Post-COVID syndrome: prevalence, organ pathogenesis and routes of correction. A systematic review

Background. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is building up a population of previous SARS-CoV-2 patients with non-transient multiorgan failures having diverse stable symptoms and/or delayed complications. Proper measures should be defined in public healthcare to tackle patients’ diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.Objectives. A systematic review of recent evidence in epidemiology and pathophysiology of organ-specific COVID-19 aftereffects and their routes of correction.Methods. Sources were mined in eLibrary and Medline/PubMed using the keywords “post-covid syndrome” [постковидный синдром], COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, “organ lesions”, pathogenesis, treatment; the article type were “Clinical Trial”, “Meta-Analysis”, Review and “Systematic Review” published in English or Russian during 01 January 2020–10 July 2021. All study designs considered reflected the current understanding of epidemiology, pathogenesis, late manifestations and complications of old systemic and organ COVID-19, as well as their correction measures. Full-text peer-reviewed high-impact journal articles had preference.Results. A screening of 1,163 sources selected 480 most relevant full-text articles for analysis, with 131 included in the final review. A number of 2020–2021 studies reported persistent COVID-19 representations, including pulmonary, cardiovascular, renal complications, haematological disorders, neuropsychiatric and endocrine aftereffects. Gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary and dermatological complications of SARS-CoV-2 are less elaborated. Insights are emerging into the pathogenesis of weeks-to-months persisting post-acute COVID-19 organ and systemic lesions. Understanding their pathophysiology will enable targeting measures towards a comprehensive treatment of post-COVID syndrome. Clinical trials are currently underway that will evidence-ground the prevention and therapy of COVID-19 complications in discharged patients.Conclusion. COVID-19 patients should be managed beyond hospital discharge, as many of them require comprehensive inter-specialty medical care in outpatient follow-up. A rapid enrichment of databases and professional evidence for post-COVID syndrome lays the grounds for successful treatment and rehabilitation of patients who had coped with this disease

COVID-19 and the heart: direct and indirect impact

Background. The pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome COVID-19 drew the attention of researchers and practitioners worldwide to severe cardiovascular injury incurred by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.Objectives. A review and structuring of recent evidence on the pathophysiological mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 impact on cardiovascular system and its major acute complications, assessment of indirect pandemic effects on treatment and diagnosis in practical cardiology.Methods. Literature sources were mined in the PubMed database with keywords “COVID-19” and “SARS-CoV-2” and the source type “Clinical Trial”, “Meta-Analysis”, “Review”, “Systematic Review”. The search depth was unrestricted, as the vast majority of publications appeared during the past year.Results. A screening of over 12,000 sources produced 329 most relevant articles available full-text, with 65 included in the review. A key factor of the SARS-CoV-2 penetration into human cell is protein S facilitating the virus—angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 binding and final fusion. Myocardial damage in COVID-19 can occur due to excessive inflammatory response, the disbalance of myocardial oxygen demand and supply, vasculitis, atherosclerotic plaque rupture, coronary spasm, hypoxic vascular damage and endothelial dysfunction, microthrombi formation. The most critical acute cardiovascular complications of COVID-19, apart from myocarditis, are cardiac arrhythmias, acute coronary syndromes, acute heart failure, thrombosis and embolism. The COVID-19 pandemic exerts an indirect negative influence on medical aid in patients with cardiovascular diseases and complications.Conclusion. Knowledge of the pathophysiological mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 impact on cardiovascular system and major types of its acute complications allows targeted research into the scenarios of their prevention and treatment. A rational balance is expected between the infection control and treatment for critical noncommunicable, particularly, cardiovascular diseases

Resonant nonlinear magneto-optical effects in atoms

In this article, we review the history, current status, physical mechanisms, experimental methods, and applications of nonlinear magneto-optical effects in atomic vapors. We begin by describing the pioneering work of Macaluso and Corbino over a century ago on linear magneto-optical effects (in which the properties of the medium do not depend on the light power) in the vicinity of atomic resonances, and contrast these effects with various nonlinear magneto-optical phenomena that have been studied both theoretically and experimentally since the late 1960s. In recent years, the field of nonlinear magneto-optics has experienced a revival of interest that has led to a number of developments, including the observation of ultra-narrow (1-Hz) magneto-optical resonances, applications in sensitive magnetometry, nonlinear magneto-optical tomography, and the possibility of a search for parity- and time-reversal-invariance violation in atoms.Comment: 51 pages, 23 figures, to appear in Rev. Mod. Phys. in Oct. 2002, Figure added, typos corrected, text edited for clarit

