Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Enfermedad cardíaca isquémica en la mujer. Factores de riesgo tradicionales y específicos

Las enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV) constituyen actualmente la primera causa de muerte a nivel mundial. Pero si bien en la última década ha disminuido su prevalencia en países de elevados ingresos, en los países de bajos y medianos ingresos es lo contrario. En nuestro país, al comparar ambos sexos, si bien los hombres mueren más de enfermedades oncológicas, en el caso de las mujeres las ECV constituyen la primera causa. Las diferencias en los factores de riesgo tradicionales y emergentes, en la fisiopatología de la enfermedad cardíaca isquémica (ECI), las atipicidades del cuadro clínico y, principalmente, la insuficiente concientización del problema por parte tanto de los médicos de asistencia como de las propias mujeres, hacen que la ECI en la mujer sea muchas veces subdiagnosticada y no reciba un adecuado tratamiento. Se presentan las semejanzas y diferencias entre mujeres y hombres en relación con los factores de riesgo cardiovascular tradicionales y se hace hincapié en los factores de riesgo emergentes, específicos de la mujer, de forma de contribuir a una detección más precoz de la enfermedad y a un adecuado tratamiento que permita mejorar el pronóstico

Eventos adversos cardiovasculares en mujeres con enfermedad arterial coronaria multivaso.

Introducción: La enfermedad cardiovascular es la principal causa de muerte en la población femenina en todo el mundo siendo la enfermedad arterial coronaria multivaso una de las responsables de estos fallecimientos.Propósito: Identificar la posible relación entre variables clínicas, diagnósticas y terapéuticas con el desarrollo de eventos adversos en mujeres con enfermedad arterial coronaria multivaso en el Instituto de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular durante el periodo correspondiente de enero 2016 a diciembre 2018.Método: Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo y prospectivo en 107 pacientes. Se utilizaron variables clínicas, diagnósticas y terapéuticas.Resultados: La edad promedio fue de 66.5 años, la hipertensión arterial y la diabetes mellitus fueron los factores de riesgo cardiovascular más frecuentes. La menopausia precoz se reportó en un 43,9% y la diabetes gestacional fue el antecedente obstétrico más frecuente. El 73,8% debutó como angina inestable y la afección múltiple de vasos sin tronco coronario izquierdo incluido se observó en el 71%. El 61,7% fue tratado mediante intervencionismo coronario percutáneo. El mayor número de eventos adversos ocurrió durante el primer año de seguimiento presentes en el 51,4%, de ellos el 17,8% presentó angina inestable y un 12,1% insuficiencia cardiaca. La superviviencia libre de muerte cardiaca fue de 85,5%. Los eventos adversos se presentaron con mayor proporción en pacientes con antecedentes de menopausia precoz, diabetes gestacional y parto prematuro.Conclusiones: La presencia de eventos adversos se relacionó con los antecedentes obstétricos, no así con otras variables clínicas, diagnósticas y terapéuticas en mujeres con enfermedad arterial coronaria multivaso

Complicaciones obstétricas como factor de riesgo de Enfermedad Arterial Coronaria

Introducción: Las condiciones específicas que pueden ocurrir exclusivamente en las mujeres y tener impacto en el riesgo cardiovascular pueden deberse a enfermedades obstétricas dentro de las que se encuentran las complicaciones gestacionales como preeclampsia, diabetes mellitus gestacional y la prematuridad. En las últimas décadas se ha evidenciado el papel de las complicaciones del embarazo en la evolución cardiovascular adversa a largo plazo.Objetivo: Identificar las complicaciones obstétricas como factor de riesgo de enfermedad arterial coronaria.Método: Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica relacionada con las complicaciones obstétricas como factor de riesgo de enfermedad coronaria donde se efectuó la búsqueda en 31 artículos originales, 7 revisiones, 6 estudios multicéntricos, 4 metaanálisis y 11 guías de actuación de diferentes sociedades principalmente españolas, europeas, americanas desde el año 2011 hasta mayo del 2020. Dicha búsqueda fue realizada en diferentes bases de datos como: Scielo, Medcape, Pubmed y DOAJ; también se realizaron búsqueda en revistas especializadas.Resultados: Los documentos señalados hacen referencia que la diabetes mellitus gestacional implica el doble de riesgo de enfermedad cardiaca por lo que se considera un factor de riesgo cardiovascular emergente, la preeclampsia se relaciona con un incremento de dos veces el riesgo de enfermedad arterial coronaria, accidente cerebrovascular, muerte y cuatro veces el riesgo de falla cardiaca futura, el parto pre término se asocia con un incremento en la evolución cardiovascular materna adversa en el futuro.Conclusiones: La diabetes mellitus gestacional, preeclampsia y parto pre término incrementan el riesgo de enfermedad arterial coronaria

Multimodalidad de imagen en Amiloidosis Cardiaca. Actualización del tema a propósito de un caso.

