The American journal of medicine
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak on acute admissions at the emergency and cardiology departments across Europe.
We evaluated whether the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) pandemic was associated with changes in the pattern of acute cardiovascular admissions across European centers. ⋯ In the European centers during the COVID-19 outbreak, there were fewer acute cardiovascular admissions. Also, fewer patients were admitted to the emergency departments with 4 times higher death risk at the emergency departments.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of exercise training on vascular markers of disease progression in patients with small abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Currently, no medical therapy is effective in limiting progression of small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA; ≤5.5 cm). Previously, we have demonstrated safety and efficacy of exercise training in patients with AAA. However, the impact of exercise training on vascular markers of AAA progression, such as lipid accumulation product and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9, linked to destruction of aortic matrix), is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of exercise training on AAA diameter, lipid accumulation product, MMP-9, and other risk markers of vascular disease. ⋯ This is the first study to demonstrate that in AAA, exercise beneficially modifies lipid accumulation product and MMP-9, both markers of vascular disease, without inducing aneurysmal growth beyond what is otherwise observed during usual care.
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New hypertension and heart failure guidelines recommend that systolic blood pressure (SBP) in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and hypertension be lowered to <130 mm Hg. ⋯ Among older patients with HFpEF and hypertension, compared with SBP ≥130 mm Hg, the new target SBP <130 mm Hg had no association with outcomes but SBP <120 mm Hg was associated with a higher risk of death but not of readmission. Future prospective studies need to evaluate optimal SBP treatment goals in these patients.