Omega-3 fatty acids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease

Background: Researchers have suggested that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from oily fish (long-chain omega-3 (LCn3), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)), as well as from plants (alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)) benefit cardiovascular health. Guidelines recommend increasing omega-3-rich foods, and sometimes supplementation, but recent trials have not confirmed this. Objectives: To assess effects of increased intake of fish- and plant-based omega-3 for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular (CVD) events, adiposity and lipids. Search methods: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE and Embase to April 2017, plus ClinicalTrials.gov and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry to September 2016, with no language restrictions. We handsearched systematic review references and bibliographies and contacted authors. Selection criteria: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that lasted at least 12 months and compared supplementation and/or advice to increase LCn3 or ALA intake versus usual or lower intake. Data collection and analysis: Two review authors independently assessed studies for inclusion, extracted data and assessed validity. We performed separate random-effects meta-analysis for ALA and LCn3 interventions, and assessed dose-response relationships through meta-regression. Main results: We included 79 RCTs (112,059 participants) in this review update and found that 25 were at low summary risk of bias. Trials were of 12 to 72 months' duration and included adults at varying cardiovascular risk, mainly in high-income countries. Most studies assessed LCn3 supplementation with capsules, but some used LCn3- or ALA-rich or enriched foods or dietary advice compared to placebo or usual diet. Meta-analysis and sensitivity analyses suggested little or no effect of increasing LCn3 on all-cause mortality (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.03, 92,653 participants; 8189 deaths in 39 trials, high-quality evidence), cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.03, 67,772 participants; 4544 CVD deaths in 25 RCTs), cardiovascular events (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.04, 90,378 participants; 14,737 people experienced events in 38 trials, high-quality evidence), coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.09, 73,491 participants; 1596 CHD deaths in 21 RCTs), stroke (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.16, 89,358 participants; 1822 strokes in 28 trials) or arrhythmia (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.05, 53,796 participants; 3788 people experienced arrhythmia in 28 RCTs). There was a suggestion that LCn3 reduced CHD events (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.97, 84,301 participants; 5469 people experienced CHD events in 28 RCTs); however, this was not maintained in sensitivity analyses - LCn3 probably makes little or no difference to CHD event risk. All evidence was of moderate GRADE quality, except as noted. Increasing ALA intake probably makes little or no difference to all-cause mortality (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.20, 19,327 participants; 459 deaths, 5 RCTs),cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.25, 18,619 participants; 219 cardiovascular deaths, 4 RCTs), and it may make little or no difference to CHD events (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.22, 19,061 participants, 397 CHD events, 4 RCTs, low-quality evidence). However, increased ALA may slightly reduce risk of cardiovascular events (from 4.8% to 4.7%, RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.07, 19,327 participants; 884 CVD events, 5 RCTs, low-quality evidence), and probably reduces risk of CHD mortality (1.1% to 1.0%, RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.26, 18,353 participants; 193 CHD deaths, 3 RCTs), and arrhythmia (3.3% to 2.6%, RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.57 to 1.10, 4,837 participants; 141 events, 1 RCT). Effects on stroke are unclear. Sensitivity analysis retaining only trials at low summary risk of bias moved effect sizes towards the null (RR 1.0) for all LCn3 primary outcomes except arrhythmias, but for most ALA outcomes, effect sizes moved to suggest protection. LCn3 funnel plots suggested that adding in missing studies/results would move effect sizes towards null for most primary outcomes. There were no dose or duration effects in subgrouping or meta-regression. There was no evidence that increasing LCn3 or ALA altered serious adverse events, adiposity or lipids, although LCn3 slightly reduced triglycerides and increased HDL. ALA probably reduces HDL (high- or moderate-quality evidence). Authors' conclusions: This is the most extensive systematic assessment of effects of omega-3 fats on cardiovascular health to date. Moderate- and high-quality evidence suggests that increasing EPA and DHA has little or no effect on mortality or cardiovascular health (evidence mainly from supplement trials). Previous suggestions of benefits from EPA and DHA supplements appear to spring from trials with higher risk of bias. Low-quality evidence suggests ALA may slightly reduce CVD event risk, CHD mortality and arrhythmia

