Home Cardiology March 2016 Briefing – Cardiology

March 2016 Briefing – Cardiology

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Cardiology for March 2016. 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.

Early Menopause Estradiol Tx Cuts Atherosclerosis Advance

THURSDAY, March 31, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Oral estradiol therapy is associated with less progression of subclinical atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women when therapy is initiated early in menopause, according to a study published in the March 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Guidelines Updated on Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Tx in CAD

THURSDAY, March 31, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines has updated the recommendations regarding duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The updated practice guideline was published online March 29 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Gene Transfer Explored As Way to Up LV Function in Heart Failure

WEDNESDAY, March 30, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Intracoronary delivery of adenovirus 5 encoding adenylyl cyclase 6 (Ad5.hAC6) is safe for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (EF), according to a study published online March 30 in JAMA Cardiology.

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Improper Prescribing Common at Hospital Discharge of Seniors

WEDNESDAY, March 30, 2016 (HealthDay News) — More than one in three older adults are given at least one potentially inappropriate prescription (PIP) at the time of hospital discharge, according to a study published March 21 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.

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Tool Guides Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After PCI

WEDNESDAY, March 30, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A new prediction rule may inform which patients will see a benefit or harm from dual antiplatelet therapy beyond one year after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), according to a study published online March 29 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Endometriosis Tied to Elevated Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

TUESDAY, March 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis is associated with increased subsequent risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), according to a study published online March 29 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

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AHA Issues Advisory on Wearable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Tx

TUESDAY, March 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Recommendations for use of wearable cardioverter-defibrillators (WCDs) are presented in a scientific statement issued by the American Heart Association and published online March 28 in Circulation.

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AMA Addresses Elements of Team-Based Care Model

TUESDAY, March 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The elements of a team-based care model are described in a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).

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Blood Pressure Targets Relevant for Children, Teens

TUESDAY, March 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Prehypertension and hypertension in children and adolescents are associated with cardiovascular target organ damage and set the trajectory for early adulthood high blood pressure (BP), according to an editorial published online March 28 in Hypertension.

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CDC: Tips Anti-Smoking Ad Campaign Still Having Impact

MONDAY, March 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Three years into the campaign, ads targeting smoking are still having a significant impact, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Morning Home Blood Pressure Predicts Stroke, CAD Events

MONDAY, March 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Morning home blood pressure (HBP) is a robust predictor of stroke and coronary artery disease (CAD) events, according to research published in the April 5 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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How Can We Fix the Wage Gap Among Female Physicians?

MONDAY, March 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Women doctors can address the gender wage disparity by understanding the reasons why they earn less, according to a report published in Medical Economics.

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2011 Criteria Facilitate Diagnosis of Long QT Syndrome

MONDAY, March 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The 2011 criteria improve diagnosis of long QT syndrome (LQTS), according to a study published online March 23 in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.

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Growth Differentiation Factor 15 Levels Linked to CAD

FRIDAY, March 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Serum growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) levels are associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a study published online March 21 in Cardiovascular Therapeutics.

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Atrial Natriuretic Peptide IDs Left Atrial Reverse Remodeling

FRIDAY, March 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Preprocedural serum atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels predict left atrial reverse remodeling after catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study published online March 23 in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.

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Distinct Demographics for Persistent A-Fib From Onset

THURSDAY, March 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) from the onset (PsAFonset) have distinct demographics and poorer clinical outcome, according to a study published online March 23 in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.

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Incretin-Based Drugs Don’t Up Heart Failure Hospitalization Risk

THURSDAY, March 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Incretin-based drugs are not associated with increased risk of hospitalization for heart failure, according to a study published in the March 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Geographic Variation in Heart Disease Mortality Over Time

THURSDAY, March 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — From 1973-1974 to 2009-2010 there were changes in the geographic patterns of heart disease mortality, according to a study published in the March 22 issue of Circulation.

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SSRIs Do Not Appear to Increase Cardiovascular Risk

WEDNESDAY, March 23, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) don’t appear to raise cardiovascular risk among young and middle-age patients, according to research published online March 22 in The BMJ.

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PCSK9 Monoclonal Antibodies Show Promise in ACS

WEDNESDAY, March 23, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) monoclonal antibodies may represent a promising treatment option for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), according to a review published online March 22 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Review Questions Influence of Alcohol Consumption on Life Span

TUESDAY, March 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Moderate alcohol consumption may not provide a survival benefit compared to abstaining, according to a new review published in the March issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

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Stress Management Could Help Optimize Cardiac Rehab

TUESDAY, March 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The addition of stress management training can make cardiac rehabilitation programs more effective, according to a study published online March 21 in Circulation.

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FDA: Most Powdered Medical Gloves Should Be Banned in U.S.

