A Narrative Review of the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic autosomal dominant disorder of the heart muscle that is characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy and sudden cardiac death. It is the most common inherited cardiac disease. HCM is defined by sarcomeric mutations that result in fibrosis of the heart, affecting contraction. In most cases, clinical presentations can range from asymptomatic to systolic and diastolic ventricular dysfunction, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Some histopathologic features typical of the disease are changes in myocyte disarray and myocardial fibrosis. Mutations in the ß-myosin heavy chain and myosin-binding protein C have been identified as the cause of the disease. The goals of pharmacological therapy as well as nonpharmacological therapy are to alleviate the symptoms and to prevent sudden cardiac death. Anatomical defects are treated primarily by surgical intervention, whereas other issues such as hypercontractility are treated with pharmacotherapy. In this article, we review the pathophysiology and treatment options for HCM.

Possible Long-Term Cardiovascular Effects of COVID-19.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has become a worldwide pandemic. Since 2019, the virus has mutated into multiple variants that have made it harder to eradicate and have increased the rate of infection. This virus can affect the structure and the function of the heart and can lead to cardiovascular symptoms that can have long-lasting effects despite recovery from COVID-19. These symptoms include chest pain, palpitations, fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, arrhythmias, cough and hypotension. These symptoms may persist due to myocardial injury, cardiac inflammation or systemic damage that may have been caused during infection. If these symptoms persist, the patient should visit their cardiologist for diagnosis and treatment plan for any type of cardiovascular disease that may have developed Post-COVID 19.

Effects of chronically skipping meals on atrial fibrillation risk.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of arrhythmia and can result in significant morbidity and mortality. While there are many potential causes of atrial fibrillation that have been well studied, this work considers the potential effect of chronically skipping meals on the development of atrial fibrillation. The authors discuss the various processes that skipping meals initiates in the body that may ultimately result in atrial fibrillation. Through a better understanding of the various disease pathophysiologies that can contribute to the development of atrial fibrillation, this narrative review may help lead to more advanced therapeutic and preventive approaches.

Arrhythmias are conditions of the heart that cause it to beat abnormally. When the heart beats abnormally, this can result in disturbances in the functioning of the body in many ways. Symptoms can range from very minimal to severe and even death. Although there are various types of abnormal heart rhythms, atrial fibrillation is the most common form, and it originates in the upper chambers of the heart. Chronically skipping meals may increase the risk that one may develop atrial fibrillation through various processes. In this narrative review, the authors discuss these various processes in the hopes that this may help lead to more advanced therapeutic and preventive approaches.

A concerning trend in geriatric pharmacy that merits evidence-based intervention.

The effects of polypharmacy on geriatric populations are an emerging concern that merits more exploration. The primary goal of this review was to evaluate the current body of knowledge on polypharmacy and explore the preventive and corrective measures to avoid negative outcomes. Even if a medication has an appropriate indication, polypharmacy in the geriatric population is associated with an increased risk of drug-drug or drug-condition interactions. Recent efforts to prevent polypharmacy include the development of interprofessional teams in clinics dedicated to medication review and reconciliation, deprescription plans aimed to safely discontinue potentially inappropriate medications, and inpatient screening tools that provide prescribing recommendations. In conclusion, polypharmacy affects a high percentage of the geriatric population. Current efforts to address and prevent polypharmacy are ongoing but have not been widely adopted.