Palliative care in the cardiovascular intensive care unit: A systematic review of current literature.

BACKGROUND: There has been an evolution in the disease severity and complexity of patients presenting to the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). There are limited data evaluating the role of palliative care in contemporary CICU practice. METHODS: PubMed Central, CINAHL, EMBASE, Medline, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were evaluated for studies on palliative care in adults (≥18 years) admitted with acute cardiovascular conditions - acute myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, advanced heart failure, post-cardiac surgery, spontaneous coronary artery dissection, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, and pulmonary embolism - admitted to the CICU, coronary care unit or cardiovascular intensive care unit from 1/1/2000 to 8/8/2022. The primary outcome of interest was the utilization of palliative care services. Secondary outcomes of included studies were also addressed. Meta-analysis was not performed due to heterogeneity. RESULTS: Of 5711 citations, 30 studies were included. All studies were published in the last seven years and 90 % originated in the United States. Twenty-seven studies (90 %) were retrospective analyses, with a majority from the National Inpatient Sample database. Heart failure was the most frequent diagnosis (47 %), and in-hospital mortality was reported in 67 % of studies. There was heterogeneity in the timing, frequency, and background of the care team that determined palliative care consultation. In two randomized trials, there appeared to be improvement in quality of life without an impact on mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the growing recognition of the role of palliative care, there are limited data on palliative care consultation in the CICU.

Body Mass Index and Mortality in Cardiogenic Shock.

We explored the association of body mass index (BMI) with mortality in cardiogenic shock (CS). Using the Cardiogenic Shock Working Group registry, we assessed the impact of BMI on mortality using restricted cubic splines in a multivariable logistic regression model adjusting for age, gender, and race. We also assessed mortality, device use, and complications in BMI categories, defined as underweight (<18.5 kg/m2), normal (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25-29.9 kg/m2), obese (30-39.9 kg/m2), and severely obese (>40 kg/m2) using univariable logistic regression models. Our cohort had 3,492 patients with CS (mean age = 62.1 ± 14 years, 69% male), 58.0% HF-related CS (HF-CS), and 27.8% acute myocardial infarction (AMI) related CS. Body mass index was a significant predictor of mortality in multivariable regression using restricted cubic splines (p < 0.0001, p = 0.194 for nonlinearity). When stratified by categories, patients with healthy weight had lower mortality (29.0%) than obese (35.1%, p = 0.003) or severely obese (36.7%, p = 0.01). In HF-CS cohort, the healthy weight patients had the lowest mortality (21.7%), whereas it was higher in the underweight (37.5%, p = 0.012), obese (29.2%, p = 0.003), and severely obese (29.9%, p = 0.019). There was no difference in mortality among BMI categories in AMI-CS.

The HFSA Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship Consensus Conference.

There is waning interest among cardiology trainees in pursuing an Advanced Heart Failure/Transplant Cardiology (AHFTC) fellowship as evidenced by fewer applicants in the National Resident Matching Program match to this specialty. This trend has generated considerable attention across the heart failure community. In response, the Heart Failure Society of America convened the AHFTC Fellowship Task Force with a charge to develop strategies to increase the value proposition of an AHFTC fellowship. Subsequently, the HFSA sponsored the AHFTC Fellowship Consensus Conference April 26-27, 2023. Before the conference, interviews of 44 expert stakeholders diverse across geography, site of practice (traditional academic medical center or other centers), specialty/area of expertise, sex, and stage of career were conducted virtually. Based on these interviews, potential solutions to address the declining interest in AHFTC fellowship were categorized into five themes: (1) alternative training pathways, (2) regulatory and compensation, (3) educational improvements, (4) exposure and marketing for pipeline development, and (5) quality of life and mental health. These themes provided structure to the deliberations of the AHFTC Fellowship Consensus Conference. The recommendations from the Consensus Conference were subsequently presented to the HFSA Board of Directors to inform strategic plans and interventions. The HFSA Board of Directors later reviewed and approved submission of this document. The purpose of this communication is to provide the HF community with an update summarizing the processes used and concepts that emerged from the work of the HFSA AHFTC Fellowship Task Force and Consensus Conference.

