposes, including diagnosis of obstructive coronary artery disease in a patient with chest pain as well as risk stratification for ischemia. More recently, coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) has emerged as a great tool to diagnose anatomically obstructive coronary lesions. However, for the past few years, obtaining functional and physiologic data such as comparative fractional flow reserve (FFR) has become the gold standard for evidence of ischemia on CCTA similar to invasive angiography.

The primary objectives of treating acute ischemic stroke are to prevent death and limit functional disability. Similar to acute myocardial infarction (AMI), timely reperfusion using systemic thrombolysis has been shown to improve outcome of acute stroke, namely functional neurologic recovery, but not mortality. But unlike AMI, the role of intra-arterial or endovascular therapy in acute stroke has not been clearly established.

As P4P strategies gain popularity, the need for accurate assessment tools becomes more and more apparent-many physicians support PCP but believe that current measures are inaccurate. A common problem is that physicians appear to be penalized if they treat the elderly or patients who have reduced access to care or drug treatment.

This study was a randomized, controlled trial of 240 adults with metabolic syndrome who were assigned to follow either the single-component dietary recommendation of increased fiber consumption (≥30g/d), or the multi-component American Heart Association (AHA) dietary guidelines. The primary outcome measure was weight loss at 12 months.

A 51 year-old man with a history of well-controlled hypertension presents to his primary physician's office for an acute care visit with chest discomfort that would come and go.

As new medications and agents are developed organizations like the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association update their guidelines on treating a variety of conditions. Recently work was completed to help doctors treating acute coronary syndromes.

Sometimes even the most routine appearing patients can have results on their EKG that that can catch even the most veteran cardiologists off guard. This can be especially true for people who have had relatives suffer an unexpected cardiac fatality.

With primary care physicians treating such a broad spectrum of conditions they also have a number of medications they can prescribe to help their patients. While some of these are more beneficial than others it is important to consider which might be more effective for patients.

Individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are more likely to experience sudden cardiac death, according to a team of Dutch researchers.

In a multicenter observational study reported April 29 at the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology Congress 2015, held in Abu Dhabi, researchers examined the relationship between the severity and presence of coronary artery disease in male patients and the number of wives they have. The more wives, the more heart disease.

Huntington's Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant progressive neurodegenerative disorder. In addition to the central nervous system disturbance the ailment causes, there is increasing evidence the genetic abnormality also affects peripheral organs and tissues.