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Objective Acute ischemic cardiac events can complicate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We report the in-hospital characteristics of patients with acute myocardial infarction and concomitant COVID-19. Methods This was a registry-based retrospective analysis of patients admitted with positive COVID-19 tests who suffered acute myocardial infarction either before or during hospitalization; from 1 March 2020 to 1 April 2020 in a tertiary cardiovascular center-Tehran Heart Center. We performed an exploratory analysis to compare the clinical characteristics of patients who died during hospitalization or were discharged alive. Results In March 2020, 57 patients who had acute myocardial infarction and a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were included in the study. During hospitalization, 13 patients (22.8%) died after a mean hospital stay of 8.4 days. The deceased were older than the survivors. No significant association between mortality and sex or length of hospital stay was observed. Hypertensive individuals were more likely to have a fatal outcome. Previously receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers did not show any association with mortality. Regarding the laboratory data during hospitalization, higher cardiac troponin T, neutrophil count, C-reactive protein, urea, and blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio were observed in the mortality group. The deceased had a lower lymphocyte count than the survivors. Conclusions Markers of worsening renal function and immune system disturbance seem to be associated with mortality in concurrent acute myocardial infarction and COVID-19. Optimizing the management of acute coronary syndrome complicating COVID-19 requires addressing such potential contributors to mortality.

BACKGROUND Prediabetes, as a precursor stage, has an important role in development of overt diabetes as well as coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between prediabetes and adverse outcomes (major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events [MACCE] and all-cause mortality) in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS In this prospective study, we included 3754 patients with CAD who underwent elective isolated CABG between January 2016 to January 2020. Patients were categorized based on their glycemic status at the time of CABG as follows: diabetics (n = 2707), prediabetics (n = 471), and nondiabetics (n = 576). Primary endpoints were occurrence of all-cause mortality and MACCE. RESULTS We studied 3754 patients for a median of 32.25 months after CABG. MACCE occurred in 474 (12.6%) patients. After adjusting for potential confounders, diabetic patients had a higher risk of MACCE (hazard ratio [HR] 1.69; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.24-2.29) and death (HR 2.33, 95% CI, 1.45-3.7) compared with nondiabetic and prediabetic ones. However, patients with prediabetes had lower HR of MACCE, but the association was nonsignificant (HR 1.02; 95% CI, 0.67-1.56). CONCLUSIONS Diabetes is significantly associated with higher risk of mortality and MACCE; however, prediabetes did not show a prognostic impact in terms of overall and MACCE-free survival.

Although multiple studies have reported the devastating effect of cigarette smoking (CS) on short-term outcomes of patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG), its effect on long-term outcomes is still questionable. We aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of CS cessation after CABG surgery.This retrospective cohort study included all patients who underwent isolated CABG at our center between 2007 and 2016 and were cigarette smokers either just before or at the time of surgery. Patients were stratified into those who continued CS and those who were persistently CS abstinent after CABG. The endpoints of the study were 5-year mortality and 5-year major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.Of 28,945 patients who underwent isolated CABG, 9173 current cigarette smokers (93.5% men; mean age, 58.6 years) met our selection criteria and were included in the final analysis. Of these 3302 patients (40.0%) continued CS after surgery and 5688 patients were persistently abstinent. Multivariable survival analysis demonstrated that CS cessation after CABG, adjusted for major coronary risk factors, could reduce the 5-year mortality by 35% (hazard ratio, 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-0.77; P.001) and 5-year major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events by 18% (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.74-0.92; P = .001).Our study shows that CS abstinence after CABG significantly reduces long-term mortality and number of major adverse events. As a result, patients who smoke should be encouraged to participate in CS cessation programs after CABG surgery.

Background Preoperative coronary artery disease risk factors (CADRFs) distribution and pattern may also have an important role in determining major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the CADRFs distribution and trend over 10 years and also the long-term outcome of CABG in different age-sex categories. Method In this registry-based serial cross-sectional study, we enrolled 24,328 patients who underwent isolated CABG and evaluated the prevalence of CADRFs according to sex and age. We used inverse probability weighting (IPW) to compare survival and MACE between the sexes. We also used Cox regression to determine each CADRFs effect on survival and MACEs. Results In general, DLP (56.00%), HTN (53.10%), DM (38.40%), and positive family history (38.30%) were the most frequent risk factors in all patients. Prevalence of HTN, DLP, DM, obesity, and positive family history were all higher in women, all statistically significant. The median follow-up duration was 78.1 months (76.31–79.87 months). After inverse probability weighting (to balance risk factors and comorbidities), men had lower MACEs during follow-up (HR 0.72; 95% CI 0.57–0.91; P value 0.006) and there was no significant difference in survival between sexes. DM and HTN were associated with higher mortality and MACEs in both sexes. Conclusion Although DLP is still the most frequent CADRF among the CABG population, the level of LDL and TG is decreasing. Women experience higher MACE post CABG. Therefore, health care providers and legislators must pay greater attention to female population CADRFs and ways to prevent them at different levels.

