Home Cardiology September 2018 Briefing – Cardiology

September 2018 Briefing – Cardiology

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Cardiology for September 2018. 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.

Increased Cardiovascular Risk for Diclofenac Initiators

FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Diclofenac initiators have increased cardiovascular risk compared with non-initiators, according to a study published online Sept. 4 in The BMJ.

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Handheld Device Inspired by Star Trek May Allow Rapid Diagnosis

FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A device inspired by the Star Trek famous tricorder device pairs a handheld sensor with a smartphone app to measure the levels of various metabolites associated with multiple diseases in fluid samples from patients, according to a report published in an upcoming issue of Biosensors and Bioelectronics.

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Physicians Often Don’t Address Their Burnout

FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) — More than half of physicians experience burnout, and many do not seek treatment for burnout, according to a report published in the American Medical Association’s AMA Wire.

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Implementing EMRs Affects Time Spent With Patients in Clinic

FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Following a six-month learning period to implement an electronic medical record (EMR) system, outpatient orthopedic clinics return to pre-implementation efficiency, but there may be other lasting effects on productivity, according to a study published in the Sept. 19 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

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Cardioverter-Defibrillator Vests Do Not Cut Sudden Death Post MI

FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Wearing a cardioverter-defibrillator does not reduce arrhythmic death in patients with acute myocardial infarction and an ejection fraction of 35 percent or less, according to a study published in the Sept. 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Strategies to Cut Cardiovascular Risk Factors Show Mixed Results

FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors remain prevalent despite known, proven strategies to reduce risk, according to research published in the Sept. 7 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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Business Degree Increasingly Useful for Doctors

THURSDAY, Sept. 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Having a Master of Business Administration degree (M.B.A.) can help doctors with important, practice-related decisions, according to a report published recently in Physician Practice.

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Guidelines Updated for Adult Congenital Heart Disease

THURSDAY, Sept. 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Updated guidelines have been developed for management of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD), according to a report published online Aug. 16 in Circulation.

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Practices Should Set Rules for Staff Social Media Use

THURSDAY, Sept. 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Medical practices can take steps to avoid problems related to use of social media by staff members, according to an article published in Medical Economics.

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Time to Defib Not Linked to Survival in Pediatric IHCA

THURSDAY, Sept. 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For pediatric patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA), time to first defibrillation attempt is not associated with survival, according to a study published online Sept. 21 in JAMA Network Open.

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Burnout, Career Choice Regret Prevalent in U.S. Residents

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Symptoms of burnout and career choice regret are prevalent among U.S. resident physicians, according to a study published in the Sept. 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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PCI, CABG Both Acceptable for CKD Patients With LMCAD

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For patients with left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD), those with and without chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing revascularization have similar long-term outcomes with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), according to a study published in the Aug. 14 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Policies Should Encourage Healthy Food Consumption

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Diet is an important component that impacts cardiovascular risk, and policies should be implemented to improve dietary composition, according to an article published in the Aug. 21 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Enlarged Kidneys in Neonates With Congenital Heart Disease

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Neonates with congenital heart disease (CHD) have enlarged kidneys on average, according to a study published online Sept. 11 in Pediatric Research.

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Many Countries Failing on Non-Communicable Dz Death Targets

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Many countries are falling short on targets to reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), according to a study published in the Sept. 22 issue of The Lancet.

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Lorcaserin Facilitates Weight Loss in Overweight, Obese

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Lorcaserin facilitates sustained weight loss without increasing the rate of major cardiovascular events among overweight or obese patients, according to a study published in the Sept. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Lack of CHD4 Leads to Abnormal Myofibrils, Heart Defects

TUESDAY, Sept. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The absence of CHD4 in heart cells results in inappropriate production of non-cardiac muscle proteins, which subsequently leads to heart defects, according to an animal study published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Physician-Group ACOs Generate Medicare Savings

TUESDAY, Sept. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Physician-group accountable care organizations (ACOs) participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) generated significantly more savings for Medicare that grew from 2012 to 2015 compared with hospital-integrated ACOs, according to research published in the Sept. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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In 2016, Proportion of Uninsured Americans Down to 10 Percent

TUESDAY, Sept. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — From 2013 to 2016 there was a reduction in uninsurance among Americans from 17 to 10 percent, according to a report published in September by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Urban Institute.