Outcomes of Patients Transferred to Tertiary Care Centers for Treatment of Cardiogenic Shock: A Cardiogenic Shock Working Group Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Consensus recommendations for cardiogenic shock (CS) advise transfer of patients in need of advanced options beyond the capability of "spoke" centers to tertiary/"hub" centers with higher capabilities. However, outcomes associated with such transfers are largely unknown beyond those reported in individual health networks. OBJECTIVES: To analyze a contemporary, multicenter CS cohort with the aim of comparing characteristics and outcomes of patients between transfer (between spoke and hub centers) and nontransfer cohorts (those primarily admitted to a hub center) for both acute myocardial infarction (AMI-CS) and heart failure-related HF-CS. We also aim to identify clinical characteristics of the transfer cohort that are associated with in-hospital mortality. METHODS: The Cardiogenic Shock Working Group (CSWG) registry is a national, multicenter, prospective registry including high-volume (mostly hub) CS centers. Fifteen U.S. sites contributed data for this analysis from 2016-2020. RESULTS: Of 1890 consecutive CS patients enrolled into the CSWG registry, 1028 (54.4%) patients were transferred. Of these patients, 528 (58.1%) had heart failure-related CS (HF-CS), and 381 (41.9%) had CS related to acute myocardial infarction (AMI-CS). Upon arrival to the CSWG site, transfer patients were more likely to be in SCAI stages C and D, when compared to nontransfer patients. Transfer patients had higher mortality rates (37% vs 29%, < 0.001) than nontransfer patients; the differences were driven primarily by the HF-CS cohort. Logistic regression identified increasing age, mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy, and higher number of vasoactive drugs prior to or within 24 hours after CSWG site transfer as independent predictors of mortality among HF-CS patients. Conversely, pulmonary artery catheter use prior to transfer or within 24 hours of arrival was associated with decreased mortality rates. Among transfer AMI-CS patients, BMI > 28 kg/m2, worsening renal failure, lactate > 3 mg/dL, and increasing numbers of vasoactive drugs were associated with increased mortality rates. CONCLUSION: More than half of patients with CS managed at high-volume CS centers were transferred from another hospital. Although transfer patients had higher mortality rates than those who were admitted primarily to hub centers, the outcomes and their predictors varied significantly when classified by HF-CS vs AMI-CS.

Impact of Female Sex on Cardiogenic Shock Outcomes: A Cardiogenic Shock Working Group Report.

BACKGROUND: Studies reporting cardiogenic shock (CS) outcomes in women are scarce. OBJECTIVES: The authors compared survival at discharge among women vs men with CS complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI-CS) and heart failure (HF-CS). METHODS: The authors analyzed 5,083 CS patients in the Cardiogenic Shock Working Group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed with the use of baseline characteristics. Logistic regression was performed for log odds of survival. RESULTS: Among 5,083 patients, 1,522 were women (30%), whose mean age was 61.8 ± 15.8 years. There were 30% women and 29.1% men with AMI-CS (P = 0.03). More women presented with de novo HF-CS compared with men (26.2% vs 19.3%; P < 0.001). Before PSM, differences in baseline characteristics and sex-specific outcomes were seen in the HF-CS cohort, with worse survival at discharge (69.9% vs 74.4%; P = 0.009) and a higher rate of maximum Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions stage E (26% vs 21%; P = 0.04) in women than in men. Women were less likely to receive pulmonary artery catheterization (52.9% vs 54.6%; P < 0.001), heart transplantation (6.5% vs 10.3%; P < 0.001), or left ventricular assist device implantation (7.8% vs 10%; P = 0.01). Regardless of CS etiology, women had more vascular complications (8.8% vs 5.7%; P < 0.001), bleeding (7.1% vs 5.2%; P = 0.01), and limb ischemia (6.8% vs 4.5%; P = 0.001). More vascular complications persisted in women after PSM (10.4% women vs 7.4% men; P = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Women with HF-CS had worse outcomes and more vascular complications than men with HF-CS. More studies are needed to identify barriers to advanced therapies, decrease complications, and improve outcomes of women with CS.

