The Cardiomyopathy Registry of the EURObservational Research Programme of the European Society of Cardiology: Baseline data and contemporary management of adult patients with cardiomyopathies

Aims The Cardiomyopathy Registry of the EURObservational Research Programme is a prospective, observational, and multinational registry of consecutive patients with four cardiomyopathy subtypes: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), and restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). We report the baseline characteristics and management of adults enrolled in the registry. Methods and results A total of 3208 patients were enrolled by 69 centres in 18 countries [HCM (n = 1739); DCM (n = 1260); ARVC (n = 143); and RCM (n = 66)]. Differences between cardiomyopathy subtypes (P < 0.001) were observed for age at diagnosis, history of familial disease, history of sustained ventricular arrhythmia, use of magnetic resonance imaging or genetic testing, and implantation of defibrillators. When compared with probands, relatives had a lower age at diagnosis (P < 0.001), but a similar rate of symptoms and defibrillators. When compared with the Long-Term phase, patients of the Pilot phase (enrolled in more expert centres) had a more frequent rate of familial disease (P < 0.001), were more frequently diagnosed with a rare underlying disease (P < 0.001), and more frequently implanted with a defibrillator (P = 0.023). Comparing four geographical areas, patients from Southern Europe had a familial disease more frequently (P < 0.001), were more frequently diagnosed in the context of a family screening (P < 0.001), and more frequently diagnosed with a rare underlying disease (P < 0.001). Conclusion By providing contemporary observational data on characteristics and management of patients with cardiomyopathies, the registry provides a platform for the evaluation of guideline implementation. Potential gaps with existing recommendations are discussed as well as some suggestions for improvement of health care provision in Europe. © The Author 2017

Perceptions of Romanian Physicians on Lockdowns for COVID-19 Prevention

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic in March 2020, triggering important changes for the entire society and healthcare systems, as well as significant lockdown measures aimed to limit the disease spread. We herein intended to catch the dynamic of Romanian physicians&rsquo; perceptions of COVID-19 impact. For this purpose, after a literature review, a 30-item questionnaire was designed. The questionnaire was twice distributed online, about 1 month apart, during which partial relaxation measures were decreed in Romania. The questionnaire was voluntarily filled in by Romanian physicians who were willing to participate in the study. A total of 214 physicians answered the questionnaire upon its first release, and 199 respondents were registered upon its second release, most of whom (94.9%) were involved in clinical work, with one-third working in units dedicated to COVID-19 patients. In parallel with the relaxation of lockdown measures, along with increased confidence in the efficiency of protective measures (46.7% vs. 31.3%), separation from household members decreased from 36.9% to 22.1%. Nevertheless, the feeling of rejection felt by doctors remained similar (22.4% vs. 24.6%). Furthermore, answers regarding the clinical picture, diagnostic approach, and treatment options are discussed. Most of therapeutic options considered for SARS-CoV-2 treatment (e.g., lopinavir/ritonavir, oseltamivir, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, tocilizumab, and convalescent plasma) failed to confirm significant efficiency. On the contrary, vaccines for widescale use are already available despite the initial skepticism. In the beginning of the pandemic, 25.2% (18.2% vs. 32.2%) considered that there will not be an effective COVID-19 vaccine, while 41.6% (43.0% vs. 40.2%) thought that a vaccine would be available after at least 12 months. In conclusion, initially, following only a 1 month period, Romanian physicians&rsquo; intention to consider treatments such as hydroxychloroquine or lopinavir/ritonavir for COVID-19 decreased significantly. Moreover, confidence in the efficiency of available protective measures increased, and the rates of separation from household members decreased

Perceptions of Romanian Physicians on Lockdowns for COVID-19 Prevention

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic in March 2020, triggering important changes for the entire society and healthcare systems, as well as significant lockdown measures aimed to limit the disease spread. We herein intended to catch the dynamic of Romanian physicians’ perceptions of COVID-19 impact. For this purpose, after a literature review, a 30-item questionnaire was designed. The questionnaire was twice distributed online, about 1 month apart, during which partial relaxation measures were decreed in Romania. The questionnaire was voluntarily filled in by Romanian physicians who were willing to participate in the study. A total of 214 physicians answered the questionnaire upon its first release, and 199 respondents were registered upon its second release, most of whom (94.9%) were involved in clinical work, with one-third working in units dedicated to COVID-19 patients. In parallel with the relaxation of lockdown measures, along with increased confidence in the efficiency of protective measures (46.7% vs. 31.3%), separation from household members decreased from 36.9% to 22.1%. Nevertheless, the feeling of rejection felt by doctors remained similar (22.4% vs. 24.6%). Furthermore, answers regarding the clinical picture, diagnostic approach, and treatment options are discussed. Most of therapeutic options considered for SARS-CoV-2 treatment (e.g., lopinavir/ritonavir, oseltamivir, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, tocilizumab, and convalescent plasma) failed to confirm significant efficiency. On the contrary, vaccines for widescale use are already available despite the initial skepticism. In the beginning of the pandemic, 25.2% (18.2% vs. 32.2%) considered that there will not be an effective COVID-19 vaccine, while 41.6% (43.0% vs. 40.2%) thought that a vaccine would be available after at least 12 months. In conclusion, initially, following only a 1 month period, Romanian physicians’ intention to consider treatments such as hydroxychloroquine or lopinavir/ritonavir for COVID-19 decreased significantly. Moreover, confidence in the efficiency of available protective measures increased, and the rates of separation from household members decreased