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Total Diabetes at 14 Percent in U.S. Adults for 2013-2016

TUESDAY, Sept. 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of diabetes was 14.0 percent among U.S. adults in 2013 to 2016, with prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes 4.3 percent, according to a September data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.

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New Risk Factors Identified for Varicose Vein Disease

MONDAY, Sept. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — New risk factors have been identified for varicose vein disease, including height, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in Circulation.

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Net Benefit of Anticoagulants for A-Fib Varies With Stroke Rate

MONDAY, Sept. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — There is variation in the net clinical benefit of anticoagulants based on variation in published atrial fibrillation (AF) stroke rates, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Heart Failure Patients Enrolled in Hospice Use Less Health Care

MONDAY, Sept. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Patients with advanced heart failure enrolled in hospice have fewer emergency department visits, hospital days, and intensive care unit (ICU) stays, according to a study published in the September issue of JACC: Heart Failure.

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Some Clinicians, Patients Record Clinic Visits for Patient Use

FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A considerable proportion of clinicians and patients report having recorded a clinic visit for the patient’s personal use, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

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Mortality Rate From Heart Failure Higher in Women Than Men

FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Despite decreases in overall heart failure incidence and mortality in ambulatory patients from 2009 to 2014, mortality rates remain higher in women than in men, according to a study recently published in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.

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Dozens of Medical Groups Join Forces to Improve Diagnoses

FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Every nine minutes, a patient in a U.S. hospital dies because a diagnosis was wrong or delayed — resulting in 80,000 deaths a year. That sobering estimate comes from the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM).

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Study Provides Estimates of U.S. Prevalence of Type 1, 2 Diabetes

THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is 0.5 and 8.5 percent, respectively, among U.S. adults, according to a study published online Sept. 4 in The BMJ.

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Research Links Doctor Burnout to Patient Safety Incidents

THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Physician burnout is associated with increased risk of patient safety incidents, poorer quality of care due to low professionalism, and reduced patient satisfaction, according to a review published online Sept. 4 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Allopurinol Dose Escalation for Gout Doesn’t Improve Mortality

THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Allopurinol dose escalation is not associated with reductions in mortality risk among patients with gout, according to a study published in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.

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Cardiac Monitoring Needed for High-Risk Breast Cancer Patients

THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Risk of cardiotoxicity is higher for patients receiving trastuzumab and/or anthracyclines for the treatment of breast cancer, according to a study published in the Aug. 1 issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

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Hospitals Charge 479 Percent of Cost of Drugs on Average

THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — On average, hospitals mark up drugs by 479 percent of their cost, according to a report from The Moran Company, commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

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Statins Improve Long-Term Survival After AAA Repair

THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Preoperative statin therapy is associated with higher long-term survival following abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery.

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Residents Should Take Advantage of Paid Time Off

THURSDAY, Sept. 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Although there are many demands on residents, taking advantage of paid vacation time is one of the perks and should be maximized, according to an article published in the American Medical Association’s AMA Wire.

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No Clear Benefit for Rivaroxaban After Hospital Discharge

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Rivaroxaban does not lower risk of symptomatic venous thromboembolism and related death in medical patients after hospital discharge, compared to placebo, according to a study published in the Sept. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Global Prevalence of Insufficient Activity 27.5 Percent

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — In 2016 the age-standardized prevalence of insufficient physical activity was 27.5 percent, according to a study published in the October issue of The Lancet Global Health.

