Cardio Round-Up: Assessing Cardiovascular Risk in HIV Patients; and More

EMPEROR-Preserved, GUIDE-HF, and More: Heart Failure Updates with Dr. Andrew J. Sauer

DocWire News chats with Andrew J. Sauer, MD, an associate professor of medicine and medical director of the Advanced Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation at the University of Kansas Medical Center, about some impactful studies from the European Society of Cardiology Congress, the Heart Failure of Society Scientific Sessions, and more. Dr. Sauer focuses on the EMPEROR-Preserved and GUIDE-HF, the latter on which Dr. Sauer was a co-investigator.

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What Blood Sugar Levels Best Protect Against Heart Trouble in Those With Diabetes?

For people with diabetes who have a stroke, there may be an ideal blood sugar target to prevent another one or a heart attack, a South Korean study finds. “We know that having diabetes may be associated with an increased risk of having a first stroke,” said study author Dr. Moon-Ku Han, of Seoul National University College of Medicine. “But our results indicate that there is an optimal blood sugar level that may start to minimize the risk of having another stroke, a heart attack or other vascular problems, and it’s right in the 6.8% to 7% range.”

Current, Recent SARS-CoV-2 Infection May Up VTE Risk After Surgery

For patients undergoing elective or emergency surgery, perioperative or recent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is associated with an increased risk for postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE), according to a study published online Aug. 24 in Anaesthesia. “Routine postoperative care of surgical patients should include interventions to reduce VTE risk in general, and further research is needed to define the optimal protocols for VTE prophylaxis and treatment for surgical patients in the setting of SARS-CoV-2 infection,” the authors write.

Assessing Cardiovascular Risk Scores and Coronary Artery Risk in Men with HIV

A study assessed the association of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk scores and coronary artery plaque (CAP) progression in HIV-infected participants. The results appeared in the journal AIDS. Researchers analyzed a total of 495 men with (n=211) and without (n=284) HIV-infection who were enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) CVD study. They assessed coronary artery plaque (CAP) at baseline and follow-up was assessed with cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA). “PCE and FRS categories predict CAP progression better in HIV-uninfected compared to HIV-infected men,” the researchers concluded. “Improved CVD risk scores are needed to identify high risk HIV-infected men for more aggressive CVD risk prevention strategies.”