Project description:The aim of this study was to characterize the echocardiographic phenotype of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and its relation to biomarkers. Seventy-four patients (59 ± 13 years old, 78% male) admitted with COVID-19 were included after referral for transthoracic echocardiography as part of routine care. A level 1 British Society of Echocardiography transthoracic echocardiography was used to assess chamber size and function, valvular disease, and likelihood of pulmonary hypertension. The chief abnormalities were right ventricle (RV) dilatation (41%) and RV dysfunction (27%). RV impairment was associated with increased D-dimer and C-reactive protein levels. In contrast, left ventricular function was hyperdynamic or normal in most (89%) patients.
Project description:Background: The cardiac manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of echocardiographic parameters in patients with COVID-19 infection and underlying CVD. Methods: One hundred fifty-seven consecutive hospitalized COVID-19 patients were enrolled. The left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) structure and function were assessed using bedside echocardiography. Results: Eighty-nine of the 157 patients (56.7%) had underlying CVD. Compared with patients without CVD, those with CVD had a higher mortality (22.5 vs. 4.4%, p = 0.002) and experienced more clinical events including acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute heart injury, or deep vein thrombosis. CVD patients presented with poorer LV diastolic and RV systolic function compared to those without CVD. RV dysfunction (30.3%) was the most frequent, followed by LV diastolic dysfunction (9.0%) and LV systolic dysfunction (5.6%) in CVD patients. CVD patients with high-sensitivity troponin I (hs-TNI) elevation or requiring mechanical ventilation therapy demonstrated worsening RV function compared with those with normal hs-TNI or non-intubated patients, whereas LV systolic or diastolic function was similar. Impaired RV function was associated with elevated hs-TNI level. RV function and elevated hs-TNI level were independent predictors of higher mortality in COVID-19 patients with CVD. Conclusions: Patients with COVID-19 infection and underlying CVD displayed impaired LV diastolic and RV function, whereas LV systolic function was normal in most patients. Importantly, RV function parameters are predictive of higher mortality.
Project description:BackgroundIt remains unclear whether discharged COVID-19 patients have fully recovered from severe complications, including the differences in the post-infection metabolomic profiles of patients with different disease severities.MethodsCOVID-19-recovered patients, who had no previous underlying diseases and were discharged from Wuhan Union Hospital for 3 months, and matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in this prospective cohort study. We examined the blood biochemical indicators, cytokines, lung computed tomography scans, including 39 HCs, 18 recovered asymptomatic (RAs), 34 recovered moderate (RMs), and 44 recovered severe/ critical patients (RCs). A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach was employed to profile the global metabolites of fasting plasma of these participants.ResultsClinical data and metabolomic profiles suggested that RAs recovered well, but some clinical indicators and plasma metabolites in RMs and RCs were still abnormal as compared with HCs, such as decreased taurine, succinic acid, hippuric acid, some indoles, and lipid species. The disturbed metabolic pathway mainly involved the tricarboxylic cycle, purine, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Moreover, metabolite alterations differ between RMs and RCs when compared with HCs. Correlation analysis revealed that many differential metabolites were closely associated with inflammation and the renal, pulmonary, heart, hepatic, and coagulation system functions.ConclusionWe uncovered metabolite clusters pathologically relevant to the recovery state in discharged COVID-19 patients which may provide new insights into the pathogenesis of potential organ damage in recovered patients.
Project description:A high percentage of patients with COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) have previous cardiovascular disease (CVD). The findings presented here came from an epidemiological population-based registry study (real-world data) that enrolled all in-hospital COVID-19 patients with previous CVD from 1 March to 31 May 2020. Death, other comorbidities, hospital stay variables, ventilation type, and main clinical outcomes were evaluated. In Castile and Leon, 35.83% of the 7307 in-hospital COVID-19 patients who participated in this study had previous CVD, particularly arrhythmias (48.97%), cerebrovascular disease (25.02%), ischemic heart disease (22.8%), and chronic heart failure (20.82%). Of the patients, 21.36% were men and more than 90% were over 65 years of age, and the mortality rate achieved 32.93%. The most used medicines were antibiotics (91.41%), antimalarials (73.3%), steroids (46.64%), and antivirals (43.16%). The main predictors of death were age over 65 years (OR: 5), ventilation needs (OR: 2.81), treatment with anti-SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome) medicines (OR: 1.97), antivirals (OR: 1.74) or steroids (OR: 1.68), SIRS (OR: 5.75), SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) (OR: 2.44), or AKI (acute kidney injury) (OR: 1.63) occurrence. Chronic heart failure and cerebrovascular disease were associated with a worse clinical course of COVID-19, especially in men older than 65 years with diabetes who developed SIRS, SARS, or AKI.
