Temporal Trends and Interest in Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring Over Time: An Infodemiology Study.

Objective: To evaluate interest in coronary artery calcium (CAC) among the general public during the past 17 years and to compare trends with real-world data on number of CAC procedures performed.

Methods: We used Google Trends, a publicly available database, to access search query data in a systematic and quantitative fashion to search for CAC-related key terms. Search terms included , , , , and .

COVID and Cardiovascular Disease: What We Know in 2021.

Purpose Of Review: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been the cause of significant global morbidity and mortality. Here, we review the literature to date of the short-term and long-term consequences of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on the heart.

Recent Findings: Early case reports described a spectrum of cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19, including myocarditis, stress cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, and arrhythmia.

Coronary heart disease risk: Low-density lipoprotein and beyond.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality world-wide and has been characterized as a chronic immunoinflammatory, fibroproliferative disease fueled by lipids. Great advances have been made in elucidating the complex mechanistic interactions among risk factors associated with CHD, yielding abundant success towards preventive measures and the development of pharmaceuticals to prevent and treat CHD via attenuation of lipoprotein-mediated risk. However, significant residual risk remains.

An Update on Coronary Artery Calcium Interpretation at Chest and Cardiac CT.

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is a marker of overall coronary atherosclerotic burden in an individual. As such, it is an important tool in cardiovascular risk stratification and preventive treatment of asymptomatic patients with unclear cardiovascular disease risk. Several guidelines have recommended the use of CAC testing in shared decision making between the clinician and patient.

Understanding Immigration as a Social Determinant of Health: Cardiovascular Disease in Hispanics/Latinos and South Asians in the United States.

Purpose Of Review: The main purpose of this review is to summarize the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors among two of the largest and most diverse immigrant groups in the United States (Hispanics/Latinos and South Asians).

Recent Findings: While the migration process generates unique challenges for individuals, there is a wide heterogeneity in the characteristics of immigrant populations, both between and within regions of origin. Hispanic/Latino immigrants to the United States have lower levels of cardiovascular risk factors, prevalence, and mortality, but this assessment is limited by issues related to the "salmon bias.

Smart wearable devices in cardiovascular care: where we are and how to move forward.

Technological innovations reach deeply into our daily lives and an emerging trend supports the use of commercial smart wearable devices to manage health. In the era of remote, decentralized and increasingly personalized patient care, catalysed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the cardiovascular community must familiarize itself with the wearable technologies on the market and their wide range of clinical applications. In this Review, we highlight the basic engineering principles of common wearable sensors and where they can be error-prone.

Very High Coronary Artery Calcium (≥1000) and Association With Cardiovascular Disease Events, Non-Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes, and Mortality: Results From MESA.

Background: There are limited data on the unique cardiovascular disease (CVD), non-CVD, and mortality risks of primary prevention individuals with very high coronary artery calcium (CAC; ≥1000), especially compared with rates observed in secondary prevention populations.

Methods: Our study population consisted of 6814 ethnically diverse individuals 45 to 84 years of age who were free of known CVD from MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis), a prospective, observational, community-based cohort. Mean follow-up time was 13.

Comprehensive Care Models for Cardiometabolic Disease.

Purpose Of Review: The high burden of cardiovascular disease and the simultaneous obesity pandemic is placing an extraordinary strain on the health care system. In the current siloed care model, patients with cardiometabolic disease receive only fractionated care from multiple specialists, leading to insufficient treatment, higher costs, and worse outcomes.

Recent Findings: The imminent need for a new care model calls for the creation of a distinct cardiometabolic specialty in conjunction with a cardiometabolic outpatient clinic dedicated to the comprehensive cardiometabolic care.

Cardiovascular-related health behaviors and lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic: An infodemiology study.

Background: Reports have suggested decreasing attention to CVD comorbidities during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite their association with worse virus-related outcomes. Using nowcasting tools, we sought to explore temporal trends in public interest by studying use of online search terms related to CVD comorbidities during the pandemic time period.

Methods: We queried Google Trends for recent (October 2019-October 2020) and seasonal (October 2016-October 2020) trends of search terms pertaining to cardiovascular-related behaviors or clinical care including clinical diagnostic and therapeutic-related terms.

