Impact of Coronavirus Diseases on Liver Enzymes.

Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects various organs including lungs, brain, and eyes. Very limited data is available related to the effect of COVID-19 on liver. This study is conducted to determine the impact of COVID-10 on liver by measuring the frequency of participants with deranged liver enzymes in patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in a COVID-19 unit of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan from February 2021 to June 2021. A total of 900 patients admitted with COVID-19 were enrolled in the study after seeking informed consent. After enrollment, taking history and vitals, 5 mL blood was drawn via phlebotomy and sent to the laboratory to test for C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and liver enzymes. Results Overall 141 (28.2%) participants had a minimum of one deranged liver enzyme. The most commonly deranged liver enzyme found was alanine transaminase (ALT), both in males (19.9%) and females (21.3%), followed by aspartate transaminase (male: 18.3% and female: 20.3%). Serum total bilirubin was deranged in both males (8.4%) and females (8.3%). There was no significant difference in the gender-wise prevalence of deranged liver enzymes.  Conclusion Liver enzymes are frequently deranged in patients admitted with COVID-19. Liver enzymes should be regularly monitored during the course of management of COVID-19, as various medications used in the treatment of COVID-19 may further deteriorate liver enzymes and may cause long-term damage.

Frequency of Cardiovascular Manifestation in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory, systemic autoimmune disease. The increased inflammatory burden in RA may result in atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction (MI), and subsequent mortality. In this study, we will determine the frequency of cardiovascular manifestation in RA patients through history, laboratory workup, and echocardiography. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the rheumatology unit of a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Three hundred and twenty-two (n=322) participants with a previously confirmed diagnosis of RA were enrolled in this study via consecutive convenient non-probability sampling. Results Cardiovascular manifestations were present in 188 (58.3%) participants. More participants had positive rheumatoid factor (82.9% vs. 32.8%; p-value: < 0.0001) in RA patients with cardiovascular manifestation compared to RA patients without cardiovascular manifestation. Patients with cardiovascular manifestations have a significantly higher C-reactive protein (CRP; 10.21 ± 2.81 mg/L vs. 8.17± 2.01 mg/L; p value: < 0.0001) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR; 16.2 ± 3.14 mg/L vs. 15.1 ± 2.99 mg/L; p value: 0.0017). Conclusion In this study, patients with a cardiovascular manifestation had a higher frequency of patients with rheumatoid factor, higher mean values of CRP and ESR. The early diagnosis and management of cardiac manifestations would aid in controlling the severity of the disease and the overall mortality.

Comparison of the Prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction Between Hypertensive and Normotensive Participants: A Case-Control Study.

Introduction Hypertension is a very common risk factor for erectile dysfunction (ED). In recent time, changes in lifestyle has led to an increase in the prevalence of hypertension, which has increased the risk of ED. The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of ED in hypertensive patients and compare various domains of sexual activity between hypertensive and normotensive participants. Methods This case-control study was conducted in an outpatient department of a tertiary health care hospital in Pakistan from March 2019 to September 2019. Two hundred and twelve clinically diagnosed hypertensive patients were enrolled and were identified as case group. Control group consisted of 212 people, without any history of hypertension. Sexual function was assessed with the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). Results The prevalence of erectile dysfunction in hypertensive group was 61.79%, compared to 20.28% in normotensive group. Erectile weakness (OR = 4.32, CI 2.64-7.05), impaired morning erection (OR = 5.02, CI 2.98-8.47), complete erectile failure (OR = 2.32, CI 1.14-4.75), impaired spontaneous erection (OR = 5.45, CI 3.28-9.03), ejaculatory disturbances (OR = 5.20, CI 2.96-9.12) and reduced sexual interest (OR = 5.12, CI 3.04-8.64) were found to be significantly higher in patients with hypertension compared to normotensive participants. Conclusion This study has found ED to be prevalent in hypertensive patients. Identifying and acknowledging hypertension as a risk factor may help identify patients with ED and reinforce the clinician's importance of asking sexual history of hypertensive patients.