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HTN Tx Intensification Common Upon Discharge in U.S. Vets

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Fourteen percent of older adults hospitalized with non-cardiac conditions are discharged with intensified antihypertensive treatment, of whom more than half had previously well-controlled outpatient blood pressure, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in The BMJ.

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Cardiac MR With Contrast Feasible in Developing World

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with contrast protocol is feasible for implementation in the developing world and can impact management, according to a study published in the Sept. 4 issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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EPA Plan Will Maintain Carbon Emissions From Power Plants

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has formally released its proposal to replace the Clean Power Plan with the Affordable Clean Energy Rule, which will keep carbon emissions from power plants constant, according to a report published by the American Thoracic Society.

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20% of Children, Adolescents Use Prescription Medications

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Almost 20 percent of children and adolescents used prescription medications in 2013 to 2014, and 8.2 percent of concurrent users of prescription medications in 2009 to 2014 were at risk for a potentially major drug-drug interactions (DDIs), according to a study published in the September issue of Pediatrics.

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Patient Health Information Often Shared Electronically

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The most common electronically sent and received types of patient health information (PHI) include laboratory results and medication lists, according to a report published Aug. 15 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.

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Tafamidis Treats Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy

TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — In patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, treatment with tafamidis reduces all-cause mortality and cardiovascular-related hospitalizations versus placebo, according to a study published in the Sept. 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Scribes Improve Physician Workflow, Patient Interaction

TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Use of medical scribes is associated with decreased physician documentation burden, improved work efficiency, and improved patient interactions, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Drug Prices Increase More Than Expected After Shortages

TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Prices for drugs under shortage increase more than twice as quickly as expected in the absence of a shortage, according to a research letter published online Sept. 18 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Compliance With Requirement to Report Results on EUCTR Is Poor

TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Half of trials on the European Union Clinical Trials Register (EUCTR) are non-compliant with the European Commission’s requirement that all trials post results to the registry within 12 month of completion, according to a study published online Sept. 13 in The BMJ.

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Tips for Advising Patients Living in Highly Polluted Settings

TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Clinicians advising families living overseas in highly polluted settings should understand their patients’ concerns and have a network of resources to draw upon for guidance, according to an article published in the Aug. 1 issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

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Ranolazine Doesn’t Cut VT, VF, Death in High-Risk ICD Patients

TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For high-risk patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), ranolazine does not significantly reduce the risk of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) requiring appropriate ICD therapy, or death, according to a study published in the Aug. 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Proportion of Female Authors Rising in Cardiology Literature

MONDAY, Sept. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Over the last two decades, the proportion of women in the first and senior authorship positions has increased in academic cardiology literature, according to an article published in the Aug. 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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FDA Approves Device for Acute Coronary Artery Perforations

MONDAY, Sept. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The PK Papyrus Covered Coronary Stent System has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat acute coronary artery perforations.

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Use of Aspirin in Healthy Elderly Questioned in Three Studies

MONDAY, Sept. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Low-dose aspirin appears to have limited effect on healthy life span in older people, according to three studies published online Sept. 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Mercury in Traditional Tibetan Medicine Could Be Harmful

MONDAY, Sept. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The high mercury (Hg) concentration contained in traditional Tibetan medicine (TTM) could be harmful to humans and contribute to the environmental Hg burden in Tibet, according to a study published in the Aug. 7 issue of Environmental Science & Technology.

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Model Estimates Mortality in Patients Waiting for Hearts

MONDAY, Sept. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For patients with advanced heart failure who are listed for transplantation, mortality risk is related to adverse events and end-organ dysfunction that vary over time, according to a study published in the Aug. 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Drug Prices Seem Not to Be Influenced by Their Value

MONDAY, Sept. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For commonly prescribed cardiovascular drugs, there is no evidence that drug prices are influenced by their value, according to a study published in the August issue of Health Affairs.

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Association Health Plans Can Help Small Businesses Offer Coverage

MONDAY, Sept. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Association health plans (AHPs) will provide small businesses with more choices, access, and coverage options, although critics warn that they may undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, according to an article published in Managed Healthcare Executive.

