Frailty and Cardiovascular Disease

February 7, 2024 Andrew To

Clinical Frailty Scale from Dalhousie University

Frailty is relevant to cardiology because the disease process predispose to physical impairments that ultimate worsen the cardiovascular illness.

The phenomenon of increased vulnerability to stressors due to decreased physiological reserves leads to poor clinical outcomes after cardiovascular insults. Equally CVD worsens frailty due to hospitalisation, debilitation, immobility, systemic illness that underpins physiological deterioration in physical frailty. In cardiology, frailty is highly prevalent in patients with heart failure, valvular heart disease, but also myocardial infarction.

Aspirin for Primary Prevention

May 6, 2022 Andrew To

Aspirin use in primary prevention is controversial, contrasting that of secondary prevention. It may offer benefit in some, but for most, risk-benefit analysis may argue against its use. Here is the discussion.

My approach to chest pain

September 7, 2019 Andrew To

Severe coronary non-calcified atherosclerosis with severe stenosis, on CT coronary angiography

Chest pain presentations are common, but management can be variable and difficult to understand. Here is my approach:

Fish oil supplement? - update 2018

September 3, 2018 Andrew To

Daily supplementation with marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids has been promoted for its potential health benefits in cardiovascular diseases. We blogged about this last year with a meta-analysis from Oxford. Here is the update.

The promised randomized controlled trial has now come out after the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich last week.