Acute Coronary Syndromes

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is most commonly caused by a heart attack (myocardial infarction) where blood flow to the heart is suddenly blocked. This is usually caused by a blood clot from a ruptured coronary artery atherosclerotic plaque. Other causes include spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), which most commonly occurs in women. ACS is usually treated in a cath lab with angioplasty and the placement of a stent to prop the vessel open.

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Insomnia linked to higher odds of CVD, stroke

Research out of Peking University in Beijing, China, has established a link between insomnia and heart disease, ABC News reports.

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13.5M in the US can’t name a single heart attack symptom

Millions of Americans are unaware of common heart attack symptoms, according to researchers, including a subset of 13.5 million people who admit to not knowing a single symptom of MI.

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FDA warns of biotin interference in diagnostic troponin tests

The FDA issued a safety communication Nov. 5 reminding the public, healthcare providers and lab workers that the common supplement vitamin B7, or biotin, can interfere with certain diagnostic tests, including troponin tests that can be integral to a heart attack diagnosis.

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Facebook provides users with personalized CV advice

Facebook introduced a new tool this week that provides the platform’s users with personalized healthcare recommendations, CNN reports.

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Data breaches linked to more fatal MIs

Cardiac care is suffering at hospitals that experience data breaches, PBS reported Oct. 24, with one study finding that heart attack rates soar in the weeks and months after a center’s cybersecurity is compromised.

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Phone app boosts adherence to CV meds after heart attack

A smartphone app introduced at the 45th Argentine Congress of Cardiology (SAC 2019) this week in Buenos Aires improved heart patients’ adherence to their drug regimen after a CV event.

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STEMI increasingly common among nonagenarians

STEMI is increasingly prevalent among a growing population of patients in their nineties, according to a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology Oct. 11.

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Sex-specific thresholds for troponin assays improve MI care for women—but not nearly enough

Using sex-specific thresholds for high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I assays identified five times more heart attacks in women in a recent study of patients with suspected ACS, but major disparities persisted when it came to treating MIs.

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