Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Cardiology for August 2020. 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.
Long-Term Follow-Up Reported for BP Telemonitoring Program
MONDAY, Aug. 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Among adults with uncontrolled blood pressure, fewer cardiovascular events and lower costs were observed at five years with a pharmacist-led telemonitoring program, but the differences were not statistically significant compared with usual care, according to a study published online Aug. 31 in Hypertension.
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Mortality, Intubation Rates Lower With Anticoagulation in COVID-19
FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Among hospitalized patients with COVID-19, anticoagulation (AC) is associated with reduced mortality and intubation, according to a study published online Aug. 26 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Proportion of Deaths Due to Heart Failure, HTN Increasing
FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The proportion of deaths from heart disease attributed to heart failure and hypertensive heart disease is increasing, according to a study published online Aug. 13 in The BMJ.
Losing Weight Before Midlife Cuts Mortality Risk
FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Weight loss from obesity to overweight between early adulthood through midlife is associated with a lower risk for early death compared with maintaining obesity, according to a study published online Aug. 14 in JAMA Network Open.
Metabolic Syndrome Linked to Worse Outcomes in COVID-19
THURSDAY, Aug. 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with a lethal outcome for patients with COVID-19, according to a study published online Aug. 25 in Diabetes Care.
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Admissions for Stroke, TIA Down Early in COVID-19 Pandemic
THURSDAY, Aug. 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Admissions for stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) have decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Aug. 26 in Stroke and Vascular Neurology.
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Blacks Have Higher Incidence of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Black Americans have a higher incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) compared with other races, according to a study published online Aug. 26 in Neurology.
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Exposure to Burning Wood Linked to Abnormal Cardiac Parameters
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Occupational exposures to burning wood, pesticides, and metals is associated with abnormal parameters of left and right ventricular systolic function, according to a study published online Aug. 26 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
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AHA Details How to Lower Stroke Risk During, After Heart Surgery
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In a scientific statement issued by the American Heart Association and published online Aug. 26 in Circulation, recommendations are presented for reducing the risk for perioperative stroke in adults undergoing cardiac and thoracic aortic operations.
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Preterm Delivery Ups Risk for Premature Mortality in Mothers
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Preterm delivery is associated with an increased risk for premature mortality in women, according to a study published online Aug. 19 in The BMJ.
Heart Events Observed for ~12 Percent of Adults Hospitalized With Flu
TUESDAY, Aug. 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Among adults hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza, 11.7 percent have an acute cardiovascular event, according to a study published online Aug. 25 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Deaths Up for U.S. Veterans Who Have PCI at Community Facilities
TUESDAY, Aug. 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For U.S. veterans with stable angina, the use of community facilities for percutaneous revascularization is associated with increased mortality, according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Antihypertensive Agents Not Tied to Higher Risk for Depression
MONDAY, Aug. 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Nine individual antihypertensive agents from the classes of angiotensin agents, calcium antagonists, and β-blockers are associated with reduced rates of depression, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in Hypertension.
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RAAS Inhibitors May Benefit HTN Patients With COVID-19
MONDAY, Aug. 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors are beneficial for hypertensive patients with COVID-19, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in Current Atherosclerosis Reports.
Feeling Dizzy Upon Standing May Point to Later Dementia
MONDAY, Aug. 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Systolic orthostatic hypotension (OHYPO) and variability in visit-to-visit seated systolic blood pressure (BP) postural change are associated with greater dementia risk, according to a study published online July 20 in Neurology.
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Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy, Menopause Symptoms Linked
FRIDAY, Aug. 21, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There is an association between a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and more bothersome menopausal symptoms, according to a study published online Aug. 17 in Menopause.
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Advisory Panel Rejects Nearly All Proposals for Fetal Tissue Research
THURSDAY, Aug. 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A Trump administration advisory board to evaluate scientific research involving fetal tissue says 13 of 14 proposals should be rejected.
Evinacumab Cuts LDL-C Level in Familial Hypercholesterolemia
THURSDAY, Aug. 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, evinacumab lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, according to a study published in the Aug. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty Better for Hemodialysis Fistulas
THURSDAY, Aug. 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For the treatment of stenotic lesions in dysfunctional hemodialysis arteriovenous fistulas, drug-coated balloon angioplasty is superior to standard angioplasty during the six months after the procedure, according to a study published in the Aug. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Poll: More Older Adults Using Telehealth During Pandemic
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — More older adults have used telehealth to consult with a health care provider during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with that seen in the previous year, according to a report published online Aug. 17 based on the results of the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.
