PAs in Cardiology; Increased Risks With Gout; Bad News for Female Heart Recipients

In the U.K., resident doctors in cardiology claimed it was not uncommon to observe physician assistants (PAs) performing actions outside of their scope of practice, a survey found. (Heart)

Multiple sclerosis did not predispose people to worse outcomes after cardiovascular surgery. (JAMA Surgery)

Stabilized heart attack patients had better outcomes staying on beta-blocker therapy 1 year later, per a secondary analysis of the ABYSS trial. (Circulation)

The prevalence of clinically significant valvular heart disease was nearly 20% in older Americans, based on a national in-home echocardiography study. (Journal of the American College of Cardiology)

The FDA cleared Penumbra’s Thunderbolt modulated aspiration thrombectomy system for acute ischemic stroke.

An observational study favoring carotid endarterectomy in asymptomatic carotid stenosis was promoted by the Society for Vascular Surgery in the aftermath of CREST-2.

Gout flares were associated with a transient increase in the risk of tachyarrhythmia over the next 30-60 days, according to primary care records from England and Sweden. (Lancet Primary Care)

Additionally, gout was associated with an increased risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation in a Finnish registry. (Stroke)

Trends in heart transplant outcomes were consistently less favorable for female recipients in an international registry. (Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation)

An economic study estimated that for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, quadruple guideline-directed medical therapy provides net savings. (JAMA Cardiology)

A combined biochemical and genetic screening program found that the prevalence of familial hypercholesterolemia was an estimated one in 163 in Southern Germany. (European Heart Journal)

Efforts to boost trial participant diversity may require more plain language, visual, and multilingual materials; adequate time for shared decision-making; and transparent communication about study goals. (Circulation: Population Health and Outcomes)

Sodium bicarbonate failed to help patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest achieve return of spontaneous circulation, a Danish trial showed. (JAMA)

Professional women’s soccer player Savy King collapsed on the field last year and was found to have an anomalous coronary artery that required surgery. She discusses her recovery with Women’s Health.

WWE wrestlers showed predominantly normal cardiac electrical and structural profiles, with low prevalence of pathological findings. (Journal of the American Heart Association)

In a prospective cohort study, late-life hypertension was associated with a lower risk of dementia in frail individuals, whereas it was associated with more dementia in the non-frail. (Neurology)