Colchicine vs Afib; Winter Spike in Cardiac Arrests; Cardiologist Stabbed at Home

The anti-inflammatory colchicine, recently approved for cardiovascular prevention (under the trade name Lodoco), appeared to offer protection from postoperative atrial fibrillation in a meta-analysis. (EP Europace)

Scientists identified several gut microbial metabolites that are associated with major adverse cardiovascular events within 3 years, suggestive of potential targets for therapy. (European Heart Journal)

Among people with atrial fibrillation, the progression to cognitive impairment and dementia was found to be modified by sex. (Alzheimer’s & Dementia)

Thrombectomy for basilar artery occlusion may still offer clinical benefit to patients with mild symptoms, according to a large national cohort analysis. (Stroke)

For acute stroke patients not eligible for reperfusion therapy, the application of noninvasive high-definition cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation was well tolerated and associated with penumbral salvage in a pilot study. (JAMA Network Open)

Ruxolitinib (Jakafi) was also found to work as a CaMKII inhibitor, suggesting that the feared potential for cognitive harm with this medication class has not played out in the many patients already taking it for cancer or a skin condition. This has been a major obstacle to developing a CaMKII inhibitor for the treatment of arrhythmias. (Science Translational Medicine)

Preclinical work set the stage for shock-free cardioversion of atrial fibrillation using optogenetics. (Journal of Internal Medicine)

The winter season tends to produce a spike in in-hospital cardiac arrests. (JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology)

Anxiety and depression at the time of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement is linked to worse medication adherence 1 year after surgery, according to research presented at the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions conference hosted by the European Society of Cardiology.

Women with a history of peripartum cardiomyopathy who went on to have subsequent pregnancies tended to be left with persistent systolic dysfunction. (Journal of the American College of Cardiology)

In heart failure, a left ventricular ejection fraction of 50% held up as the biological threshold separating two distinct patient populations with different prognoses. (Circulation)

Researchers could not find consistent answers for whether heart attack patients with cardiogenic shock are helped by percutaneous microaxial left ventricular assist devices based on observational data alone. (JAMA Cardiology)

Arrival of the MitraClip G4 widened the pool of candidates suitable for mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair, registry data showed. (JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions)

The number of interventional cardiologists in Korea is declining due to difficult work environments and the retirement of late-career operators. (Korea Biomedical Review)

The American Heart Association plans to expand its pilot Target Aortic Stenosis quality initiative from 15 to 80 centers, with goals of refining data elements to characterize performance and helping underperforming sites with best practices. (Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes)

A prominent Australian electrophysiologist was stabbed during a home invasion and is hospitalized in stable condition. (NBN News)

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