Ischemic heart disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the US, affecting both men and women significantly. The presentation of chest pain is largely similar in female and male patients, but additional non-chest pain symptoms can confound timely diagnosis in women. Management, diagnostic evaluation, and clinical outcomes for patients admitted with chest pain differ significantly between men and women, and understanding of these discrepancies is limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe American Heart Association (AHA), founded in 1924, is anchored in the core belief that scientific research can lead the way to better prevention, treatment, recovery, and ultimately a cure for cardiovascular disease. Historically, the association's involvement in international efforts centered on scientific cooperation. Activities mostly involved AHA leadership presenting at international scientific meetings and leaders from other countries sharing scientific and medical information at AHA meetings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudy Objective: Examine sex-specific characteristics in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) at our institution.
Design: Retrospective chart review was performed utilizing our institutional Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database.
Setting: An academic, quaternary care center from 2010 to 2021.
The 1986 Bethesda Conference on Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in the Elderly, co-chaired by Drs. Nanette Wenger, Frank Marcus, and Robert O'Rourke, delineated the anticipated social, political, ethical, economic and technological impact of an aging population on the incidence, prevalence, and management of CVD in the US and worldwide. In the ensuing 4 decades, older patients have come to comprise an increasingly large proportion of the CVD population, and there has been an explosion of research in all aspects of CVD affecting older adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCritical bioprosthetic aortic valve stenosis is a rare finding in the second trimester of pregnancy. We present the case of a successful valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement in a 16-weeks-pregnant patient. We describe the significant role of the multidisciplinary heart team during preconception and pregnancy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care
February 2024
Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves outcomes in heart disease yet remains vastly underutilized. Remote CR enhanced with a digital health intervention (DHI) may offer higher access and improved patient-centered outcomes over non-technology approaches. We sought to pragmatically determine whether offering a DHI improves CR access, cardiac risk profile, and patient-reported outcome measures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Thorac Surg Short Rep
December 2023
Background: Studies have shown that women have worse outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG); it is unclear whether this knowledge has led to improved outcomes over time. This study sought to examine temporal trends in women undergoing CABG.
Methods: From 2000 to 2021, 9062 women underwent isolated CABG at a single institution.
Even before its role in platelet inhibition was fully characterized in the 1980s, aspirin had been incorporated into the cardiovascular disease care algorithm. Early trials examining its use in unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction revealed evidence of its protective role in the secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Large trials assessing use in the primary prevention setting and optimal dosing regimens were studied in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe field of cardiac pacing has been defined by constant development to provide efficacious, safe, and reliable therapy. Traditional pacing utilizes transvenous leads, which dwell in the venous system and place patients at risk for complications, including pneumothorax, bleeding, infection, vascular obstruction, and valvular compromise. Leadless pacemakers have been developed to overcome many of the challenges of transvenous pacing while providing safe and effective pacing therapy for an increasing population of patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOlder adults with cardiovascular disease (CVD) contend with deficits across multiple domains of health due to age-related physiological changes and the impact of CVD. Multimorbidity, polypharmacy, cognitive changes, and diminished functional capacity, along with changes in the social environment, result in complexity that makes provision of CVD care to older adults challenging. In this review, we first describe the history of geriatric cardiology, an orientation that acknowledges the unique needs of older adults with CVD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: COVID-19 has placed a tremendous burden on physicians worldwide, especially women physicians, affected by increased workload and loss of quality of life.
Objective: To assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life, burnout and spirituality of Brazilian women physicians directly or indirectly providing care to COVID-19 patients.
Methods: Prospective, observational study performed from July 28 to September 27, 2020, in Brazil, with women physicians from 47 specialities, the most frequent being cardiology (22.
Addressing the pervasive gaps in knowledge and care delivery to reduce sex-based disparities and achieve equity is fundamental to the American Heart Association's commitment to advancing cardiovascular health for all by 2024. This presidential advisory serves as a call to action for the American Heart Association and other stakeholders around the globe to identify and remove barriers to health care access and quality for women. A concise and current summary of existing data across the areas of risk and prevention, access and delivery of equitable care, and awareness and education provides a framework to consider knowledge gaps and research needs critical toward achieving significant progress for the health and well-being of all women.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFamily engagement empowers family members to become active partners in care delivery. Family members increasingly expect and wish to participate in care and be involved in the decision-making process. The goal of engaging families in care is to improve the care experience to achieve better outcomes for both patients and family members.
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