By Beth Gilbert HealthDay Reporter
The annual meeting of the American Heart Association was held this year from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago, drawing attendees from around the world, including cardiovascular specialists, surgeons, and nurses as well as other health care professionals. The conference featured presentations focusing on the latest advances in cardiovascular medicine and surgery.
In one study, Lucas X. Marinacci, M.D., of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and colleagues found that cardiovascular mortality increased among rural areas and decreased among urban areas between 2010 and 2022, leading to a widening of rural-urban disparities in cardiovascular death rates.
Pulling information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WONDER database, national mortality data for more than 11 million adults between 2010 and 2022 were evaluated.
The researchers observed an increase in cardiovascular mortality nationwide after the pandemic, which disproportionately impacted rural areas. In addition, there was notably a concerning rise in cardiovascular mortality among younger (25 to 64 years) rural adults before the pandemic that then accelerated in its wake. Furthermore, differences in poverty, education, and insurance coverage accounted for a substantial portion of rural-urban differences in cardiovascular mortality as of 2022.
“One key takeaway is that targeted policy efforts are needed to address rising cardiovascular mortality in rural areas, especially among younger age groups,” Marinacci said. “This can include initiatives to increase insurance coverage, such as by expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act in states that have yet to do so; improving health care access, such as by preventing hospital closures; bolstering the rural health care workforce and expanding telemedicine reimbursement; addressing the surge in severe obesity and its downstream cardiometabolic consequences through concerted public health campaigns; and, finally, addressing the underlying socioeconomic determinants of health — including educational attainment and poverty — that are strongly linked to adverse cardiovascular outcomes.”
In another study, M. Ali Sheffeh, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues found that patients with a previous stroke who are prescribed either a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist or a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor have a reduced risk for a heart attack, second stroke, and death.
The authors conducted a retrospective study between 2000 and 2022 and included all patients who had a stroke in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The effect of using these two different diabetes medications (SGLT2i and GLP-1 RA) on the risk for death or having a future heart attack or another stroke was then evaluated. The researchers discovered that patients who took one of these medications had a lower risk for death or experiencing a heart attack or another stroke.
“Our findings won’t change the current clinical practice; however, they represent an important step toward further evaluating the benefits of these medications in diverse patient populations,” Sheffeh said.
One author disclosed financial ties to WizeCare, Novo Nordisk, and Kento Health.
As part of the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) study, Zhen Zhou, Ph.D., of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues found that individuals with more pronounced year-to-year fluctuations in cholesterol levels have an increased risk for cognitive decline.
The investigators evaluated in-trial and posttrial data for participants enrolled in the ASPREE study and found that individuals with greater year-to-year fluctuations in cholesterol levels had a higher risk for developing dementia and cognitive decline. As such, patients with substantial cholesterol fluctuations over years unrelated to medication use may warrant closer monitoring of dementia risk and other health conditions associated with increased dementia risk. In contrast, no correlation was observed between average blood cholesterol levels over the lipid measurement period and subsequent dementia risk.
“These findings underscore the importance of monitoring cholesterol level variation as a potential predictor of dementia risk, rather than solely relying on a one-off cholesterol measurement,” Zhou said.
Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
AHA: Variation Seen in Rates of SGLT2i Rx for Heart Failure, LVEF >40 Percent
TUESDAY, Nov. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) — From 2021 to 2023, there was an increase in prescription rates of a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor for patients with heart failure and a left ventricular ejection fraction greater than 40 percent, according to a study published online Nov. 18 in JAMA Cardiology to coincide with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.
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AHA: Bumetanide Nasal Spray Statistically Bioequivalent to Oral Bumetanide
MONDAY, Nov. 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Bumetanide nasal spray has statistical bioequivalence to oral bumetanide, according to a research letter published online Nov. 18 in Circulation to coincide with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.
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AHA: Muvalaplin Reduces Lipoprotein(a) Levels in Individuals With Cardiovascular Risk
MONDAY, Nov. 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Muvalaplin reduces lipoprotein(a) levels, according to a study published online Nov. 20 in the Journal of the American Medical Association to coincide with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.
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AHA: Initial Catheter Ablation Beneficial for Ventricular Tachycardia
FRIDAY, Nov. 22, 2024 (HealthDay News) — An initial strategy of catheter ablation leads to a lower risk for a composite primary end point than antiarrhythmic drug therapy among patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and ventricular tachycardia, according to a study published online Nov. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.
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AHA: Tirzepatide Beneficial for Heart Failure With Preserved EF, Obesity
FRIDAY, Nov. 22, 2024 (HealthDay News) — For patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, tirzepatide yields a reduced risk for a composite of death from cardiovascular causes or worsening heart failure, according to a study published online Nov. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.
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AHA: Half of U.S. Adults Are Eligible for Treatment With Semaglutide
FRIDAY, Nov. 22, 2024 (HealthDay News) — More than half of all U.S. adults are eligible for semaglutide therapy, according to a research letter published online Nov. 18 in JAMA Cardiology to coincide with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.
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AHA: Intensive Strategy for Lowering Systolic BP Beneficial in Type 2 Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 20, 2024 (HealthDay News) — For patients with type 2 diabetes and elevated systolic blood pressure, an intensive-treatment strategy is better than a standard-treatment strategy for incidence of major cardiovascular disease events, according to a study published online Nov. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.
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AHA: Rising Outdoor Temperatures Tied to Higher Risk for Atrial Fibrillation
MONDAY, Nov. 18, 2024 (HealthDay News) — There is a dose-response relationship between rising outdoor temperatures and increased atrial fibrillation events, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.
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AHA: AI Analysis of Images, Videos Can ID Early Hypertension, Diabetes
MONDAY, Nov. 18, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Machine learning analysis of photo and video data demonstrates a promising way to noninvasively detect early hypertension and diabetes, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.
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AHA: Rural-Urban Disparities Persist in Cardiovascular Mortality
FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Between 2010 and 2022, cardiovascular mortality increased in rural areas and decreased in urban areas, according to a study scheduled for presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.
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AHA: More Moderate-to-Vigorous Exercise Tied to Lower Risk for A-Fib
THURSDAY, Nov. 14, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Higher amounts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity are inversely associated with a lower risk for incident atrial fibrillation, according to a study scheduled for presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.
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AHA: Obesity-Linked Ischemic Heart Disease Mortality Increasing in U.S.
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 13, 2024 (HealthDay News) — In the United States, obesity-related ischemic heart disease mortality is increasing, with the highest rates seen among men, Blacks, and those in the Midwest, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.
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AHA: GLP-1 RA, SGLT-2i Use Can Lower Risk for MI, Recurrent Stroke in Stroke Survivors
TUESDAY, Nov. 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) — For patients with ischemic stroke, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists are associated with reduced mortality, myocardial infarction, and recurrent stroke, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2024, held from Nov. 16 to 18 in Chicago.
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