• About
  • Masthead
  • License Content
  • Advertise
  • Submit Press Release
  • RSS/Email List
  • 2MM Podcast
  • Write for us
  • Contact Us
2 Minute Medicine
No Result
View All Result

No products in the cart.

SUBSCRIBE
  • Specialties
    • All Specialties, All Recent Reports
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Pharma
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • AI Roundup
  • Pharma
  • The Scan+
  • Classics™+
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Podcasts
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
2 Minute Medicine
  • Specialties
    • All Specialties, All Recent Reports
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Pharma
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • AI Roundup
  • Pharma
  • The Scan+
  • Classics™+
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Podcasts
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
SUBSCRIBE
2 Minute Medicine
Subscribe
Home All Specialties Cardiology

Echocardiographic screening does not improve all-cause mortality

bys25qthea
July 24, 2013
in Cardiology, Chronic Disease
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Image: PD 

1. No mortality benefit was observed among white Norwegian adults randomly selected for echocardiographic screening for structural heart disease. 

2. No difference was observed in sudden death, death from cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction or stroke. 

Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent) 

Study Rundown: Echocardiography is a non-invasive, low-risk procedure with high sensitivity for detecting structural heart disease.  This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of echocardiographic screening of asymptomatic middle-aged adults with the goal of reducing all-cause mortality at 15-year follow-up. A total of 7.6% of patients were identified as having pathologic structural heart disease. However, there were no differences observed in all-cause mortality, sudden death, death from cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction or stroke between the screened and control study group. Based on these data, the adoption of universal echocardiographic screening among middle-aged patients provides no survival benefit.  A large homogenous population limits the study, as all participants are white Norwegians. Also, it does not include data on the efficacy of screening in patients who may be identified as having a higher incidence of structural heart disease, such as those identified through abnormal cardiac auscultation.

Click to read the study in JAMA Internal Medicine

RELATED REPORTS

The Scan by 2 Minute Medicine®: Celebrity diagnoses spur screenings, athlete mental-health push, reality-TV heart lesson, and a sitcom PSA wave

2 Minute Medicine Rewind June 30, 2025

Abbreviated MRI is superior to whole-breast ultrasound for detection of cancer in dense breasts

Relevant Reading: ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Clinical Application of Echocardiography

In-Depth [randomized controlled trial]: This study included 6861 white middle-aged Norwegians who are participants in the Tromso study group.  Patients were randomized to either screening or control groups, and followed for a period of 15 years. Of 290 (8.9%) patients in the echocardiographic screening group who identified for follow-up, 249 (7.6%) were confirmed to have pathologic cardiac or valvular conditions. Despite this, all-cause mortality at 15 years did not differ between the screened (26.9%) and control (27.6%) group populations (hazard ratio, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.89-1.06).  Similarly, there were no differences observed among secondary outcome measures of sudden death (hazard ratio, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.51-1.87), death from heart disease (hazard ratio, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.77-1.08), myocardial infarction (hazard ratio, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.83-1.08), and stroke (hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.87-1.19).

By Evan Shalen and Brittany Hasty 

© 2013 2minutemedicine.com. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2minutemedicine.com. Disclaimer: We present factual information directly from peer reviewed medical journals. No post should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors, editors, staff or by 2minutemedicine.com. PLEASE SEE A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IN YOUR AREA IF YOU SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE OF ANY SORT. 

Tags: cardiologyechocardiographyhealthheart diseasemortalityultrasound
Previous Post

Renal stones in women linked with increased risk of coronary heart disease

Next Post

Phase 3 trial fails to demonstrate benefit of semagacestat in Alzheimer’s disease

RelatedReports

The Scan by 2 Minute Medicine®:  Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, Taylor Swift, NBA rookie Chet Holmgren and Magic Mushrooms!
The Scan by 2 Minute Medicine®

The Scan by 2 Minute Medicine®: Celebrity diagnoses spur screenings, athlete mental-health push, reality-TV heart lesson, and a sitcom PSA wave

July 2, 2025
Quick Take: Functional Outcome of Intravenous Thrombolysis in Patients With Lacunar Infarcts in the WAKE-UP Trial
Weekly Rewinds

2 Minute Medicine Rewind June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025
3D mammography (tomosynthesis) enhances accuracy of breast cancer screening
Chronic Disease

Abbreviated MRI is superior to whole-breast ultrasound for detection of cancer in dense breasts

June 25, 2025
Weekly Rewinds

2 Minute Medicine Rewind June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025
Next Post
Pre-operative transcranial magnetic stimulation useful for language mapping

Phase 3 trial fails to demonstrate benefit of semagacestat in Alzheimer’s disease

High rate of hernia recurrence with biologic mesh repair

Transfusion worsens outcomes for HCV+ liver transplant recipients

Exercise associated with lower pain ratings

The CHEST-1 & PATENT-1: Riociguat significantly improves exercise capacity in pulmonary hypertension patients

2 Minute Medicine® is an award winning, physician-run, expert medical media company. Our content is curated, written and edited by practicing health professionals who have clinical and scientific expertise in their field of reporting. Our editorial management team is comprised of highly-trained MD physicians. Join numerous brands, companies, and hospitals who trust our licensed content.

Recent Reports

  • Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors may decrease risk of serious liver events in patients with cirrhosis
  • #VisualAbstract: Lactated Ringer’s Solution Does Not Improve Outcomes Relative to Normal Saline
  • 2MM: AI Roundup – FDA’s AI Push, Trial Speedups with Real-World Data, Smart Surgical Monitors, and Regulatory Overhaul Begins [July 2nd, 2025]
License Content
Terms of Use | Disclaimer
Cookie Policy
Privacy Statement (EU)
Disclaimer

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.

  • Specialties
    • All Specialties, All Recent Reports
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Pharma
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • AI Roundup
  • Pharma
  • The Scan
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Podcasts
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
No Result
View All Result

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.