This is a great time to have a serious heart problem. Monday marks the final day of the annualAmerican College of Cardiologyconference in San Diego, and research suggests patients admitted to hospitals for cardiac arrest enjoy a 10 percent boost in their chances of surviving -- because their cardiologist is away at the annual conference. Researchers at Harvard Medical School have found that high-risk heart patients at teaching hospitals who are admitted during the dates of national conferences on cardiology -- when their cardiologist is more likely to be in sessions than inserting stents -- have a higher rate of survival. Something is different in those hospitals on those dates than on the non-meeting dates and the question is -- What is that? Dr. Anupam Jena, who led the research as an expert in health care policy at Harvard Medical School, says in a video statement. The answer could save lives. For two of the three conditions he studied, Jena says patients were much less likely to die in hospitals during annual meetings than those who were treated just a few days before or after. His team found a 10 percent decrease in mortality for patients who suffered cardiac arrest … Continue reading →

The studies below will be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 64th Annual Scientific Session on Sunday, March 15. 1. Survey Suggests Cardiologists May Not Be Prepared to Counsel Patients on Heart Healthy Diets Even though most doctors believe diet is important in preventing and managing cardiovascular disease, there are major gaps in their knowledge and, in turn, efforts to educate patients about heart healthy diets may be falling short, according to a recent survey of 236 cardiologists and internal medicine physicians and trainees at a large tertiary academic medical center. The study found that although physicians rate nutrition to be as important as statins in terms of reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, only 13.5 percent agreed or strongly agreed that they were adequately trained to discuss nutrition with patients. The 28-question online survey was administered to identify gaps in nutritional knowledge and assess physician attitudes and practices related to nutrition for cardiovascular disease prevention. Two out of three fact-based questions were answered correctly. Cardiologists and internal medicine physicians scored about the same. Nearly all (89.7 percent) knew the Mediterranean diet was shown to reduce cardiovascular disease in randomized controlled trials, but less than half (45.5 percent) knew … Continue reading →

SAN DIEGO (March 15, 2015) -- An investigational device that deflects debris away from the brain during transcatheter aortic valve replacement seems to improve in-hospital safety outcomes and cognitive scores at discharge, according to preliminary findings from a small randomized study presented at the American College of Cardiology's 64th Annual Scientific Session. The valve replacement procedure, known as TAVR, dislodges minute particles from the clogged valve, freeing them to float through the bloodstream. Much of this debris travels "downstream" from the heart, but about a quarter of the debris moves "upstream" to the brain, where it can trigger a stroke or other damage. These microscopic scraps are a likely contributor to the high stroke rates seen up to a year after TAVR and to the high rates of subclinical brain injury--damage less severe than a stroke that can affect mental functions. TriGuard, the device being studied in this trial, the DEFLECT III trial, was designed to reduce the risk of brain damage during TAVR and other procedures that release potentially hazardous debris by covering the three arteries that lead to the brain with a temporary mesh shield. Preliminary data are available for 83 patients with complete in-hospital safety and efficacy … Continue reading →