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Introduction: Osteoarthritis constitutes one of the leading causes of pain and disability worldwide with a significant impact on health-care costs. Patients with osteoarthritis are often affected by a number of cardiovascular comorbidities, including hypertension, which is present in about 40% of cases. Just recently, a single tablet combination of amlodipine besylate, a calcium channel blocker, and celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, indicated for patients for whom treatment with amlodipine for hypertension and celecoxib for osteoarthritis are appropriate, has been recently approved. Areas covered: We reviewed data from clinical studies that investigated safety and efficacy of the combination of amlodipine and celecoxib in hypertensive patients with osteoarthritis published before 31 August 2018. The literature search was conducted using research Methodology Filters. Expert commentary: The advantages of this single formulation over sequential administration include increased compliance, possibly reduced cost, and less likelihood of dosage-related issues. Moreover, this single tablet formulation combines the anti-inflammatory activity of the celecoxib with the systemic vasodilatation induced by the amlodipine. It is a promising treatment for patients with osteoarthritis and hypertension. Nevertheless, celecoxib may cause a variable degree of blood pressure increase and only a small clinical trial has been conducted before approval to assess interactions related to blood pressure effect between these two molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study focusing on the left ventricular hypertrophy (LV) and its potential role in coronary heart disease. Topics discussed include the link of ischemic heart diseases with LV hypertrophy, the assessment of the burden of atherosclerosis using coronary artery calcifications (CACs), and the use of calcium-channel blockers for treatment.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines proved a strong clinical efficacy against symptomatic or moderate/severe COVID-19 and are considered the most promising approach for curbing the pandemic. However, some questions regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccines have been recently raised. Among adverse events to vaccines and despite a lack of signal during phase III clinical trials, an increase in blood pressure (BP) after COVID-19 vaccination has been reported as a potential adverse reaction. We systematically analyze this topic and undertook a meta-analysis of available data to estimate the proportion of patients with abnormal BP or raise in BP after vaccination. Six studies entered the final analysis. Overall, studies accrued 357,387 subjects with 13,444 events of abnormal or increased BP. After exclusion of outlier studies, the pooled estimated proportion of abnormal/increased BP after vaccination was 3.20% (95% CI: 1.62-6.21). Proportions of cases of stage III hypertension or hypertensive urgencies and emergencies was 0.6% (95% CI: 0.1% to 5.1%). In conclusion, abnormal BP is not rare after COVID-19 vaccination, but the basic mechanisms of this phenomenon are still unclear and require further research.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) rapidly spread across the world, killing more than 4 million individuals globally, with 240 million individuals being confirmed by laboratory tests. Among different therapeutic strategies to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccines are the most promising approach for curbing the pandemic. They elicit an immune neutralizing response and thus offer protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, some questions regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccines have been raised and based on sparse reports of severe systemic reactions after vaccination. Among these, evidences on the potential effect of vaccination on the acute rise in blood pressure have been recently accrued. Approved vaccines in Europe increase the endogenous synthesis of SARS-CoV-2 Spike proteins from a variety of cells. Once synthetized in the cells reached by the vaccine, the Spike proteins first assemble in the cytoplasm and then migrate to the cell surface to protrude with a native-like conformation. Spike proteins are recognized by the immune system which rapidly develops an immune response. Furthermore, the Spike proteins assembled in the cells which are eventually destroyed by the immune response circulate in the blood as free-floating forms. Free-floating Spike proteins may interact with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors leading to internalization, degradation, and dysregulation of the catalytic activities of these receptors. The consequent loss of ACE2 receptor activity leads to a rapid drop in the generation of angiotensin1,7 resulting from inactivation of angiotensin II. The imbalance between angiotensin II (overactivity) and of angiotensin1,7 (deficiency) might play a role in the genesis of acute elevation in blood pressure.

Background: Post-operative (POP) atrial fibrillation (AF) is frequent in patients who undergo cardiac surgery. However, its prognostic impact in the long term remains unclear., Methods: We followed 1386 patients who underwent cardiac surgery for an average of 10 ± 3 years. According to clinical history of AF before and after surgery, four subgroups were identified: (1) patients with no history of AF and without episodes of AF during the first 30 days after surgery (control or Group 1, n = 726), (2) patients with no history of AF before surgery in whom new-onset POP AF was detected during the first 30 days after surgery (new-onset POP AF or Group 2, n = 452), (3) patients with a history of paroxysmal/persistent AF before cardiac surgery (Group 3, n = 125, including 87 POP AF patients and 38 who did not develop POP AF), and (4) patients with permanent AF at the time of cardiac surgery (Group 4, n = 83). All-cause mortality was the primary outcome of the study. We tested the associations of potential determinants with all-cause mortality using univariable and multivariable statistical analyses., Results: Overall, 473 patients (34%) died during follow-up. After adjustment for multiple confounders, new-onset POP AF (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.31, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.90-1.89; p = 0.1609), history of paroxysmal/persistent AF before cardiac surgery (HR = 1.33, 95% CI: 0.71-2.49; p = 0.3736), and permanent AF (Group 4) (HR = 1.55, 95% CI 0.82-2.95; p = 0.1803) were not associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality when compared with Group 1 (patients with no history of AF and without episodes of AF during the first 30 days after surgery). In new-onset POP AF patients, oral anticoagulation was not associated with mortality (HR = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.83-1.54; p = 0.4299)., Conclusions: In this cohort of patients who underwent different types of heart surgery, POP AF was not associated with an increased risk of mortality. In this setting, the role of long-term anticoagulation remains unclear.

