Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on TAVR Activity: A Worldwide Registry

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a considerable impact on the provision of structural heart intervention worldwide. Our objectives were: 1) to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) activity globally; and 2) to determine the differences in the impact according to geographic region and the demographic, development, and economic status of diverse international health care systems. Methods: We developed a multinational registry of global TAVR activity and invited individual TAVR sites to submit TAVR implant data before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the number of TAVR procedures performed monthly from January 2019 to December 2021 was collected. The adaptive measures to maintain TAVR activity by each site were recorded, as was a variety of indices relating to type of health care system and national economic indices. The primary subject of interest was the impact on TAVR activity during each of the pandemic waves (2020 and 2021) compared with the same period pre–COVID-19 (2019). Results: Data were received from 130 centers from 61 countries, with 14 subcontinents and 5 continents participating in the study. Overall, TAVR activity increased by 16.7% (2,337 procedures) between 2018 and 2019 (ie, before the pandemic), but between 2019 and 2020 (ie, first year of the pandemic), there was no significant growth (–0.1%; –10 procedures). In contrast, activity again increased by 18.9% (3,085 procedures) between 2020 and 2021 (ie, second year of the pandemic). During the first pandemic wave, there was a reduction of 18.9% (945 procedures) in TAVR activity among participating sites, while during the second and third waves, there was an increase of 6.7% (489 procedures) and 15.9% (1,042 procedures), respectively. Further analysis and results of this study are ongoing and will be available at the time of the congress. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic initially led to a reduction in the number of patients undergoing TAVR worldwide, although health care systems subsequently adapted, and the number of TAVR recipients continued to grow in subsequent COVID-19 pandemic waves. Categories: STRUCTURAL: Valvular Disease: Aorti

Aşikar kardiyovasküler hastalığı olmayanlarda koroner arter kalsifikasyonu ile ortalama trombosit hacmi arasındaki ilişki: Gözlemsel bir çalışma

dolaylı bir parametredir. Koroner arter kalsifikasyonunun (KAK) aterosklerotik proçesin bir parçası olduğu uzun zamandır bilinmektedir. Bu çalışmamızda aşikar kardiyovasküler hastalığı olmayan hastalarda KAK ile OTH arasındaki ilişkiyi inceledik. Yöntemler: Bu gözlemsel çalışmada, bilinen kardiyovasküler hastalığı olmayan ve en az bir kardiyovasküler riski olan 259 hasta çalışmaya alındı. KAK çok kesitli tomografi ile değerlendirildi. OTH ise etilen diamin tetra asetik asit (EDTA)’li tüplere alınan kanda ölçüldü. İstatistiksel analiz Kruskal-Wallis, Ki-kare, korelasyon testleri ve çoklu regresyon analiz ile yapıldı. Bulgular: Kalsiyum skoru 0 ile 735 arasında idi. Tek yönlü analizde KAK ile OTH (r0.24, p0.02), yaş (r0.32, p0.001), hipertansiyon (r0.19, p0.03), diyabet (r0.16, p0.005) ve sigara içimi (r0.17, p0.001) arasında anlamlı bir ilişki vardı. Çok yönlü analizde ise OTH (?0.4, %95GA 19.8- 31.1, p0.001), yaş (?0.13, %95GA 0.23-2.4 p0.01) ve sigara içimi (?0.12, %95GA 3.2-15.1, p0.02) KAK’ın bağımsız belirleyicileri idi. Ayrıca anlamlı KAK’ı olanlarda minimal ya da KAK’ı olmayan hastalara göre OTH anlamlı olarak yüksek idi (10.22.4 karşı 8.10.9 ve 7.61.3; R252.7, p0.001). Sonuç: Çalışmamızda OTH ile KAK arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulduk. Her ne kadar çalışmamız bir korelasyon çalışması olduğu için neden- sonuç ilişkisi açısından bir sonuç çıkarmak zor olsa da yüksek OTH’nin artmış aterosklerotik yükü ve kardiyovasküler riski gösterebileceği söylenebilir. (Anadolu Kardiyol Derg 2012; 12: 35-9)Objective: Platelets have an important role in the pathogenesis of atherothrombosis. It has been shown that platelet size measured by mean platelet volume (MPV), correlates with their reactivity and is still regarded as an easy, useful tool for indirect monitoring of platelet activity in different situations. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) has long been known to occur as a part of the atherosclerotic process. The aim of this study was to determine whether an association exists between MPV and CAC. Methods: In this observational study, we enrolled 259 participants with at least one cardiac risk factor but with unknown cardiovascular disease. Coronary calcification was assessed by multislice computerized tomography and MPV was measured in a blood sample collected in EDTA tubes. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square, correlation tests and multiple regression analysis. Results: Calcium scores ranged from 0 to 735. There was a significant relation between CAC and MPV (r0.24, p0.02), age (r0.32, p<0.001), hypertension (r0.19, p0.03), diabetes (r0.16, p0.005), smoking (r0.17, p0.001). In linear regression analysis, MPV (β0.4, 95%CI 19.8- 31.1, p<0.001), age (β0.13, 95%CI 0.23-2.4, p0.01) and smoking (β0.12, 95%CI 3.2-15.1, p0.02) independently associated with CAC. In addition, there were significant differences in MPV between significant CAC group compared to the minimal and none (10.2±2.4 versus 8.1±0.9 and 7.6±1.3; p<0.001). Conclusion: We have found significant association between MPV and CAC. Although this study is purely correlative and no causative conclusions can be drawn, it may suggest that higher MPV may reflect increased atherosclerotic burden and cardiovascular risk. (Anadolu Kardiyol Derg 2012; 12: 35-9