A presentation at the American Society for Preventive Cardiology Congress focused on the importance of early cardiovascular risk assessment for young adults to prevent premature cardiac events, at a time when obesity and diabetes have become more prevalent. The PREVENT risk age calculator may improve communication about the need for preventive interventions.

Intermuscular fat may play a crucial role in metabolic and cardiovascular disease development by promoting chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and muscle dysfunction, according to a study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. This type of fat, which is not visible like abdominal visceral fat, is metabolically active and differs from subcutaneous fat, making it a significant health concern.

E-cigarettes marketed as "clear" have a greater cardiovascular impact than other vapes, according to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The study found that clear e-cigarette users had significantly higher increases in heart rate and blood pressure compared to non-users and users of other flavored vapes.

Twelve low-carb foods, including salmon, mushrooms, oysters, avocados, tofu and olive oil are highlighted for their role in helping reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, thus supporting heart health.

SHINE Technologies is building the Chrysalis facility in Janesville, Wis., to produce molybdenum-99, a key isotope for medical imaging, with production expected within two to three years. The facility will use a fusion-driven process to create Mo-99, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign sources and improve supply stability.

The CMS will be sending lists to states each month identifying Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program enrollees "whose citizenship or immigration status could not be confirmed through federal databases," according to a CMS news release. The CMS has instructed state program administrators to verify the citizenship or immigration status of people on the list and adjust coverage or disenroll ineligible people.

The presence of certain abnormal markers on a normal exercise SPECT MPI study provides valuable prognostic information and could inform clinical decision-making in new ways, according to a new study in the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology. In the latest JNC CardioConnect podcast, study authors Steven C. Scherping, III, MD, and Jamieson M. Bourque, MD, MHS, FASNC, join JNC Editor-in-Chief Marcelo F. Di Carli, MD, MASNC, and Diana M. López, MD, author of the accompanying editorial, for a conversation that reveals what the markers are (they are in your stress test results!), what they mean, and why they matter! LISTEN NOW.

This month’s cardiac PET case poll featured images and myocardial blood flow data from the regadenoson F-18 flurpiridaz PET MPI findings performed to evaluate refractory angina in a 68-year-old patient with a history of prior multivessel PCI. Nearly 80 percent of poll respondents said the imaging showed multivessel ischemia. The remaining votes were split across single-vessel disease (17 percent) and steal phenomenon (4 percent). To find out the correct answer, view the case, Perfusion Imaging Using F-18 Flurpiridaz PET by Ahmad Amin, MD, and colleagues. VIEW CASE.