Low- and high-dose aspirin achieve similar protection, safety for those with heart disease

New research has shown that people with type 1 diabetes may have features of premature heart disease induced by the condition often before they even get their diagnosis. Early markers for this heart disease could be used to ensure patients get targeted therapies as soon as they are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes to slow down or even halt cardiovascular problems. The findings, published in Stem Cell Research and Therapy, show that tiny pieces of genetic material, called miR-424-5p, increased in early stages of heart disease - these could be targeted to help reduce inflammation in order to compensate for elevated risk. Early heart disease Dr Jolanta Weaver, from Newcastle University's Faculty of Medical Sciences, UK, ...

There's been a breakthrough in the case of the missing planets. While planet-hunting missions have discovered thousands of worlds orbiting distant stars, there's a severe scarcity of exoplanets that measure between 1.5 and two times Earth's radius. That's the middle ground between rocky super-Earths and larger, gas-shrouded planets called mini-Neptunes. Since discovering this 'radius gap' in 2017, scientists have been sleuthing out why there are so few midsize heavenly bodies. The new clue arose from a fresh way of looking at the data. A team of researchers led by the Flatiron Institute's Trevor David investigated whether the radius gap changes as planets age. They divvied up exoplanets into two groups -- young and old -- and reassessed the gap. The ...

The blood thinner apixaban was not superior to standard of care following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), according to findings from a new trial called ATLANTIS presented at the American College of Cardiology's 70th Annual Scientific Session. Researchers found that while apixaban reduced the formation of blood clots (thrombosis) around the implanted valve with no increased bleeding risk, a subset of patients taking apixaban who did not have an indication for anticoagulation apart from the TAVR procedure showed a tendency toward a higher rate of non-cardiovascular death--a ...

Transcatheter left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) with a WATCHMAN device was associated with a low rate of stroke at one year even among older patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) who faced a high risk for stroke or bleeding based on their previous health history, according to new data presented at the American College of Cardiology's 70th Annual Scientific Session. The WATCHMAN device, which blocks a small portion of the heart to help reduce the risk of a dangerous clot forming, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2015. The device is used to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with AFib, a heart rhythm disorder, that is not caused by problems with the heart valve. ...

Patients with an elevated risk of stroke due to heart rhythm problems, or atrial fibrillation (AFib), were much less likely to suffer a stroke after undergoing heart surgery if doctors concurrently performed an additional procedure, called left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO), according to the results of a trial presented at the American College of Cardiology's 70th Annual Scientific Session. AFib increases a person's risk of stroke or systemic embolism, which are life-threatening conditions caused by blood clots blocking an artery. It has been hypothesized that the blood clots that cause these conditions often originate in the left atrial appendage, a small sac on the upper left chamber of the heart. LAAO is a procedure to ...

The heart failure drug sacubitril/valsartan did not significantly reduce the rate of heart failure or cardiovascular death following a heart attack compared to ramipril, an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor proven effective in improving survival following heart attacks. Findings from the PARADISE-MI trial were presented at the American College of Cardiology's 70th Annual Scientific Session. The study is the first large trial to examine whether sacubitril/valsartan can reduce heart failure and associated hospitalizations and deaths in patients post-heart attack who face a high risk of developing heart failure. Patients taking sacubitril/valsartan were about 10% less likely than those ...

Researchers found no significant differences in cardiovascular events or major bleeding in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease who were taking 81 milligrams (mg), also called baby aspirin, versus 325 mg of daily aspirin, according to new data presented at the American College of Cardiology's 70th Annual Scientific Session. Aspirin is the most common medication for people with established cardiovascular disease--for example, those who have had a heart attack, a stent placed or bypass surgery--to help prevent another heart attack, stroke or premature death. But despite aspirin's proven and widespread use, there has been no evidence as to whether low-dose aspirin (81 mg) or regular-strength (325 mg) aspirin is ...

Two months after undergoing renal denervation (RDN), patients with high blood pressure who did not respond to treatment with multiple medications had a greater reduction in daytime systolic blood pressure than patients who did not receive RDN, with no difference in major adverse effects, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 70th Annual Scientific Session. Patients who received RDN--a procedure that delivers energy to overactive nerves in the kidneys to decrease their activity--saw a median reduction of 8 mmHg in their daytime ambulatory systolic blood ...

The coronavirus pandemic has upended nearly every aspect of everyday life and continues to have devastating effects worldwide. It has also taken a significant toll on cardiovascular clinicians, many of whom provide direct care to patients with COVID-19, according to results of a new survey presented at the American College of Cardiology's 70th Annual Scientific Session. Among those surveyed, burnout increased from 20% to 38% during the peak of the pandemic. Rates of burnout pre- and peak COVID-19 increased across all members of the cardiology team and was particularly striking among cardiovascular team members, ...

Clopidogrel outperformed aspirin in what is believed to be the first and largest randomized trial to compare the effectiveness of the two antiplatelet drugs as long-term maintenance therapy for patients who had no adverse events after one year of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) following the insertion of a coronary stent. After two years of follow-up, chronic maintenance therapy with clopidogrel resulted in a 30% reduction in deaths, heart attacks, strokes or major bleeding events, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 70th Annual Scientific Session. "These data ...