La Amiloidosis es una enfermedad sistémica caracterizada por el depósito de sustancia amiloidea en los tejidos, lo que afecta su estructura y función. La afectación cardiaca puede verse de manera aislada o formando parte del daño sistémico. Se han descrito diferentes variedades pero solo dos   pueden afectar el corazón, con características, tratamiento y pronóstico diferentes. Hasta hace poco, el diagnóstico positivo de Amiloidosis Cardiaca sólo era posible mediante biopsia, mientras el diagnóstico diferencial de ambos tipos requería algoritmos diagnósticos complejos.  En los últimos tres años, un sinnúmero de artículos han validado el papel de la imagen cardiaca multimodal en el diagnóstico de esta entidad. En nuestro país se implementó el estudio de la Amiloidosis Cardiaca mediante la imagen multimodal en el 2019.  En este artículo revisamos el papel actual de la imagen cardiaca en el estudio de esta entidad, a propósito del primer caso estudiado en nuestro centro con  enfoque multimodal.

Reduction of cardiac imaging tests during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Italy. Findings from the IAEA Non-invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)

Background: In early 2020, COVID-19 massively hit Italy, earlier and harder than any other European country. This caused a series of strict containment measures, aimed at blocking the spread of the pandemic. Healthcare delivery was also affected when resources were diverted towards care of COVID-19 patients, including intensive care wards. Aim of the study: The aim is assessing the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac imaging in Italy, compare to the Rest of Europe (RoE) and the World (RoW). Methods: A global survey was conducted in May–June 2020 worldwide, through a questionnaire distributed online. The survey covered three periods: March and April 2020, and March 2019. Data from 52 Italian centres, a subset of the 909 participating centres from 108 countries, were analyzed. Results: In Italy, volumes decreased by 67% in March 2020, compared to March 2019, as opposed to a significantly lower decrease (p &lt; 0.001) in RoE and RoW (41% and 40%, respectively). A further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 summed up to 76% for the North, 77% for the Centre and 86% for the South. When compared to the RoE and RoW, this further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 in Italy was significantly less (p = 0.005), most likely reflecting the earlier effects of the containment measures in Italy, taken earlier than anywhere else in the West. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic massively hit Italy and caused a disruption of healthcare services, including cardiac imaging studies. This raises concern about the medium- and long-term consequences for the high number of patients who were denied timely diagnoses and the subsequent lifesaving therapies and procedures

Impact of COVID-19 on Diagnostic Cardiac Procedural Volume in Oceania: The IAEA Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)

Objectives: The INCAPS COVID Oceania study aimed to assess the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac procedure volume provided in the Oceania region. Methods: A retrospective survey was performed comparing procedure volumes within March 2019 (pre-COVID-19) with April 2020 (during first wave of COVID-19 pandemic). Sixty-three (63) health care facilities within Oceania that perform cardiac diagnostic procedures were surveyed, including a mixture of metropolitan and regional, hospital and outpatient, public and private sites, and 846 facilities outside of Oceania. The percentage change in procedure volume was measured between March 2019 and April 2020, compared by test type and by facility. Results: In Oceania, the total cardiac diagnostic procedure volume was reduced by 52.2% from March 2019 to April 2020, compared to a reduction of 75.9% seen in the rest of the world (p&lt;0.001). Within Oceania sites, this reduction varied significantly between procedure types, but not between types of health care facility. All procedure types (other than stress cardiac magnetic resonance [CMR] and positron emission tomography [PET]) saw significant reductions in volume over this time period (p&lt;0.001). In Oceania, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) decreased by 51.6%, transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) by 74.0%, and stress tests by 65% overall, which was more pronounced for stress electrocardiograph (ECG) (81.8%) and stress echocardiography (76.7%) compared to stress single-photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) (44.3%). Invasive coronary angiography decreased by 36.7% in Oceania. Conclusion: A significant reduction in cardiac diagnostic procedure volume was seen across all facility types in Oceania and was likely a function of recommendations from cardiac societies and directives from government to minimise spread of COVID-19 amongst patients and staff. Longer term evaluation is important to assess for negative patient outcomes which may relate to deferral of usual models of care within cardiology

International Impact of COVID-19 on the Diagnosis of Heart Disease

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has adversely affected diagnosis and treatment of noncommunicable diseases. Its effects on delivery of diagnostic care for cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death worldwide, have not been quantified. Objectives: The study sought to assess COVID-19's impact on global cardiovascular diagnostic procedural volumes and safety practices. Methods: The International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey assessing alterations in cardiovascular procedure volumes and safety practices resulting from COVID-19. Noninvasive and invasive cardiac testing volumes were obtained from participating sites for March and April 2020 and compared with those from March 2019. Availability of personal protective equipment and pandemic-related testing practice changes were ascertained. Results: Surveys were submitted from 909 inpatient and outpatient centers performing cardiac diagnostic procedures, in 108 countries. Procedure volumes decreased 42% from March 2019 to March 2020, and 64% from March 2019 to April 2020. Transthoracic echocardiography decreased by 59%, transesophageal echocardiography 76%, and stress tests 78%, which varied between stress modalities. Coronary angiography (invasive or computed tomography) decreased 55% (p &lt; 0.001 for each procedure). In multivariable regression, significantly greater reduction in procedures occurred for centers in countries with lower gross domestic product. Location in a low-income and lower–middle-income country was associated with an additional 22% reduction in cardiac procedures and less availability of personal protective equipment and telehealth. Conclusions: COVID-19 was associated with a significant and abrupt reduction in cardiovascular diagnostic testing across the globe, especially affecting the world's economically challenged. Further study of cardiovascular outcomes and COVID-19–related changes in care delivery is warranted