Abdominal Compared With Coronary Artery Calcification and Incident Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Black Adults.

Background: Black adults show heightened cardiovascular risk compared with other groups despite comparable or lower coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores, indicating potential cardiovascular risk underestimation by CAC. Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), preceding CAC, may predict cardiovascular events better in Black adults who are prone to early atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and excess events at low CAC scores.

Methods: We included 2551 participants from the JHS (Jackson Heart Study) visit 2 examination (2005-2008) without cardiovascular disease, followed through 2016.

COVID-19 Prevention and Mitigation Decision-Making Processes While Navigating Chronic Disease Care: Perspectives of Black Adults with Heart Failure and Diabetes.

Background: Heart failure and diabetes are comorbidities that disproportionately contribute to high morbidity and mortality among Blacks. Further compounding the racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 health outcomes, Blacks with cardiometabolic diseases are at high risk of experiencing serious complications or mortality from COVID-19. This study aimed to assess how Blacks with heart failure and diabetes navigated chronic care management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Novel pharmacotherapeutic options for the treatment of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

Introduction: Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a disorder characterized by a constellation of symptoms including lightheadedness, fatigue, and palpitations when upright, associated with an increase in the heart rate (HR) of > 30 beats per minute when changing from a lying down to standing position or head-up tilt position and not associated with orthostatic hypotension. The causes as well as the management of POTS are not quite fully understood.

Areas Covered: We performed a literature review on the diagnosis and management of POTS, and this article includes an overview of novel pharmacotherapeutic options for the treatment of (POTS), although an effective treatment has not been established.

Heartbeats in Distress: Unveiling Cardiac Sarcoidosis Through Palpitations.

Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), a rare complication of systemic sarcoidosis, can have subtle or no symptoms. It is characterized by granuloma formation in the myocardium, which can occur in isolation or alongside systemic sarcoidosis. Clinical manifestations include conduction system disorders (e.

Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Improved Stroke Risk Assessment in Hypertensive Black Adults.

Background: We aim to determine the added value of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in stroke risk assessment for hypertensive Black adults.

Methods: We examined 1,647 participants with hypertension without a history of cardiovascular (CV) disease, from the Jackson Heart Study. Cox regression analysis estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for incident stroke per standard deviation increase in cIMT and quartiles while adjusting for baseline variables.