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New cholesterol, physical activity guidelines on tap at AHA 2018
Two new guidelines are set to be presented at the American Heart Association scientific sessions in Chicago.
First up will be the first update to the controversial 2013 cholesterol guidelines, which will be presented on Saturday, Nov. 10, in two sessions.
Second, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will unveil its new national guidelines for physical activity on Monday, Nov. 12.
Cholesterol guidelines
For the cholesterol guidelines, the most important messages for clinical practice will be presented in a session beginning at 10:45 a.m. A second session, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, can be considered more of a “deep dive” into the details and rationale, Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, cochair of this year’s Committee on Scientific Sessions Program, said in a teleconference with reporters.
“In the 10:45 session, we plan to cover the most important take-home messages and top-line issues,” explained Dr. Lloyd-Jones, a professor of cardiology at Northwestern University, Chicago, as well as one of the authors of both the 2013 cholesterol guidelines and these updated ones.
This will include the key changes since the AHA/American College of Cardiology Guideline on the Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk guidelines were released 2013. One major update will be the inclusion of the role of PCSK9 inhibitors, which were introduced after the 2013 guidelines were written. Moreover, the new guidelines will devote attention to personalizing treatment choices, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones.
“The deep-dive session later that day will cover such issues as risk assessment and cost effectiveness of drug treatments for specific populations,” said Dr. Lloyd-Jones, who added that case studies will be presented to illustrate how the new recommendations should affect practice.
Because of changes in risk assessment, the 2013 guidelines, which greatly expanded the candidates for lipid-lowering therapies, were labeled “controversial” in numerous critiques published in peer-reviewed journals and elsewhere. The authors of the new guidelines hope to avoid these problems.
“Since 2013, I think there have been questions about when we should use risk scores, whether there are risk scores that might be better than others, or if there are strategies of risk assessment we should be employing beyond just risk scores,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones acknowledged. “This was a big part of the discussion in developing these guidelines, and I think you will see some pretty significant advances in how we think about which patients are appropriate for treatment and which patients in whom we might think of withholding statin therapy when benefit is unlikely.”
Despite the large number of changes, Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasized that the document will be more concise and easier to use than the guidelines from 2013.
“The organization is modular, meaning that if you have a question about a certain aspect of management, you can go straight to the recommendation, which is accompanied by very brief text to explain the rationale,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones reported. “The presentation has been very much streamlined.”
HHS Guidelines on Physical Activity
The HHS guidelines on physical activity will be presented at 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 12. The 2018 version will be the first update since the original guidelines were made available in 2008.
“It has been 10 years since the last set of guidelines, and I think we are all looking forward to what these new recommendations will offer,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones said. He believes that the science has progressed significantly over the past decade.
“In addition to our longstanding understanding that doing something is better than doing nothing and doing more is better than doing something, I think we have seen some really interesting data in the last 10 years on intensity and duration of exercise and how those can be considered when trying to improve health-related outcomes,” said Dr. Lloyd-Jones.
The specifics of these guidelines will not be known until they are presented on Monday, but there is abundant evidence that a healthy lifestyle is the first defense against illness in general and against cardiovascular disease in particular. Dr. Lloyd-Jones indicated that authoritative and evidence-based guidelines could prove to a useful tool for empowering patients to make changes that reduce an array of health risks not just those related to vascular disease.
Two new guidelines are set to be presented at the American Heart Association scientific sessions in Chicago.
First up will be the first update to the controversial 2013 cholesterol guidelines, which will be presented on Saturday, Nov. 10, in two sessions.
Second, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will unveil its new national guidelines for physical activity on Monday, Nov. 12.
Cholesterol guidelines
For the cholesterol guidelines, the most important messages for clinical practice will be presented in a session beginning at 10:45 a.m. A second session, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, can be considered more of a “deep dive” into the details and rationale, Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, cochair of this year’s Committee on Scientific Sessions Program, said in a teleconference with reporters.
“In the 10:45 session, we plan to cover the most important take-home messages and top-line issues,” explained Dr. Lloyd-Jones, a professor of cardiology at Northwestern University, Chicago, as well as one of the authors of both the 2013 cholesterol guidelines and these updated ones.
This will include the key changes since the AHA/American College of Cardiology Guideline on the Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk guidelines were released 2013. One major update will be the inclusion of the role of PCSK9 inhibitors, which were introduced after the 2013 guidelines were written. Moreover, the new guidelines will devote attention to personalizing treatment choices, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones.
