Single-pill medications that combine two or more blood pressure medications could simplify treatment to help more adults with high blood pressure achieve target blood pressure levels faster and maintain blood pressure goals long-term compared with patients taking multiple, separate pills daily.

For the first time, an international analysis has shown that when people with prediabetes bring their blood glucose back into the normal range through lifestyle changes, their risk of heart attack, heart failure, and premature death is cut in half. These findings could revolutionize prevention and establish a new, measurable target for clinical guidelines. Among others, researchers from University Hospital Tübingen, Helmholtz Munich, and the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) took part in the study.

Lowering blood sugar levels halves the likelihood of serious heart problems in people with prediabetes. 

Why this matters:

 

MSU researchers have created the first human heart-like “organoids” that enable the study of atrial fibrillation, or A-fib. The models also enable new ways of evaluating heart development, diseases and drug responses.

This discovery will benefit an estimated 60 million people globally who have arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats. No new drugs have been introduced for this condition for more than 30 years.

The MSU lab is a pioneer and world leader in human heart organoid technologies. Organoids are tiny, functional models of human organs grown in a lab.

A significant Arctic blast expected to hit the U.S. starting later this week will bring the coldest air of the season, dangerous wind, heavy snow - and the risk of heart issues - to those living in communities from the Great Plains to the Great Lakes. The exertion of shoveling snow in extreme cold can be deadly.

Epicardial adipose tissue, the layer of fat between the heart muscle and the outer heart lining, was assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Patients with the largest volumes of epicardial adipose tissue showed the greatest injury to the heart muscle. Prospective validation is now warranted to assess whether epicardial adipose tissue volume could be used in cardiovascular risk assessment to identify high-risk patients.