Obesity and the obesity paradox in patients with severe COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To test the presence of the obesity paradox in two cohorts of patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN: Two multicenter prospective cohorts. SETTING: Three fourth level institutions. PATIENTS: Adults hospitalized in the general ward for confirmed COVID-19 in the three institutions and those admitted to one of the 9 critical care units of one of the institutions. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN VARIABLES OF INTEREST: Categorized weight and its relationship with admission to the ICU in hospitalized patients and death in the ICU. RESULT: Of 402 hospitalized patients, 30.1% were obese. Of these, 36.1% were admitted to the ICU vs. 27.1% of non-obese patients. Of the 302 ICU patients, 46.4% were obese. Of these, mortality was 45.0% vs. 52.5% for non-obese. The requirement to transfer hospitalized patients to the ICU admission get a HR of 1.47 (95%CI 0.87-2.51, p = 0.154) in the multivariate analysis. In intensive care patients, an HR of 0.99 (95%CI: 0.92-1.07, p = 0.806) was obtained to the association of obesity with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The present study does not demonstrate an association between obesity and risk of inpatient transfer to intensive care or death of intensive care patients due to COVID-19 therefore, the presence of an obesity paradox is not confirmed.

Treatment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. A systematic review

Introduction: heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a prevalent condition. An evaluation of the current literature on the appropriate management of this condition will help decrease disease progression, its complications and, thus, healthcare costs caused by hospitalizations for decompensation. Objective: to evaluate the current evidence in the literature on the efficacy and safety of HFpEF treatment in terms of mortality, frequency of hospitalizations and improvement in quality of life. Methods: a systematic review of studies in the Cochrane, Medline, LILACS, and Embase databases. Clinical trials comparing the various medications used to treat adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and NYHA II to IV were included. Expected results: to evaluate the various current treatments of patients with HFpEF, which will contribute to building the relatively scarce evidence on this topic, thus contributing new scientific knowledge. Conclusions: the studies of SGLT2 inhibitors have shown a reduction in the combined risks of cardiovascular death, hospitalization for heart failure and improved quality of life according to the KCCQ scale. Therapeutic benefit was seen with regard to the specific population characteristics of each patient. However, studies geared towards different horizons are needed, since the currently available management is not aimed at the various specific pathophysiological mechanisms of this heterogenous clinical syndrome. (Acta Med Colomb 2022; 47. DOI:https://doi.org/10.36104/amc.2022.2110).

Introducción: la falla cardiaca con fracción de eyección preservada (FEp) es una condición prevalente. Evaluar la literatura actual sobre el manejo adecuado de esta patología, ayudará a disminuir la progresión de la enfermedad, las complicaciones derivadas de ésta y por consiguiente de los costos al servicio de salud generados por las hospitalizaciones en casos de descompensación. Objetivo: evaluar la evidencia existente en la literatura acerca de la efectividad, y la seguridad de los tratamientos de la falla cardiaca FEp en términos de la mortalidad, la frecuencia de las hospitalizaciones y la mejoría de la calidad de vida. Métodos: revisión sistemática de estudios en las bases de datos Cochrane, Medline, LILACS, Embase. Se incluyeron ensayos clínicos que compararon los diferentes medicamentos utilizados en los tratamientos de los pacientes adultos con diagnóstico de falla cardiaca con fracción de eyección preservada, con NYHA de II a IV. Resultados esperados: evaluar los diferentes tratamientos existentes en pacientes con falla cardiaca FEp, los cuales contribuirán a la construcción de la evidencia en esta temática, siendo ésta relativamente escasa, aportando nuevo conocimiento científico. Conclusiones: los estudios de los inhibidores de SGLT2 han demostrado reducción de los riesgos combinados de muerte cardiovascular, hospitalización por insuficiencia cardiaca y mejoramiento en la calidad de vida según la escala KCCQ. Se evidenció beneficio terapéutico con relación a las características poblacionales específicas de cada paciente; sin embargo, se hace necesario realizar estudios orientados a diferentes horizontes ya que el manejo disponible actual no está dirigido a los diferentes mecanismos fisiopatológicos específicos de este síndrome clínico heterogéneo. (Acta Med Colomb 2022; 47. DOI:https://doi.org/10.36104/amc.2022.2110).