Current Challenges of Cardiac Amyloidosis Awareness among Romanian Cardiologists

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is a restrictive cardiomyopathy characterized by deposition of amyloid in the myocardium and recent studies revealed it is more frequently seen than we thought. Advances in diagnosis and treatment have been made over the last few years that make it desirable to diagnose CA without delay, and that may require extra education. An online survey was conducted among cardiologists from Romania, representing the first assessment of the knowledge of CA among them, with 195 cardiologists answering the questionnaire. There was a wide variation in their knowledge regarding CA. Our participants had limited experience with CA and reported a significant delay between first cardiac symptoms and diagnosis. We address the gaps in knowledge that were identified as educational opportunities in the main identified areas: prevalence and treatment of wild type transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRwt), prevalence of variant transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv) in Romania, diagnosis of CA, the delay in CA diagnosis and available treatment options. Awareness among cardiologists is the most important challenge in diagnosing CA. Romanian cardiologists are partially aware of this topic, but there are still gaps in their knowledge. Educational programs can improve screening of patients with a high suspicion for this progressive condition the prognosis of which has been dramatically changed by the new treatment options

Physicians&rsquo; Experience with COVID-19 Vaccination: A Survey Study

Background: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy remains high in the general population and is the main determinant of low vaccination rates and of the fourth pandemic wave severity in Romania. Additional information is needed to raise awareness over vaccine efficiency and the safety profile. Objective: To assess self-reported experience related to COVID-19 vaccination in Romanian physicians. Design, Setting, and Participants: A cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire-based survey, distributed online in the period 24 March to 24 May 2021. The survey included 30 cascade questions with skip logic filters. All physicians included filled in the questionnaire voluntarily and anonymously. Not all respondents filled in all questions. Main outcome and measure: Primary outcomes addressed were related to the COVID-19 vaccine safety profile. Results: 407/467 (87.15%) of the respondents&rsquo; physicians were fully vaccinated, mostly with the Pfizer&mdash;BioNTech (Comirnaty)&mdash;BNT162b2 vaccine, with the peak of immunization in January 2021, with almost four-fifths of the study participants. Regarding COVID-19, almost 20% physicians had the infection and one declared COVID-19 re-infection. A number of 48/420 (11.42%) and 47/419 (11.22%) of the vaccinated physicians did not report any side effects after the first or second vaccine dose. However, most of the side effects reported were minor. Only 50/360 (13.88%) physicians reported the vaccine side effects on the dedicated online national platform. Approximately 40% respondents checked the anti-spike SARS-CoV2 antibodies&rsquo; titer after complete vaccination, of which two cases reported indeterminate levels. Lower anti-spike SARS-CoV2 antibodies&rsquo; titer of 100&ndash;1000 times the laboratory limit was more frequent in naive physicians (36.95% versus 14.28%, p = 0.012), moderate titers were similar, while very high levels, more than 10,000 times laboratory limit, were more frequent in physicians with previous COVID-19 infection (2.17% versus 42.85%, p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions and relevance: In this cross-sectional survey study on the COVID-19 vaccination among Romanian physicians, we describe a safety vaccination profile among Romanian physicians

Focus cardiac ultrasound: the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging viewpoint.

