Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Cardiology for October 2018. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Some Weather Conditions Linked to Myocardial Infarction Risk
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 31, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Certain weather conditions are associated with an increased risk for myocardial infarction (MI), according to a study published online Oct. 24 in JAMA Cardiology.
Link Between Statins, Non-CVD Outcomes Lacks Evidence
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 31, 2018 (HealthDay News) — There is a lack of convincing evidence for an association between statin use and non-cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes, according to a review published in the Oct. 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Discharge Day Does Not Impact Readmission After Cardiac Sx
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 31, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For cardiac surgical patients, the likelihood of readmission has no association with day of discharge, according to a study published online Oct. 11 in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
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Few Smokers With PAD Receive Adequate Cessation Support
TUESDAY, Oct. 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — More than one-third of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) are active smokers, yet few of them receive evidence-based smoking cessation interventions, according to a study published in the Oct. 16 issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association.
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AMA Announces Initiative to Reinvent Physician Training
TUESDAY, Oct. 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The American Medical Association (AMA) today announced a new $15 million competitive grant initiative, the “Reimagining Residency” initiative, aimed at improving residency training.
Pilot Studies May Shed Light on How to Treat Lymphedema
TUESDAY, Oct. 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Treatment with ketoprofen may improve the skin biology in lymphedema, with improvements noted in histopathology and skin thickness, according to a study published online Oct. 18 in JCI Insight.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors May Up Lung CA Risk
TUESDAY, Oct. 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer compared with angiotensin receptor blockers, according to a study published online Oct. 24 in the BMJ.
Accepting Increased-Risk Donor Heart Tied to Higher Survival
TUESDAY, Oct. 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Acceptance of a heart from an increased-risk donor (IRD) is associated with a significant survival benefit, according to a research letter published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Therapeutic Lifestyle Intervention in Church Helpful for BP Control
TUESDAY, Oct. 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) intervention plus motivational interviewing (MINT) sessions delivered in churches can reduce systolic blood pressure (BP) among blacks compared with health education (HE) alone, according to a study published online Oct. 9 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Community Health Worker Intervention Beneficial
TUESDAY, Oct. 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A standardized community health worker (CHW)-delivered intervention, Individual Management for Patient-Centered Targets, improves patient-perceived quality of care and reduces hospitalizations for low-income patients with chronic diseases, according to a study published online Oct. 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Cardiac Stem Cell Trial Halted Due to Concerns About Fake Data
MONDAY, Oct. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A clinical trial assessing the use of stem cells to treat heart failure patients has been paused by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) because it is based partly on what may be falsified or fabricated data from the laboratory of a Harvard Medical School-affiliated researcher.
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Washington Post Article
Many Hospitals Noncompliant With Record Request Regulations
MONDAY, Oct. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Among top-ranked U.S. hospitals, data reveal discrepancies in information provided to patients regarding medical records release processes as well as noncompliance with state and federal regulations, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in JAMA Network Open.
Cardiac Implant Prices Higher in U.S. Than EU Countries
FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Cardiac implant prices are two to six times higher in the United States than in Germany, according to a study published in the October issue of Health Affairs.
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Trump Administration Announces Plan to Cut Drug Prices
FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — In an effort to cut high drug costs, the prices paid by Medicare for certain prescription drugs would be based on those in other advanced industrial nations, according to a proposal announced Oct. 25 by the Trump administration.
HHS Study
New York Times Article
Novel Troponin Assay, hs-cTnI Comparable in Ruling Out AMI
FRIDAY, Oct. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A single point-of-care troponin concentration measured on arrival to the emergency department (ED) with 15-minute turnaround time can accurately rule out acute myocardial infarction (AMI), according to a study published online Oct. 17 in JAMA Cardiology.
Oxygen Saturation Should Not Top 96 Percent in Acutely Ill
THURSDAY, Oct. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For acutely ill patients, an oxygen saturation of no more than 96 percent should be maintained, according to a clinical practice guideline published online Oct. 24 in the BMJ.
Independent Links for Genetics, Lifestyle With Incident Stroke
THURSDAY, Oct. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Genetic and lifestyle factors are independently associated with incident stroke among men and women aged 40 to 73 years, according to a study published online Oct. 24 in the BMJ.
HEART Pathway Can Safely Identify Low-Risk ER Patients
THURSDAY, Oct. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Implementation of the HEART Pathway is associated with decreased hospitalizations, increased identification of myocardial infarction (MI) at the index visit, and a very low death and MI rate among low-risk emergency department patients with chest pain, according to a study published online Sept. 28 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Pace of Change Has Accelerated in Alternative Payment Models
THURSDAY, Oct. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The impact of alternative payment models (APMs) on physician practices has been described in a study published by the RAND Corp. and the American Medical Association.
