Healthful vs. Unhealthful Plant-Based Restaurant Meals.

Vegan/vegetarian (VEG) restaurants and VEG options in omnivore (OMNI) restaurants may serve unhealthful plant-based food that may be more harmful than a typical American diet. A sample of 561 restaurants with online menus were analyzed over a 3-year period. Each plant-based menu entrée was counted, up to a maximum of ten entrées per restaurant, meaning that a restaurant customer could select from ten or more healthful plant-based choices.

Cardiology-Rheumatology Intersections in Aortitis and Aortic Aneurysms: Focus on Early Recognition and Management.

Aortitis is an uncommon cause of aortic aneurysms. Arterial inflammation can lead to irreversible vascular damage. Early recognition is necessary for treatment to prevent permanent consequences of vessel inflammation.

Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in lean vs. non-lean MASLD: A comprehensive meta-analysis.

Background: Lean metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), characterized by a BMI < 25 kg/m² (or < 23 kg/m² in Asians), presents a challenging prognosis compared to non-lean MASLD. This study examines cardiovascular outcomes in both lean and non-lean MASLD cohorts.

Methods: In this meta-analysis, pooled odds ratios (ORs) within 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for primary outcomes (cardiovascular mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events [MACE]) and secondary outcomes (cardiovascular disease [CVD], all-cause mortality, hypertension, and dyslipidemia).

Socioeconomics of coronary artery calcium: Is it scored or ignored?

Importance: Chicago is one of the most racially segregated cities in the US, with the largest mortality gap between neighborhoods. Computed tomographic coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) is an excellent risk stratification tool, but costs about $200 out-of-pocket, making it inaccessible to some.

Objective: To determine whether this ACC/AHA guideline-recommended screening tool is accessible to all populations and neighborhoods, we evaluated the price and availability of CACS in Chicago area hospitals.

Left atrial mural endocarditis in the absence of significant structural heart disease.

Primary mural endocarditis without valvular involvement is rare and most often involves the ventricular endocardium. Left atrial mural endocarditis is an extremely rare subset of infective endocarditis. We describe a case of a young woman with left atrial mural endocarditis without significant structural or valvular heart disease.