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FDA Finds Another Carcinogen in Certain Valsartan Heart Meds

FRIDAY, Sept. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that it has found a second impurity in three lots of Torrent Pharmaceuticals’ valsartan drug products.

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Sales of Flavored E-Cigarette Products Up Since 2012

FRIDAY, Sept. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Sales of flavored electronic cigarette products have increased dramatically since 2012, according to a study published online Aug. 23 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Preventing Chronic Disease.

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Situation Framing, Language Can Influence Decision-Making

FRIDAY, Sept. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) — How a situation is framed and the language used to describe risks can influence patients’ decision-making, according to an article published in Physicians Practice.

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Genetic Testing Recommended for Familial Hypercholesterolemia

FRIDAY, Sept. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Genetic testing should become the standard of care for patients with definite or probable familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), according to a statement published in the Aug. 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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No Apparent Short-Term Cancer Risk From Recalled Valsartan

THURSDAY, Sept. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Users of valsartan contaminated with N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) seem not to have increased cancer risk, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in The BMJ.

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Including Calorie Count on Menus Can Cut Calories Ordered

THURSDAY, Sept. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Including calorie count information on restaurant menus can result in a reduction in calories ordered, specifically in appetizers and entrees, according to a policy paper issued by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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AHA: Resistant Hypertension Diagnosis, Tx Guidelines Updated

THURSDAY, Sept. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A correct diagnosis of resistant hypertension is necessary to avoid overmedicating, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association published online Sept. 13 in Hypertension.

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New Risk Score Promising for Predicting MI, Death

THURSDAY, Sept. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A score based on the results of three laboratory tests has higher sensitivity and specificity than cardiac troponin alone for stratifying patients presenting with suspected acute coronary syndrome, according to a study published online Aug. 19 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.

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Gains in Insurance Coverage Seen for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Adults

THURSDAY, Sept. 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults report continued problems affording care despite coverage gains offered by the Affordable Care Act, according to a study published in the August issue of Health Affairs.

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Single, Fixed-Dose Combo Pills Improve Hypertension Outcomes

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Single-pill, fixed-dose combination (FDC) treatment may be more effective for improving blood pressure control in older patients, according to a study recently published in PLOS Medicine.

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Six-Step Analysis Can Help Improve Practice Logistics

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A six-step analysis can help redesign and improve the outpatient health care process, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.

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Residents Working Long Hours Can Increase Alertness

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Medical residents can take steps to maintain their energy and alertness during long shifts, according to an article published in the American Medical Association’s AMA Wire.

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AHA: Update on Diagnosis, Tx for Chagas Cardiomyopathy

TUESDAY, Sept. 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Health care providers need to be equipped to recognize, diagnose, and treat Chagas disease, which is growing in prevalence in the United States, according to an American Heart Association (AHA) scientific statement published online Aug. 20 in Circulation.

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Algorithm Can Discriminate Cardiovascular Disease Risk

TUESDAY, Sept. 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The Cardiovascular Disease Population Risk Tool (CVDPoRT) algorithm, which includes 12 variables, can discriminate cardiovascular disease risk, according to a study recently published in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.

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Data Age in Clinical Trials Is About Three Years at Publication

TUESDAY, Sept. 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The median data age in clinical trials in journals with a high impact factor is about three years at publication, according to a study published in the Aug. 10 issue of JAMA Network Open.

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Medicaid Work Requirements Don’t Impact Many Enrollees

TUESDAY, Sept. 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Medicaid work requirements will only impact a small proportion of persons and may only generate minimal savings, according to two research letters published online Sept. 10 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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Many Opportunities for Doctors Using Twitter

MONDAY, Sept. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Doctors can use Twitter to build networks and learn more about research in real time, according to a blog post published by Penn Medicine News.

