Updated ESC/EACTS* Guidelines for Valvular Heart Disease aim to give patients access to the right treatments at the right time, including to newer, less invasive therapy options. They will help to tackle inconsistent practices that leave some patients under treated. 

The guidelines also stress that patients with complex health needs should be treated by multidisciplinary teams in high-volume specialist centers. 

The guidelines respond to an exponential increase in medical knowledge about valvular heart disease, including new data from randomised controlled trials. 

A new ESC Clinical Consensus Statement aims to raise awareness of the multidirectional relationship between mental health and cardiovascular disease – one increases the risk of the other, and patients who experience both have much poorer long-term health outcomes. It is the first ever ESC Clinical Consensus Statement to be developed on this topic under the auspices of the ESC Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee. 

The Consensus Statement recommends that systematic screening and support for mental health conditions should become normalised in cardiovascular care, and those being treated for mental health conditions should be regularly assessed for cardiovascular disease risk 

Substantial gaps in knowledge urgently need addressing, including how best to improve the mental health of populations to reduce cardiovascular risk, and how best to screen for- and treat- mental health conditions in people with cardiovascular disease 

A new study shows that piloting a light aircraft remains an inherently risky business, accounting for over 90% of aviation-related fatalities*.

Deep in the Bolivian Amazon exists a forager-horticultural community called the Tsimane. Researchers look to them for insights on how the human body functioned prior to modern technologies, as their lifestyles remain the closest to that of our ancestors. Oftentimes researchers find how we have navigated away from our evolutionary path, such as the Tsimane having the lowest rates of dementia, the healthiest hearts, and low late-age inflammation than those living in industrialized nations. But, new research from Arizona State University, has discovered a universal experience – post-menopausal women experiencing increased blood lipid levels, such as cholesterol.