OBJECTIVES Coronary artery disease is becoming a major health concern in the young population. Male and female patients may experience different journeys after coronary artery disease events. We aimed to evaluate risk factors and compare outcomes between young male and female patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). METHODS In this registry-based large sample size study, patients undergoing isolated CABG at a young age (premature isolated CABG) between 2007 and 2016 were included and followed up until 2020. Premature was defined as women and men younger than 55 years old. The main end points of the study were 7-year all-cause mortality and 7-year major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs). RESULTS Of a total of 24 428 patients who underwent CABG, 7217 patients (men-to-women ratio ≈4:1) with premature isolated CABG were included. The median follow-up duration was 78.5 months (75.2–81.6 months). The prevalence rates of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and obesity were significantly higher in women than in men (58.3% vs 28.6%, 64.2% vs 38.5%, 69.7% vs 55.3% and 44.7 vs 23.9, respectively; all Ps < 0.05). The risk factor burden (mean of the risk factor count per year) was also higher among the female population. Diabetes mellitus was the common mortality predictor between men and women. In the subgroup analysis (interaction analysis in the adjusted model), hypertensive females had a higher rate of MACCE and a higher rate of mortality than hypertensive males; however, this difference was not significant in the non-hypertensive population. Opium addiction was a strong predictor of MACCE and all-cause mortality among men. Female patients had a higher rate of 7-year MACCE (hazard ratio, 1.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.16–1.51) and a higher rate of 7-year all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.98–1.53). CONCLUSIONS The risk factor profile and predictors of outcomes were different between our female and male patients. Women carried a higher risk of events and mortality after CABG at a young age.

Background A wrong traditional belief persists among people that opium consumption beneficially affects cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. However, no evidence exists regarding the effect of opium consumption or cessation on the long-term risk of major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events after coronary artery bypass grafting. We therefore aimed to evaluate the effect of persistent opium consumption after surgery on the long-term outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods The study population consisted of 28,691 patients (20,924 men, mean age 60.9 years), who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting between 2007 and 2016 at our centre. The patients were stratified into three groups according to the status of opium consumption: never opium consumers (n = 23,619), persistent postoperative opium consumers (n = 3636) and enduring postoperative opium withdrawal (n = 1436). Study endpoints were 5-year mortality and 5-year major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events, comprising all-cause mortality, acute coronary syndrome, cerebrovascular accident and revascularisation. Results After surgery, 3636 patients continued opium consumption, while 1436 patients persistently avoided opium use. The multivariable survival analysis demonstrated that persistent post-coronary artery bypass grafting opium consumption increased 5-year mortality and 5-year major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events by 28% (hazard ratio (HR) 1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–1.54; P = 0.009) and 25% (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.13–1.40; P Conclusions The present data suggest that persistent post-coronary artery bypass grafting opium consumption may significantly increase mortality, major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events and acute coronary syndrome in the long term. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Background: World health organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus 2019 outbreak a pandemic on 11 March 2020 No data have been published so far regardi

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common preoperative complication that occurs in patients who undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG). Early ambulation, elastic stockings, intermittent pneumatic compression, and leg elevation, before and after surgery, are among preventative interventions. The goal of the study was to compare the effect of supine position with that of leg elevation on the occurrence of DVT during CABG and after, until ambulation. Between October, 2008, and May, 2011, a total of 185 eligible CABG patients admitted to the Cardiac Surgery Unit were randomly assigned to groups designated as the supine group ( n = 92) or the leg-elevation group ( n = 93). Of this total, 92 patients were assigned to the supine group and 93 to the leg-elevation group. Doppler ultrasonography of the superficial and deep veins in the lower extremities was performed for each patient before and after surgery. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the possible independent factors associated with DVT. DVT was detected in 25 (13.5%) patients: 17 (18.4%) patients in the supine position group and 8 (8.6%) in the leg-elevation group ( P value = .065). After adjustment for confounding factors there was no effect of position on the presence of DVT ( P = .126).Clots were often localized in legs ipsilateral to the saphenous vein harvest. The authors conclude that a positive, albeit not statistically significant, trend was evident toward higher incidence of silent DVT in supine position during and after CABG in comparison with leg elevation. Future studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm this result.

