Cardiovascular

Although providers might turn to PCSK9 inhibitors to treat patients at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or familial hypercholesterolemia for whom statins do not work, the initial denial rate for this therapy can be very high.

Getting smokers to quit smoking sometimes requires medical intervention, such as varenicline and bupropion; however, there have been concerns about the safety of these smoking cessation treatments in smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Patients endure heavy medication complexity following hospital discharge for acute coronary syndrome.

The Million Hearts initiative, with its goal of preventing a million cardiovascular events in 5 years, requires sustained efforts by cardiologists in conjunction with public health experts to achieve success, explained Janet Wright, MD, FACC, the program’s executive director.