Survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest outside a hospital have remained stuck at 10% for decades. At last, researchers are making headway on a problem that kills more than 400,000 Americans every year.
Covid, which scrambled the top 10 causes of death in recent years, has fallen on that list. As for the No. 1 killer, “We're going in the wrong direction for heart disease" a researcher says.
The month after being discharged for a heart attack or heart failure is crucial for preventing relapse. Although more patients are having follow-up appointments, disparities are widening for minority and poorer patients.
Guidelines for prescribing statins and high blood pressure drugs are being reconsidered in light of a new cardiovascular risk model. New studies point to the large potential harms as well as benefits.