ICU cardiac evaluations increase survival odds for Black patients

Receiving an ICU evaluation prior to cardiac arrest improved survival rates by 15% among Black people, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association's Resuscitation Science Symposium 2022. The 2022 meeting will be held in person in Chicago from November 5–6 and will feature recent advances related to treating cardiopulmonary arrest and life-threatening traumatic injury.

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Strong Showing for Novel BP-Lowering Drugs in Resistant Hypertension

Two novel drugs showed promise for blood pressure (BP) lowering in people with treatment-resistant hypertension, according to research presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) annual meeting.

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The Skinny on Lipid Reporting

Lipid testing is a cornerstone in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk assessment. While there are several comprehensive clinical guidelines that focus on the primary prevention of ASCVD, guidance for the clinical lab remains limited. This causes significant variability in the way lipid testing is reported.

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Biosimilar Insulin Product Rezvoglar Now Interchangeable With Lantus

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Rezvoglar (insulin glargine-aglr) as the second interchangeable biosimilar insulin product to Lantus (insulin glargine).

Rezvoglar is a long-acting human insulin analog indicated to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients with diabetes mellitus. According to the FDA, an interchangeable product is a biological agent that is approved based on data demonstrating that it is highly similar to an approved reference product and that there are no clinically meaningful differences between the products. The interchangeable product can be expected to produce the same clinical result as the reference product in any given patient.

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Moderate, severe asthma increases risk for ischemic heart disease

Patients with asthma had a greater risk for ischemic heart disease compared with those without asthma, according to a speaker at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting.

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Sotagliflozin reduces 30-day HF readmission rates in type 2 diabetes

The dual SGLT inhibitor sotagliflozin reduced 30- and 90-day rates of CV mortality and HF-related events when administered before hospital discharge after an episode of worsening HF, according to new data from the SOLOIST trial.

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Mayo Clinic Uses Artificial Intelligence to Diagnose Heart Failure

New research by Mayo Clinic shows how an artificial intelligence algorithm can be applied to Apple Watch ECG recordings to detect weak heart pumps.

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Fatty liver disease may increase heart failure risk

An abnormal buildup of fat in the liver not caused by alcohol may greatly increase the risk of heart failure, according to new research.

Nearly 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. has a condition known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD. Scientists already knew NAFLD can lead to permanent liver damage and increase the risk for atherosclerosis, when plaque builds up in the arteries.

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Companies Selling Supplements With Claims to Treat CVD Get Hit With Warning Letters

Warning letters were issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to 7 companies for illegally selling dietary supplements claiming to cure, treat, mitigate or prevent cardiovascular disease or related conditions, such as atherosclerosis, stroke or heart failure. 

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Impact of Vitamin D3 Versus Placebo on Cardiac Structure and Function: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Vitamin D supplementation leads to regression of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and improves LV function in animal models. However, limited data exist from prospective human studies. We examined whether vitamin D supplementation improved cardiac structure and function in midlife/older individuals in a large randomized trial.

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Study provides an atlas of detailed glucose uptake profiles across the human body

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a powerful tool for the visualization of metabolism, especially the measurement of glucose uptake in vivo. Previous studies have assessed glucose uptake in several tissues such as the brain, visceral adipose tissue, and liver using PET imaging. However, due to the inadequate axial field of view of the existing PET scanners, simultaneous measurement of glucose uptake in major organs and parts across the entire human body has not yet been achieved.

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Heart disease-related deaths increased due to COVID-19, undoing a decade of progress

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant rise in heart disease-related deaths in the United States, according to a new analysis funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prior to the pandemic, the country had made considerable progress getting that number to go down.

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HbA1c Associated With HF With Recovered Ejection Fraction in Type 2 Diabetes

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who develop heart failure (HF), especially HF with ischemic etiology, are less likely to have subsequent partial or complete recovery of ejection fraction (HFrecEF) if they have uncontrolled hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). These findings were published in the International Journal of Cardiology.

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Coffee subtypes associated with reduced CVD, arrhythmias, mortality

Regular coffee intake of multiple subtypes was associated with preventing CVD, mortality and incident arrhythmias, according to a study.

