Home Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Participation Among Patients With Heart Failure.

Introduction: Patients with Heart Failure (HF) have significant morbidity and mortality. Home Based Cardiac Rehabilitation (HBCR) is a form of Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) which has been proven beneficial for the patients with cardiovascular disease; However, cardiovascular outcomes in patients with HF who was referred to HBCR is not known.

Methods: A retrospective study of 188 patients with HF (HFrEF or heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and HFpEF or heart failure with preserved ejection fraction) referred to HBCR at Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) from November 2017 to March 2020.

Long-term statin therapy is associated with severe coronary artery calcification.

Background: Atherosclerosis and consequent risk of cardiovascular events or mortality can be accurately assessed by quantifying coronary artery calcium score (CACS) derived from computed tomography. HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitors (statins) are the primary pharmacotherapy used to reduce cardiovascular events, yet there is growing data that support statin use may increase coronary calcification. We set out to determine the likelihood of severe CACS in the context of chronic statin therapy.

Aortic Valve Calcification Is Associated with Future Cognitive Impairment.

Background: While an association between atherosclerosis and dementia has been identified, few studies have assessed the longitudinal relationship between aortic valve calcification (AVC) and cognitive impairment (CI).

Objective: We sought to determine whether AVC derived from lung cancer screening CT (LCSCT) was associated with CI in a moderate-to-high atherosclerotic risk cohort.

Methods: This was a single site, retrospective analysis of 1401 U.

Aortic valve calcification predicts all-cause mortality independent of coronary calcification and severe stenosis.

Background And Aims: Calcific aortic valve disease is highly prevalent in patients with significant smoking history and is a marker of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to define the prognostic value of aortic valve calcification (AVC) derived from low dose, lung cancer screening computed tomography (LCSCT) for all-cause mortality in this higher risk population.

Methods: This is a single site, retrospective analysis of 1529 moderate-to-high atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk U.

Primary Cardiac Lymphoma: Importance of Tissue Diagnosis.

Primary cardiac lymphoma (PCL) is a rare disease entity that can present with severe cardiac and cardioembolic symptoms. We present a 79-year-old male with history of polymalgia rheumatica on chronic prednisone who presented with a two-week history of progressively worsening dyspnea, cough, and a 10 pound weight loss. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) and computed tomography (CT) of the chest showed a large mediastinal mass with invasion of the pericardium.