Screening for depressive symptoms in cardiovascular patients at a tertiary centre in Trinidad and Tobago: investigation of correlates in the SAD CAT study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to screen cardiovascular patients for depressive symptoms at a tertiary centre in Trinidad and Tobago; and to determine any significant associations amongst patients' demographics, comorbidities, and cardiovascular medications with depressive symptoms. METHODS: In this observational, cross-sectional study, patients (n = 1203) were randomly selected from the cardiology outpatient clinics at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex. After meeting selection criteria, informed consent was obtained, and patients were administered a case report form, which included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Descriptive analyses included frequency, percentage and summary statistics. Inferential analyses included 95% confidence intervals (CIs), independent sample t-test, Fisher's exact test, Chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The study had a 96% respondent rate, whereby the average age was 62 years old. Slightly less than half were male, and 52.5% were female. Over 90 % of the sample had cardiovascular disease (CVD). One-quarter of the sample had a PHQ-9 score of ≥10, with almost one-fifth having no depressive symptoms. Females, lower levels of education and income were all found to be statistically significant at risk for depressive symptoms (all p-values < 0.001). Comorbidities associated with depressive symptoms included hypertension, prior cerebrovascular events, chronic kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of OR 1.988 (CI 1.414-2.797), OR 1.847 (CI 1.251-2.728), OR 1.872 (CI 1.207-2.902) and OR 1.703 (CI 1.009-2.876) respectively. Only the cardiovascular medication of ticagrelor was found to be significantly associated with depressive symptoms (p-value < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-five percent of screened cardiovascular patients displayed significant depressive symptoms with a PHQ-9 ≥ 10. This study also highlights the importance of implementing a multidisciplinary approach to managing cardiovascular disease and screening for depressive symptoms in this subpopulation. Further studies are required to validate these findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03863262 . This trial was retrospectively registered on 20th February 2019.

Effectiveness and Safety of Left Distal Transradial Access in Coronary Procedures in the Caribbean.

INTRODUCTION: This retrospective study investigated the effectiveness and safety of left distal transradial access (LDTRA) in patients with cardiovascular disease in Trinidad undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHOD: Procedural parameters, including technical success and safety outcomes such as vascular complications and radial artery occlusion (RAO), were assessed in 111 consecutive patients undergoing CAG or PCI from January 2023 to June 2023 at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Trinidad and Tobago. Eighty-eight patients underwent LDTRA, while 23 received left transradial access (LTRA). RESULTS: There was no difference in procedural success with LDTRA compared to LTRA, 90.9% vs. 100%, p-value 0.202, non-significant (ns). LDTRA was associated with shorter fluoroscopy times (8.4 ± 6.8 minutes vs. 12.4 ± 7.7 minutes, p-value = 0.02), procedural duration (26.7 ± 18 minutes vs. 35.8 ± 20 minutes, p-value = 0.04), and hemostasis time (142 ± 41 minutes vs. 186 ± 44 minutes, p-value < 0.05). There were no significant differences in procedural-related complications (8% for LDTRA vs. 4.3% for LTRA, p-value = 0.476, ns). There were no reported cases of RAO. In the subgroup of patients with prior coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), the fluoroscopy and procedure times were similar for both access sites; however, LDTRA was associated with a shorter hemostasis time (128 ± 30 minutes vs. 194 ± 39 minutes, p-value = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: LDTRA is effective and safe for coronary procedures and is associated with a shorter hemostasis time. This study may prove clinically pertinent in a limited-resource Caribbean setting.

Pharmacodynamic Comparison of Two Aspirin Formulations in the Caribbean: The ARC Study.