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Physician Burnout Rates Vary by Medical Specialty

MONDAY, Sept. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Nearly half of physicians report being burned out, but rates vary substantially by medical specialty, according to an article published in AMA Wire.

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Docs, Consumers Agree on Benefits of Virtual Care

MONDAY, Sept. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Physicians and consumers agree on the benefits of virtual care, but physician adoption of virtual care technologies is low, according to a report on the Deloitte 2018 Survey of U.S. Physicians.

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Exposure to Toxic Metals May Up Cardiovascular Disease Risk

FRIDAY, Sept. 7, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Exposure to arsenic, lead, cadmium, and copper is associated with elevated risk of clinical cardiovascular disease outcomes, according to a review and meta-analysis published online Aug. 29 in The BMJ.

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Greater CAD Incidence, Heart Mass in Firefighter Cardiac Arrests

FRIDAY, Sept. 7, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Most cardiac fatalities among firefighters have evidence of coronary heart disease and increased heart mass, according to a study published online Sept. 5 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Personalized Weighting Could Enhance Hospital Rating Tools

FRIDAY, Sept. 7, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The weighting systems that underlie hospital performance rating tools should incorporate the needs, values, and preferences of patients, according to a perspective article published in the Aug. 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Better Training Needed to Boost LGBTQ Patient Health Care

THURSDAY, Sept. 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — High-quality health care needs to be provided to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) patients, and improved training is necessary to deliver that care, according to a report published in the American Medical Association’s AMA Wire.

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Hospital Groups Launch Own Generic Drug Company

THURSDAY, Sept. 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Three U.S. health care foundations and seven hospital groups have formed a generic drug company to combat high prices and chronic shortages of medicines.

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Widespread Statin Use Not Recommended in Old, Very Old

THURSDAY, Sept. 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Statin use is not associated with reduced risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) or all-cause mortality among older adults without type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online Sept. 5 in The BMJ.

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Psychological Distress Linked to Increased Risk of MI, Stroke

THURSDAY, Sept. 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Psychological distress is associated with myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke in men and women, according to a study published online Aug. 28 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

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Increase Observed in Hearts From Drug-Intoxicated Donors

THURSDAY, Sept. 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Heart transplants using drug-intoxicated donors have significantly increased, but their use does not seem to adversely impact post-transplant survival, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Transplantation.

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Heart CTA Results in Lower Death Rate From CHD, Non-Fatal MI

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For patients with stable chest pain, coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) results in a lower rate of death from coronary heart disease or non-fatal myocardial infarction at five years, according to a study published in the Sept. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Google Search for Cardiovascular Disease Peaks in Winter

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Google search query volumes related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) follow a strong seasonal pattern, according to a study published in the September issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

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Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Has Uncertain Future

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Uncertainty surrounds the future of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, according to an Ideas and Opinions article published online Aug. 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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~3,000 Excess Deaths Estimated Due to Hurricane Maria

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The total excess mortality attributed to Hurricane Maria is estimated at 2,975 deaths, according to a report issued by George Washington University.

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Revascularization Beats Amputation for Limb Ischemia

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For patients with critical limb ischemia, long-term survival and costs are similar for endovascular and surgical revascularization techniques, with longer survival and lower costs versus major amputation, according to a study published in the Aug. 21 issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Enrollment in High-Deductible Health Plans Up From ’07 to ’17

TUESDAY, Sept. 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Enrollment in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) has increased among adults with employment-based insurance coverage, according to an August data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.

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Uninsured CV Hospitalization Down With Medicaid Expansion

TUESDAY, Sept. 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — States that expanded Medicaid had a greater reduction in the proportion of uninsured hospitalizations for major cardiovascular events, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in JAMA Network Open.

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Adding Pharmacist to Team Can Improve Patient Outcomes

TUESDAY, Sept. 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Integration of pharmacists into team-based care practice models can improve patient outcome, especially in chronic diseases, such as diabetes, according to a report published in the American Medical Association’s AMA Wire.

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