A synthesis of more than 120 research studies on children’s healthcare indicates that the use of play, toys and games “humanises” hospital stays and medical procedures, and significantly reduces their psychological impact on child patients. The University of Cambridge report argues that play should be a recognised component of children’s healthcare in the UK Government’s forthcoming 10-year plan for the NHS.

The overall survival rate of athletes who suffer sudden cardiac arrest has improved over the past decade, but the likelihood of surviving varies by race, where the cardiac arrest occurred and what athletes were doing when they collapsed, according to featured clinical research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25) and simultaneously published in JACC.

About The Study: This study found that despite increased participation in U.S. long distance running races, the incidence of cardiac arrest during U.S. marathons and half-marathons remains stable. There has been a marked decline in cardiac arrest mortality, and coronary artery disease was the most common etiology among cases with sufficient cause-related data. Effective emergency action planning with immediate access to defibrillation may explain the improvement in survival.

People with heart failure are often advised to limit their fluid intake. However, a large study led by Radboud university medical center now shows that this practice does not provide any health benefits. Researchers writing in Nature Medicine found that it is safe when patients with heart failure regulate their own fluid intake.

Patients who were counseled on heart medications and lifestyle modifications by specially trained nurses were 30% less likely to experience cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke five years after being hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) compared with those who received standard care, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25).

At two years of follow-up, patients with a poorly functioning tricuspid valve in the heart who received the best available medical therapy plus a minimally invasive procedure using a clip to repair the valve were 28% less likely to be hospitalized for recurrent heart failure than similar patients who were initially randomly assigned to medical therapy alone. The study was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25).