MONDAY, March 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants to ban most powdered medical gloves, saying they pose serious health risks to patients and health care providers alike.

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Worse Prognosis for Heart Failure Patients With Low Osmolality

MONDAY, March 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, low osmolality at discharge is associated with worse all-cause mortality and readmission, according to research published in the April 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

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Genotype Doesn’t Predict A-Fib in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

MONDAY, March 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC), genotype does not predict onset or severity of atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study published in the April 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

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Case Before Supreme Court May Expose Doctors to Large Fines

FRIDAY, March 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A case before a state supreme court could potentially expose physicians to large fines based on a legal technicality relating to what they should have known, rather than what they knew, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).

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Ten-Fold Variation in Cost of CABG Across Hospitals

THURSDAY, March 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The price of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) varies widely across U.S. hospitals, according to a study published in the April 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

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Significant Changes in Liver Blood Flow With Prone Positioning

THURSDAY, March 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Prone positioning is associated with significant changes in hepatocellular function and cardiac output in healthy volunteers, according to research published online March 7 in Anaesthesia.

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SCD Accounts for >30 Percent of CV Deaths After NSTE ACS

THURSDAY, March 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for more than 30 percent of cardiovascular deaths after non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE ACS), according to research published online March 16 in JAMA Cardiology.

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Spending on Prescription Meds Up About 5 Percent in 2015

THURSDAY, March 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Spending on prescription medications for insured Americans increased about 5 percent in 2015, with the increase half of that seen in 2014, the Associated Press reported.

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Many A-Fib Patients Missing Out on Recommended Anticoagulation

WEDNESDAY, March 16, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Fewer than half of atrial fibrillation patients at highest risk for stroke are prescribed recommended anticoagulation, according to research published online March 16 in JAMA Cardiology.

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FDA Safety Announcement Affected Bisphosphonate Use

WEDNESDAY, March 16, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A U.S. Food and Drug Administration safety announcement relating to atrial fibrillation risk associated with bisphosphonates correlated with a reduction in bisphosphonate use, according to a study published online March 11 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

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Disruptive Patients Distract Docs, May Receive Compromised Care

WEDNESDAY, March 16, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Disruptive patients may get worse care from physicians, according to a study published online March 7 in BMJ Quality & Safety. The findings aren’t definitive because the researchers tested how physicians responded in fictional vignettes, instead of real-life encounters. Still, the results suggest that such patients distract physicians from doing their jobs.

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Distal Symmetric Polyneuropathy Linked to MetS Components

WEDNESDAY, March 16, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP) prevalence increases with an increasing number of components of metabolic syndrome, according to a study published online March 10 in Diabetes Care.

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Incident A-Fib Linked to Shorter Disability-Free Survival

TUESDAY, March 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For older adults, incident atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with shorter disability-free survival, according to a study published online March 1 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

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Inhaled Xenon May Cut White Matter Damage in Cardiac Arrest

TUESDAY, March 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For comatose survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, inhaled xenon combined with hypothermia is associated with less white matter damage, as measured by fractional anisotropy on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), according to a study published in the March 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Mayo Clinic Has Established Model to Help Battle Burnout

TUESDAY, March 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — In an effort to reduce burnout among physicians, the Mayo Clinic is initiating a model to raise camaraderie and increase collaboration, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).

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PA32540 Safe for Patients at Risk of Aspirin-Linked Upper GI Events

TUESDAY, March 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For subjects at risk of aspirin-associated upper gastrointestinal (UGI) events, long-term PA32540 (enteric-coated aspirin 325 mg and immediate-release omeprazole 40 mg) appears to be safe, according to a study published in the April issue of Cardiovascular Therapeutics.

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Familial Hypercholesterolemia More Common Than Thought

TUESDAY, March 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Familial hypercholesterolemia affects about one in every 250 American men and women and significantly increases their risk for an early heart attack, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Circulation.

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Abruptly Quitting Appears to Work Best for Smoking Cessation

TUESDAY, March 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Quitting cigarettes “cold turkey” beats a more gradual approach, according to research published online March 15 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Guidance Offered for Negotiating Higher Rates From Payers

MONDAY, March 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Negotiations to increase payment from insurance companies can be extremely difficult, although it is possible to get a payment increase, according to a report published in Medical Economics.

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Practicing Tai Chi Could Improve Cardiovascular Health

MONDAY, March 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Tai chi and other traditional Chinese exercises may benefit patients with cardiovascular disease, according to a review published online March 9 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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HIIT May Be Most Effective Exercise Method for Obese Youth

MONDAY, March 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For obese youth, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) appears to be more effective for improving blood pressure and aerobic capacity than other forms of exercise, according to a meta-analysis published online March 7 in Obesity Reviews.

