ESC heart failure
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Multicenter Study
The detrimental effect of COVID-19 nationwide quarantine on accelerometer-assessed physical activity of heart failure patients.
A reduction of habitual physical activity due to prolonged COVID-19 quarantine can have serious consequences for patients with cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure. This study aimed to explore the effect of COVID-19 nationwide quarantine on accelerometer-assessed physical activity of heart failure patients. ⋯ The introduction of the nationwide quarantine due to COVID-19 had a detrimental effect on the level of habitual physical activity in heart failure patients, leading to an abrupt decrease of daily step count that lasted for at least the 3-week study period. Staying active and maintaining sufficient levels of physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic are essential despite the unfavourable circumstances of quarantine.
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New-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been associated with poor survival, but the clinical implication of NOAF on heart failure (HF) is still not well characterized. We aimed to investigate the relationship between NOAF complicating AMI and HF hospitalization. ⋯ In patients with AMI, NOAF is strongly associated with an increased long-term risk of HF hospitalization. Our findings suggest that strengthened secondary prevention of HF should be considered in this high-risk population.
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Heart rate reduction therapy using ivabradine, a selective inhibitor of the funny current of the sinoatrial node, is widely used in the systolic heart failure cohort. However, the optimal target of heart rate remains controversial. The association between heart rate and 'overlap' between E-wave and A-wave in the pulse wave transmitral flow Doppler echocardiography might be a key to find the ideal heart rate in each individual. ⋯ We proposed a novel formula using deceleration time to estimate ideal heart rate that achieves a zero overlap between E-wave and A-wave in patients with systolic heart failure. Prognostic impact of the formula-guided heart rate optimization should be studied.
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Soluble suppression of tumourigenicity 2 (sST2) and catestatin (CST) reflect myocardial fibrosis and sympathetic overactivity during the acute worsening of heart failure (AWHF). We aimed to determine serum levels and associations of sST2 and CST with in-hospital death as well as the association between sST2 and CST among AWHF patients. ⋯ Elevated sST2 and CST levels, reflecting two distinct pathophysiological pathways in heart failure, might indicate impending clinical deterioration among AWHF patients during hospitalization and facilitate prognosis beyond traditional biomarkers regarding the risk of in-hospital death (CATSTAT-HF ClinicalTrials.gov Number NCT03389386).