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Why Quick Bursts of Vigorous Activity Are a Game-Changer

Although doing any intensity of physical activity is better than doing none, accumulating evidence suggests that vigorous exercise at a higher intensity gives us more bang for the buck than easy, lower-intensity workouts—in half the time or less.

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E-cigarettes may disrupt heart rhythm, hike risk of sudden cardiac arrest

Exposure to specific chemicals within e-cigarette liquids may trigger heart arrhythmias and electrical dysfunction -- cardiac effects similar to or worse than what conventional cigarettes may cause, a new study suggests.

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Study: Black Patients Have Greater Risk of All-Cause Mortality From Diabetes, Stroke

Researchers observed disparities in health outcomes between Black individuals and White individuals due to stroke, diabetes, and coronary heart disease.

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AI-driven data initiative aims to improve urban heart health

A new initiative using artificial intelligence and data analytics could help urban policymakers in New York City better target health resources toward the interventions that could have the greatest impact on heart health.

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Whole body nuc-med imaging a solid contributor to inpatient infection management

PET/CT with the common radiotracer 18F-FDG has been found useful for workups and monitoring of infections in real-world hospitalized patients, according to a study conducted by researchers at Yale and Stanford published Nov. 14 in PLOS One.

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CT findings show marijuana's effects on lungs

Airway inflammation and emphysema are more common in marijuana smokers than in nonsmokers and tobacco-only smokers, a Canadian study of CT scans over 15 years found. The results were published November 15 in Radiology.

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Sleeping with light pollution linked to diabetes, study says

Sleeping in a room exposed to outdoor artificial light at night may increase the risk of developing diabetes, according to a study of nearly 100,000 Chinese adults.

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Over 1 million Americans with diabetes rationed insulin in past year

In the United States, an estimated 1.3 million adults with diabetes — 16.5 percent of those who have been prescribed insulin to manage their disease — have rationed their use of the medication in the past year, according to a report published last month in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

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PET/CT proves value in guiding breast cancer therapy

FDG-PET/CT can help guide therapy in breast cancer, particularly in distant disease staging and treatment response assessment, the leading Austrian researcher Dr. Katja Pinker-Domenig told a hybrid imaging event on 11 November.

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FAPI-PET cuts tracer injection wait times by more than two-thirds

Fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI)-PET diagnostic cancer imaging may be performed reliably as early as 10 minutes after radiotracer injection -- a significant reduction of the typical one-hour wait period for tracers such as FDG-PET, European researchers have found.

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A Blood Test at the Touch of a Button, Without the Needle

The blood test is one of the most common medical labs performed to understand what is going on with a person's health. But the test requires taking blood with a needle, which only trained health care professionals can do before sending the sample off to a lab for analysis.

Now, researchers have developed a new method to test blood composition after a single touch of a person's finger (which is good news for the high number of people who fear needles). 

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When stress is coming at you from all sides, it’s time for a breather. Here are 6 ways to take a break

Stressful situations are a part of everyday life, but it can be a challenge managing the daily grind without feeling the heat. Whether you’re stuck in traffic or in an anxiety-inducing thought pattern, your body’s stress response naturally kicks in — breathing becomes rapid, your heart races, and blood pressure rises.

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Best Foods for Your Brain

While there is no magic pill – or food – that prevents cognitive decline, a healthy dietary pattern which includes lots of plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, and healthy proteins and fats like fatty fish and olive oil can help support brain health. And many of these same foods are also good for the heart.

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20-year study results confirm lung cancer screening's effectiveness

Results from a 20-year study show that annual low-dose CT lung cancer screening improves patient survival rates, according to research to be presented at the upcoming RSNA meeting.

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Emory researchers developing visual tool to view effects of Alzheimer's, ASD on brain

Researchers at Emory University are developing a visual tool to view how conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and autism spectrum disorder affect the brain in real-time, the university announced in a press release.

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The Worst Pediatric-Care Crisis in Decades

An early, massive wave of RSV, flu, and other viral infections is slamming kids and overcrowding emergency departments.