Background: Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) may cause an acute multiorgan syndrome (coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)), data are emerging on mid- and long-term sequelae of COVID-19 pneumonia. Since no study has hitherto investigated the role of both cardiac and pulmonary ultrasound techniques in detecting such sequelae, this study aimed at evaluating these simple diagnostic tools to appraise the cardiopulmonary involvement after COVID-19 pneumonia., Methods: Twenty-nine patients fully recovered from COVID-19 pneumonia were considered at our centre. On admission, all patients underwent 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) evaluation. Compression ultrasound (CUS) and lung ultrasound (LUS) were also performed. Finally, in each patient, pathological findings detected on LUS were correlated with the pulmonary involvement occurring after COVID-19 pneumonia, as assessed on thoracic computed tomography (CT)., Results: Out of 29 patients (mean age 70 ± 10 years; males 69%), prior cardiovascular and pulmonary comorbidities were recorded in 22 (76%). Twenty-seven patients (93%) were in sinus rhythm and two (7%) in atrial fibrillation. Persistence of ECG abnormalities from the acute phase was common, and nonspecific repolarisation abnormalities (93%) reflected the high prevalence of pericardial involvement on TTE (86%). Likewise, pleural abnormalities were frequently observed (66%). TTE signs of left and right ventricular dysfunction were reported in two patients, and values of systolic pulmonary artery pressure were abnormal in 16 (55%, despite the absence of prior comorbidities in 44% of them). Regarding LUS evaluation, most patients displayed abnormal values of diaphragmatic thickness and excursion (93%), which correlated well with the high prevalence (76%) of pathological findings on CT scan. CUS ruled out deep vein thrombosis in all patients., Conclusions: Data on cardiopulmonary involvement after COVID-19 pneumonia are scarce. In our study, simple diagnostic tools (TTE and LUS) proved clinically useful for the detection of cardiopulmonary complications after COVID-19 pneumonia.

Background and objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Among extra-pulmonary manifestations of COPD, atrial fibrillation (AF) is commonly observed in clinical practice. The coexistence of COPD and AF significantly affects the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Nonetheless, the mechanisms explaining the increased risk of vascular events and death associated to the presence of COPD in AF are complex and not completely understood. We analyzed data from an Italian network database to identify markers and mediators of increased vascular risk among subjects with AF and COPD. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of the Umbria Atrial Fibrillation (Umbria-FA) Registry, a multicenter, observational, prospective on-going registry of patients with non-valvular AF. Of the 2205 patients actually recruited, 2159 had complete clinical data and were included in the analysis. Results: the proportion of patients with COPD was 15.6%. COPD patients had a larger proportion of permanent AF when compared to the control group (49.1% vs. 34.6%, p < 0.0001) and were more likely to be obese and current smokers. Other cardiovascular risk factors including chronic kidney disease (CKD), peripheral artery disease and subclinical atherosclerosis were more prevalent in COPD patients (all p < 0.0001). COPD was also significantly associated with higher prevalence of previous vascular events and a history of anemia (all p < 0.0001). The thromboembolic and bleeding risk, as reflected by the CHA 2 DS 2 VASc and HAS-BLED scores, were higher in patients with COPD. Patients with COPD were also more likely to have left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy at standard ECG than individuals forming the cohort without COPD ( p = 0.018). Conclusions: AF patients with COPD have a higher risk of vascular complications than AF patients without this lung disease. Our analysis identified markers and mediators of increased risk that can be easily measured in clinical practice, including LV hypertrophy, CKD, anemia, and atherosclerosis of large arteries.

Introduction: Fimasartan is the ninth and latest Angiotensin Receptor Blockers for the treatment of hypertension. Fimasartan is a derivative of losartan in which the imidazole ring has been replaced. It provides a selective type 1 angiotensin II receptor antagonist effect with noncompetitive, in surmountable binding. Fimasartan is rapidly absorbed following oral administration with an oral bioavailability of 18.6 ± 7.2%. Fimasartan is relatively stable in terms of metabolism and more than 90% of circulating fimasartan moieties in the plasma are in the parent form; fecal elimination and biliary excretion are the predominant elimination pathways of fimasartan. Areas covered: We reviewed data from clinical trials that investigated safety and efficacy of fimasartan in hypertension. Expert opinion: Fimasartan proved good efficacy in blood pressure reduction. In large clinical studies,fimasartan showed an excellent safety profile and when combined with hydrochlorothiazide oram lodipine, it showed a better effect on controlling blood pressure than monotherapy. Fimasartan 60-120 mg once daily has also shown an antihypertensive effect over 24-h. Moreover, preclinical studies demonstrated organ-protecting effects of fimasartan. These results make fimasartan an attractive candidate for the treatment of hypertension. However, it remains to test the benefit of using fimasartan on clinical outcomes.