How low is safe? The frontier of very low (<30 mg/dL) LDL cholesterol.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a proven causative factor for developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Individuals with genetic conditions associated with lifelong very low LDL-C levels can be healthy. We now possess the pharmacological armamentarium (statins, ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors) to reduce LDL-C to an unprecedented extent.

E-cigarette Use and Risk Behaviors among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Adults: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Survey.

Introduction: The prevalence of e-cigarette use among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals and its association with risk behaviors was studied.

Methods: Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey, self-reported sexual orientation, e-cigarette use, cigarettes, marijuana, smokeless tobacco, and high-risk behavior (using non-prescribed drugs, treatment for sexually transmitted disease, or receiving monetary or drug compensation in exchange for sex in the previous year) were assessed. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were used to study the association between LGBT and risk behaviors.

Life's Simple 7 and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: The Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background: The American Heart Association (AHA) has defined Life's Simple 7 (LS7) as a measure of overall cardiovascular health . Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been involved as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. We evaluated the association between LS7 and NAFLD.

Prognostic value of coronary artery calcium score, area, and density among individuals on statin therapy vs. non-users: The coronary artery calcium consortium.

Background And Aims: Statins do not decrease coronary artery calcium (CAC) and may increase existing calcification or its density. Therefore, we examined the prognostic significance of CAC among statin users at the time of CAC scanning.

Methods: We included 28,025 patients (6151 statin-users) aged 40-75 years from the CAC Consortium.

The Promise and Peril of Vaping.

Purpose Of Review: The increasing popularity and prevalence of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) use in the USA necessitates careful evaluation of their proposed benefits and potential public health harms. This report provides a detailed review of current scientific evidence on potential benefits and health risks associated with e-cigarette use.

Recent Findings: E-cigarettes were introduced as a less harmful alternative to combustible cigarette smoking.

Real-World Epidemiology of Potassium Derangements Among Chronic Cardiovascular, Metabolic and Renal Conditions: A Population-Based Analysis.

Background: The aims of the present analysis are to estimate the prevalence of five key chronic cardiovascular, metabolic and renal conditions at the population level, the prevalence of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitor (RAASI) medication use and the magnitude of potassium (K) derangements among RAASI users.

Methods And Results: We used data from more than 375,000 individuals, 55 years of age or older, included in the population-based healthcare database of the Catalan Institute of Health between 2015 and 2017. The conditions of interest were chronic heart failure (CHF), chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease and hypertension.

Cardiac Computed Tomography for Personalized Management of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

The incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus are increasing in the United States and worldwide. The individual-level risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events in primary prevention populations with type 2 diabetes mellitus is highly heterogeneous. Accurate risk stratification in this group is paramount to optimize the use of preventive therapies.

Impact on clinical outcomes and health costs of deranged potassium levels in patients with chronic cardiovascular, metabolic, and renal conditions.

Introduction And Objectives: Potassium derangements are frequent among patients with chronic cardiovascular conditions. Studies on the associations between potassium derangements and clinical outcomes have yielded mixed findings, and the implications for health care expenditure are unknown. We assessed the population-based associations between hyperkalemia, hypokalemia and clinical outcomes and health care costs, in patients with chronic heart failure, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease.

Social inequities in cardiovascular risk factors in women and men by autonomous regions in Spain.

Objective: To describe social inequities in cardiovascular risk factors in women and men by autonomous regions in Spain.

Method: We used data from 20,406 individuals aged 18 or older from the 2017 Spanish National Health Survey. We measured socioeconomic position using occupational social class and used data on self-reported cardiovascular risk factors: high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and smoking.

Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases and Premature Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: An Analysis From the VITAL Registry.

Background: Although the association between autoimmune rheumatic diseases and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is well-known, there is a lack of data regarding the role of such disorders in patients with premature and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Methods: The Veterans With Premature Atherosclerosis (VITAL) registry, including patients with premature (males <55 years, females <65 years) and extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (<40 years), was created from the 2014-2015 nationwide Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system database. We assessed age at the time of first cardiovascular event to compare patients with premature (n = 135,703) and those with extremely premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (n = 7716) with age-matched patients without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (n = 1,153,535, n = 441,836).