16/March/2022 Top Medical Bulletin

Here are top health stories for today :

The Biden administration's 'Test to Treat' initiative not safe

Joe Biden, The US President in his State of the Union address last week, introduced a new "Test to Treat" initiative that will allow people who test positive for Covid-19 at a pharmacy to receive antiviral pills "on the spot at no cost. In response to the initiative taken by President, the American Medical Association (AMA) expressed concerns that it would bypass the expertise of primary care physicians, who the organization argues are the most suited to prescribe treatments. Leaving prescribing decisions in the hands of people without knowledge of a patient's medical history is dangerous in practice and precedent isn't avdvisable according American Medical Association. It urges that patients who test positive for Covid-19 to contact their physician to discuss treatment options rather than random antiviral prescription.

Early monomorphic ventricular tachycardia tied to long-term mortality in STEMI

Early monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) compared to nonmonomorphic VT/VF (ventricular fibrillation) is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality in STEMI patients, concludes a recent study. The study appears in The American Journal of Cardiology.

Early ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation are shown to be associated with increased in-hospital mortality but does not impact the long-term prognosis in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Recent data support a differential approach to the arrhythmia type and indicate long-term mortality hazard tied to monomorphic VT.

For more information check out the full story on the link below:   

Early monomorphic ventricular tachycardia tied to long-term mortality in STEMI: Study

Cardiovascular Risk for Patients With and Without serious mental disorders

A study in Journal of the American Heart Association compared estimated 10‐year and 30‐year cardiovascular risk in primary care patients with and without serious mental illness like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder. Study found that the significantly increased cardiovascular risk associated with serious mental disorders is evident even in young adults. This suggests the importance of addressing uncontrolled major cardiovascular risk factors in those with serious mental disorders at as early an age as possible.

Elevated lipoprotein(a) and coronary artery calcium score combo independently Linked with ASCVD Risk 

Elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and coronary artery calcium (CAC) score are individually associated with increased atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. A recent study suggests that a combination of Lp(a) and CAC is also independently associated with ASCVD risk. The study findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on February 21, 2022.

While CAC has become a more-routine clinical test, the medical community has not yet embraced Lp(a) in the same way because the question of what to do about an elevated measure remains unanswered. Also, the relationship of Lp(a) to coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores are understudied. Therefore, Dr Anurag Mehta and his team conducted a study to investigate the independent and joint association of Lp(a) and CAC with ASCVD risk.

For more information check out the full story on the link below:

Elevated lipoprotein(a) and CAC score combo independently Linked with ASCVD Risk

Assisted Reproduction to Increase risk for vascular, pregnancy complications  

 The findings of a recent study the Journal of the American Heart Association highlight the importance of counseling women who are considering Assisted reproductive technology about health and pregnancy, as well as postpartum-related risks. Study reports about the potentially long-term cardiovascular implications and risks associated with Assisted reproductive technology. Researchers emphasize on the fact that women who conceived with Assisted reproductive technology were older than women who conceived naturally (mean age, 35 vs. 28) and had more pre-existing health conditions, such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes that led to both vascular and pregnancy complications.