We aimed to compare the accuracy of a novel index defined by us, as a ratio of Sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) and triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) with other indices of adiposity for prediction of presence, severity and extension of premature coronary artery disease (CAD).A cross-sectional study was conducted on 238 younger patients (females55 years; males45 years) who underwent coronary angiography. Anthropometric indices including TSF, SAD, waist circumference, and hip circumference were measured before catheterization and body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, abdominal diameter index, index of central obesity as well as our proposed index, SAD-to-TSF ratio, were calculated accordingly. Evaluation of severity and extension of coronary stenosis was by Gensini score and extent score, respectively.After adjustment for age and sex in multivariate regression models, the SAD-to-TSF ratio was the best predictor for the presence (OR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.44-4.30; p = 0.001) and extension (β = 1.10, p = 0.004) of premature CAD. TSF and the SAD-to-TSF ratio were the only indices that significantly predicted the Gensini score and the correlation remained significant even after adjustment for age and sex (β = -7.28, p0.0001 and β = 3.76, p0.0001, respectively).We showed that our proposed index, SAD-to-TSF ratio, has a substantially better accuracy than do the known indices of obesity like body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio for the prediction of premature CAD. Furthermore, our index was the only index that positively correlated with the severity of premature CAD.

Intravenous amiodarone is considered an effective treatment option for cardiac ventricular and atrial arrhythmias. Peripheral infusion of amiodarone may cause blood vessels irritation and phlebitis that is the most common complication of this drug by this route even when it is administered within recommended dosing limits. The effect of injection-site splinting on the occurrence of phlebitis among a group of cardiac arrhythmia patients receiving peripherally infused amiodarone. This research is a clinical trial on patients of Tehran Heart Center who were hospitalized due to cardiac arrhythmias. A sample of 60 patients with mean age 65 ± 14 years were randomly divided into control and test groups. In the experimental group with close splint and restrict the movement of the injection site until the end of the infusion and control groups without closing brace, at the same time received amiodarone. Injection protocol was similar for both groups. The results were analyzed with Spss18. The results of this research still significantly reduced the incidence of amiodarone injection-site phlebitis in the injection time ( P = .005).

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a rare disease that is mostly reported in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who have received gadolinium as a contrast in imaging techniques. The exact pathogenetic role of renal failure or gadolinium is not known. The aim of this study is to show whether mild-to-moderate renal failure is a risk for NSF as it is described in severe renal failure. In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 164 patients with serum creatinine levels >1.5 mg/dL who were in different stages of CKD and had received gadolinium (gadopentetate). The average lag time between the gadolinium administration and the study was 4 months. The most prevalent skin symptom was itching (19%) and the least frequent was induration and papules (

Pathophysiological mechanisms and pathways linking cardiovascular mortality and morbidity with air pollution were recently hypothesized. The present study evaluated association between air pollution and changes in heart rate variability as a marker of cardiac autonomic function in healthy individuals, and also determined the frequency of cardiac arrhythmias and QT interval changes on polluted compared to unpolluted days.Continuous Holter electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring was conducted on 21 young healthy individuals in the two episodes of clean air and elevated air pollution in Tehran. All subjects underwent a medical history review, a physical examination and echocardiography in order to rule out structural heart diseases. Measured pollutants and parameters included NO(2), CO(2), O(3), SO(2), and PM10, which all showed significantly higher concentrations on polluted days. Holter parameters were measured for 24-h time segments and compared.Maximum heart rate was significantly lower in polluted air conditions in comparison with clean air conditions (115.1 ± 32.2 vs. 128.9 ± 17.7), and the square root of the mean of squared differences between adjacent NN intervals (r-MSSD) was higher in polluted air compared to clean air (99.0 ± 58.2 vs. 58.5 ± 26.4). Also, the occurrence of nonsustained supraventricular tachycardia was reported in 42.9% of participants in air pollution episodes, whereas this arrhythmia was not seen in clear air conditions (p = 0.001).Changes in air pollution indices may lead to the occurrence of nonsustained supraventricular tachycardia, a slight reduction in maximum heart rate, and an increase in r-MSSD in healthy individuals. Air quality monitoring in cities associated with a high exposure to air pollutants is recommended in order to prevent such events.