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BMJ Open 2022 Jun 27;12(6):e061467. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Department of Epidemiology and Research, National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Objective: To estimate the costs of scaling up the HEARTS pilot project for hypertension management and risk-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention at the full population level in the four subdistricts (upazilas) in Bangladesh.

Settings: Two intervention scenarios in subdistrict health complexes: hypertension management only, and risk-based integrated hypertension, diabetes, and cholesterol management.

Design: Data obtained during July-August 2020 from subdistrict health complexes on the cost of medications, diagnostic materials, staff salaries and other programme components. Read More

BMJ Open 2022 Jun 27;12(6):e062702. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Cardiology, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Introduction: Inflammation is emerging as an important risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and has been a recent target for many novel therapeutic agents. However, comparative evidence regarding efficacy of these anti-inflammatory treatment options is currently lacking.

Methods And Analysis: This systematic review will include randomised controlled trials evaluating the effect of anti-inflammatory agents on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with known cardiovascular disease. Read More

Perfusion 2022 Jun 27:2676591221096078. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Department, and Cardiology Department, Heart and Vascular Center, 199236Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC+), Maastricht, Netherlands.

Objective: The Awake Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) practice combined with physiotherapy is increasing. However, available evidence for this approach is limited, with unclear indications on timing, management, and protocols. This review summarizes available literature regarding Awake ECLS and physiotherapy application rates, practices, and outcomes in adults, providing indications for future investigations. Read More

Open Heart 2022 May;9(1)

Department of Cardiology, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK.

Aims: Heart failure (HF) has a lower public profile compared with other serious health conditions, notably cancer. This discourse analysis study investigates the extent to which HF is discussed in general contemporary English, UK parliamentary debates and the ways in which HF is framed in discussions, when compared with two other serious health conditions, cancer and dementia.

Methods: The Oxford English Corpus (OEC) of 21st century English-language texts (2 billion words) and the UK Hansard Reports of parliamentary debates from 1945 to early 2021 were used to investigate the relative frequencies, contexts and use of the terms 'heart failure', 'cancer' and 'dementia'. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2022 Jun 27;15(6). Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Orthopaedic Surgery, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA.

A man in his late 30s developed non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy due to systemic cobalt toxicity associated with accelerated bearing surface wear from metal-on-metal hip resurfacing implanted in the previous 6 years. Following revision arthroplasty, the patient regained baseline cardiac function. Cobalt-induced cardiomyopathy is a grave condition that deserves early consideration due to potentially irreversible morbidity. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2022 Jun 27;15(6). Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Cardiology, University of Florida College of Medicine - Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.

Rev Esp Med Nucl Imagen Mol (Engl Ed) 2022 Jul-Aug;41(4):266-267. Epub 2021 May 11.

Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Clínico Universitario San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.

J Heart Lung Transplant 2022 Jul;41(7):1002

Br J Ophthalmol 2022 Jun 27. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Translational Vascular Medicine Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Background/aims: To characterise the ocular manifestations of Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) and compare these to patients with isolated elastin mediated supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS).

Methods: Fifty-seven patients with a diagnosis of WBS and five with SVAS underwent comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation at the National Institutes of Health from 2017 to 2020, including best-corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, optical biometry, dilated fundus examination, optical coherence tomography and colour fundus imaging.

Results: Mean age of the 57 WBS patients was 20. Read More

BMJ Evid Based Med 2022 Jun 27. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Department of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Network meta-analysis (NMA) is an increasingly popular statistical method of synthesising evidence to assess the comparative benefits and harms of multiple treatments in a single analysis. Several automated software packages facilitate conducting NMA using either of two alternative approaches, Bayesian or frequentist frameworks. Researchers must choose a framework for conducting NMA (Bayesian or frequentist) and select appropriate model(s), and those conducting NMA need to understand the assumptions and limitations of different approaches. Read More

Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2022 Jun 27. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen City 518036, Guangdong Province, P.R. China.