ADHERENCE TO THE USE OF NEW ORAL ANTICOAGULANTS IN PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION – THE WAY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF TREATMENT

Atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk of stroke,  therefore long-term anticoagulant therapy is the standard for the treatment of the absolute majority of patients with this arrhythmia. Variants of anticoagulant therapy include vitamin K antagonists, such as warfarin, whose  benefits are long established, but have a number of disadvantages, as well as their alternative – non-vitamin K antagonists – oral anticoagulants, recommended for the treatment of patients with AF with moderate or high risk of stroke. Adherence to pharmacotherapy is important for the long-term effectiveness of any medication; however, in the "real world" in patients with AF relatively low levels of adherence to drugs compared with clinical studies are expected. Experience in several areas of therapy, including the treatment of cardiovascular disease, shows that a low adherence to a constant intake of medications is common. However,  in this respect, simple dosing regimens may be beneficial, since long-term outcomes in AF are likely to depend on adherence to treatment. Rivaroxaban can be given in fixed doses without routine coagulation control, and phase III studies and actual clinical practice have demonstrated its safety and efficacy in patients with AF, including the elderly and patients with concomitant diseases. Taking an oral anticoagulant, not vitamin K antagonists, in particular rivaroxaban, once a day is potentially capable of improving adherence to therapy and the results of stroke prevention in patients with AF

Application of rivaroxaban in clinical practice: results of a prospective observational study XANTUS in patients with atrial fibrillation

In XANTUS study the safety and efficacy of factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban were evaluated in routine clinical practice in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. In consecutive patients who started treatment with rivaroxaban, all adverse events were recorded every 3 months for 1 year. Conclusions of major bleeding, symptomatic thromboembolic complications (stroke, systemic embolism, transient ischemic attack, and myocardial infarction) and death from all causes were centrally adjudicated. In total 6784 patients were treated with rivaroxaban at 311 centers in Europe, Israel, and Canada, on average, 329 days. The mean CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores were 2.0 and 3.4, respectively. Treatmentemergent major bleeding occurred in 128 patients (2.1 events per 100 patient-years), 118 (1.9 events per 100 patient-years) died, and 43 (0.7 events per 100 patient-years) suffered a stroke. XANTUS is the first international, prospective, observational study to describe the use of rivaroxaban in a broad non-valvular atrial fibrillation patient population. Rates of stroke and major bleeding were low in patients receiving rivaroxaban in routine clinical practice

Coronary Artery Disease with a High Risk of Complications: How to Identify Such Patients and Choose Management Tactics?

Patients with diagnosed coronary artery disease and/or peripheral arterial disease have a high risk of cardiovascular death and disabling vascular events, including stroke, myocardial infarction, and amputation. Secondary prevention in these high-risk patients should include control of modifiable risk factors for the progression of atherosclerosis and antithrombotic therapy to prevent atherothrombosis. Analysis of the literature from the databases PubMed, MEDLINE, HighWire Press was carried out to determine the modern possibilities of assessing the risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic events in a stable course of cardiovascular diseases caused by atherosclerosis, which can be used to determine the categories of patients with the greatest potential benefit from combination antithrombotic therapy. The results of a large randomized study COMPASS, their sub-analyses and the work of other authors, published over the last year, allow us to formulate reasonable conclusions that facilitate the adoption of medical decisions when choosing treatment tactics for patients with a stable course of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. When using low doses of rivaroxaban and aspirin in high-risk groups, the rate of adverse events, including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and vascular complications of peripheral artery disease, can be significantly reduced. High-risk criteria for severe cardiovascular complications are multifocal atherosclerotic lesions, heart failure, myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, or chronic kidney disease. Patients with the highest risk of vascular events will receive the greatest absolute benefit from this treatment. Secondary prevention in patients with chronic coronary syndromes, sinus rhythm and a moderate risk of cardiovascular complications using low doses of rivaroxaban and aspirin is justified, since the ratio of its risk and benefit remains favorable

