CHD

Statin-Exercise Combo Lowers Mortality Risk

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Patients who took statins and were physically fit had as much as a 70% reduction in the risk of dying during the follow-up period as compared with the least physically fit patients who were taking statins, according to Peter Kokkinos, PhD, of George Washington University in Washington, and colleagues.

Physical fitness also had an independent effect on mortality risk among patients who were not taking statins, reducing the likelihood of death during follow-up by as much as 47%, they reported online in The Lancet.

via Statin-Exercise Combo Lowers Mortality Risk.

I really need to get the gym more often.

Afib Linked to Sudden Cardiac Death

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Atrial fibrillation may raise the risk of sudden cardiac death, according to findings from two large population-based cohorts.

The risk of sudden cardiac death was elevated 3.26-fold with incident atrial fibrillation in multivariate analysis of the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study, Lin Y. Chen, MD, MS, of the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, and colleagues found.

via Afib Linked to Sudden Cardiac Death, Too.

St. Jude Medical Riata Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator ICD Leads – Premature Insulation Failure

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ISSUE: The Food and Drug Administration FDA is providing information and recommendations regarding safety concerns with the recalled Riata leads. These leads have an increased risk of premature insulation failure that can impact the lead’s ability to function properly.

 

According to St. Jude Medical, as of 2011, approximately 79,000 Riata leads remained implanted in patients in the United States.

via Safety Alerts for Human Medical Products > St. Jude Medical Riata Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator ICD Leads: Safety Communication – Premature Insulation Failure.

Bear this in mind when you’re underwriting pacemaker cases.

Health Toll of Fast Food Spreads Eastward

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Eating Western-style fast food on a regular basis significantly increased the risk of diabetes and coronary heart disease in a large Asian cohort, investigators reported.

The diabetes odds increased by 27% and CHD risk by 56% among Singapore residents who ate fast food at least twice a week.

The results changed little with overall dietary pattern, energy intake, or body mass index (BMI), as reported online in Circulation.

via Medical News: Health Toll of Fast Food Spreads Eastward – in Cardiovascular, Atherosclerosis from MedPage Today.

Six Minute Walk Test May Help Predict Cardio Risk

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The 6-minute walk test may improve cardiovascular risk prediction in patients with stable coronary heart disease, researchers found.

Even after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors and measures of cardiac disease severity, each standard deviation decrease in walk distance was associated with a 30% greater risk of MI, heart failure, or death (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.53), according to Alexis Beatty, MD, of the University of California San Francisco, and colleagues.

via Medical News: Walk Test May Help Predict Cardio Risk – in Cardiovascular, Atherosclerosis from MedPage Today.

New underwriting requirement for applicants with known heart disease.  Take a walk.

Kidney Disease = Possible Risk for MI

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In a large cohort study, patients with only CKD had a significantly higher rate of myocardial infarction (MI) than those who only had diabetes (5.4 versus 6.9 per 1,000 person-years, P

Those who’d already had an MI had the highest overall rate of MI (18.5 per 1,000 person-years), they reported online in The Lancet.

via Medical News: Kidney Disease May Point to Risk for MI – in Cardiovascular, Myocardial Infarction from MedPage Today.

Earlier LDL Focus Could Be Beneficial/Stains Alter Predictive Value of LDL

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Medical News:%20ACC: Earlier LDL Focus Could Be Beneficial – in Meeting Coverage, ACC from MedPage Today.

Taking steps to maintain a low level of LDL cholesterol from very early in life will likely have substantial benefits in preventing coronary heart disease.

Medical News:%20Statins Alter Predictive Value of LDL – in Cardiovascular, Dyslipidemia from MedPage Today.

  • Among patients taking statins, on-treatment levels of non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol may be best for predicting future cardiovascular events, according to a meta-analysis.
  • The study suggests that non-HDL cholesterol may be a more appropriate target for statin therapy than LDL cholesterol.