Pulmonary Artery Catheter Use and Risk of In-hospital Death in Heart Failure Cardiogenic Shock.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) are increasingly used to guide management decisions in cardiogenic shock (CS). The goal of this study was to determine if PAC use was associated with a lower risk of in-hospital mortality in CS owing to acute heart failure (HF-CS). METHODS AND RESULTS: This multicenter, retrospective, observational study included patients with CS hospitalized between 2019 and 2021 at 15 US hospitals participating in the Cardiogenic Shock Working Group registry. The primary end point was in-hospital mortality. Inverse probability of treatment-weighted logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI), accounting for multiple variables at admission. The association between the timing of PAC placement and in-hospital death was also analyzed. A total of 1055 patients with HF-CS were included, of whom 834 (79%) received a PAC during their hospitalization. In-hospital mortality risk for the cohort was 24.7% (n = 261). PAC use was associated with lower adjusted in-hospital mortality risk (22.2% vs 29.8%, OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.50-0.94). Similar associations were found across SCAI stages of shock, both at admission and at maximum SCAI stage during hospitalization. Early PAC use (≤6 hours of admission) was observed in 220 PAC recipients (26%) and associated with a lower adjusted risk of in-hospital mortality compared with delayed (≥48 hours) or no PAC use (17.3% vs 27.7%, OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.37-0.81). CONCLUSIONS: This observational study supports PAC use, because it was associated with decreased in-hospital mortality in HF-CS, especially if performed within 6 hours of hospital admission. CONDENSED ABSTRACT: An observational study from the Cardiogenic Shock Working Group registry of 1055 patients with HF-CS showed that pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) use was associated with a lower adjusted in-hospital mortality risk (22.2% vs 29.8%, odds ratio 0.68, 95% confidence interval 0.50-0.94) compared with outcomes in patients managed without PAC. Early PAC use (≤6 hours of admission) was associated with a lower adjusted risk of in-hospital mortality compared with delayed (≥48 hours) or no PAC use (17.3% vs 27.7%, odds ratio 0.54, 95% confidence interval 0.37-0.81).

Clinical Presentation and In-Hospital Trajectory of Heart Failure and Cardiogenic Shock.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure-related cardiogenic shock (HF-CS) remains an understudied distinct clinical entity. OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to profile a large cohort of patients with HF-CS focused on practical application of the SCAI (Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions) staging system to define baseline and maximal shock severity, in-hospital management with acute mechanical circulatory support (AMCS), and clinical outcomes. METHODS: The Cardiogenic Shock Working Group registry includes patients with CS, regardless of etiology, from 17 clinical sites enrolled between 2016 and 2020. Patients with HF-CS (non-acute myocardial infarction) were analyzed and classified based on clinical presentation, outcomes at discharge, and shock severity defined by SCAI stages. RESULTS: A total of 1,767 patients with HF-CS were included, of whom 349 (19.8%) had de novo HF-CS (DNHF-CS). Patients were more likely to present in SCAI stage C or D and achieve maximum SCAI stage D. Patients with DNHF-CS were more likely to experience in-hospital death and in- and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and they escalated more rapidly to a maximum achieved SCAI stage, compared to patients with acute-on-chronic HF-CS. In-hospital cardiac arrest was associated with greater in-hospital death regardless of clinical presentation (de novo: 63% vs 21%; acute-on-chronic HF-CS: 65% vs 17%; both P < 0.001). Forty-five percent of HF-CS patients were exposed to at least 1 AMCS device throughout hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: In a large contemporary HF-CS cohort, we identified a greater incidence of in-hospital death and cardiac arrest as well as a more rapid escalation to maximum SCAI stage severity among DNHF-CS. AMCS use in HF-CS was common, with significant heterogeneity among device types. (Cardiogenic Shock Working Group Registry [CSWG]; NCT04682483).

Reflecting on the advancements of HFrEF therapies over the last two decades and predicting what is yet to come.

What was once considered a topic best avoided, managing heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has become the focus of many drug and device therapies. While the four pillars of guideline-directed medical therapies have successfully reduced heart failure hospitalizations, and some have even impacted cardiovascular mortality in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), patient-reported outcomes have emerged as important endpoints that merit greater emphasis in future studies. The prospect of an oral inotrope seems more probable now as targets for drug therapies have moved from neurohormonal modulation to intracellular mechanisms and direct cardiac myosin stimulation. While we have come a long way in safely providing durable mechanical circulatory support to patients with advanced HFrEF, several percutaneous device therapies have emerged, and many are under investigation. Biomarkers have shown promise in not only improving our ability to diagnose incident heart failure but also our potential to implicate specific pathophysiological pathways. The once-forgotten concept of discordance between pressure and volume, the forgotten splanchnic venous and lymphatic compartments, have all emerged as promising targets for diagnosing and treating heart failure in the not-so-distant future. The increase in heart failure-related cardiogenic shock (CS) has revived interest in defining optimal perfusion targets and designing RCTs in CS. Rapid developments in remote monitoring, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence promise to change the face of heart failure care. In this state-of-the-art review, we reminisce about the past, highlight the present, and predict what might be the future of HFrEF therapies.