“The deep-dive session later that day will cover such issues as risk assessment and cost effectiveness of drug treatments for specific populations,” said Dr. Lloyd-Jones, who added that case studies will be presented to illustrate how the new recommendations should affect practice.
Because of changes in risk assessment, the 2013 guidelines, which greatly expanded the candidates for lipid-lowering therapies, were labeled “controversial” in numerous critiques published in peer-reviewed journals and elsewhere. The authors of the new guidelines hope to avoid these problems.
“Since 2013, I think there have been questions about when we should use risk scores, whether there are risk scores that might be better than others, or if there are strategies of risk assessment we should be employing beyond just risk scores,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones acknowledged. “This was a big part of the discussion in developing these guidelines, and I think you will see some pretty significant advances in how we think about which patients are appropriate for treatment and which patients in whom we might think of withholding statin therapy when benefit is unlikely.”
Despite the large number of changes, Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasized that the document will be more concise and easier to use than the guidelines from 2013.
“The organization is modular, meaning that if you have a question about a certain aspect of management, you can go straight to the recommendation, which is accompanied by very brief text to explain the rationale,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones reported. “The presentation has been very much streamlined.”
HHS Guidelines on Physical Activity
The HHS guidelines on physical activity will be presented at 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 12. The 2018 version will be the first update since the original guidelines were made available in 2008.
“It has been 10 years since the last set of guidelines, and I think we are all looking forward to what these new recommendations will offer,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones said. He believes that the science has progressed significantly over the past decade.
“In addition to our longstanding understanding that doing something is better than doing nothing and doing more is better than doing something, I think we have seen some really interesting data in the last 10 years on intensity and duration of exercise and how those can be considered when trying to improve health-related outcomes,” said Dr. Lloyd-Jones.
The specifics of these guidelines will not be known until they are presented on Monday, but there is abundant evidence that a healthy lifestyle is the first defense against illness in general and against cardiovascular disease in particular. Dr. Lloyd-Jones indicated that authoritative and evidence-based guidelines could prove to a useful tool for empowering patients to make changes that reduce an array of health risks not just those related to vascular disease.
Two new guidelines are set to be presented at the American Heart Association scientific sessions in Chicago.
First up will be the first update to the controversial 2013 cholesterol guidelines, which will be presented on Saturday, Nov. 10, in two sessions.
Second, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will unveil its new national guidelines for physical activity on Monday, Nov. 12.
Cholesterol guidelines
For the cholesterol guidelines, the most important messages for clinical practice will be presented in a session beginning at 10:45 a.m. A second session, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, can be considered more of a “deep dive” into the details and rationale, Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, cochair of this year’s Committee on Scientific Sessions Program, said in a teleconference with reporters.
“In the 10:45 session, we plan to cover the most important take-home messages and top-line issues,” explained Dr. Lloyd-Jones, a professor of cardiology at Northwestern University, Chicago, as well as one of the authors of both the 2013 cholesterol guidelines and these updated ones.
This will include the key changes since the AHA/American College of Cardiology Guideline on the Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk guidelines were released 2013. One major update will be the inclusion of the role of PCSK9 inhibitors, which were introduced after the 2013 guidelines were written. Moreover, the new guidelines will devote attention to personalizing treatment choices, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones.
“The deep-dive session later that day will cover such issues as risk assessment and cost effectiveness of drug treatments for specific populations,” said Dr. Lloyd-Jones, who added that case studies will be presented to illustrate how the new recommendations should affect practice.
Because of changes in risk assessment, the 2013 guidelines, which greatly expanded the candidates for lipid-lowering therapies, were labeled “controversial” in numerous critiques published in peer-reviewed journals and elsewhere. The authors of the new guidelines hope to avoid these problems.
“Since 2013, I think there have been questions about when we should use risk scores, whether there are risk scores that might be better than others, or if there are strategies of risk assessment we should be employing beyond just risk scores,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones acknowledged. “This was a big part of the discussion in developing these guidelines, and I think you will see some pretty significant advances in how we think about which patients are appropriate for treatment and which patients in whom we might think of withholding statin therapy when benefit is unlikely.”
Despite the large number of changes, Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasized that the document will be more concise and easier to use than the guidelines from 2013.
“The organization is modular, meaning that if you have a question about a certain aspect of management, you can go straight to the recommendation, which is accompanied by very brief text to explain the rationale,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones reported. “The presentation has been very much streamlined.”