Project description:COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, can assume a highly variable disease course, ranging from asymptomatic infection, which constitutes the majority of cases, to severe respiratory failure. This implies a diverse host immune response to SARS-CoV-2. However, the immunological underpinnings underlying these divergent disease courses remain elusive. We therefore set out to longitudinally characterize immune signatures of convalescent COVID-19 patients stratified according to their disease severity. Our unique convalescent COVID-19 cohort consists of 74 patients not confounded by comorbidities. This is the first study of which we are aware that excludes immune abrogations associated with non-SARS-CoV-2 related risk factors of disease severity. Patients were followed up and analyzed longitudinally (2, 4 and 6 weeks after infection) by high-dimensional flow cytometric profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), in-depth serum analytics, and transcriptomics. Immune phenotypes were correlated to disease severity. Convalescence was overall associated with uniform immune signatures, but distinct immune signatures for mildly versus severely affected patients were detectable within a 2-week time window after infection.
Project description:Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed longstanding racial/ethnic inequities in health risks and outcomes in the U.S.. We sought to identify racial/ethnic differences in presentation and outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Methods: The American Heart Association COVID-19 Cardiovascular Disease Registry is a retrospective observational registry capturing consecutive patients hospitalized with COVID-19. We present data on the first 7,868 patients by race/ethnicity treated at 88 hospitals across the US between 01/17/2020 and 7/22/2020. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality; secondary outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE: death, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure) and COVID-19 cardiorespiratory ordinal severity score (worst to best: death, cardiac arrest, mechanical ventilation with mechanical circulatory support, mechanical ventilation with vasopressors/inotrope support, mechanical ventilation without hemodynamic support, and hospitalization without any of the above). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between race/ethnicity and each outcome adjusting for differences in sociodemographic, clinical, and presentation features, and accounting for clustering by hospital. Results: Among 7,868 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 33.0% were Hispanic, 25.5% were non-Hispanic Black, 6.3% were Asian, and 35.2% were non-Hispanic White. Hispanic and Black patients were younger than non-Hispanic White and Asian patients and were more likely to be uninsured. Black patients had the highest prevalence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Black patients also had the highest rates of mechanical ventilation (23.2%) and renal replacement therapy (6.6%) but the lowest rates of remdesivir use (6.1%). Overall mortality was 18.4% with 53% of all deaths occurring in Black and Hispanic patients. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for mortality were 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76-1.14) for Black patients, 0.90 (95% CI 0.73-1.11) for Hispanic patients, and 1.31 (95% CI 0.96-1.80) for Asian patients compared with non-Hispanic White patients. The median OR across hospitals was 1.99 (95% CI 1.74-2.48). Results were similar for MACE. Asian patients had the highest COVID-19 cardiorespiratory severity at presentation (adjusted OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.16-1.90). Conclusions: Although in-hospital mortality and MACE did not differ by race/ethnicity after adjustment, Black and Hispanic patients bore a greater burden of mortality and morbidity due to their disproportionate representation among COVID-19 hospitalizations.
Project description:BackgroundThe process of reintroducing bariatric surgery to our communities in a COVID-19 environment was particular to each country. Furthermore, no clear recommendation was made for patients with a previous COVID-19 infection and a favorable outcome who were seeking bariatric surgery.ObjectivesTo analyze the risks of specific complications for patients with previous COVID-19 infection who were admitted for bariatric surgery.SettingEight high-volume private centers from 5 countries.MethodsAll patients with morbid obesity and previous COVID-19 infection admitted for bariatric surgery were included in the current study. Patients were enrolled from 8 centers and 5 countries, and their electronic health data were reviewed retrospectively. The primary outcome was to identify early (<30 d) specific complications related to COVID-19 infection following bariatric surgery, and the secondary outcome was to analyze additional factors from work-ups that could prevent complications.ResultsThirty-five patients with a mean age of 40 years (range, 21-68 yr) and a mean body mass index of 44.3 kg/m2 (±7.4 kg/m2) with previous COVID-19 infection underwent different bariatric procedures: 23 cases of sleeve (65.7 %), 7 cases of bypass, and 5 other cases. The symptomatology of the previous COVID-19 infection varied: 15 patients had no symptoms, 12 had fever and respiratory signs, 5 had only fever, 2 had digestive symptoms, and 1 had isolated respiratory signs. Only 5 patients (14.2 %) were hospitalized for COVID-19 infection, for a mean period of 8.8 days (range, 6-15 d). One patient was admitted to an intensive care unit and needed invasive mechanical ventilation. The mean interval time from COVID-19 infection to bariatric surgery was 11.3 weeks (3-34 wk). The mean hospital stay was 1.7 days (±1 d), and all patients were clinically evaluated 1 month following the bariatric procedure. There were 2 readmissions and 1 case of complication: that case was of a gastric leak treated with laparoscopic drainage and a repeated pigtail drain, with a favorable outcome. No cases of other specific complications or mortality were recorded.ConclusionMinor and moderate COVID-19 infections, especially the forms not complicated with invasive mechanical ventilation, should not preclude the indication for bariatric surgery. In our experience, a prior COVID-19 infection does not induce additional specific complications following bariatric surgery.