Hospital bed occupancy rate is an independent risk factor for COVID-19 inpatient mortality: a pandemic epicentre cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 first struck New York City in the spring of 2020, resulting in an unprecedented strain on our healthcare system and triggering multiple changes in public health policy governing hospital operations as well as therapeutic approaches to COVID-19. We examined inpatient mortality at our centre throughout the course of the pandemic. METHODS: This is a retrospective chart review of clinical characteristics, treatments and outcome data of all patients admitted with COVID-19 from 1 March 2020 to 28 February 2021. Patients were grouped into 3-month quartiles. Hospital strain was assessed as per cent of occupied beds based on a normal bed capacity of 1491. RESULTS: Inpatient mortality decreased from 25.0% in spring to 10.8% over the course of the year. During this time, use of remdesivir, steroids and anticoagulants increased; use of hydroxychloroquine and other antibiotics decreased. Daily bed occupancy ranged from 62% to 118%. In a multivariate model with all year's data controlling for demographics, comorbidities and acuity of illness, percentage of bed occupancy was associated with increased 30-day in-hospital mortality of patients with COVID-19 (0.7% mortality increase for each 1% increase in bed occupancy; HR 1.007, CI 1.001 to 1.013, p=0.004) CONCLUSION: Inpatient mortality from COVID-19 was associated with bed occupancy. Early reduction in epicentre hospital bed occupancy to accommodate acutely ill and resource-intensive patients should be a critical component in the strategic planning for future pandemics.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: recent concepts in diagnosis, mechanisms and management.

It is estimated that half of all patients with heart failure (HF) have HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Yet this form of HF remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Differentiating HFpEF from other causes of dyspnoea may require advanced diagnostic methods, such as exercise echocardiography, invasive haemodynamics and investigations for 'HFpEF mimickers'. While the classification of HF has relied heavily on cut-points in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), recent evidence points towards a gradual shift in underlying mechanisms, phenotypes and response to therapies as LVEF increases. For example, among patients with HF, the proportion of hospitalisations and deaths due to cardiac causes decreases as LVEF increases. Medication classes that are efficacious in HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) have been less so at higher LVEF ranges, decreasing the risk of HF hospitalisation but not cardiovascular or all-cause death in HFpEF. These observations reflect the burden of non-cardiac comorbidities as LVEF increases and highlight the complex pathophysiological mechanisms, both cardiac and non-cardiac, underpinning HFpEF. Treatment with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors reduces the risk of composite cardiovascular events, driven by a reduction in HF hospitalisations; renin-angiotensin-aldosterone blockers and angiotensin-neprilysin inhibitors result in smaller reductions in HF hospitalisations among patients with HFpEF. Comprehensive management of HFpEF includes exercise as well as treatment of risk factors and comorbidities. Classification based on phenotypes may facilitate a more targeted approach to treatment than LVEF categorisation, which sets arbitrary cut-points when LVEF is a continuum. This narrative review summarises the pathophysiology, diagnosis, classification and management of patients with HFpEF.

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor Use is Associated with a Reduced Risk of Heart Failure Hospitalization in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Real-World Study on a Diverse Urban Population.

BACKGROUND: Limited evidence-based therapies exist for the management of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) use in patients with systolic heart failure (HFrEF) and type-2-diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with improved cardiovascular (CV) and renal outcomes. OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine whether there is an association of SGLT2i use with improved CV outcomes in patients with HFpEF. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a single-center, retrospective review of patients with HFpEF and T2DM. The cohort was divided into two groups based on prescription of a SGLT2i or sitagliptin. The primary outcome was heart failure hospitalization (HFH); secondary outcomes were all-cause hospitalization and acute kidney injury (AKI). RESULTS: After propensity score matching, there were 250 patients (89 in the SGLT2i group, 161 in the sitagliptin group), with a mean follow-up of 295 days. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that the SGLT2i group had a reduced risk of HFH versus the sitagliptin group (hazard ratio (HR) 0.13; 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.05-0.36); p < 0.001). The SGLT2i group had a decreased risk of all-cause hospitalization (HR 0.48; 95% CI (0.33-0.70); p < 0.001) and SGLT2i had a lower risk of AKI (HR 0.39; 95% CI (0.20-0.74); p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: The use of SGLT2is is associated with a reduced incidence of HFH and AKI in patients with HFpEF and T2DM.