HHS Guidelines on Physical Activity
The HHS guidelines on physical activity will be presented at 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 12. The 2018 version will be the first update since the original guidelines were made available in 2008.
“It has been 10 years since the last set of guidelines, and I think we are all looking forward to what these new recommendations will offer,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones said. He believes that the science has progressed significantly over the past decade.
“In addition to our longstanding understanding that doing something is better than doing nothing and doing more is better than doing something, I think we have seen some really interesting data in the last 10 years on intensity and duration of exercise and how those can be considered when trying to improve health-related outcomes,” said Dr. Lloyd-Jones.
The specifics of these guidelines will not be known until they are presented on Monday, but there is abundant evidence that a healthy lifestyle is the first defense against illness in general and against cardiovascular disease in particular. Dr. Lloyd-Jones indicated that authoritative and evidence-based guidelines could prove to a useful tool for empowering patients to make changes that reduce an array of health risks not just those related to vascular disease.
AHA 3-day format syncs with new direction in scientific meetings
Although a day shorter than meetings over recent years, more than 4,000 abstracts, keynote addresses, special sessions, and education programs have been squeezed into 800 sessions divided into 26 tracks of interest at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.
“We think that, for both for the presenters as well as for the attendees, ,” explained Eric Peterson, MD, chair of this year’s Committee on Scientific Sessions Program in a teleconference with reporters.
The shorter program is just one of many substantive changes made by the program committee to enhance the value of attendance, according to Dr. Peterson, professor of medicine, Duke University, Durham, N.C. In particular, the committee worked to make the sessions more interactive.
“There will be much less of someone just standing up and delivering slides,” he said. Through phone apps that will allow the audience to pose questions and comments to speakers in every major session, “there will be more opportunities for the audience to give their impression of the science being delivered.”
From the beginning, it was the intention of the program committee “to do things differently,” according to Dr. Peterson as well as his cochair Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, professor of cardiology at Northwestern University, Chicago.
“The 3-day format means full days, but I think that we have packed in some really exciting science,” said Dr. Lloyd-Jones, who described a diverse slate of programming goals. In addition to the traditional emphasis on new science, he said there will be more attention on “new management and new practice opportunities for clinicians to really hone their skills.”
Those coming to the Scientific Sessions will see a difference on the first day. In place of an awards ceremony and presidential address, which have long been staples of the opening sessions, this year’s meeting will begin with a series of simultaneous programs delving into key issues in cardiology and medical practice.
“We are starting things off with a bang with TED-like lectures given in multiple locations addressing the cutting edge of where we are with the hottest things in science,” Dr. Peterson said. “These will cover everything from how your microbiome might be affecting your risk for cardiovascular events to progress toward vaccines that might some day prevent cardiovascular disease.”
Innovative and forward-thinking programs unfold from there, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones.
Health technology will be a common thread across all 3 days of the Scientific Sessions, according to Dr. Peterson. One of the 26 tracks of this year’s meeting, health technology is imposing fundamental shifts in medical practice and how health care is delivered.
“This is a topic that covers electronic medical records, your cell phone, and mobile wearable devices that can help us as clinicians better understand what is going on with cardiovascular disease as well as help ourselves as individuals modify our risks,” said Dr. Peterson. Within this track, session programs range from how-to instruction to a technology forum organized like the “Shark Tank” television program.
“Health technology is moving rapidly,” Dr. Peterson pointed out. He suggested that the AHA Scientific Sessions provide a unique opportunity for cardiologists to stay current with evolving strategies for efficient care.
Within the effort to update the meeting format, traditional forms of late-breaking science, particularly late-breaking trials with potentially practice changing data, will not be lost. However, Dr. Peterson indicated that he expects this year’s meeting to have a somewhat different pace and sensibility.
“We believe that what we have been doing will not work any longer, and we needed to do things differently,” Dr. Peterson said. While the shorter more concentrated program is one example, Dr. Peterson also believes that the effort to diminish the distance between those who are speaking and those who are listening will lead to a richer experience for everyone.
Although a day shorter than meetings over recent years, more than 4,000 abstracts, keynote addresses, special sessions, and education programs have been squeezed into 800 sessions divided into 26 tracks of interest at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.
“We think that, for both for the presenters as well as for the attendees, ,” explained Eric Peterson, MD, chair of this year’s Committee on Scientific Sessions Program in a teleconference with reporters.
