Azithromycin Linked to Higher Risk of Cardiovascular Death
According to new research published in JAMA Network Open, outpatient azithromycin use is with with an expanded risk of cardiovascular (CV) mortality. Azithromycin has long been linked to adverse CV outcomes—its prescribing information even indicates that it should not be prescribed to patients with risk factors for ventricular arrhythmia. This agent was one of the medications viewed as a potential COVID-19 treatment in March and April 2020. Read more.

Statins Associated With Lower COVID-19 Mortality Rates
According to a recently published study in Cell Metabolism, statin use is linked to lower risk of all-cause mortality rates among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. In this study, 14,000 COVID-19 patients were treated in a hospital in China’s Hubei Province, and more than 1,000 patients were given statins. The researchers concluded that the risk of 28-day all-cause mortality was 5.2% for the statin group and 9.4% for the nonstatin group. Read more.

First Treatment for HF With Ejection Fraction Undergoing FDA Review
On June 24, 2020, the manufacturer of sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto) announced in a press release that the FDA accepted its supplemental New Drug Application for the use of sacubitril/valsartan in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). With no currently approved therapies for HFpEF, if it is approved by the FDA, sacubitril/valsartan would become the first treatment for the condition. Read more.