Objective: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) constitutes a primary cause of mortality in diabetic patients. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition can alleviate diabetes-associated myocardial injury. This study investigated the mechanism of HDAC1 on myocardial fibrosis (MF) in DCM. Read More

Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2022 Jun 27. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Critical Care Research Group, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) accounts for 10% of ICU admissions and affects 3 million patients each year. Despite decades of research, it is still associated with one of the highest mortality rates in the critically ill. Advances in supportive care, innovations in technologies and insights from recent clinical trials have contributed to improved outcomes and a renewed interest in the scope and use of Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) as a treatment for severe ARDS, including high flow veno-venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VV-ECMO) and low flow Extracorporeal Carbon Dioxide Removal (ECCO2R). Read More

Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed) 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Heart Lung Center Leiden, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands. Electronic address:

J Neurol Surg A Cent Eur Neurosurg 2022 Jun 27. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Bad Saarow, Germany.

Background:  The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical spine care is difficult to assess due to a lack in nationwide evidence from more recent phases of the pandemic. We aimed to describe changes in in-hospital processes associated with spinal fusion procedures in the treatment of spinal infections (SI) during different phases of the pandemic.

Methods:  In this retrospective observational study, we examined the in-hospital prevalence and outcomes of spinal fusion procedures for SI (along with patient characteristics, rates of transfer to intensive care units, and mortality rates) during the first four waves of the pandemic compared with the corresponding prepandemic periods in 2019. Read More

J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Department of Internal Medicine, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, N-0370, Oslo, Norway.

Background: Healthy young athletes adapt to the increased demands of endurance exercise with symmetric cardiac remodeling. Male veteran endurance athletes have an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), and some athletes seem susceptible to changes mimicking arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Intense exercise puts a disproportionate hemodynamic load on the right-sided heart chambers. Read More

J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Background: Strain analysis of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is a sensitive tool to detect myocardial dysfunction in those affected by COVID-19. Consideration of pre-existing cardiovascular disease is important in detecting changes related to COVID-19. We sought to assess serial TTE changes in patients recovered from COVID-19 compared to baseline, pre-COVID-19 exams, with a focus on left and right ventricular longitudinal strain. Read More

Cardiovasc Pathol 2022 Jun 24:107448. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, USA.

The key pathophysiological features in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction and abnormalities in the mitral valve apparatus, but coronary microvascular dysfunction and ischemia have also been described. The small vessel disease changes could be reflected in the invasive measurement of the index of microvascular resistance, with prognostic potential. Read More

Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2022 Jun 24:111264. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Aquática e Pesca, Núcleo de Ecologia Aquática e Pesca, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil; Laboratório de Ecotoxicologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil; Laboratório de Pesquisa em Monitoramento Ambiental Marinho, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil. Electronic address:

Cardiac physiological studies in oysters are scarce and these kinds of responses can be key issues for understanding behavioral and baseline adaptive responses. In this study we characterized the electrocardiogram (ECG) tracing patterns, wave intervals (RR; QT), and complex duration (QRS) of Crassostrea gasar during immersion followed by air exposure, simulating what occurs in a tide cycle. Initially, the ECG was analyzed in the oysters under immersion for 30 min to evaluate the basal recordings (immersion exposure condition). Read More

Ann Vasc Surg 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Houston Methodist Debakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston, TX, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (FDG PET/CT) can be used to identify and localize infection in patients with vascular graft infections (VGI). We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT by defining thresholds for standardized uptake value (SUV) and tissue-to-background ratio (TBR) that would accurately identify the presence of vascular graft infection.

Methods: Patients with suspected VGI were prospectively recruited and underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT scans. Read More

Ann Vasc Surg 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, CHU Liege, Belgium.

Objective: The improvement in survival rates for heart transplant recipients (HTRs) has increased their risk of developing extracardiac diseases such as abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). The purposes of this study were to evaluate the prevalence and to describe the clinical features and natural history of AAA in HTRs.

Methods: A retrospective review of all patients (375) who underwent heart transplantation (HT) at our center over a 32-year period (1983-2015) was carried out. Read More

Resuscitation 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Department of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Prehospital Emergency, Ospedale Maggiore Carlo Alberto Pizzardi, Bologna, Italy.

Background: The decision to initiate or continue advanced life support (ALS) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) could be difficult due to the lack of information and contextual elements, especially in non-shockable rhythms. This study aims to explore factors associated with clinicians' decision to initiate or continue ALS and the conditions associated with higher variability in asystolic patients.

