1. Cardiac Complications Attributed to Hydroxychloroquine: A Systematic Review of the Literature Pre-COVID-19.
- Author
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Fram G, Wang DD, Malette K, Villablanca P, Kang G, So K, Basir MB, Khan A, McKinnon JE, Zervos M, and O'Neill WW
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, COVID-19, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Young Adult, Cardiotoxins adverse effects, Heart Diseases chemically induced, Heart Diseases epidemiology, Hydroxychloroquine adverse effects
- Abstract
Introduction: Hydroxychloroquine has been used for rheumatological diseases for many decades and is considered a safe medication. With the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been an increase in reports associating cardiotoxicity with hydroxychloroquine. It is unclear if the cardiotoxic profile of hydroxychloroquine is previously underreported in the literature or is it a manifestation of COVID-19 and therapeutic interventions. This manuscript evaluates the incidence of cardiotoxicity associated with hydroxychloroquine prior to the onset of COVID-19., Methods: PubMED, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched for keywords derived from MeSH terms prior to April 9, 2020. Inclusion eligibility was based on appropriate reporting of cardiac conditions and study design., Results: A total of 69 articles were identified (58 case reports, 11 case series). The majority (84%) of patients were female, with a median age of 49.2 (range 16-92) years. 15 of 185 patients with cardiotoxic events were in the setting of acute intentional overdose. In acute overdose, the median ingestion was 17,857 ± 14,873 mg. 2 of 15 patients died after acute intoxication. In patients with long-term hydroxychloroquine use (10.5 ± 8.9 years), new onset systolic heart failure occurred in 54 of 155 patients (35%) with median cumulative ingestion of 1,493,800 ± 995,517 mg. The majority of patients improved with the withdrawal of hydroxychloroquine and standard therapy., Conclusion: Millions of hydroxychloroquine doses are prescribed annually. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, cardiac complications attributed to hydroxychloroquine were uncommon. Further studies are needed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the cardiovascular system to understand the presence or absence of potential medication interactions with hydroxychloroquine in this new pathophysiological state., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)
- Published
- 2021
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