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Patients suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) could be at as high a risk of coronary heart disease as patients who have previously had a myocardial infarction (MI), according to an article published online recently in The Lancet.¹

Around 12,000 deaths in acute hospitals in England each year could be prevented, according to a data analysis published recently online in BMJ Quality and Safety.¹ The findings are based on the case record reviews of 1,000 adult patient deaths at 10 randomly selected acute hospitals across England in 2009.

Short-term antiarrhythmic drug treatment after cardioversion is nearly as effective in preventing recurrences of atrial fibrillation as long-term treatment, according to results from the Flec-SL (flecainide short – long) trial, conducted by the German Competence Network on Atrial Fibrillation (AFNET). The scientific paper was published recently in The Lancet.¹

Fewer people died or needed expensive long-term care when their physicians focused on the top risk factors for stroke and dementia, according to research reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA).¹

An exciting new healthcare smartphone (LifeWatch V, LifeWatch AG) will soon be available, which has a range of medical sensors, health applications, cloud-based services and 24/7 call center support.

The safety and feasibility of optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the carotid arteries is supported by a study published recently in the Journal of Endovascular Therapy.¹

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is set to double by 2050,¹ according to a group of independent UK experts who reported recently.² The report also states that, despite readily available checks, roughly half of AF patients still remain undetected.

A new online guide to help employers raise awareness about heart disease in their workplaces was launched recently by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).

Aneurysm screening for men aged over 65 is cost effective and rescreening those at highest risk, at least once, should be considered, suggests a study published recently bmj.com.¹

Lifestyle behaviour in adolescents may adversely affect blood pressure and cardiovascular risk in adulthood, according to results from a large pregnancy follow-up study in Australia published recently in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.¹