Half of Women to Develop Stroke, Dementia, or Parkinsonism
THURSDAY, Oct. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — One in two women and one in three men will develop dementia, stroke, or parkinsonism during their lifetime, according to a study published online Oct. 1 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
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Tibia Lead Levels Linked to Risk of Resistant-Hypertension
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Tibia lead levels are associated with resistant-hypertension (HTN), according to a study published online Oct. 24 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Most Supplements Contain Prohibited Stimulants
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Many supplements contain one or more stimulants that have been the subject of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-issued public notices, according to a research letter published online Oct. 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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White House Unveils New Insurance Option for Small Firms
TUESDAY, Oct. 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A plan to allow small businesses to use tax-free accounts to provide health coverage for employees was announced today by the Trump administration.
AP News Article
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A-Fib Patients With Cancer Less Likely to See Cardiologist
TUESDAY, Oct. 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with cancer are less likely to see a cardiologist and fill prescriptions for anticoagulants, according to a study published in the Oct. 16 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Periodontitis Linked to Higher BP in Adults With Treated HTN
TUESDAY, Oct. 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For adults with treated hypertension, periodontitis is associated with higher mean systolic blood pressure (BP) and with increased odds of unsuccessful hypertensive treatment, according to a study published online Oct. 22 in Hypertension.
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Intensive SBP Tx Cuts Kidney Damage Biomarkers in Incident CKD
TUESDAY, Oct. 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Patients with incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the setting of intensive systolic blood pressure (SBP) treatment have decreases rather than increases in kidney damage biomarkers, according to a study published online Oct. 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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CT Abdominal Aortic Calcification Score Predicts CV Event Risk
MONDAY, Oct. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A computed tomography (CT)-based abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) score is a strong predictor of future cardiovascular events in asymptomatic patients, according to a study published online Oct. 2 in Radiology.
Short Respiratory Event Duration Ups Mortality Risk in OSA
MONDAY, Oct. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For individuals with obstructive sleep apnea, those with short respiratory event duration have an increased risk for mortality, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Percent Weight Regain Predicts Health Risks Post-Bariatric Surgery
MONDAY, Oct. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Measuring the percentage of weight regained following the maximum amount of weight lost after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery best predicts a patient’s risk for several serious health problems, according to a study published in the Oct. 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Editorial
Limited Success for Changing Diet and Exercise Among Nurses
FRIDAY, Oct. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Implementation of a workplace intervention to change diet and physical activity (PA) behavior was partially successful among nurses, with the ability to change both diet and PA at the same time described as challenging, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
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Aspirin, Anticoagulants Similarly Prevent VTE After TKA
FRIDAY, Oct. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Among patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA), aspirin alone may provide protection against postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) that is similar to that of other anticoagulants, according to a study published online Oct. 17 in JAMA Surgery.
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Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair Benefits Some With Heart Failure
FRIDAY, Oct. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Transcatheter mitral-valve repair results in a lower rate of hospitalization and lower all-cause mortality than medical therapy alone among patients with heart failure and moderate-to-severe secondary mitral regurgitation who remain symptomatic despite the use of guideline-directed medical therapy, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Sharp Drop in U.S. Life Expectancy Rankings by 2040
THURSDAY, Oct. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The United States will have the largest drop in life expectancy rankings of all high-income countries by 2040, a new study says.
CNN Article
Abstract/Full Text
Editorial
Procurement Requirements Drive Interoperability in Health Care IT
THURSDAY, Oct. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Interoperability of health care information technology (IT) must be improved to facilitate creation of a fully integrated health care system that can improve health and health care at lower cost, according to a report published by the National Academy of Medicine.
Lung Cancer Deaths 28% Lower in California Than Rest of U.S.
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Annual lung cancer mortality was 28 percent lower in California than in the rest of the United States in 2013, according to a study published online Oct. 10 in Cancer Prevention Research.
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Bariatric Sx Cuts Macrovascular Complications in Obesity, T2DM
TUESDAY, Oct. 15, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For patients with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes, bariatric surgery is associated with a lower risk for macrovascular outcomes compared with not undergoing surgery, according to a study published in the Oct. 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Harvard: Heart Researcher’s Papers Contain Fraudulent Data
TUESDAY, Oct. 16, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Dozens of scientific papers from the laboratory of well-known heart researcher Piero Anversa contain fraudulent data, according to a Harvard Medical School internal investigation.
CHF in Pregnancy Up for Cancer Survivors With Cardiac Toxicity
TUESDAY, Oct. 16, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The incidence of congestive heart failure (CHF) during pregnancy is 31 percent among women with a history of cardiotoxicity associated with cancer treatment, according to a study published in the Oct. 23 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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High Risk for Readmission for Takotsubo Syndrome
Poor Mental Health Tied to Premature Heart Disease 
Autism Tied to Higher Risk for Developing Cardiometabolic Disease 
Cardiovascular Hospitalization Increased After Sepsis Hospitalization 
Risk for Cardiovascular Disease Increased for Patients With Celiac Disease 
Emergency Diagnosis Linked to Worse Outcomes for Range of Conditions 
Non-Celiac Gluten/Wheat Sensitivity Self-Reported by 10.3 Percent 
Gluten-Stimulated Interleukin-2 Secretion Useful for Diagnosing Celiac Disease 
Gluten-Free Diet for Celiac Disease Increases Arsenic Exposure in Children 
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