Compared with placebo, varenicline more than doubles the chances of successful long-term smoking abstinence. In head-to-head trials, varenicline appears to be at least as effective as nicotine replacement therapy and bupropion (Zyban). The most common adverse effect is nausea, which decreases over time; a large cohort study found no increase in the likelihood of depression or suicidality.

Nicotine receptor partial agonists for smoking cessation.

Objective To clarify associations of fish consumption and long chain omega 3 fatty acids with risk of cerebrovascular disease for primary and secondary prevention. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Studies published before September 2012 identified through electronic searches using Medline, Embase, BIOSIS, and Science Citation Index databases. Eligibility criteria Prospective cohort studies and randomised controlled trials reporting on associations of fish consumption and long chain omega 3 fatty acids (based on dietary self report), omega 3 fatty acids biomarkers, or supplementations with cerebrovascular disease (defined as any fatal or non-fatal ischaemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke, cerebrovascular accident, or transient ischaemic attack). Both primary and secondary prevention studies (comprising participants with or without cardiovascular disease at baseline) were eligible. Results 26 prospective cohort studies and 12 randomised controlled trials with aggregate data on 794 000 non-overlapping people and 34 817 cerebrovascular outcomes were included. In cohort studies comparing categories of fish intake the pooled relative risk for cerebrovascular disease for 2-4 servings a week versus ≤1 servings a week was 0.94 (95% confidence intervals 0.90 to 0.98) and for ≥5 servings a week versus 1 serving a week was 0.88 (0.81 to 0.96). The relative risk for cerebrovascular disease comparing the top thirds of baseline long chain omega 3 fatty acids with the bottom thirds for circulating biomarkers was 1.04 (0.90 to 1.20) and for dietary exposures was 0.90 (0.80 to 1.01). In the randomised controlled trials the relative risk for cerebrovascular disease in the long chain omega 3 supplement compared with the control group in primary prevention trials was 0.98 (0.89 to 1.08) and in secondary prevention trials was 1.17 (0.99 to 1.38). For fish or omega 3 fatty acids the estimates for ischaemic and haemorrhagic cerebrovascular events were broadly similar. Evidence was lacking of heterogeneity and publication bias across studies or within subgroups. Conclusions Available observational data indicate moderate, inverse associations of fish consumption and long chain omega 3 fatty acids with cerebrovascular risk. Long chain omega 3 fatty acids measured as circulating biomarkers in observational studies or supplements in primary and secondary prevention trials were not associated with cerebrovascular disease. The beneficial effect of fish intake on cerebrovascular risk is likely to be mediated through the interplay of a wide range of nutrients abundant in fish.

Association between fish consumption, long chain omega 3 fatty acids, and risk of cerebrovascular disease

The NLRP3 inflammasome and the emerging role of colchicine to inhibit atherosclerosis-associated inflammation

Background: Cardiotoxicity is an important and a common complication of cancer chemotherapeutic drugs. It may not only be associated with significant morbidity and mortality but also often becomes a limiting factor in adequate anti-cancer treatment. Several pharmacological agents are being evaluated for their efficacy in preventing cardiotoxicity of the cancer drugs.

Material and methods: Ninety patients with hematological malignancies undergoing chemotherapy and/or autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) were recruited in this study and were randomized to receive a combination of enalapril and cardvedilol (intervention arm) or no intervention (control arm). Comprehensive echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed at baseline and at 6 months after randomization. The primary efficacy endpoint was the absolute change from baseline in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Results: The mean age of the study subjects was 50 ± 13 years. By the end of the 6 months, there was a significant fall in LVEF in controls (3.28% absolute reduction from baseline) but no change was seen in the intervention group. As a result, at 6 months, LVEF was significantly lower in the control group in comparison to the intervention group (an absolute difference of 3.1% by echocardiography and 3.4% by cardiac MRI, p = 0.035 and 0.09, respectively). The beneficial effect was seen almost exclusively in patients receiving chemotherapy alone (absolute difference in LVEF of 6.38% at 6 months, p = 0.025) and not in those undergoing HSCT (absolute difference of 1.01%, p = 0.56). In addition, compared to controls, patients in the intervention group had a lower incidence of the combined event of death or heart failure (6.7% vs. 22%, p = 0.036) and of death, heart failure, or a final LVEF <45% (6.7% vs. 24.4%, p = 0.02).

Conclusions: The present trial showed that a combination of enalapril and carvedilol might prevent cardiotoxicity in patients undergoing chemotherapy for hematological malignancies.

Enalapril and carvedilol for preventing chemotherapy-induced left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with malignant hemopathies. The OVERCOME trial (preventiOn of left Ventricular dysfunction with Enalapril and caRvedilol in patients submitted to intensive ChemOtherapy for the treatment of Malignant hEmopathies)

Background

Treatment of cardiovascular risk factors based on disease risk depends on valid risk prediction equations. We aimed to develop, and apply in example countries, a risk prediction equation for cardiovascular disease (consisting here of coronary heart disease and stroke) that can be recalibrated and updated for application in different countries with routinely available information.

Methods

We used data from eight prospective cohort studies to estimate coefficients of the risk equation with proportional hazard regressions. The risk prediction equation included smoking, blood pressure, diabetes, and total cholesterol, and allowed the effects of sex and age on cardiovascular disease to vary between cohorts or countries. We developed risk equations for fatal cardiovascular disease and for fatal plus non-fatal cardiovascular disease. We validated the risk equations internally and also using data from three cohorts that were not used to create the equations. We then used the risk prediction equation and data from recent (2006 or later) national health surveys to estimate the proportion of the population at different levels of cardiovascular disease risk in 11 countries from different world regions (China, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Iran, Japan, Malawi, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, and USA).

Findings

The risk score discriminated well in internal and external validations, with C statistics generally 70% or more. At any age and risk factor level, the estimated 10 year fatal cardiovascular disease risk varied substantially between countries. The prevalence of people at high risk of fatal cardiovascular disease was lowest in South Korea, Spain, and Denmark, where only 5–10% of men and women had more than a 10% risk, and 62–76% of men and 79–82% of women had less than a 3% risk. Conversely, the proportion of people at high risk of fatal cardiovascular disease was largest in China and Mexico. In China, 33% of men and 28% of women had a 10-year risk of fatal cardiovascular disease of 10% or more, whereas in Mexico, the prevalence of this high risk was 15% for men and 11% for women. The prevalence of less than a 3% risk was 37% for men and 42% for women in China, and 54% for men and 68% for women in Mexico.

Interpretation

We developed a cardiovascular disease risk equation that can be recalibrated for application in different countries with routinely available information. The estimated percentage of people at high risk of fatal cardiovascular disease was higher in low-income and middle-income countries than in high-income countries.

Funding

US National Institutes of Health, UK Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust.

A novel risk score to predict cardiovascular disease risk in national populations (Globorisk): A pooled analysis of prospective cohorts and health examination surveys

Las declaraciones de conflictos de intereses de los expertos participantes en el desarrollo de esta guia estan disponibles en la pagina web de la ESC: www.escardio.org/guidelines

Revisores del documento: Guy De Backer

Papers

Guía ESC 2016 sobre prevención de la enfermedad cardiovascular en la práctica clínica