Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs), including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), low birthweight (LBW), and preterm birth (PTB), along with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) are associated with short- and long-term maternal and fetal cardiovascular risks. This review focuses on the genetic contributions to the risk of APOs and PPCM. RECENT FINDINGS: The expansion of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has led to better understanding of the biologic mechanisms underpinning APO, PPCM, and the predisposition to cardiovascular disease across the life course...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: South Asian Americans experience higher cardiometabolic risk and disproportionately high rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent evidence about the role of obesity in CVD risk in South Asian Americans and identify key evidence gaps and future directions for research and interventions for obesity in this group. RECENT FINDINGS: South Asian Americans are predisposed to abdominal obesity and have a higher distribution of visceral fat, intermuscular fat, and intrahepatic fat compared to adults of other race and ethnic groups...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In this review, we present a comprehensive discussion on the population-level implications of digital health interventions (DHIs) to improve cardiovascular health (CVH) through sex- and gender-specific prevention strategies among women. RECENT FINDINGS: Over the past 30 years, there have been significant advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among men and women worldwide...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Remote monitoring (RM) of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is an important part of patient follow-up. The increasing number of patients with CIEDs and the recent pandemic pose several challenges for already limited device clinic resources. This review focuses on recent evolutions in RM and identifies future needs to improve RM. RECENT FINDINGS: RM has been associated with multiple clinical benefits, including improved survival, early detection of actionable events, reduction in inappropriate shocks, longer battery lives, and more efficient healthcare utilization...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Through this review, we attempt to explore the role of telemedicine and virtual visits in the field of cardiology pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 pandemic, their limitations and their future scope for delivery of care. RECENT FINDINGS: Telemedicine, which rose to prominence during COVID-19 pandemic, helped not only in reducing the burden on the healthcare system during a time of crisis but also in improving patient outcomes. Patients and physicians also favored virtual visits when feasible...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: A variety of mobile-based applications aimed at weight loss have become popular in recent years. This review describes the features and effectiveness of mobile weight loss apps. RECENT FINDINGS: Overall, mobile apps can help patients lose weight either as well as or better than traditional paper-and-pencil weight loss interventions and often better than minimal intervention control groups. Mobile apps promote multiple strategies, including self-monitoring of diet, exercise, and weight, as well as social support and educational content...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In this review, we define health equity, disparities, and social determinants of health; the different components of digital health; the barriers to digital health equity; and cardiovascular digital health trials and possible solutions to improve health equity through digital health. RECENT FINDINGS: Digital health interventions show incredible potential to improve cardiovascular diseases by obtaining longitudinal, continuous, and actionable patient data; increasing access to care; and by decreasing delivery barriers and cost...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) relies on optimizing cardiovascular health and appropriate pharmacotherapy, a mainstay of which is low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering. Typically, statin therapy remains the first line approach. Advances in technology and understanding of lipid metabolism have facilitated the development of several novel therapeutic targets and medications within the last decade. This review focuses on medications recently approved by the U...

Purpose of Review: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in a young athlete is an infrequent yet devastating event often associated with substantial media attention. Screening athletes for conditions associated with SCD is a controversial topic with debate surrounding virtually each component including the ideal subject, method, and performer/interpreter of such screens. In fact, major medical societies such as the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology have discrepant recommendations on the matter, and major sporting associations have enacted a wide range of screening policies, highlighting the confusion on this subject...

Purpose of Review: This review summarizes contemporary data on unique cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Hispanic individuals in the USA, and how addressing these factors is important in addressing health equity. Recent Findings: Recent studies have shown high rates of traditional CVD risk factors in Hispanic individuals such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and emerging CVD risk factors like hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, psychological stress, and occupational exposures...

