Journal of cardiology
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Journal of cardiology · Sep 2021
Hospital performance in a large urban acute myocardial infarction emergency care system: Tokyo Cardiovascular Care Unit network.
An ideal urban network system for improving regional acute myocardial infarction (AMI) outcomes should be geographically balanced and uniform according to regional population in performance of participating hospitals. The objective of our study is to evaluate whether there is a major difference in risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality between the Tokyo Cardiovascular Care Unit (CCU) network hospitals, which cover the whole population of large cities. ⋯ There was no major difference in the RAMRs between the participating hospitals within the Tokyo CCU network, despite the different hospital backgrounds.
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Journal of cardiology · Jun 2021
Drug repurposing? Cardiovascular effect of colchicine on patients with coronary artery disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are at high risk of atherosclerotic events. The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the cardiovascular protective effect of colchicine on patients with CAD. ⋯ This meta-analysis shows that there is a decreased composite risk of MI and restenosis after PCI with the use of colchicine in patients with CAD. However, colchicine did not appear beneficial for all-cause mortality, and it led to a higher risk of GI events.
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Journal of cardiology · Mar 2021
Knowledge, perception, and level of confidence regarding COVID-19 care among healthcare workers involved in cardiovascular medicine: a web-based cross-sectional survey in Japan.
The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a significant impact on daily practice in cardiovascular medicine. The preparedness of healthcare workers (HCWs) can affect the spread of infection and the maintenance of the healthcare system. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, perception, and level of confidence regarding COVID-19 care among HCWs involved in cardiovascular medicine. ⋯ This survey revealed the lack of knowledge about adequate infection-prevention measures for COVID-19. More attention should be paid to the preparedness of HCWs, and educating and supporting HCWs involved in cardiovascular medicine is an urgent need.
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Journal of cardiology · Feb 2021
ReviewThe ECG in sarcoidosis - a marker of cardiac involvement? Current evidence and clinical implications.
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown etiology characterized by noncaseating granulomas. Cardiac involvement is often limiting patients' prognosis. Cardiac sarcoidosis can manifest with variant cardiac arrhythmias, of which atrioventricular (AV)-block-related bradycardia and ventricular tachycardias are the most common. ⋯ The ECG is a valuable tool for screening of cardiac involvement in patients with sarcoidosis. Several parameters have been shown to be associated with cardiac involvement in sarcoidosis such as higher-degree AV-block, QRS complex fragmentation and widening, as well as certain T wave abnormalities that may indicate cardiac involvement, of which the latter two are most promising and specific. However, prospective studies examining a large number of trials are desirable.
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Journal of cardiology · Aug 2020
ReviewSodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 inhibitors are potential therapeutic agents for treatment of non-diabetic heart failure patients.
Despite recent developments in various therapies, heart failure remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. New pharmacological approaches are therefore needed to improve the outcomes of patients with heart failure. Diabetes mellitus is an important risk factor for heart failure, but until recently there had been no evidence that hypoglycemic agents prevent heart failure. ⋯ The results of that study highlight the significance of SGLT2 inhibition as a novel therapeutic approach to treating HFrEF, irrespective of the presence or absence of diabetes. Findings of the DAPA-HF trial may also challenge current assumptions about the mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective action of SGLT2 inhibitors. It is anticipated that ongoing clinical trials, mainly using dapagliflozin and empagliflozin, will provide further insight into the clinical importance of these drugs for the treatment of heart failure, including heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and also the mechanisms underlying those clinical benefits.