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E-Consultations Can Improve Access to, Timeliness of Care

MONDAY, March 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Electronic consultation (e-consultation), an asynchronous, non-face-to-face consultation between a primary care physician and a specialist, can improve access to care and reduce wait times, according to a study published in the March/April issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

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Five Strategies Employed to Help Promote Behavior Change

FRIDAY, March 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Five key strategies are employed by clinicians to help promote patient behavior change, according to a study published in the March/April issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

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Predictive Model Developed for In-Hospital Mortality in TAVR

THURSDAY, March 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A predictive model has been developed and validated for in-hospital mortality among patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR); the findings were published online March 9 in JAMA Cardiology.

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Warfarin’s Intracranial Bleed Risk Higher Than Previously Reported

THURSDAY, March 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Warfarin treatment for patients with atrial fibrillation may raise the risk of traumatic intracranial bleeding by more than previously reported, according to a study published online March 9 in JAMA Cardiology.

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Physicians’ Contracts Can Affect Patients, Professionalism

WEDNESDAY, March 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Problematic clauses in physicians’ contracts can impact patient care and professionalism, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online March 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Adventitial Cystic Disease Mimics Deep Venous Thrombosis

WEDNESDAY, March 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Adventitial cystic disease of the common femoral vein can be mistaken for deep venous thrombosis, according to a case report published online March 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Slow Gait After Acute MI Linked to Mortality, Readmission

TUESDAY, March 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — At one month after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), many older adults have slow gait, which is associated with increased risk of death or readmission at one year, according to a study published online March 1 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

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Opportunities for Healthy Diet, Exercise Influence Behaviors

TUESDAY, March 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Practical opportunities for healthy diet and activity are associated with intentions, achieved behaviors, and body mass index (BMI), according to a study published in the March/April issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

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Body Fat May Be Bigger Health Danger Than Body Size

TUESDAY, March 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Body mass index (BMI) may not accurately reflect a person’s body composition, or be a good indicator of health, according to research published online March 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Multiple Plaque Ruptures, Larger Cavities for IPST in PCI

MONDAY, March 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Multiple plaque ruptures with larger cavities are seen more often in patients with intraprocedural stent thrombosis (IPST) during percutaneous coronary intervention, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

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More Chest Pain for Women Undergoing PCI With DES

FRIDAY, March 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Women undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with new generation drug-eluting stents (DES) have a higher prevalence of clinically relevant chest pain, according to a study published online March 2 in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

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Mutations in ANGPTL4 Linked to Coronary Artery Disease

THURSDAY, March 3, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Mutations in the angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) gene are associated with coronary artery disease, according to two studies published online March 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Annual Visit Rate for Obesity Is 49 Visits Per 1,000 Persons

THURSDAY, March 3, 2016 (HealthDay News) — In 2012 there were 11 million visits to health care providers for obesity, with variation in visit rates by age and sex, according to a March data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

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Recurrence Risk Estimator Valid for Acute Ischemic Stroke

THURSDAY, March 3, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The Recurrence Risk Estimator (RRE) score is valid for identifying the risk of recurrence in patients with acute ischemic stroke, according to a study published online Feb. 29 in JAMA Neurology.

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SCOTUS: States Can’t Force Health Care Data Release

WEDNESDAY, March 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The Supreme Court has ruled against state efforts to collect health care data from insurance plans.

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Spouse Education Level May Impact Choice for Rural Practice

WEDNESDAY, March 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Physicians who are married to a highly-educated spouse are less likely to work in rural underserved areas, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Dementia Incidence Higher Than CHD in Very Elderly

TUESDAY, March 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For adults aged 80 years or older, the incidence of dementia is greater than that of coronary heart disease (CHD), according to a study published in the March 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Uric Acid Levels Low in Teens With Type 1 Diabetes

TUESDAY, March 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Plasma uric acid (PUA) levels are significantly lower in adolescent patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) than in healthy control subjects, and there does not appear to be a link between PUA levels and cardiorenal abnormalities in these patients, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in Diabetes Care.

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High Levels of Exercise May Be Cardiotoxic

TUESDAY, March 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Emerging evidence suggests that there may be some cardiotoxicity associated with exercise, according to a review published online Feb. 24 in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.

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IVCF Use Up in Older Patients With Pulmonary Embolism

TUESDAY, March 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The use of inferior vena caval filters (IVCFs) for pulmonary embolism (PE) increased from 1999 through 2010, according to research published in the March 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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AAN: Stroke Risk Up With Daylight Saving Transitions

TUESDAY, March 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The transition to daylight saving time (DST) is associated with a transient increase in the risk of ischemic stroke, according to a study scheduled for presentation at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, to be held from April 15 to 21 in Vancouver, Canada.

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