May 13, 2020 Irish Doctors Call for Changes to Government Vitamin D Recommendations A recent metanalysis by researchers from Trinity College Dublin indicates an association between low circulating levels of vitamin D and mortality from COVID-19, and has doctors calling the government to increase the recommended daily intake for vitamin D across the continent.   AI May Help Physicians Diagnose Blood Clots Computer learning algorithms can now learn to distinguish different types of blood clots based on what caused them, says a new study.   Obesity, Diabetes or High Blood Pressure Prematurely Ages Teenage Arteries Obesity, type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure may prematurely age arteries , according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.   Anticoagulants Improve Odds of Survival in COVID Patients Researchers from the Mount Sinai COVID Informatics Center report improved survival rates in COVID patients treated with anticoagulants. Results of the study demonstrated that hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with anticoagulants had improved outcomes both in and out of the intensive care unit setting, without a significant difference in bleeding.   Practice Guidelines Released by the International Society of Hypertension Two journals have simultaneously published a set of international guidelines to help physicians around the world treat their hypertensive patients.   And Just In Case You Missed It…..   Image IQ: Syncope, Seizure and Hypokalemia ...Can You Diagnose This Patient? A 17-year-old teen went to the ED after suffering his second syncopal episode in the last 6 months. He had shrugged off the first episode as not eating enough before a jog, but this time he hadn’t been doing anything active and his parents witnessed the syncope and what appeared to be a seizure. He reported that he had been feeling heart palpitations prior to the event. Further blood tests showed hypokalemia.   Two Decade Long Study Shows Decline in Cardiovascular Disease Among Diabetics Australian researchers have new evidence that patients with diabetes have fewer cardiovascular events today than they did 20 years ago. The data came from an analysis of the Freemantle diabetes study which compared people with type 2 diabetes to people without diabetes. The results were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.   SGLT2 Inhibitors May Reduce Kidney Problems in Diabetics The use of a commonly prescribed diabetes drug known as a sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor to treat type 2 diabetes may help to lower the risk of serious kidney problems.   We want to hear from you! Did you love an article you read in Practical Cardiology? Disagree with an author’s conclusions? Want to share how you solved an issue in your practice? Then Practical Cardiology editors want to hear from you! Please send your comments to GCudaKroen@mjhlifesciences.com.