Project description:BackgroundStatins have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects that may reduce the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in which organ dysfunction is mediated by severe inflammation. Large studies with diverse populations evaluating statin use and outcomes in COVID-19 are lacking.Methods and resultsWe used data from 10,541 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 through September 2020 at 104 US hospitals enrolled in the American Heart Association's COVID-19 Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Registry to evaluate the associations between statin use and outcomes. Prior to admission, 42% of subjects (n = 4,449) used statins (7% on statins alone, 35% on statins plus anti-hypertensives). Death (or discharge to hospice) occurred in 2,212 subjects (21%). Outpatient use of statins, either alone or with anti-hypertensives, was associated with a reduced risk of death (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.59, 95% CI 0.50-0.69), adjusting for demographic characteristics, insurance status, hospital site, and concurrent medications by logistic regression. In propensity-matched analyses, use of statins and/or anti-hypertensives was associated with a reduced risk of death among those with a history of CVD and/or hypertension (aOR 0.68, 95% CI 0.58-0.81). An observed 16% reduction in odds of death among those without CVD and/or hypertension was not statistically significant.ConclusionsPatients taking statins prior to hospitalization for COVID-19 had substantially lower odds of death, primarily among individuals with a history of CVD and/or hypertension. These observations support the continuation and aggressive initiation of statin and anti-hypertensive therapies among patients at risk for COVID-19, if these treatments are indicated based upon underlying medical conditions.
Project description:BackgroundHospitalised COVID-19 patients with underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cardiovascular risk factors appear to be at risk of poor outcome. It is unknown if these patients should be considered a vulnerable group in healthcare delivery and healthcare recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA systematic literature search was performed to answer the following question: In which hospitalised patients with proven COVID-19 and with underlying CVD and cardiovascular risk factors should doctors be alert to a poor outcome? Relevant outcome measures were mortality and intensive care unit admission. Medline and Embase databases were searched using relevant search terms until 9 June 2020. After systematic analysis, 8 studies were included.ResultsBased on the literature search, there was insufficient evidence that CVD and cardiovascular risk factors are significant predictors of mortality and poor outcome in hospitalised patients with COVID-19. Due to differences in methodology, the level of evidence of all studies was graded 'very low' according to the Grading Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. It is expected that in the near future, two multinational and multicentre European registries (CAPACITY-COVID and LEOSS) will offer more insight into outcome in COVID-19 patients.ConclusionThis literature review demonstrated there was insufficient evidence to identify CVD and cardiovascular risk factors as important predictors of poor outcome in hospitalised COVID-19 patients. However, patients with CVD and cardiovascular risk factors remain vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks. As such, governmental and public health COVID-19 recommendations for vulnerable groups apply to these patients.
Project description:BackgroundCenters from Europe and United States have reported an exceedingly high number of children with a severe inflammatory syndrome in the setting of coronavirus disease 2019, which has been termed multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).ObjectivesThis study aimed to analyze echocardiographic manifestations in MIS-C.MethodsA total of 28 MIS-C, 20 healthy control subjects and 20 classic Kawasaki disease (KD) patients were retrospectively reviewed. The study reviewed echocardiographic parameters in the acute phase of the MIS-C and KD groups, and during the subacute period in the MIS-C group (interval 5.2 ± 3 days).ResultsOnly 1 case in the MIS-C group (4%) manifested coronary artery dilatation (z score = 3.15) in the acute phase, showing resolution during early follow-up. Left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function measured by deformation parameters were worse in patients with MIS-C compared with KD. Moreover, MIS-C patients with myocardial injury were more affected than those without myocardial injury with respect to all functional parameters. The strongest parameters to predict myocardial injury in MIS-C were global longitudinal strain, global circumferential strain, peak left atrial strain, and peak longitudinal strain of right ventricular free wall (odds ratios: 1.45 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08 to 1.95], 1.39 [95% CI: 1.04 to 1.88], 0.84 [95% CI: 0.73 to 0.96], and 1.59 [95% CI: 1.09 to 2.34], respectively). The preserved LV ejection fraction (EF) group in MIS-C showed diastolic dysfunction. During the subacute period, LVEF returned to normal (median from 54% to 64%; p < 0.001) but diastolic dysfunction persisted.ConclusionsUnlike classic KD, coronary arteries may be spared in early MIS-C; however, myocardial injury is common. Even preserved EF patients showed subtle changes in myocardial deformation, suggesting subclinical myocardial injury. During an abbreviated follow-up, there was good recovery of systolic function but persistence of diastolic dysfunction and no coronary aneurysms.