The shorter program is just one of many substantive changes made by the program committee to enhance the value of attendance, according to Dr. Peterson, professor of medicine, Duke University, Durham, N.C. In particular, the committee worked to make the sessions more interactive.
“There will be much less of someone just standing up and delivering slides,” he said. Through phone apps that will allow the audience to pose questions and comments to speakers in every major session, “there will be more opportunities for the audience to give their impression of the science being delivered.”
From the beginning, it was the intention of the program committee “to do things differently,” according to Dr. Peterson as well as his cochair Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, professor of cardiology at Northwestern University, Chicago.
“The 3-day format means full days, but I think that we have packed in some really exciting science,” said Dr. Lloyd-Jones, who described a diverse slate of programming goals. In addition to the traditional emphasis on new science, he said there will be more attention on “new management and new practice opportunities for clinicians to really hone their skills.”
Those coming to the Scientific Sessions will see a difference on the first day. In place of an awards ceremony and presidential address, which have long been staples of the opening sessions, this year’s meeting will begin with a series of simultaneous programs delving into key issues in cardiology and medical practice.
“We are starting things off with a bang with TED-like lectures given in multiple locations addressing the cutting edge of where we are with the hottest things in science,” Dr. Peterson said. “These will cover everything from how your microbiome might be affecting your risk for cardiovascular events to progress toward vaccines that might some day prevent cardiovascular disease.”
Innovative and forward-thinking programs unfold from there, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones.
Health technology will be a common thread across all 3 days of the Scientific Sessions, according to Dr. Peterson. One of the 26 tracks of this year’s meeting, health technology is imposing fundamental shifts in medical practice and how health care is delivered.
“This is a topic that covers electronic medical records, your cell phone, and mobile wearable devices that can help us as clinicians better understand what is going on with cardiovascular disease as well as help ourselves as individuals modify our risks,” said Dr. Peterson. Within this track, session programs range from how-to instruction to a technology forum organized like the “Shark Tank” television program.
“Health technology is moving rapidly,” Dr. Peterson pointed out. He suggested that the AHA Scientific Sessions provide a unique opportunity for cardiologists to stay current with evolving strategies for efficient care.
Within the effort to update the meeting format, traditional forms of late-breaking science, particularly late-breaking trials with potentially practice changing data, will not be lost. However, Dr. Peterson indicated that he expects this year’s meeting to have a somewhat different pace and sensibility.
“We believe that what we have been doing will not work any longer, and we needed to do things differently,” Dr. Peterson said. While the shorter more concentrated program is one example, Dr. Peterson also believes that the effort to diminish the distance between those who are speaking and those who are listening will lead to a richer experience for everyone.
Although a day shorter than meetings over recent years, more than 4,000 abstracts, keynote addresses, special sessions, and education programs have been squeezed into 800 sessions divided into 26 tracks of interest at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.
“We think that, for both for the presenters as well as for the attendees, ,” explained Eric Peterson, MD, chair of this year’s Committee on Scientific Sessions Program in a teleconference with reporters.
The shorter program is just one of many substantive changes made by the program committee to enhance the value of attendance, according to Dr. Peterson, professor of medicine, Duke University, Durham, N.C. In particular, the committee worked to make the sessions more interactive.
“There will be much less of someone just standing up and delivering slides,” he said. Through phone apps that will allow the audience to pose questions and comments to speakers in every major session, “there will be more opportunities for the audience to give their impression of the science being delivered.”
From the beginning, it was the intention of the program committee “to do things differently,” according to Dr. Peterson as well as his cochair Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, professor of cardiology at Northwestern University, Chicago.
“The 3-day format means full days, but I think that we have packed in some really exciting science,” said Dr. Lloyd-Jones, who described a diverse slate of programming goals. In addition to the traditional emphasis on new science, he said there will be more attention on “new management and new practice opportunities for clinicians to really hone their skills.”
Those coming to the Scientific Sessions will see a difference on the first day. In place of an awards ceremony and presidential address, which have long been staples of the opening sessions, this year’s meeting will begin with a series of simultaneous programs delving into key issues in cardiology and medical practice.
“We are starting things off with a bang with TED-like lectures given in multiple locations addressing the cutting edge of where we are with the hottest things in science,” Dr. Peterson said. “These will cover everything from how your microbiome might be affecting your risk for cardiovascular events to progress toward vaccines that might some day prevent cardiovascular disease.”