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Doubling research on women and lung cancer could lead to economic gain

Doubling funding for research focused on women with lung cancer could have significant economic and health impacts for families and the U.S., a technical report released November 1 by Women's Health Access Matters (WHAM) suggests.

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PET/CT beats ultrasound for imaging malignant melanoma

F-18 FDG-PET/CT imaging is a better choice than ultrasound for detecting both lymph node and abdominal metastases in patients with malignant melanoma, Swiss investigators have found.

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Health systems see increasing claim denials as payer ‘delay tactic’

Health systems across the country have experienced a significant rise in denied claims over the past year, leading to more administrative work for providers, less cash flow for hospitals and, in some cases, postponed patient care. 

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Why health systems are turning to specialty pharmacy to boost performance

In-house specialty pharmacy services are gaining popularity among hospitals and health systems seeking to drive efficiency in their operations and improve profitability.

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HAIs continued to rise in 2021, CDC finds

The incidence of several common healthcare-associated infections reported by U.S. hospitals increased in 2021, new CDC data shows. 

The CDC's annual HAI progress report, published Nov. 4, found rates for four of six regularly tracked infections had increased compared to 2020:

Central line-associated bloodstream infections: 7 percent increase

Ventilator-associated events: 12 percent increase

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: 14 percent increase

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections: 5 percent increase

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Why The Global Helium Shortage May Be The World’s Next Medical Crisis

Imagine waking up one morning to learn that your mother is exhibiting slurred speech, difficulty understanding your words, and has weakness and numbness on one side of her body. Immediately recognizing that these are the cardinal signs and symptoms of a stroke, you rush her to the Emergency Room to get diagnosed and treated. To your dismay, the Emergency Physicians tell you they cannot confirm your suspicion of a stroke diagnosis in your mother because the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine is non-operable. This then delays potential lifesaving treatment for your mother, leading to frustration and anxiety for your family.

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Hive ransomware actors have extorted over $100M from victims, says FBI

The U.S. government has warned of ongoing malicious activity by the notorious Hive ransomware gang, which has extorted more than $100 million from its growing list of victims.

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4 ways radiology can reduce its environmental impact

The healthcare enterprise produces roughly 10% of total carbon emissions in the U.S., and radiology is considered a big contributor to this, due to use of high energy-consuming equipment and interventional procedure waste.

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Dueling Opinions: The changing role of technology in healthcare

Hospitals and health systems are deploying a variety of tech and digital tools to help transform care delivery and mitigate staffing challenges.

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Q&A with HSS CIO Jamie Nelson, Part 2: “Digital Encompasses So Much of What We’re Doing.”

It’s interesting; there’s so much focus on digital in terms of the consumer, with apps and things like that, but it’s much broader than that. It’s digitizing the back office, digitizing human resources, and digitizing pathology. Now, pathologists can bring up images of the bone using PACS and view the pathology underneath it, and put the two together. Surgeons are doing the same thing, and now they’re interested in pathology again because it’s easy and interesting and they can move things around just like they do with digital imaging systems.

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CMS looking at quality metrics to get ACA exchange plans into value-based care

Officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) spoke Thursday at the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network Summit on value-based care, and one of the key takeaways was how agency officials are pushing to align quality standards across government programs like Medicare, Medicaid and the ACA exchanges to spur greater investment in value-based care.

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Expansion of Medicaid Benefits Associated With Reduced Cancer Mortality Rates

The improved cancer survival attributed to expanded Medicaid coverage following the enactment of the 2014 Affordable Care Act (ACA) can be traced to earlier treatment rather than screening, according to a new analysis of state-level mortality data among people who are between 20 and 64 years of age.

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FDA Seeks Applicants for CDRP Pilot Program

The FDA is inviting applications from sponsors who want to take part in the agency’s Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) Development and Readiness Pilot (CDRP) program aimed at providing patients earlier access to drugs where there is anticipated clinical benefit.

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CMS rule seeks to curb delays in Medicare coverage, expands special enrollment periods

The Biden administration issued a final rule that seeks to make it easier for beneficiaries to enroll in Medicare and curb delays in getting coverage. 

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