Purpose of review: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a comprehensive outpatient program that reduces the risk of mortality and recurrent events and improves functional status and quality of life for patients recovering from acute cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. Among individuals with established CVD, African Americans have a higher risk of major cardiac events, which underscores the importance of CR use among African Americans. However, despite their high likelihood of adverse outcomes, CR is poorly utilized in African Americans with CVD...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The "fourth trimester" concept, defined as the first 12 weeks after delivery (and beyond), is a critical window of time for clinicians to intervene to optimize women's cardiovascular health after pregnancy. A timely and comprehensive postpartum cardiovascular assessment should be performed in all women following delivery in order to (1) follow up medical conditions present prior to conception, (2) evaluate symptoms and signs of common postpartum complications, and (3) identify risk factors and prevent future adverse cardiovascular outcomes...

Purpose of Review: Anatomical segmentation has played a major role within clinical cardiology. Novel techniques through artificial intelligence-based computer vision have revolutionized this process through both automation and novel applications. This review discusses the history and clinical context of cardiac segmentation to provide a framework for a survey of recent manuscripts in artificial intelligence and cardiac segmentation. We aim to clarify for the reader the clinical question of "Why do we segment?" in order to understand the question of "Where is current research and where should be?"...

Purpose of Review: Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a life-threatening disease that disproportionately affects older adults and people of African descent. This review discusses current knowledge regarding racial and ethnic disparities in the diagnosis and management of ATTR-CM. Recent Findings: Historically, ATTR-CM was thought to be a rare cause of heart failure. Recent evidence has shown that ATTR-CM is more common among older adults, men, and people of African descent...

Purpose of Review: Telehealth is an innovative approach with great potential to bridge the healthcare delivery gap, especially for underserved communities. While minority populations represent a target audience that could benefit significantly from this modern solution, little of the existing literature speaks to its acceptability, accessibility, and overall effectiveness in underserved populations. Here, we review the various challenges and achievements of contemporary telehealth and explore its impact on care delivery as an alternative or adjunct to traditional healthcare delivery systems...

Purpose of Review: Telemedicine has become popular as an alternative for in-person weight loss treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review focuses on weight loss interventions utilizing real-time telemedicine. Recent Findings: Telemedicine interventions are usually run as a weekly counseling and educational session or as a complement to a primarily Web-based intervention. A wide variety of healthcare professionals may provide the intervention. Common content includes portion control, increased physical activity, and relapse prevention...

Purpose of Review: Food insecurity (FI) is a serious public health issue affecting 2 billion people worldwide. FI is associated with increased risk for multiple chronic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health. We selected these four chronic diseases given their global prevalence and comorbid associations with each other. We evaluated the most recent literature published over the past 5 years and offer strategies for the screening of FI. Recent Findings: Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses report an association between FI and obesity in adult women as well as adult men and women living in low- and middle-income countries...

Purpose of Review: With the rising cost of cardiovascular clinical trials, there is interest in determining whether new technologies can increase cost effectiveness. This review focuses on current and potential uses of voice-based technologies, including virtual assistants, in cardiovascular clinical trials. Recent Findings: Numerous potential uses for voice-based technologies have begun to emerge within cardiovascular medicine. Voice biomarkers, subtle changes in speech parameters, have emerged as a potential tool to diagnose and monitor many cardiovascular conditions, including heart failure, coronary artery disease, and pulmonary hypertension...

Purpose of Review: Hypertension is common, impacting an estimated 108 million US adults, and deadly, responsible for the deaths of one in six adults annually. Optimal management includes frequent blood pressure monitoring and antihypertensive medication titration, but in the traditional office-based care delivery model, patients have their blood pressure measured only intermittently and in a way that is subject to misdiagnosis with white coat or masked hypertension. There is a growing opportunity to leverage our expanding repository of digital technology to reimagine hypertension care delivery...

Purpose of Review: This review focuses on the therapeutic management and individualized approach to Group 1 pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), utilizing Food and Drug Administration-approved PAH-specific therapies and various interventional and surgical options for PAH. Recent Findings: The paradigm for the optimal management of PAH has shifted in recent years. Upfront combination therapy with an endothelin receptor antagonist and a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor is now widely accepted as standard of care...