Methods: This retrospective observational study enrolled 2653 asystolic patients on whom either ALS was attempted or not by the emergency medical services (EMS) physician. Read More

Resuscitation 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

The members of the study group are listed in the acknowledgment part at the end of the article.

Aim: To describe a cohort of pregnant women having suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and to compare them with nonpregnant women of childbearing age having suffered OHCA.

Methods: Study data were extracted from the French National OHCA Registry between 2011 and 2021. We compared patients in terms of characteristics, care and survival. Read More

J Affect Disord 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padua, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padua, Via Orus 2/B, 35131 Padua, Italy.

Background: Despite the evidence of increased levels of rumination and reduced heart rate variability (HRV) in depression, whether these measures can be considered early indicators of vulnerability to depression has yet to be investigated. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate both levels of rumination and resting HRV in individuals with familial risk for depression that is the most reliable risk factor for the disorder.

Methods: Rumination and vagally-mediated HRV were assessed using the Ruminative Response Scale and a smartphone-based photoelectric volumetric pulse wave assay, respectively, in 25 individuals who had family history of depression (but did not report current depressive symptoms), 15 individuals who reported depressive symptoms (but had no family history of depression), and 25 controls (without depressive symptoms and family history of depression). Read More

Sci Total Environ 2022 Jun 24:156969. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan; School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Cell Physiology and Molecular Image Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Air pollution has been reported to be associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our study aim was to examine the mediating effects of air pollution on climate-associated health outcomes of COPD patients. A cross-sectional study of 117 COPD patients was conducted in a hospital in Taiwan. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

University of British Columbia, Division of Cardiology, 9th Floor 2775 Laurel St., Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 1M9, Canada. Electronic address:

Int J Cardiol 2022 Jun 24. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Department of Cardiology III, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.

Curr Probl Cardiol 2022 Jun 24:101300. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Department of Cardiology. Hospital de Alta Complejidad El Cruce. Florencio Varela. Buenos Aires. Argentina; GEDIC. Grupo de Estudio, Docencia e Investigación Clínica. Buenos Aires. Argentina.

The clinical presentation of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) as ST-elevation ACS (STEACS) or non-ST-elevation ACS (NSTEACS) differs between women and men. The aim of this study was to describe the difference in the clinical presentation of ACS between sexes. A total of 10,019 patients included in the Epi-Cardio Registry were analyzed. Read More

Fetal Diagn Ther 2022 Jun 27. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Placental insufficiency is associated with reduced oxygen and nutrients supply to the fetus, which may result in fetal growth restriction (FGR). In attempt to cope with the hostile intrauterine environment, FGR fetuses respond through metabolic, endocrine, vascular, cardiac, behavioral, hematological and immunological adaptive mechanisms. However, permanent sequelae may result from such adaptive mechanisms. Read More

Cardiorenal Med 2022 Jun 27. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Background Determination of adequacy of decongestion remains a significant challenge in the management of acute heart failure (AHF). Methods This is a prospective single center cohort study of patients (>18 years old) admitted for AHF on intravenous diuretics, with BNP > 100 pg/mL or echocardiographic findings of reduced ejection fraction or diastolic dysfunction, and at least 1 clinical sign of volume overload. Patients with eGFR≤45mL/minute or on dialysis, and with exposure to contrast dye or nephrotoxins were excluded. Read More

Environ Int 2022 Jun 17;166:107356. Epub 2022 Jun 17.

KWR Water Research Institute, P.O. Box 1072, 3430 BB Nieuwegein, the Netherlands.

Background: Although drinking water in the Netherlands is generally accepted as safe, public concern about health risks of long-term intake still exist.

Objective: The aim was to explore associations between drinking water quality for nitrate, water hardness, calcium and magnesium and causes-of-death as related to cardiovascular diseases amongst which coronary heart disease and colorectal cancer.

Methods: We used national administrative databases on cause-specific mortality, personal characteristics, residential history, social economic indicators, air quality and drinking water quality for parameters specified by the EU Drinking Water Directive. Read More