Have a Healthy Heart for February: This Month’s Cardiovascular Highlights

 

Today is Valentine's Day in the United States, and February is American Heart Month. Today we not only celebrate love, but we also raise awareness for heart disease. Is your heart feeling full yet? Maybe it isn't the love you're feeling. Here's what you may have missed in cardiology news this month:

 

Findings from a new study have shed light on a factor that may predict atrial fibrillation recurrence in certain patients with a history of the condition.

According to the researchers, this factor can independently predict recurrence following the first catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. Read More.

 

Despite existing guidelines, only half of adults with cardiovascular disease risk are advised by their primary care providers to exercise.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recommended that primary care providers offer their patients physical activity counseling for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. However, according to a new study, only half of US adults receive such advice. Read More.

 

The authors of a recent meta-analysis have questioned the cardiovascular benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.

Data from 10 large trials suggest that omega-3 fatty acids have no significant association with coronary heart disease or any major vascular events, despite current recommendations that advise the use of omega-3 supplements in patients with these conditions. Read More.

 

Treatment with a particular sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor is associated with fewer cardiovascular events compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors.

This inhibitor, which is a gliflozin drug, carries a lower risk for heart failure and other cardiovascular events, according to a new study. Read More.

 

Researchers have recently identified the coagulation profile of a common statin.

Treatment with this statin at a dose of 20 mg/day can improve the coagulation profile of patients with venous thrombosis, results of the study showed. Read More.