The concept of point-of-care, problem-oriented focus cardiac ultrasound examination (FoCUS) is increasingly applied in the settings of medical emergencies, including cardiac diseases. The European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) recognizes that cardiologists are not the only medical professionals dealing with cardiovascular emergencies. In reality, emergency cardiac diagnostics and treatment are also carried out by a wide range of specialists. For the benefit of the patients, the EACVI encourages any medical professional, sufficiently trained to obtain valuable information from FoCUS, to use it in emergency settings. These medical professionals need to have the necessary knowledge to understand the obtained information entirely, and to use it correctly, thoughtfully and with care. In this document, the EACVI underlines major differences between echocardiography and FoCUS, and underscores the need for specific education and training in order to fully utilize advantages and minimize drawbacks of this type of cardiac ultrasound examination in the critically ill patients

The Predictive Role of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), Monocytes-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (MLR) and Gammaglobulins for the Development of Cutaneous Vasculitis Lesions in Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome

Background: In primary Sjögren’s Syndrome (pSS), cutaneous vasculitis lesions (CVL) are extraglandular manifestations with an important clinical and prognostic impact and their early detection might contribute to the improvement of disease control and even patients’ survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive potential of hematological elements in the development of CVL in pSS patients. Methods: In this single center, retrospective study, a total of 245 participants were included (124 pSS patients and 121 healthy controls). Complete blood count, inflammatory and immunological parameters were determined at the initial visit. pSS patients underwent a periodical follow-up program, when disease progression and response to therapy was monitored, including the emergence of CVL. Results: In pSS, leucocytes, lymphocyte, neutrophil, monocyte, erythrocyte and platelet counts are significantly decreased compared to healthy subjects (p p p p p p p p p < 0.001). Conclusions: Standard hematological parameters, widely used in the assessment of pSS patients, such as NLR, PLR, MLR and gammaglobulins could become valid elements that might be used for the early detection of patients at risk for the development of CVL

Multimodality imaging in cardiac amyloidosis: a primer for cardiologists

Amyloidosis is a systemic infiltrative disease, in which unstable proteins misfold, form aggregates and amyloid fibrils which can deposit in various organs: heart, kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract, nervous system structures, lungs, or soft tissue. Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) diagnosis requires awareness, high level of clinical suspicion and expertise in integrating clinical, electrocardiographic, and multimodality imaging data. The overall scenario is complex and no single test emerges over the others, but different techniques are useful at various stages of the diagnostic workup. After a clinical suspicion of CA is raised by various non-imaging red-flags, eligible patients should undergo complete echocardiography and multiparametric cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. Even though the clinical suspicion of CA is confirmed by cardiac imaging, the accurate differentiation between the two most frequent and treatable amyloid types, i.e. light chain (AL) and transthyretin (ATTR) requires further work-up including phosphate scintigraphy. This article reviews the latest and essential data on multimodality imaging of patients with suspected or confirmed CA in a useful and practical manner for the general and imaging cardiologists

Subclinical Cardiotoxicity Detected by Strain Rate Imaging up to 14 months After Breast Radiation Therapy

PURPOSE: Strain rate imaging (SRI) is a new echocardiographic modality that enables accurate measurement of regional myocardial function. We investigated the role of SRI and troponin I (TnI) in the detection of subclinical radiation therapy (RT)-induced cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This study prospectively included 75 women (51 left-sided and 24 right-sided) receiving adjuvant RT to the breast/chest wall and regional lymph nodes. Sequential echocardiographs with SRI were obtained before RT, immediately after RT, and 8 and 14 months after RT. TnI levels were measured on the first and last day of RT. RESULTS: Mean heart and left ventricle (LV) doses were both 9 ± 4 Gy for the left-sided patients and 4 ± 4 Gy and 1 ± 0.4 Gy, respectively, for the right-sided patients. A decrease in strain was observed at all post-RT time points for left-sided patients (-17.5% ± 1.9% immediately after RT, -16.6% ± 1.4% at 8 months, and -17.7% ± 1.9% at 14 months vs -19.4% ± 2.4% before RT, P<.01) but not for right-sided patients. When we considered left-sided patients only, the highest mean dose was given to the anterior left ventricular (LV) wall (25 ± 14 Gy) and the lowest to the inferior LV wall (3 ± 3 Gy). Strain of the anterior wall was reduced after RT (-16.6% ± 2.3% immediately after RT, -16% ± 2.6% at 8 months, and -16.8% ± 3% at 14 months vs -19% ± 3.5% before RT, P<.05), whereas strain of the inferior wall showed no significant change. No changes were observed with conventional echocardiography. Furthermore, mean TnI levels for the left-sided patients were significantly elevated after RT compared with before RT, whereas TnI levels of the right-sided patients remained unaffected. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to conventional echocardiography, SRI detected a regional, subclinical decline in cardiac function up to 14 months after breast RT. It remains to be determined whether these changes are related to clinical outcome. In the meantime, we encourage the use of radiation techniques that minimize the exposure of the anterior LV wall in left-sided patients.Erven K., Florian A., Slagmolen P., Sweldens C., Jurcut R., Wildiers H., Voigt J.-U., Weltens C., ''Subclinical cardiotoxicity detected by strain rate imaging up to 14 months after breast radiation therapy'', International journal of radiation oncology biology physics, vol. 85, no. 5, pp. 1172-1178, April 2013.status: publishe