Innovative and forward-thinking programs unfold from there, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones.
Health technology will be a common thread across all 3 days of the Scientific Sessions, according to Dr. Peterson. One of the 26 tracks of this year’s meeting, health technology is imposing fundamental shifts in medical practice and how health care is delivered.
“This is a topic that covers electronic medical records, your cell phone, and mobile wearable devices that can help us as clinicians better understand what is going on with cardiovascular disease as well as help ourselves as individuals modify our risks,” said Dr. Peterson. Within this track, session programs range from how-to instruction to a technology forum organized like the “Shark Tank” television program.
“Health technology is moving rapidly,” Dr. Peterson pointed out. He suggested that the AHA Scientific Sessions provide a unique opportunity for cardiologists to stay current with evolving strategies for efficient care.
Within the effort to update the meeting format, traditional forms of late-breaking science, particularly late-breaking trials with potentially practice changing data, will not be lost. However, Dr. Peterson indicated that he expects this year’s meeting to have a somewhat different pace and sensibility.
“We believe that what we have been doing will not work any longer, and we needed to do things differently,” Dr. Peterson said. While the shorter more concentrated program is one example, Dr. Peterson also believes that the effort to diminish the distance between those who are speaking and those who are listening will lead to a richer experience for everyone.
Abruptio placenta brings increased cardiovascular risk – and soon
ANAHEIM, CALIF. – Women who experience placental abruption are at significantly increased risk for multiple forms of cardiovascular disease beginning within the first few years after their pregnancy complication, according to a study of more than 1.6 million California women.
While gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and fetal growth restriction have previously all been shown to be associated with increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease, this huge California study provides the first strong epidemiologic evidence that placental abruption is as well. Prior studies looking at the issue have been underpowered, Michael J. Healey, MD, said at the American Heart Association scientific sessions.
“Our hypothesis is that there might be some type of shared mechanism, probably involving microvascular dysfunction, that explains the relationships we see between these pregnancy complications and increased near-term risk of cardiovascular disease,” he explained in an interview.
Dr. Healy, a hospitalist attached to the heart failure service at the University of California, San Francisco, presented a retrospective study of a multiethnic cohort comprising 1,614,950 parous women aged 15-50 years who participated in the California Healthcare Cost and Utility Project during 2005-2009. Placental abruption occurred in 15,057 of them at a mean age of 29.2 years.
During a median 4.9 years of follow-up, women who experienced abruptio placenta were at 6% increased risk for heart failure, 11% greater risk for MI, 8% increased risk for hypertensive urgency, and 2% greater risk for myocardial infarction with no obstructive atherosclerosis (MINOCA) in an age- and race-adjusted analysis. All of these were statistically significant differences.
Of note, however, in a multivariate analysis fully adjusted for standard cardiovascular risk factors, as well as hypercoagulability, preterm birth, grand multiparity, and insurance status, placental abruption was independently associated with a 2.14-fold risk of MINOCA, but it was no longer linked to significantly increased risks of the other cardiovascular events.
The implication is that the increased risk of these other forms of cardiovascular disease is mediated through the women’s increased prevalence of the traditional cardiovascular risk factors, whereas a novel mechanism – most likely microvascular dysfunction – underlies the association between placental abruption and MINOCA, according to Dr. Healy.
He plans to extend this research by taking a look at the relationship between placental abruption and the various subtypes of MINOCA, including coronary dissection, vasospasm, thrombophilia disorders, and stress cardiomyopathy, in order to examine whether the increased risk posed by placental abruption is concentrated in certain forms of MINOCA. Data on MINOCA subtypes were recorded as part of the California project.
He reported having no financial conflicts of interest regarding his study.
ANAHEIM, CALIF. – Women who experience placental abruption are at significantly increased risk for multiple forms of cardiovascular disease beginning within the first few years after their pregnancy complication, according to a study of more than 1.6 million California women.
While gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and fetal growth restriction have previously all been shown to be associated with increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease, this huge California study provides the first strong epidemiologic evidence that placental abruption is as well. Prior studies looking at the issue have been underpowered, Michael J. Healey, MD, said at the American Heart Association scientific sessions.
“Our hypothesis is that there might be some type of shared mechanism, probably involving microvascular dysfunction, that explains the relationships we see between these pregnancy complications and increased near-term risk of cardiovascular disease,” he explained in an interview.
