Medical students experience in working in a public COVID-19 telehealth program: a descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Given the health and social needs generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Telehealth Network of Minas Gerais, Brazil, implemented a teleconsultation and telemonitoring program to assist patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, the TeleCOVID-MG program. The telemonitoring service was conducted by medical students, under the supervision of a physician. The main goal of this study was to analyze the experience of the students while collaborating on the aforementioned telemonitoring program. METHODS: A questionnaire with 27 questions was developed to address the participation of the students in the telehealth program. The questionnaire included questions about the student's profile, the system usability, and the satisfaction in participating in such a telehealth program. The questionnaire was generated on Google Forms® platform and sent via email to each student who was part of the telemonitoring team. RESULTS: Sixty students were included in the analysis (median age 25 years-old [interquartile range 24-26], 70% women). Of those, 61.6% collaborated on the telehealth program for more than 6 months, 65.1% performed more than 100 telemonitoring calls, 95.2% reported difficulties in contacting the patient through phone calls; 60.3% believe some patients might have felt insecure about being approached by medical students and not by graduate professionals; and 39.6% reported eventual system instabilities. The main strengths reported by the students were related to the system usability and to the self-perception of the quality of healthcare delivered to the patients. Even though 68.3% of the students mentioned technical difficulties, 96.6% reported that they were promptly solved. Finally, 98.3% believed that the program was useful and would recommend it to an acquaintance. CONCLUSION: This study reports a successful experience of undergraduate medical students in a COVID-19 telemonitoring program. Overall, the medical students were satisfied with their participation, especially considering the continuity of clinical practice remotely during a period of classes suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic and their important role in the assistance of patients from low-income regions, which has minimized the health system burden in an emergency context.

Ophthalmic artery Doppler in the complementary diagnosis of preeclampsia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of different parameters of the ophthalmic artery Doppler (OAD) in the complementary diagnosis of preeclampsia (PE). METHODS: This meta-analysis adhered to the PRISMA guidelines. To investigate the mean difference in OAD values, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), second systolic velocity peak (P2), resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), and peak ratio (PR), between PE cases (overall and according to severity) and controls, random-effects meta-analyses were conducted for each Doppler parameter, with overall PE and mild and severe PE subgroups. Diagnostic performance and heterogeneity were evaluated with summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curves and 95% confidence intervals obtained with bivariate models. RESULTS: Eight studies stratified the results into mild and severe or late and early PE, involving 1,425 pregnant women. PR and P2 had better diagnostic performance than the other indexes, with the PR of AUsROC at 0.885, the sensitivity of 84%, and specificity of 92%, with a low false-positive rate of 0.08 and the P2 with AUsROC of 0.926, the sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 88%. RI, PI, and EDV showed good performance and consistency across studies but lower AUsROC values of 0.833, 0.794, and 0.772, respectively. CONCLUSION: Ophthalmic artery Doppler is a complementary tool with good performance for the diagnosis of overall and severe preeclampsia, with high and best sensitivity and specificity when using PR and P2 parameters.

Long-term consequences of COVID-19 on mental health and the impact of a physically active lifestyle: a narrative review.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Respiratory viruses damage not only the upper respiratory tract in humans, but also several different organs such as the brain. Some of the neurological consequences of COVID-19 reported are anosmia, headache, stroke, declined cognitive function, and impaired mental health, among others. People who had COVID-19 have a higher risk of sequelae in the central nervous system (CNS). However, it is not known which are all possible sequelae and how long will last the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on behavioral patterns and quality of life. AIM: We intend to address the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on mental health and the relevance of physical exercise during the pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a literature search using PubMed to find the articles that were related to these themes. RESULTS: We found 23,489 papers initially, and then we applied the inclusion/exclusion criteria to narrow down our search to 3617 articles and selected 1380 eligible articles after a thorough reading of titles and abstracts. The findings indicated that COVID-19 impacted general mental health and led many not only hospitalized patients to develop cognitive decline, memory impairment, anxiety, sleep alterations, and depressive-like behavior. Furthermore, the fear of vaccines and their effects had negatively affected mental health and directly impacted mortality rates in unvaccinated COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Preventive measures must be undertaken, such as the vaccination of the entire population, vaccination hesitancy discouragement by creating awareness among individuals, and people's engagement in a physically active lifestyle, since being physically active is a low-cost and effective measure to restore or inhibit the negative outcomes from COVID-19 on mental health.