INTRODUCTION: This prospective, single-arm, crossover pharmacodynamic study assessed the effect of Bayer® low-dose enteric-coated aspirin 81 mg tablets (LD EC-ASA) (Bayer AG, Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) compared to Vazalore® low-dose phospholipid-aspirin liquid-filled 81 mg capsules (LD PL-ASA) (PLx Pharma Inc., Sparta, NJ, USA) on platelet reactivity with respect to aspirin reaction units (ARU). METHODS: Forty-seven healthy volunteers were recruited. Platelet function was evaluated with the VerifyNow™ ARU assay (Werfen, Bedford, MA, USA) and assessed post-initiation of Bayer® LD EC-ASA daily for 14 days, with a washout period of 28 days, followed by Vazalore® LD PL-ASA daily for 14 days, again followed by ARU testing. RESULTS: Participants on LD EC-ASA had a mean ARU score of 426, with 19.1% of participants having an ARU > 550; patients on LD PL-ASA derived a mean ARU score of 435, with 14.9% achieving an ARU > 550. There were no significant differences in aspirin resistance (ARU > 550) according to the formulation (Bayer® LD EC-ASA vs. Vazalore® LD PL-ASA) used. Aspirin resistance was independent of ethnicity regardless of the formulation used. In addition, there were no significant associations between body surface area (BSA) and Bayer® LD EC-ASA ARU value (p value 0.788) or Vazalore® LD PL-ASA ARU value (p value 0.477). No patients experienced any serious adverse events or treatment-emergent adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in aspirin resistance between Bayer® LD EC-ASA and Vazalore® LD PL-ASA. This dedicated pharmacodynamic study could potentially be informative and applicable for Trinidadian patients on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). Further studies are required to confirm these exploratory findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT06228820, prospectively registered 1/18/2024.

Correlation of RETINAL Artery Diameter with Coronary Artery Disease: The RETINA CAD Pilot Study-Are the Eyes the Windows to the Heart?

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to determine whether there was any correlation between coronary artery disease (CAD) and retinal artery diameter at an academic tertiary medical center in Trinidad and Tobago. METHODS: This prospective study evaluated patients (n = 77) with recent invasive coronary angiography (CAG) and the Synergy between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score who subsequently underwent optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCT-A) at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) from January 2021 to March 2021. Routine medical history and cardiovascular medications were also recorded. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to compare correlations and medians between groups. RESULTS: The average patient age was 57.8 years old, with the majority being male [n = 55 (71.4%)] and of South Asian ethnicity [n = 53 (68.8%)]. Retinal artery diameter was negatively correlated with the SYNTAX score (-0.332 for the right eye, p = 0.003 and -0.237 for the left eye, p = 0.038). A statistically significant relationship was also demonstrated in females and diabetic patients. There were no serious adverse events (SAEs). CONCLUSION: A significantly negative correlation was observed between retinal artery diameter and SYNTAX score. This study alludes to the practical use of optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCT-A) as a noninvasive diagnostic modality for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Further large-scale, multicentric studies are required to confirm these exploratory findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04233619.

Chronic Total Occlusion of the Left Main Coronary Artery in an HIV-Infected Patient.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is amongst the leading causes of death in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. Severe left main disease (LMD) occurs in approximately five percent of HIV-infected patients, with chronic total occlusion (CTO) of this vessel being an even rarer phenomenon. We describe a non-adherent HIV-infected patient with a left main coronary artery (LMCA) CTO that presented with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT).

"Shot to the Heart": Case Report and Concise Review of Cardiac Gunshot Injury.

Penetrative cardiac injury can often result in life-threatening sequelae such as myocardial contusion or rupture, coronary vessel and valvular damage, pericardial effusion with tamponade, and arrhythmias of which gunshot injury is a chief culprit. We report a case of a suspected acute coronary syndrome after a cardiac gunshot injury that was conservatively managed.

Knowledge of, attitudes toward, and perceptions of epilepsy among college students in Trinidad and Tobago.

Epilepsy is poorly understood by the public and has been associated with numerous myths. This, coupled with its sometimes dramatic clinical manifestations, has often resulted in stigmatization of persons with epilepsy. A questionnaire to measure knowledge of, attitudes toward, and perceptions of epilepsy (KAPE) was adapted from previous studies and administered to students of the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. The response rate was 91% (355 students). Knowledge was limited, especially with respect to epilepsy's cause, its incidence, and management of an acute emergency. Attitudes toward epilepsy were generally positive. Students who knew someone with epilepsy scored significantly higher on knowledge and attitude questions. A stigma score was calculated to assess perceived stigmatization. There were no differences between the genders, but persons from rural areas and persons of mixed ethnicity perceived less stigmatization. Hindus perceived greater stigmatization than people of other religions. Overall, students still feel persons with epilepsy are discriminated against and experience stigmatization.