CARDIOPROGRESS
Foundation for the advancement of cardiology

More Fat Around Heart Linked to Greater Injury After MI In patients who experienced an acute myocardial infarction (MI), an increased volume of epicardial adipose tissue — the layer of fat between the heart muscle and the outer heart lining — was associated with an increased extent of myocardial injury after MI.

CPAP Boosts Testosterone in Obesity-Related Hypogonadism Severe or decompensated obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) was significantly associated with functional hypogonadism in men with severe obesity. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, monitored using overnight pulse oximetry, improved testosterone levels in newly diagnosed patients with OSAS.

Inexpensive Anti-Inflammatory Pill Could Reduce Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke A commonly used and affordable medication for gout may help lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people with cardiovascular disease, according to a new Cochrane review.

Scientists have discovered a diet that influences the development of cardiovascular diseases Researchers discovered that a nutrient-matched, plant-based diet could prevent and reverse a hidden form of heart disease in hypertensive rats. The research, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, explored whether coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) could be lessened in hypertensive rats.

GLP-1s Pose Heart Risks in Patients With HFrEF and Implants Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and implanted cardiac devices who used GLP-1 receptor agonists had higher heart rates, greater number of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia events, and higher levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) than those who did not use the drugs.

Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion May Lower Stroke Severity Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) during cardiac surgery in patients with atrial fibrillation was associated with lower stroke-related disability and reduced risk for 30-day mortality and cardioembolic stroke than standard care, new research showed.

Simple Heart Test Predicts Memory Loss Years Ahead Elevated cardiac troponin I levels during midlife — indicative of subclinical myocardial injury — were associated with a higher risk for dementia, faster cognitive decline, and greater brain atrophy in later life, with differences apparent up to 25 years before diagnosis.

Can Coffee Cut the Risk for Atrial Fibrillation? Drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee daily led to a significant drop in atrial fibrillation (AF) or flutter in patients with sustained AF compared with those who abstained from coffee and caffeine, according to results of the DECAF trial.

Current and future applications of photon-counting computed tomography in cardiovascular medicine Photon-counting CT (PCCT) represents a transformative advancement in cardiac imaging, addressing key limitations of conventional CT.

Effect of low-dose colchicine on pericoronary inflammation and coronary plaque composition in chronic coronary disease: a subanalysis of the LoDoCo2 trial Low-dose colchicine (0.5 mg once daily) reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events in coronary disease, but its mechanism of action is not yet fully understood. We investigated whether low-dose colchicine is associated with changes in pericoronary inflammation and plaque composition in patients with chronic coronary disease.

Obesity and CVD: Launching the Heart Foundation's new clinical consensus statement In Australia, about two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, placing them at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) including coronary heart disease, heart failure, and arrhythmias. The Heart Foundation recently launched an Australian-first clinical consensus statement on obesity and CVD.

Simulation deficit in cardiology training: a missed opportunity for the modern trainee Cardiology training today exists in a paradox. As the specialty becomes more complex, particularly in procedural domains, the time and resources available to train new cardiologists have dwindled. Simulation has become an increasingly important component of modern cardiology training, offering a safe, structured and reproducible environment in which clinical skills can be developed and refined.1 The term simulation encompasses a broad spectrum of educational approaches, ranging from focused task training to high-fidelity scenario-based learning.

Your Heart May Be Older Than You Think Some people are said to have old souls. Some may have old hearts, too. Many Americans, particularly men with less education, lower income, and those from certain minority groups, have a “heart age” that is much older than what the calendar may indicate.

Lp(a) Levels: When and Why It’s Clinically Relevant The presence of high lipoprotein (a), or Lp(a), levels increases the risk for cardiovascular disease. Incorporating Lp(a) screening into clinical practice may significantly impact patient outcomes.

APOE4 May Raise Brain Bleed Risk in Apixaban Users With AF Carriers of the apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 (APOE ε4) allele had a threefold higher risk for intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) when taking apixaban for atrial fibrillation (AF) compared with noncarriers, a new study suggested.

Novel Algorithm Transforms Echocardiographic Assessment of Heart Filling Pressures A new algorithm for estimating left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) by echocardiography reduced indeterminate results to just two cases compared with 38 using previous guidelines, achieving 86% accuracy in 949 patients, a new study found. The algorithm showed particular improvement for patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), while maintaining similar accuracy for cases of reduced LVEF.

Novel GLP-1 Agonist Promotes Safe and Effective Weight Loss Ecnoglutide, a novel glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, was significantly more effective than placebo for inducing weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, based on data from more than 600 individuals.

The New Playbook for Ditching Dangerous Senior Meds A new tool presented at the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting may give clinicians practical and safer alternatives to risky medications for patients.

International Research in Cardiology 2010-2014 Dear colleagues!
The Cardioprogress Foundation presents the book «International Research in Cardiology», which includes the results of the most important international clinical trials presented in 2010-2024. The authors systematized studies in 21 sections, which include risk factors, antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy, laboratory and instrumental diagnostics, arrhythmia, invasive cardiology, valvular heart diseases, intensive care in cardiology and more.

New Drug Combos Could Cut Heart Failure Mortality by 60% Optimized treatment can reduce the mortality risk for chronic heart failure (HF) by as much as 60%. The role of appropriate drug combinations and rapid diagnosis was discussed at the 91st Annual German Society of Cardiovascular Medicine Annual Conference.