Cardio Round-up: AHA 2019, Plus Legumes Good for Heart

This week’s edition features some stories from the recently held American Heart Association 2019 Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia (see full coverage here and here), plus good news for those of us who like beans. 

Beans, Legumes Are Good for Heart Health

If you love a good bean, you’ll be encouraged to know that consumption of more beans and legumes in the diet was associated with a reduced risk for heart disease, according to a new analysis in Advances in Nutrition. The umbrella review looked a number of previous studies focusing on any link between legume consumption in the diet and cardiovascular disease/mortality. The results suggested that those who eat more legumes saw decreases in cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, hypertension and obesity. “Simply adding more beans to our plates could be a powerful tool in fighting heart disease and bringing down blood pressure,” one of the authors said in a press release.

https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/cardiology-picks/beans-legumes-cardiovascular-health-risk/

EVAPORATE: Icosapent Ethyl Slows Atherosclerosis Progression

Icosapent ethyl was effective at slowing the progression of coronary atherosclerosis, according to the EVAPORATE study results presented this past week at the American Heart Association 2019 Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia. The study evaluated a dose of 4 mg daily of icosapent ethyl added onto statin therapy in patients with atherosclerosis. The study included 80 patients. Icosapent ethyl, when added to statin therapy, slowed the progression of low-attenuation plaque, total plaque, calcified plaque, and increased fibrofatty plaque. “EVAPORATE may provide important mechanistic data that may have relevance to the REDUCE-IT results and clinical use of icosapent ethyl,” the researchers wrote.

ISCHEMIA: Invasive Strategy Yields No Risk Reduction in Ischemic Heart Disease Patients

An invasive approach to treating stable ischemic heart disease compared to a more conservative approach, new study results suggest. The International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness With Medical and Invasive Approaches (ISCHEMIA), which was also presented at AHA 2019 in Philadelphia, included almost 5,200 patients who underwent a more aggressive interventional approach or a more conservative approach of catheterization only if optical medical therapy failed. According to the results, there were no differences between study groups in the composite study endpoint of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, resuscitated cardiac arrest, or major hospitalization for unstable angina or heart failure.

https://www.docwirenews.com/docwire-pick/cardiology-picks/invasive-versus-noninvasive-approach-heart-disease/