The prevalence of familial hypercholesterolemia is 1 in 250, but <10% of patients are diagnosed. Cascade testing enables early detection of cases through systematic family tracing. Establishment of familial hypercholesterolemia cascade testing programs in the US could be informed by approaches used elsewhere.

Dog ownership has been associated with decreased cardiovascular risk. Recent reports have suggested an association of dog companionship with lower blood pressure levels, improved lipid profile, and diminished sympathetic responses to stress. However, it is unclear if dog ownership is associated with improved survival as previous studies have yielded inconsistent results. Thus, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association of dog ownership with all-cause mortality, with and without prior cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular mortality.

Randomized trials of therapies that primarily lowered triglycerides have not consistently shown reductions in cardiovascular events.

Quality improvement initiatives have been developed to improve acute coronary syndrome care largely in high-income country settings. We sought to synthesize the effect size and quality of evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized studies for hospital-based acute coronary syndrome quality improvement interventions on clinical outcomes and process of care measures for their potential implementation in low- and middle-income country settings.

Despite the publication of several randomized clinical trials comparing catheter ablation (CA) with medical therapy (MT) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the superiority of one strategy over another is still questioned by many. In this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, we compared the efficacy and safety of CA with MT for AF.

It has not been yet adequately addressed whether the addition of the nonstatin LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol)-lowering agents on top of statins has the same magnitude of risk reduction in the cardiovascular events as compared with more-intensive statin therapy.

The posterior left atrium is an arrhythmogenic substrate that contributes to the initiation and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF); however, the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of posterior wall isolation (PWI) as an AF ablation strategy has not been widely reported.

Background Radial access (RA) is increasingly used in chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention with encouraging results. However, there are concerns about its safety and efficacy because of higher complexity and the need for strong guide catheter support. Methods and Results We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of all studies published through November 2018 reporting the outcomes of RA versus femoral access in CTO percutaneous coronary intervention. Outcomes included major bleeding, access-site complications, in-hospital major adverse events, and technical success. Nine observational studies with 10 590 patients (10 617 lesions) were included in the meta-analysis. CTO lesions attempted using RA had lower Japan-CTO score (2.3±1.2 versus 2.5±1.3; P<0.001). Use of RA was associated with similar technical success (78.7% versus 78.5%; odds ratio, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.94-1.31; P=0.24; I2=23%), lower risk of access-site complications (0.73% versus 1.79%; odds ratio, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.22-0.51; P<0.001; I2=0%) and major bleeding (0.18% versus 0.9%; odds ratio, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.10-0.45; P<0.001; I2=0%), and similar risk of in-hospital adverse events and in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.12-1.07; P=0.07; I2=0%) as compared to femoral access. Results were similar when analyzing radial-only versus any femoral access and when excluding the largest study. Conclusions As compared with femoral access, RA is used in CTO percutaneous coronary intervention of less complex lesions and is associated with fewer access-site complications and major bleeding and comparable technical success.

Background The treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction has been the subject of numerous randomized controlled trials involving medications and cardiac implantable electronic device therapies. As newer effective pharmacological therapies suggest significant reductions in all-cause mortality, the role of additional device therapy in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction deserves further scrutiny. Methods A systematic review and network meta-analysis on the effect of medication and device therapies in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction on all-cause mortality was performed. Randomized controlled trials published between January 1980 and July 2017 were identified using Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials databases. Pcnetmeta package in R was used to calculate treatment arm-based estimated rates, rate ratios, and probability ranks with 95% credible intervals. Results Combination therapy of ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors or ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) with β-blockers (BBs) alone or in addition to implantable cardiac defibrillators or cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillators demonstrated a significant reduction of all-cause mortality when compared with placebo. By probability rank, implantable cardiac defibrillator+ACE inhibitor or ARB+BB+mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, implantable cardiac defibrillator+ACE inhibitor or ARB+BB, and angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor+BB+mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist combination therapies have the highest probability of being ranked the best treatment. There was no significant difference in the rate of mortality when comparing angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor+BB+mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist to implantable cardiac defibrillator+optimal pharmacological combination therapy. Conclusions BB and renin-angiotensin system blockers alone or in combination with defibrillator device therapy have robust evidence for a reduction in mortality compared with placebo. The comparative efficacy of pharmacological therapy with angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors and device therapy deserves further investigation.

Findings among randomized controlled trials evaluating the effect of red meat on cardiovascular disease risk factors are inconsistent. We provide an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on red meat and cardiovascular risk factors and determine whether the relationship depends on the composition of the comparison diet, hypothesizing that plant sources would be relatively beneficial.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have emerged as 2 new classes of antihyperglycemic agents that also reduce cardiovascular risk. The relative benefits in patients with and without established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease for different outcomes with these classes of drugs remain undefined.