Severity of Functional Mitral Regurgitation on Admission for Acute Decompensated Heart Failure Predicts Long-Term Risk of Rehospitalization and Death.

Background Functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) has emerged as a therapeutic target in patients with chronic heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The significance of FMR in acute decompensated heart failure remains obscure. We systematically investigated the prevalence and clinical significance of FMR on admission in patients admitted with acute decompensated heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Methods and Results The study was a single-center, retrospective review of patients admitted with acute decompensated heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction between 2012 and 2017. Patients were divided into 3 groups of FMR: none/mild, moderate, and moderate-to-severe/severe FMR. The primary outcome was 1-year post-discharge all-cause mortality. We also compared these groups for 6-month heart failure hospitalization rates. Of 2303 patients, 39% (896) were women. Median left ventricular ejection fraction was 25%. Four hundred and fifty-three (20%) patients had moderate-to-severe/severe FMR, which was independently associated with 1-year all-cause mortality. Moderate or worse FMR was found in 1210 (53%) patients and was independently associated with 6-month heart failure hospitalization. Female sex was independently associated with higher severity of FMR. Conclusions More than half of patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction had at least moderate FMR, which was associated with increased readmission rates and mortality. Intensified post-discharge follow-up should be undertaken to eliminate FMR amenable to pharmacological therapy and enable timely and appropriate intervention for persistent FMR. Further studies are needed to examine sex-related disparities in FMR.

Effect of Impella 5.5 on Preexisting Functional Mitral Regurgitation in Patients with Heart Failure-Related Cardiogenic Shock.

Background: Heart failure-related cardiogenic shock (HF-CS) is increasingly common. Moderate/severe functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) is commonly seen in patients presenting with decompensated heart failure and is associated with worse outcomes. Percutaneous mechanical circulatory support devices are increasingly used to provide hemodynamic support for ongoing CS. There is no description of the impact of Impella device on hemodynamic response when used in combination with preexisting FMR. Methods: Retrospective review of patients aged ≥18 years, who underwent Impella 5.5 implant for HF-CS, and who had a transthoracic echocardiogram performed pre- and post-Impella. Results: Of 24 patients, 33% had moderate-to-severe/severe FMR, 38% had mild-moderate/moderate FMR, and 29% had trace/mild FMR on pre-Impella transthoracic echocardiogram. Additional right ventricular assist device was simultaneously inserted in 3 patients, of whom 1 had severe, 1 had moderate, and another had mild FMR pre-Impella. Despite maximally tolerated Impella unloading, 6 patients (25%) had persistent moderate-severe/severe FMR, and 9 (37.5%) patients had persistent moderate FMR. Overall, however, there was a decrease in central venous pressure, pulmonary artery diastolic pressure, serum lactate, and vasoactive-inotrope score at 24 â€‹hours post-Impella, and survival was high at 83%. Conclusions: In a retrospective cohort of patients admitted with HF-CS who underwent Impella 5.5 implant for hemodynamic support, Impella did not seem to acutely ameliorate FMR severity. Despite this, there was a significant improvement in hemodynamic response at 24 â€‹hours post-Impella. In carefully selected patients, especially those with isolated left ventricular failure, Impella 5.5 may provide adequate hemodynamic support even in the presence of higher severity FMR.

A History of Heart Failure Is an Independent Risk Factor for Death in Patients Admitted with Coronavirus 19 Disease.

