Physician bias against overweight and obese patients is not only prevalent in today’s medical landscape, according to an analysis published in JAMA Feb. 20—it could also be overshadowing quality care and driving some of those patients further from the doctor’s office.

ACC.19 will feature 36 late-breaking clinical trials and clinical research studies, starting with the Apple Heart Study’s findings on the ability of a smartwatch to help identify atrial fibrillation. That question is just one of many the conference will address, says ACC.19 Program Chair Andrew Kates, MD, professor of medicine and director of the cardiology fellowship program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. During a conversation with Cardiovascular Business, Kates predicted trial highlights and previewed some ACC.19 program innovations. 

The American Heart Association and Verily, Alphabet’s life sciences and healthcare arm, have joined forces to promote a new initiative called Research Goes Red—an attempt to engage more women in cardiovascular research—the AHA announced Feb. 26.

Women see worse outcomes than men after thoracic aortic surgery requiring hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA), researchers reported in the Feb. 26 edition of Circulation.

When endovascular thrombectomy procedures for acute ischemic stroke take more than an hour or require more than three attempts to remove the clot, outcomes significantly worsen, according to a study published Feb. 25 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The FDA issued a safety alert Feb. 25 warning that a 10 mg, twice-daily dose of tofacitinib—sold under the brand names Xeljanz and Xeljanz XR—has been linked to an increased risk of pulmonary embolism and death in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. That dose is only approved for patients with ulcerative colitis, the agency said.

Nearly half of patients with heart failure (HF) take at least 10 medications per day, according to research published in the American Journal of Cardiology, yet an overwhelming 85 percent report willingness to add more drugs to that regimen if it helps them prevent further health events.

Two more surveys have been released showing burnout affects nearly half of physicians. But at this point, some are getting frustrated with the inability to move beyond awareness and toward meaningful improvement.

Julia Graspa, MD, PhD, will oversee the JACC: Case Reports publication, which will start in June, while Bonnie Ky, MD, will be editor-in-chief JACC: CardioOncology when it launches in September. They are the first two women to be editors-in-chief of a JACC journal.

A half-hour walk in the morning lowers blood pressure (BP) in overweight and obese men and women predisposed to heart disease, according to a study published in Hypertension Feb. 20.