European journal of preventive cardiology
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The global coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has highlighted the importance of understanding the cardiovascular implications of coronavirus infections, with more severe disease in those with cardiovascular co-morbidities, and resulting cardiac manifestations such as myocardial injury, arrhythmias, and heart failure. ⋯ This review highlighted the ways in which coronaviruses affect cardiovascular function and interacts with pre-existing cardiovascular diseases.
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Comparative Study
Cardiac patient care during a pandemic: how to reorganise a heart failure unit at the time of COVID-19.
To date, the pandemic spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has involved over 100 countries in a matter of weeks, and Italy suffers from almost 1/3 of the dead cases worldwide. In this report, we show the strategies adopted to face the emergency at Centro Cardiologico Monzino, a mono-specialist cardiology hospital sited in the region of Italy most affected by the pandemic, and specifically we describe how we have progressively modified in a few weeks the organization of our Heart Failure Unit in order to cope with the new COVID-19 outbreak. In fact, on the background of the pandemic, cardiovascular diseases still occur frequently in the general population, but we observed consistent reduction in hospital admissions for acute cardiovascular events and a dramatic increase of late presentation acute myocardial infarction. ⋯ In particular according to a triple step procedure we divided admitted patients in confirmed, suspected and excluded cases (respectively allocated in "red", "pink" and "green" separated areas). Due to the absence of definite guidelines, our aim was to describe our strategy in facing the current emergency, in order to reorganize our hospital in a dynamic and proactive manner. To quote the famous Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni 'It is less bad to be agitated in doubt than to rest in error.'
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Environmental pollution and weather changes unfavorably impact on cardiovascular disease. However, limited research has focused on ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most severe yet distinctive form of acute coronary syndrome. ⋯ The risk of STEMI is strongly associated with pollution and weather features. While causation cannot yet be proven, environmental and weather changes could be exploited to predict STEMI risk in the following days.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Anakinra for corticosteroid-dependent and colchicine-resistant pericarditis: The IRAP (International Registry of Anakinra for Pericarditis) study.
Novel therapies are needed for recurrent pericarditis, particularly when corticosteroid dependent and colchicine resistant. Based on limited data, interleukin-1 blockade with anakinra may be beneficial. The aim of this multicentre registry was to evaluate the broader effectiveness and safety of anakinra in a 'real world' population. ⋯ In patients with recurrent pericarditis, anakinra appears efficacious and safe in reducing recurrences, emergency department admissions and hospitalisations.