A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association said ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of death in the US from 1990 to 2016, while the overall mortality rate decreased. There were wide disparities in disease burden, with increases in opioid use disorders and decreases in breast cancer mortality, while high blood pressure, blood glucose and body mass index, along with poor diet and alcohol and drug use, each accounted for more than 5% of risk-attributable disability-adjusted life years in 2016.

A study that included almost 500,000 adults ages 40 to 69 linked higher fitness levels to a lower likelihood of heart disease over six years, even for people with genetic variants that increased their cardiovascular risks, researchers reported in the journal Circulation. People who had the highest fitness level but also the greatest genetic risks had a 49% reduced risk of coronary heart disease and a 60% lower risk of atrial fibrillation, compared with individuals who were least fit.

Japanese researchers found that patients with and without diabetes who were taking beta-blockers had all-cause death event rates of 40.6 and 13.8 per 1,000 person-years, compared with 17.1 and 5.9 among those with and without diabetes not taking such drugs, respectively. The findings in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, based on data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2010 involving 17,524 patients with and without diabetes, showed a significantly higher all-cause mortality among those with diabetes and coronary heart disease who took beta-blockers than those who did not take the drugs.

Regular use of proton pump inhibitors does not significantly increase the risk of a first stroke, according to a study in the journal Gastroenterology. The study counters earlier evidence suggesting a higher risk of stroke with PPI use, which the researchers said may have been due to confounding factors related to chronic conditions that are associated with PPI use.

An American Heart Association policy statement published in the journal Circulation estimated the cost of informal caregiving for patients with cardiovascular disease will increase from $61 billion in 2015 to $128 billion in 2035. The AHA called for a national caregiving strategy, expanded palliative care access, adding outcomes and caregiver engagement to payment reforms and prioritizing caregiving research.

The CMS has issued a final rule that will allow states to determine essential health benefits covered by plans sold on Affordable Care Act exchanges beginning in 2020. The rule also allows states to propose changes to the medical loss ratio while relaxing MLR reporting requirements for insurers, eliminates standardized plan options for 2019, and raises the threshold for premium increases requiring state review from 10% to 15%.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) bring you the first in a series of complimentary webinars at 9 tonight PDT -- yes, this is the correct time to accommodate our global audience!

This webinar is designed to provide the best practices in nuclear cardiology to cardiologists, oncologists, radiologists, technologists and nuclear medicine physicians.

• Participate in the first ASNC-IAEA webinar devoted to cardiology and oncology 
• Learn how nuclear cardiology can aid in the detection and treatment of chemotherapy-associated cardiotoxicity 
• Understand the needs and concerns of oncologists and cardiologists in caring for their patients 

Speakers include ASNC's 2017 President Raymond Russell, MD, PhD, MASNC

The ASNC Nominating Committee is seeking recommendations for members to serve as directors of the society. The Board of Directors is ASNC's chief governing and policymaking body. The Nominating Committee will submit a slate of nominations for approval by the board at its June meeting. The board-approved slate is voted on by the membership at the annual business meeting. Directors serve four-year terms. Submit nominations by April 15.