Homelessness Tied to Higher Readmission Rates
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Homelessness is associated with significantly higher 30- and 90-day readmission rates even when adjusting for other demographic and clinical factors, according to a study recently published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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Combination Therapy May Benefit Some With Kawasaki Disease
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Adding corticosteroids to initial intravenous immunoglobulin seems beneficial for preventing coronary artery abnormalities in high-risk patients with Kawasaki disease (KD), according to a study published online Aug. 19 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Bariatric Surgery Linked to Reduction in Mortality Rate
TUESDAY, Aug. 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Bariatric surgery is associated with a reduction in mortality, and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is effective for blood pressure (BP) control in patients with hypertension and obesity, according to two studies published online Aug. 18 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Higher BPA Exposure Linked to Increased Risk for All-Cause Mortality
TUESDAY, Aug. 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Higher bisphenol A (BPA) exposure is associated with an increased risk for all-cause mortality in a nationally representative cohort of U.S. adults, according to a study published online Aug. 17 in JAMA Network Open.
Pitavastatin Effective for Lowering Lipids
MONDAY, Aug. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Pitavastatin lowers blood total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides in a dose-dependent manner, according to a review recently published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
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CV Risk Factors, Comorbidity Tied to COVID-19 CV Complications
MONDAY, Aug. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For patients hospitalized with COVID-19, preexisting cardiovascular comorbidities or risk factors (RFs) are associated with cardiovascular complications, which contribute to mortality, according to a meta-analysis published online Aug. 14 in PLOS ONE.
Lean Mass Lower in Survivors of Pediatric Abdominal, Pelvic Tumors
FRIDAY, Aug. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Survivors of pediatric abdominal or pelvic tumors have lower lean mass in association with radiation doses and worse metabolic outcomes, according to a study published online Aug. 13 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
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Return-to-School Recommendations Issued for Organ Transplant Recipients
FRIDAY, Aug. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, the decision of whether to return to school should be a shared decision between families, transplant professionals, and educators, according to an expert opinion article published online Aug. 4 in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.
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More Than One-Third of U.S. Children Consume Fast Food
FRIDAY, Aug. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — More than one-third of U.S. children and adolescents consumed fast food on a given day during 2015 to 2018, according to an August data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
Exposure to Outdoor Air Pollution May Increase Risk for CVD
FRIDAY, Aug. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Long-term exposure to outdoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease in adults, regardless of country wealth, according to a study recently published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
Women Have More Depression With Peripheral Artery Disease
THURSDAY, Aug. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Women with peripheral artery disease (PAD) have a higher burden of depressive symptoms compared with men, according to a study published online Aug. 12 in the Journal of the American Hospital Association.
In-Person Clinic Visits at VA Down by Half Early in Pandemic
THURSDAY, Aug. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) — During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a 56 percent decline in in-person visits across Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient facilities, which is only partly offset by more than a twofold increase in the number of telephone and video visits, according to a research letter published online Aug. 10 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
CDC Updates Info on Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
THURSDAY, Aug. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) — As of July 29, there have been a total of 570 U.S. cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), according to research published in the Aug. 7 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Pupil Area May Help Indicate Prognosis in Heart Failure
THURSDAY, Aug. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Pupil area is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and readmission due to heart failure, according to a study published online Aug. 10 in the European Journal of Heart Failure.
Burnout Less Likely for Doctors in Minority Race/Ethnic Groups
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Compared with non-Hispanic White physicians, physicians in minority racial/ethnic groups are less likely to report burnout, according to a study published online Aug. 7 in JAMA Network Open.
Bacterial Infections Increase Coronary Heart Disease Risk in T1DM
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Bacterial infections are associated with an increased risk for incident coronary heart disease (CHD) in individuals with type 1 diabetes, according to a study published online Aug. 4 in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
Guidelines Detail How to Manage Aneurysms of Visceral Arteries
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, issued by the Society for Vascular Surgery and published in a supplement to the July issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery, recommendations are presented for the care and treatment of aneurysms of the visceral arteries.
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Self-Reported Biotin Use Increased From 1999 to 2016
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) — From 1999 to 2016, the prevalence of self-reported biotin supplement use increased, especially among women and older adults, according to a research letter published in the Aug. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Preventable Hospitalizations Up Among Those With Dementia
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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