Women with a history of certain pregnancy complications are at higher risk for cardiovascular (CVD) disease. However, most clinical guidelines only recommend postpartum follow-up of those with a history of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, or preterm birth. This systematic review was undertaken to determine if there is an association between a broader array of pregnancy complications and the future risk of CVD.

Background To support decision-making in aortic valve replacement in nonelderly adults, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of reported outcome after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement and to translate this to age-specific patient outcome estimates. Methods and Results A systematic review was conducted for papers reporting clinical outcome after aortic valve replacement with currently available bioprostheses in patients with a mean age <55 years, published between January 1, 2000, and January 9, 2016. Pooled reported event rates and time-to-event data were pooled and entered into a microsimulation model to calculate life expectancy and lifetime event risk for the ages of 25, 35, 45, and 55 years at surgery. Nineteen publications were included, encompassing a total of 2686 patients with 21 117 patient-years of follow-up (pooled mean follow-up: 7.9±4.2 years). Pooled mean age at surgery was 50.7±11.0 years. Pooled early mortality risk was 3.30% (95% CI, 2.39-4.55), late mortality rate was 2.39%/y (95% CI, 1.13-2.94), reintervention 1.82%/y (95% CI, 1.31-2.52), structural valve deterioration 1.59%/y (95% CI, 1.21-2.10), thromboembolism 0.53%/y (95% CI, 0.42-0.67), bleeding 0.22%/y (95% CI, 0.16-0.32), endocarditis 0.48%/y (95% CI, 0.37-0.62), and 20-year pooled actuarial survival was 58.7% and freedom from reintervention was 29.0%. Median time to structural valve deterioration was 17.3 years and median time to all-cause first reintervention was 16.9 years. For a 45-year-old adult, for example, this translated to a microsimulation-based estimated life expectancy of 21 years (general population: 32 years) and lifetime risk of reintervention of 78%, structural valve deterioration 71%, thromboembolism 12%, bleeding 5%, and endocarditis 9%. Conclusions Aortic valve replacement with bioprostheses in young adults is associated with high structural valve deterioration and reintervention rates and low, though not absent, hazards of thromboembolism and bleeding. Foremostly, most patients will require one or more reinterventions during their lifetime and survival is impaired in comparison with the age- and sex-matched general population. Prosthesis durability remains the main concern in nonelderly patients.

The 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for the treatment of blood cholesterol found little evidence to support the use of nonstatin lipid-modifying medications to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events. Since publication of these guidelines, multiple randomized controlled trials evaluating nonstatin lipid-modifying medications have been published.

Since 1980, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) have translated scientific evidence into clinical practice guidelines with recommendations to improve cardiovascular health. These guidelines, which are based on systematic methods to evaluate and classify evidence, provide a foundation for the delivery of quality cardiovascular care. The ACC and AHA sponsor the development and publication of clinical practice guidelines without commercial support, and members volunteer their time to the writing and review efforts. Clinical practice guidelines provide recommendations applicable to patients with or at risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). The focus is on medical practice in the United States, but these guidelines are relevant to patients throughout the world. Although guidelines may be used to inform regulatory or payer decisions, the intent is to improve quality of care and align with patients’ interests. Guidelines are intended to define practices meeting the needs of patients in most, but not all, circumstances, and should not replace clinical judgment. Recommendations for guideline-directed management and therapy, which encompasses clinical evaluation, diagnostic testing, and both pharmacological and procedural treatments, are effective only when followed by both practitioners and patients. Adherence to recommendations can be enhanced by shared decision-making between clinicians and patients, with patient engagement in selecting interventions on the basis of individual values, preferences, and associated conditions and comorbidities. The ACC/AHA Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines strives to ensure that the guideline writing committee both contains requisite expertise and is representative of the broader medical community by selecting experts from a broad array of backgrounds, representing different geographic regions, sexes, races, ethnicities, intellectual perspectives/biases, and scopes of clinical practice, and by inviting organizations and professional societies with related interests and expertise to participate as partners or collaborators. The ACC and AHA have rigorous policies and methods to ensure that documents are developed without bias or improper influence. The complete policy on relationships with industry and other entities (RWI) can be found online. Beginning in 2017, numerous modifications to the guidelines have been and continue to be implemented to make guidelines shorter and enhance “user friendliness.” Guidelines are written and presented in a modular knowledge chunk format, in which each chunk includes a table of recommendations, a brief synopsis, recommendation-specific supportive text and, when appropriate, flow diagrams or additional tables. Hyperlinked references are provided for each modular knowledge chunk to facilitate quick access and review. More structured guidelines–including word limits (“targets”) and a web guideline supplement for useful but noncritical tables and figures–are 2 such changes. This Preamble is an abbreviated version, with the detailed version available online. The reader is encouraged to consult the full-text guideline for additional guidance and details, since the executive summary contains mainly the recommendations.

It is unclear whether physiologic pacing by either cardiac biventricular pacing (BiVP) or His bundle pacing (HisBP) may prevent adverse structural and functional consequences known to occur among some patients who receive right ventricular pacing (RVP).