Updates in Cardiology and Beyond

19/09/2026

🔴 Abnormal Q Waves: Ischemic and Non-Ischemic Causes

19/09/2026

🇪🇺 EU Parliament Backs Stronger Action to Prevent Heart Disease

❤️ CVD causes 1.7 million deaths every year in the EU, with around 80% considered preventable.

🛡️ The EU is shifting from treating heart disease after it develops toward preventing it earlier.

🚭 Measures target major risks including tobacco/nicotine, alcohol, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity.

🥗 The plan supports clearer food labels and action on ultra-processed foods.

🩺 More heart-health screening is encouraged, especially for people at higher risk.

Source፦ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20260911IPR47455/meps-want-better-prevention-of-cardiovascular-diseases-in-the-eu

Europe’s biggest silent killer claims 1.7 million lives each year. The Safe Hearts Plan is the EU’s first cardiovascular health strategy, and Parliament wants prevention to be at the heart of it.🫀🤝
Find out more in the first comment.

19/09/2026

🔴 Pulmonary Acceleration Time ( )

✅ A shorter PAT (

17/09/2026

🔴 Clinical Management of Myocardial Infarction: State-of-the-Art Review (Circulation, 2026)
https://doi.org/10.1161/circulationaha.126.079317

08/09/2026

🔴 Infective Endocarditis: Diagnosis, Antibiotic Therapy, and Management: 2026 AHA Scientific Statement
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001466

06/09/2026

🔴 New Evidence in Heart Failure: 2026 Update
https://academic.oup.com/eschf/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eschf/xvag216/8778766

06/09/2026

🔴 after in patients with atrial fibrillation ( ): an individual patient data network meta-analysis (EHJ, 2026)
https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehag740

06/09/2026

#𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝟐.𝟓 𝐦𝐠 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲: 𝐕𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐬𝐞

Rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily, when combined with low-dose aspirin (75–100 mg once daily), is a vascular-protection regimen used in selected patients with:

—𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞 (𝐂𝐂𝐒/𝐂𝐀𝐃)
—𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 (𝐏𝐀𝐃/)
—𝐏𝐀𝐃 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫-𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

This strategy is often referred to as dual-pathway inhibition, combining low-dose factor Xa inhibition with antiplatelet therapy to reduce major cardiovascular and limb events.

The 2.5 mg twice-daily dose is not a full therapeutic anticoagulant dose and should not be used as the anticoagulant regimen for:

Atrial fibrillation → stroke/systemic embolism prevention requires the appropriate AF anticoagulant dose.

Acute DVT or PE → treatment requires the full therapeutic VTE regimen.

05/09/2026

🔴 Study: Aute Heart Failure in Africa (Lancet, 2026)

Aetiology, Management, and Outcomes of Aute Heart Failure across 17 African Countries: A Prospective, Multicentre, Observational Cohort Study

• 50 hospitals across 17 African countries
• 1,578 pts with acute HF
• Enrolment period: July 2024 – July 2025
• Follow-up: 180 days
• 17 Participating Countries: Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, , Ghana, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia.

Demographic Data

• Median age: 56 years (IQR 40–69)
• Female: 50.5%
• African descent: 97.8%

Cardiovascular Risk Factors & Comorbidities

• Hypertension: 62.7%
• Diabetes: 20.3%
• Dyslipidaemia: 15.8%
• HIV-positive: 3.4%

Leading Aetiologies of AHF

1. Hypertensive heart disease: 36.5%
2. Cardiomyopathy: 23.4%
3. Ischaemic heart disease: 23.3%
4. Other causes: 6.8%

Clinical Presentation — Median (IQR)

• BMI: 23.7 kg/m² (21.2–27.4)
• Systolic BP: 124 mmHg (107–142)
• Diastolic BP: 80 mmHg (70–93)
• Heart rate: 96 bpm (82–108)
• NYHA Class at Admission:
√ Class I: 4.2%
√ Class II: 8.5%
√ Class III: 29.6%
√ Class IV: 57.7%
• De novo HF: 64.2%

Lab investigations — Median (IQR), pg/mL

• NT-proBNP: 1,879 (140–6,305)
• NT-proBNP (measured or BNP-converted): 1,993 (140–7,164)

ECG: Atrial fibrillation/flutter - 20.9%

Echocardiography — Median (IQR)

• LVEDD: 58 mm (49–65)
• LVEF: 38% (28–55)

Rx at Discharge:

Among pts with available data

• β-blockers: 76.9%
• RAAS inhibitors: 73.9%
• MRAs: 71.9%
• SGLT2 inhibitors: 54.7%

Fewer than 50% of pts reached target doses across all major HF medication classes.

Key Outcomes:

• In-hospital mortality: 8.7%
• 30-day mortality: 11.1%
• 180-day mortality: 20.6%
• Lost to follow-up before 180 days: 33.7%

Key Takeaways:

1. Hypertensive heart disease is now the leading cause of acute HF in Africa.

2. Pts are relatively young but face high short- and long-term mortality.

3. Use of GDMT is high, but target doses are achieved in fewer than half of pts.

4. Large loss to follow-up underscores the need for strong post-discharge follow-up systems.

5. Greater focus is needed on prevention, access to cardiac care, GDMT optimization, & continuity of care.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01657-0/abstract?rss=yes

05/09/2026

🔴 iCARDIO Alliance Global Implementation Guidelines on Ischemic Heart Disease ( ) 2026
https://www.globalcardiology.info/site/article/view/112