April 2026 Dispatch for the CV Team

Every month, Section Editor L.A. McKeown curates a roundup of recent news beyond our regular TCTMD coverage, with tidbits from journals and medical meetings around the globe that are of special interest to heart teams and allied cardiovascular professionals.

Intensive blood pressure control could do more harm than good in patients who have undergone mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke, new data from a meta-analysis of six RCTs suggest. Writing in Journal of the American Heart Association, the researchers say that compared with standard BP control, a strategy of intensive control was associated with worse functional outcome at 90 days and higher risks of all‐cause mortality and hypotensive episodes. “The evidence highlights the importance of avoiding overly aggressive BP reduction, particularly in the context of impaired cerebral autoregulation,” they conclude.

Compared with men, women with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) experience more adverse outcomes and greater unplanned healthcare utilization after endovascular AAA repair, according to a study of Medicare beneficiaries published in Vascular Medicine. Over a median follow-up of 6 years, women had fewer office visits than men, but higher rates of emergency department visits and hospital readmissions. According to the authors, more study is needed to understand the drivers of these outcomes.

People aged 55 and older who forgo necessary care of their teeth and gums due to financial reasons may be at higher risk of CVD. A 5-year analysis of adults enrolled in the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us research program found higher rates of MI, stroke, heart failure, and dementia in those who reported not being able to afford the costs of needed dental care. Reporting in the Journal of Gerontology Series A, the authors say improving access could prevent 2%-4% of each outcome in older adults in the United States.

For the first time, JACC has dedicated an entire issue of the journal to pulmonary embolism (PE). In addition to an editor’s note and commentary on the new American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guideline for acute PE care, the issue covers individual risk assessment, the role of pharmacotherapy, PE response teams (PERTs), aftercare, the growing Asian Pacific population at risk, and more.

In a retrospective analysis of nearly 55,000 patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), having Medicaid coverage was tied to higher rates of HF readmissions, all-cause readmissions, and mortality compared with commercial insurance. The study, which was published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure, also showed that other social determinants of health, including rurality and race, were associated with disparities in outcomes.

The length of time spent living with obesity or overweight may be a stronger predictor of CVD risk than a one-time body mass index (BMI) measurement, according to research published in PLOS One. The investigators say the results should be motivational for patients and their physicians, noting that younger individuals had higher risks of developing CVD than older patients, suggesting more harm of the cumulative exposure to excess weight. The good news, they add, is that “presence of obesity at a particular point in their life is not the final sentence, but a call to action. If that individual decreases their weight and thus reduces their long-term excess weight exposure, their cardiovascular risk might decrease.”

The fear of movement (kinesiophobia) is prevalent in patients who have experienced acute cardiovascular events, with a particularly increased risk in those who have had acute aortic dissection, data from a retrospective, observational cohort show. The findings suggest the need for “integration of routine screening and diagnosis-specific psychological interventions into acute cardiovascular care pathways,” the authors conclude in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders.

Apolipoprotein B (apoB) testing could be more cost-effective for guiding lipid-lowering therapy than looking at LDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, new data published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggest. Compared with the other two biomarkers, meeting apoB goals was estimated to produce the largest reduction in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events and the largest gain in population health, including: events prevented, life-years gained, and disaggregated health and cost outcomes. The data, the authors say, confirm prior studies suggesting that apoB is a superior marker of on-treatment risk for ASCVD events.

Simple, free-standing air purifiers placed in the bedrooms of older individuals living in low-income senior facilities can lower exposure levels of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) air pollution over just 4 weeks, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension. The authors say the reductions could be clinically significant given that numerous studies have linked PM_2.5 exposure to higher blood pressure and other adverse CV effects.

Workplace wellness programs aimed at reducing hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol yield mixed results and probably need to be streamlined to achieve consistent and meaningful health improvements, a meta-analysis of numerous programs suggests. Writing in the American Journal of Health Promotion, the researchers say they found wide variation in types of interventions and suggestions of missed opportunities for addressing broader organizational determinants of health, including corporate culture and leadership support.

News Highlights From TCTMD:

Real-world Evoque Data Reassure, but It’s Still Early Days With TTVR

C-TRACT: Iliac Vein Stenting Results Look Good in Postthrombotic Syndrome

Multifaceted Intervention Controls BP in Low-Income Hypertension Patients

Financial Support After Hospital Discharge Boosts HFrEF Outcomes: FUND-HF

Despite Guidelines, Aspirin Is Used in Fewer Than One in Four High-risk Pregnancies