Newly diagnosed rheumatic heart disease among indigenous populations in the Pacific

Objectives Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains the leading acquired heart disease in the young worldwide. We aimed at assessing outcomes and influencing factors in the contemporary era. Methods Hospital-based cohort in a high-income island nation where RHD remains endemic and the population is captive. All patients admitted with newly diagnosed RHD according to World Heart Federation echocardiographic criteria were enrolled (2005–2013). The incidence of major cardiovascular events (MACEs) including heart failure, peripheral embolism, stroke, heart valve intervention and cardiovascular death was calculated, and their determinants identified. Results Of the 396 patients, 43.9% were male with median age 18 years (IQR 10–40)). 127 (32.1%) patients presented with mild, 131 (33.1%) with moderate and 138 (34.8%) with severe heart valve disease. 205 (51.8%) had features of acute rheumatic fever. 106 (26.8%) presented with at least one MACE. Among the remaining 290 patients, after a median follow-up period of 4.08 (95% CI 1.84 to 6.84) years, 7 patients (2.4%) died and 62 (21.4%) had a first MACE. The annual incidence of first MACE and of heart failure were 59.05‰ (95% CI 44.35 to 73.75) and 29.06‰ (95% CI 19.29 to 38.82), respectively. The severity of RHD at diagnosis (moderate vs mild HR 3.39 (0.95 to 12.12); severe vs mild RHD HR 10.81 (3.11 to 37.62), p<0.001) and ongoing secondary prophylaxis at follow-up (HR 0.27 (0.12 to 0.63), p=0.01) were the two most influential factors associated with MACE. Conclusions Newly diagnosed RHD is associated with poor outcomes, mainly in patients with moderate or severe valve disease and no secondary prophylaxis

Impact of lockdown on cardiovascular disease hospitalizations in a Zero-COVID-19 country

International audienceObjectives: There are concerns about the potential effect of social distancing used to control COVID-19 on the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Study design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: We examined the association between lockdown and CVD incidence in a Zero-COVID country, New Caledonia. Inclusion criteria were defined by a positive troponin sample during hospitalization. The study period lasted for 2 months, starting March 20, 2020 (strict lockdown: first month; loose lockdown: second month) compared with the same period of the three previous years to calculate incidence ratio (IR). Demographic characteristics and main CVD diagnoses were collected. The primary endpoint was the change in incidence of hospital admission with CVD during lockdown compared with the historical counterpart. The secondary endpoint included influence of strict lockdown, change in incidence of the primary endpoint by disease, and outcome incidences (intubation or death) analyzed with inverse probability weighting method. Results: A total of 1215 patients were included: 264 in 2020 vs 317 (average of the historical period). CVD hospitalizations were reduced during strict lockdown (IR 0.71 [0.58e0.88]), but not during loose lockdown (IR 0.94 [0.78e1.12]). The incidence of acute coronary syndromes was similar in both periods. The incidence of acute decompensated heart failure was reduced during strict lockdown (IR 0.42 [0.24 e0.73]), followed by a rebound (IR 1.42 [1e1.98]). There was no association between lockdown and short-term outcomes. Conclusions: Our study showed that lockdown was associated with a striking reduction in CVD hospitalizations, independently from viral spread, and a rebound of acute decompensated heart failure hospitalizations during looser lockdown