TCTMD’s Top 10 Most Popular Stories for June 2021

Taking the temperature of our times, more than half of our top 10 stories for the month of June 2021 touched on possible cardiovascular side-effects of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, the bulk of these related to myocarditis, although one also detailed a case of a clotting-type reaction similar to that seen with the Oxford/AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccinations. Other popular stories spanned statins, TAVI in younger patients, genotyping for antiplatelets, dapagliflozin costs, and therapeutic hypothermia for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

1. Myocarditis in Young People After mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination Higher Than Expected

The CDC is continuing to monitor the potential risks, but experts say the adverse event is rare and the benefits far outweigh risks.

    SEE ALSO

    CDC Says Myocarditis ‘Likely’ Linked to mRNA Vaccines but Very Rare

    Papers Probe Link Between COVID-19 Vaccines and Myocarditis

    More Evidence Links Myocarditis to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines

2. COVID-19: TCTMD’s Daily Dispatch

We’re curating a list of COVID-19 research and other useful content, and updating it daily.

3. Rare Clotting Complication Seen After mRNA Vaccine: Case Report

The case, following a second Moderna dose, challenges the view that only adenoviral-vector vaccines can cause VITT.

4. LDL Cholesterol-Lowering Meds Rarely Intensified: GOULD

For patients starting with levels ≥ 100 mg/dL, just 21% achieved the ACC/AHA cholesterol guideline targets by 2 years.

5. Statins Not Linked to Dementia or Memory Changes: ASPREE

While there are nuances to the data, the big picture is that statins aren’t harmful to the brain, say experts.

6. Be ‘Mindful’ of TAVI Unknowns in Younger Patients, Experts Urge

“There is no single strategy that fits all” when it comes to lifetime management, says Toby Rogers.

7. Extended TAILOR-PCI Data Again Show No Gains for Genotype-Guided Meds

Naveen Pereira believes there is still in some benefit of testing, and that the P value shouldn’t be viewed as “binary.”

8. Dapagliflozin US Cost-effectiveness Data Expose Barriers to HF Care

US costs for the drug are higher than in other countries, where studies have shown better cost-effectiveness ratios.

9. A New Biomarker to Diagnose Acute Myocarditis?

The microRNA’s specificity to myocarditis is unique, and “that would make it a very powerful tool,” a researcher says.

10. No Need to Cool Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients: TTM2

Two decades into therapeutic hypothermia, clinicians must face the fact that it doesn’t seem to work for OHCA.

 

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