Dr. Healy, a hospitalist attached to the heart failure service at the University of California, San Francisco, presented a retrospective study of a multiethnic cohort comprising 1,614,950 parous women aged 15-50 years who participated in the California Healthcare Cost and Utility Project during 2005-2009. Placental abruption occurred in 15,057 of them at a mean age of 29.2 years.
During a median 4.9 years of follow-up, women who experienced abruptio placenta were at 6% increased risk for heart failure, 11% greater risk for MI, 8% increased risk for hypertensive urgency, and 2% greater risk for myocardial infarction with no obstructive atherosclerosis (MINOCA) in an age- and race-adjusted analysis. All of these were statistically significant differences.
Of note, however, in a multivariate analysis fully adjusted for standard cardiovascular risk factors, as well as hypercoagulability, preterm birth, grand multiparity, and insurance status, placental abruption was independently associated with a 2.14-fold risk of MINOCA, but it was no longer linked to significantly increased risks of the other cardiovascular events.
The implication is that the increased risk of these other forms of cardiovascular disease is mediated through the women’s increased prevalence of the traditional cardiovascular risk factors, whereas a novel mechanism – most likely microvascular dysfunction – underlies the association between placental abruption and MINOCA, according to Dr. Healy.
He plans to extend this research by taking a look at the relationship between placental abruption and the various subtypes of MINOCA, including coronary dissection, vasospasm, thrombophilia disorders, and stress cardiomyopathy, in order to examine whether the increased risk posed by placental abruption is concentrated in certain forms of MINOCA. Data on MINOCA subtypes were recorded as part of the California project.
He reported having no financial conflicts of interest regarding his study.
ANAHEIM, CALIF. – Women who experience placental abruption are at significantly increased risk for multiple forms of cardiovascular disease beginning within the first few years after their pregnancy complication, according to a study of more than 1.6 million California women.
While gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and fetal growth restriction have previously all been shown to be associated with increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease, this huge California study provides the first strong epidemiologic evidence that placental abruption is as well. Prior studies looking at the issue have been underpowered, Michael J. Healey, MD, said at the American Heart Association scientific sessions.
“Our hypothesis is that there might be some type of shared mechanism, probably involving microvascular dysfunction, that explains the relationships we see between these pregnancy complications and increased near-term risk of cardiovascular disease,” he explained in an interview.
Dr. Healy, a hospitalist attached to the heart failure service at the University of California, San Francisco, presented a retrospective study of a multiethnic cohort comprising 1,614,950 parous women aged 15-50 years who participated in the California Healthcare Cost and Utility Project during 2005-2009. Placental abruption occurred in 15,057 of them at a mean age of 29.2 years.
During a median 4.9 years of follow-up, women who experienced abruptio placenta were at 6% increased risk for heart failure, 11% greater risk for MI, 8% increased risk for hypertensive urgency, and 2% greater risk for myocardial infarction with no obstructive atherosclerosis (MINOCA) in an age- and race-adjusted analysis. All of these were statistically significant differences.
Of note, however, in a multivariate analysis fully adjusted for standard cardiovascular risk factors, as well as hypercoagulability, preterm birth, grand multiparity, and insurance status, placental abruption was independently associated with a 2.14-fold risk of MINOCA, but it was no longer linked to significantly increased risks of the other cardiovascular events.
The implication is that the increased risk of these other forms of cardiovascular disease is mediated through the women’s increased prevalence of the traditional cardiovascular risk factors, whereas a novel mechanism – most likely microvascular dysfunction – underlies the association between placental abruption and MINOCA, according to Dr. Healy.
He plans to extend this research by taking a look at the relationship between placental abruption and the various subtypes of MINOCA, including coronary dissection, vasospasm, thrombophilia disorders, and stress cardiomyopathy, in order to examine whether the increased risk posed by placental abruption is concentrated in certain forms of MINOCA. Data on MINOCA subtypes were recorded as part of the California project.
He reported having no financial conflicts of interest regarding his study.
REPORTING FROM THE AHA SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS
Key clinical point: Placental abruption is associated with increased risk of maternal cardiovascular events within a few years after delivery.
Major finding: Placental abruption was independently associated with a 2.14-fold increased risk of myocardial infarction with no obstructive atherosclerosis during a median 4.9 years of follow-up.
Study details: This was a retrospective study of more than 1.6 million parous women enrolled in the California Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, including 15,057 with placental abruption.
Disclosures: The study presenter reported having no financial conflicts of interest.