AIMS: The association between cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease and hypertension, and worse outcomes in COVID-19 patients has been previously demonstrated. However, the effect of a prior diagnosis of heart failure (HF) with reduced or preserved left ventricular ejection fraction on COVID-19 outcomes has not yet been established. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively studied all adult patients with COVID-19 admitted to our institution from March 1st to 2nd May 2020. Patients were grouped based on the presence or absence of HF. We used competing events survival models to examine the association between HF and death, need for intubation, or need for dialysis during hospitalization. Of 4043 patients admitted with COVID-19, 335 patients (8.3%) had a prior diagnosis of HF. Patients with HF were older, had lower body mass index, and a significantly higher burden of co-morbidities compared to patients without HF, yet the two groups presented to the hospital with similar clinical severity and similar markers of systemic inflammation. Patients with HF had a higher cumulative in-hospital mortality compared to patients without HF (49.0% vs. 27.2%, p < 0.001) that remained statistically significant (HR = 1.383, p = 0.001) after adjustment for age, body mass index, and comorbidities, as well as after propensity score matching (HR = 1.528, p = 0.001). Notably, no differences in mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, or renal replacement therapy were observed among HF patients with preserved or reduced ejection fraction. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of HF is a risk factor of death, substantially increasing in-hospital mortality in patients admitted with COVID-19.

Statin Use and In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus and COVID-19.

Background Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by a proinflammatory state with high mortality. Statins have anti-inflammatory effects and may attenuate the severity of COVID-19. Methods and Results An observational study of all consecutive adult patients with COVID-19 admitted to a single center located in Bronx, New York, was conducted from March 1, 2020, to May 2, 2020. Patients were grouped as those who did and those who did not receive a statin, and in-hospital mortality was compared by competing events regression. In addition, propensity score matching and inverse probability treatment weighting were used in survival models to examine the association between statin use and death during hospitalization. A total of 4252 patients were admitted with COVID-19. Diabetes mellitus modified the association between statin use and in-hospital mortality. Patients with diabetes mellitus on a statin (n=983) were older (69±11 versus 67±14 years; P<0.01), had lower inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, 10.2; interquartile range, 4.5-18.4 versus 12.9; interquartile range, 5.9-21.4 mg/dL; P<0.01) and reduced cumulative in-hospital mortality (24% versus 39%; P<0.01) than those not on a statin (n=1283). No difference in hospital mortality was noted in patients without diabetes mellitus on or off statin (20% versus 21%; P=0.82). Propensity score matching (hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.83-0.94; P<0.01) and inverse probability treatment weighting (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.84-0.92; P<0.01) showed a 12% lower risk of death during hospitalization for statin users than for nonusers. Conclusions Statin use was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality from COVID-19 in patients with diabetes mellitus. These findings, if validated, may further reemphasize administration of statins to patients with diabetes mellitus during the COVID-19 era.

Seroreversion of positive anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies in left ventricular assist device recipients: Now you see them, now you don't.

The clinical significance of positive anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) antibody tests in recipients of left ventricular assist devices remains unclear. In light of emerging evidence suggesting the possibility of persistent low-level HCV infection in patients with positive anti-HCV antibody test but negative HCV ribonucleic acid, it is very important to distinguish the truly false positive HCV antibodies, in recipients of continuous flow left ventricular assist devices, from those suggestive of a prior clinically resolved infection or one where a low-level viremia may have persisted. We conducted a retrospective analysis of left ventricular assist device recipients at our institution. While the total incidence of positive HCV antibody with concomitantly negative HCV ribonucleic acid test (19.2%) was in keeping with the incidences reported in prior cross-sectional studies, we longitudinally followed our patients and observed a 100% seroreversion. Seroreversion, which has not been reported in other studies, occurred either during continued left ventricular assist device support (10 out of 26) or after heart transplant (7 out of 26). Hundred percent seroreversion strongly suggested that the anti-HCV antibodies were truly false positive.

Gastrointestinal Bleeding During Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Support: State of the Field.

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) are increasingly used for the management of advanced heart failure refractory to optimal medical therapy. Despite the encouraging outcomes with CF-LVADs, gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) continues to be a rather concerning complication resulting in increased rates of readmission and increased morbidity. The exact pathophysiology of CF-LVAD-associated GIB remains poorly understood, and this lack of knowledge limits our ability to control this morbid complication. What is clear, however, is that the majority of GIB episodes in LVAD patients are due to fragile GI arteriovenous malformations or angiodysplasias, in the setting of CF-LVAD-associated acquired von Willebrand syndrome. We will, herein, appraise the proposed interactions between different pathophysiological processes thought to be causing angiodysplasias and GIB in patients on CF-LVAD support.