COVID-19 and the heart: direct and indirect impact

Background. The pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome COVID-19 drew the attention of researchers and practitioners worldwide to severe cardiovascular injury incurred by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.Objectives. A review and structuring of recent evidence on the pathophysiological mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 impact on cardiovascular system and its major acute complications, assessment of indirect pandemic effects on treatment and diagnosis in practical cardiology.Methods. Literature sources were mined in the PubMed database with keywords “COVID-19” and “SARS-CoV-2” and the source type “Clinical Trial”, “Meta-Analysis”, “Review”, “Systematic Review”. The search depth was unrestricted, as the vast majority of publications appeared during the past year.Results. A screening of over 12,000 sources produced 329 most relevant articles available full-text, with 65 included in the review. A key factor of the SARS-CoV-2 penetration into human cell is protein S facilitating the virus—angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 binding and final fusion. Myocardial damage in COVID-19 can occur due to excessive inflammatory response, the disbalance of myocardial oxygen demand and supply, vasculitis, atherosclerotic plaque rupture, coronary spasm, hypoxic vascular damage and endothelial dysfunction, microthrombi formation. The most critical acute cardiovascular complications of COVID-19, apart from myocarditis, are cardiac arrhythmias, acute coronary syndromes, acute heart failure, thrombosis and embolism. The COVID-19 pandemic exerts an indirect negative influence on medical aid in patients with cardiovascular diseases and complications.Conclusion. Knowledge of the pathophysiological mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 impact on cardiovascular system and major types of its acute complications allows targeted research into the scenarios of their prevention and treatment. A rational balance is expected between the infection control and treatment for critical noncommunicable, particularly, cardiovascular diseases

Аблация у пациентов с фибрилляцией предсердий и сниженной фракцией выброса левого желудочка: только улучшение гемодинамики или влияние на прогноз? (систематический обзор)

Цель. Критически оценить результаты исследований аблации фибрилляции предсердий в отношении влияния на гемодинамику и прогноз у пациентов с сердечной недостаточностью со сниженной фракцией выброса левого желудочка. Методы. В базах данных PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library и Web of Science по ключевым словам отбирали наиболее цитируемые исследования, содержащие данные о лечении больных фибрилляцией предсердий и сердечной недостаточностью со сниженной фракцией выброса с помощью аблации, включая показатели фракции выброса левого желудочка, смертности, других конечных точек терапии. Анализировали влияние аблации в сравнении с медикаментозной терапией на динамику фракции выброса левого желудочка и клинические исходы у пациентов с фибрилляцией предсердий. Результаты. Провели скрининг 4 581 источника литературы, 48 из них отобрали для цитирования в обзоре. После эндокардиальной катетерной аблации, торакоскопической или гибридной аблации фибрилляции предсердий наблюдается в 4 раза большее (p < 0,001) абсолютное увеличение показателя фракции выброса левого желудочка в сравнении с медикаментозным лечением аналогичных больных фибрилляцией предсердий и сердечной недостаточностью. Имеются работы, в которых показано снижение относительного риска смерти (максимально до 47 %; p = 0,01) после аблации у пациентов с фибрилляцией предсердий и исходно сниженной фракцией выброса левого желудочка. Заключение. После аблации фибрилляции предсердий, независимо от техники вмешательства и выраженности дисфункции левого желудочка, у пациентов с сердечной недостаточностью со сниженной фракцией выброса левого желудочка наблюдается статистически значимое улучшение систолической функции, что, вероятно, обусловлено снижением бремени аритмии. Необходимы дополнительные исследования, чтобы определить популяцию больных сердечной недостаточностью, которым аблация фибрилляции предсердий принесет наибольшую пользу. Поступила в редакцию 20 апреля 2023 г. Исправлена 6 июня 2023 г. Принята к печати 7 июня 2023 г. Финансирование Исследование не имело спонсорской поддержки. Конфликт интересов Авторы заявляют об отсутствии конфликта интересов

COVID-19 and obesity: what is known about the features of pathogenesis and treatment?

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity is a public health problem worldwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, obesity is associated with a higher risk of severe disease and adverse clinical outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection. It may be associated with chronic systemic inflammation, impaired immune response and metabolic disturbances in obese patients. In order to establish possible pathogenetic links between obesity and COVID-19, an analysis of experimental, clinical studies, their meta-analyzes, literature reviews from the PubMed/MedLine database was carried out using the keywords «COVID-19» and «obesity». This review discusses the potential pathogenesis and treatment features of obese patients with COVID-19