Welcome to Cardiology Today – Recorded November 25, 2025. This episode summarizes 5 key cardiology studies on topics like medication intensification and cognitive impairment. Key takeaway: Extensive Cardiac Lymphatic Network Defined.

Article Links:

Article 1: Importance of Adherence Versus Intensification in Attaining Blood Pressure Control. (Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979))

Article 2: Incidence and Mortality of Chronic Subdural Hematomas: A Population-Based Study. (Stroke)

Article 3: Towards an Understanding of Best Practice – The Good, The Bad and the Future of Cardiogenic Shock Teams. (American heart journal)

Article 4: Normal cardiac lymphatics and their mimics. (American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology)

Article 5: Chronic Kidney Disease and Cardiac Remodeling Potentiate Cognitive Impairment Progression: Disentangling the Sex-Specific Crosstalk of Kidney-Heart-Brain Axis. (American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology)

Full episode page: https://podcast.explainheart.com/podcast/extensive-cardiac-lymphatic-network-defined-11-25-25/

Journal: Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41287963

Summary: Optimizing blood pressure control requires a clear understanding of the distinct roles of medication adherence and antihypertensive intensification, insights critical for clinical care and quality improvement initiatives. This study defined primary care patients with hypertension experiencing uncontrolled blood pressure readings. It established a method to classify patients as having high (80 percent or greater) or low (less than 80 percent) adherence based on six months of prescription fill data. Such classification provides an essential framework for future investigations into improving blood pressure outcomes.

Journal: Stroke

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41287962

Summary: Chronic subdural hematomas (cSDH) represent a growing public health burden, yet specific, population-based data on their incidence and mortality in the United States have been limited. This study delivered the first estimates of chronic subdural hematoma incidence and mortality within a large, representative U.S. population. Researchers identified and adjudicated all adult cases of chronic subdural hematoma in 2019 and 2020 across a five-county region of Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky. These findings provide foundational epidemiological data essential for public health planning and clinical resource allocation related to chronic subdural hematomas.

Journal: American heart journal

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41285212

Summary: Cardiogenic shock remains a condition with persistently high mortality, underscoring the critical need for rapid diagnosis, coordinated multidisciplinary management, and timely mechanical circulatory support. The study observed significant variability in the structure, activation, and sustainability of dedicated cardiogenic shock teams across institutions. In response, the Society of Critical Care Cardiology, in partnership with other organizations, characterized this heterogeneity to advance understanding towards defining optimal components for these teams. This work establishes the importance of standardizing cardiogenic shock team practices to improve patient outcomes.

Journal: American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41285409

Summary: Preclinical models of cardiovascular disease demonstrate significant lymphatic structural remodeling and dysfunction, yet the detailed normal structure and distribution of lymphatic vessels in the heart remained largely undefined. This study successfully defined the pattern of lymphatic vessels at various cardiac anatomical sites using Prox1-tdTomato lymphatic reporter mice. Through light sheet microscopy, researchers confirmed the presence of an extensive network of lymphatic vessels directly on the epicardium. These findings provide foundational anatomical insights into the cardiac lymphatic system, crucial for understanding its role in both health and disease.

Journal: American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology

PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41285406

Summary: Chronic kidney disease and cardiac remodeling are significant potentiators of cognitive impairment progression through oxidative stress, uremic toxicity, inflammation, and cardiovascular damage along the kidney-heart-brain axis. This study confirmed that sex disparity profoundly impacts chronic kidney disease epidemiology and influences the progression of cognitive impairment. The investigation rigorously analyzed the sex-specific interactions within the kidney-heart-brain axis in chronic kidney disease. This analysis provides a deeper understanding of these complex relationships, essential for developing targeted therapeutic strategies.

Today’s date is November 25, 2025. Welcome to Cardiology Today. Here are the latest research findings.

Article number one. Importance of Adherence Versus Intensification in Attaining Blood Pressure Control. Optimizing blood pressure control requires a clear understanding of the distinct roles of medication adherence and antihypertensive intensification, insights critical for clinical care and quality improvement initiatives. This study defined primary care patients with hypertension experiencing uncontrolled blood pressure readings. It established a method to classify patients as having high (80 percent or greater) or low (less than 80 percent) adherence based on six months of prescription fill data. Such classification provides an essential framework for future investigations into improving blood pressure outcomes.

Article number two. Incidence and Mortality of Chronic Subdural Hematomas: A Population-Based Study. Chronic subdural hematomas (cSDH) represent a growing public health burden, yet specific, population-based data on their incidence and mortality in the United States have been limited. This study delivered the first estimates of chronic subdural hematoma incidence and mortality within a large, representative U.S. population. Researchers identified and adjudicated all adult cases of chronic subdural hematoma in 2019 and 2020 across a five-county region of Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky. These findings provide foundational epidemiological data essential for public health planning and clinical resource allocation related to chronic subdural hematomas.

Article number three. Towards an Understanding of Best Practice – The Good, The Bad and the Future of Cardiogenic Shock Teams. Cardiogenic shock remains a condition with persistently high mortality, underscoring the critical need for rapid diagnosis, coordinated multidisciplinary management, and timely mechanical circulatory support. The study observed significant variability in the structure, activation, and sustainability of dedicated cardiogenic shock teams across institutions. In response, the Society of Critical Care Cardiology, in partnership with other organizations, characterized this heterogeneity to advance understanding towards defining optimal components for these teams. This work establishes the importance of standardizing cardiogenic shock team practices to improve patient outcomes.

Article number four. Normal cardiac lymphatics and their mimics. Preclinical models of cardiovascular disease demonstrate significant lymphatic structural remodeling and dysfunction, yet the detailed normal structure and distribution of lymphatic vessels in the heart remained largely undefined. This study successfully defined the pattern of lymphatic vessels at various cardiac anatomical sites using Prox1-tdTomato lymphatic reporter mice. Through light sheet microscopy, researchers confirmed the presence of an extensive network of lymphatic vessels directly on the epicardium. These findings provide foundational anatomical insights into the cardiac lymphatic system, crucial for understanding its role in both health and disease.

Article number five. Chronic Kidney Disease and Cardiac Remodeling Potentiate Cognitive Impairment Progression: Disentangling the Sex-Specific Crosstalk of Kidney-Heart-Brain Axis. Chronic kidney disease and cardiac remodeling are significant potentiators of cognitive impairment progression through oxidative stress, uremic toxicity, inflammation, and cardiovascular damage along the kidney-heart-brain axis. This study confirmed that sex disparity profoundly impacts chronic kidney disease epidemiology and influences the progression of cognitive impairment. The investigation rigorously analyzed the sex-specific interactions within the kidney-heart-brain axis in chronic kidney disease. This analysis provides a deeper understanding of these complex relationships, essential for developing targeted therapeutic strategies.

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medication intensification, cognitive impairment, critical care, cardiac lymphatics, kidney-heart-brain axis, blood pressure control, mechanical circulatory support, lymphatic vessels, chronic subdural hematoma, epidemiology, team structure, population-based study, multidisciplinary management, chronic kidney disease, epicardium, cardiac anatomy, mortality, medication adherence, hypertension, antihypertensive medications, cardiac remodeling, incidence, sex differences, cardiovascular disease, cardiogenic shock.

Concise summaries of cardiovascular research for professionals.

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