Statistical heterogeneity in meta-analysis of hypertension and exercise training: A meta-review.

We aim to evaluate the prevalence of reporting and the extent of statistical heterogeneity of systematic reviews with meta-analyses (SRMAs) of exercise training for hypertension and to provide practical recommendations for dealing with statistical heterogeneity. We systematically searched on four databases (from 2002 to September of 2023) for SRMAs comparing exercise interventions vs. a non-exercise control on blood pressure (BP) control in adults with hypertension. Fifty-nine SRMAs, with a median of 14 studies, were analysed. Cochran's Q (41%), I2 (24%), forest plots (44%), and particularly τ2 (54%) and prediction intervals (96.6%) frequently were not reported for the hypertension subgroup. The recalculated prediction intervals were discrepant (i.e., crossed the null effect) of significant 95% confidence intervals of most meta-analyses (systolic BP: 65%; diastolic BP: 92%). This suggests substantial heterogeneity across studies, which was often not acknowledged by authors' conclusions (78%). Consequently, downgrading the certainty of the available evidence may be justified alone due to heterogeneity across studies. Finally, we illustrate areas for improving I2 interpretation and provide practical recommendations on how to address statistical heterogeneity across all stages of a SRMA.

Examining the mental health of the academic community at an institution for higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Higher Education Institutions had to suspend their on-site activities and adapt to the new scenario. Therefore, the objective of the research was to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the academic community of a Brazilian public university. This is a cross-sectional study, at a Brazilian public university, that used the baseline data from a longitudinal study carried out with employees and students. Participants answered a self-administered and confidential questionnaire in online platform, composed of sociodemographic, economic, lifestyles and mental health issues. 1,353 students and 372 employees participated. The prevalence of anxiety disorder symptoms among students and employees was 46.12% and 17.47%, depression 54.62% and 22.85% and stress 47.45% and 22.58%, respectively. The co-occurrence of symptoms was 33.56% among university students and 10.75% among employees. Falling family income, having stopped smoking and negative self-rated health, during the COVID-19 pandemic, may be the reasons for the high prevalence of co-occurrence of anxiety, depression and stress disorders among the academic community.

MicroRNAs in type 2 diabetes mellitus: potential role of physical exercise.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multifactorial metabolic disease, and its prevalence has grown worldwide. Several pathophysiological processes contribute to the development, progression and aggravating of the disease, for example, decreased insulin synthesis and secretion, insulin resistance, inflammation, and apoptosis, all these processes are regulated by various epigenetic factors, including microRNAs (miRNAs). MiRNAs are small non-coding RNAs, which are around 20 nucleotides in length and are regulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, have a specific function of inhibiting or degrading a messenger RNA target. Thus, miRNAs modulate the expression of many associated genes with the pathophysiological processes in T2DM. On the other hand, miRNAs are also modulated through physical exercise (PE), which induces a change in their expression pattern during and after exercise. Some scientific evidence shows that PE modulates miRNAs beneficially and improves the signaling pathway of insulin resistance, however, little is known about the function of PE modulating miRNAs associated with the processes of insulin secretion, inflammation, and apoptosis. Thus, the objective of this review is to identify the miRNAs expression pattern in T2DM and compare it with the exercise-induced miRNAs expression pattern, identifying the signaling pathways that these miRNAs are regulating in the processes of insulin secretion, insulin resistance, inflammation, and apoptosis in T2DM, and how PE may have a potential role in modulating these signal transduction pathways, promoting benefits for patients with T2DM.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of serum C-reactive protein in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Heart failure (HF) is a major epidemic with rising morbidity and mortality rates that encumber global healthcare systems. While some studies have demonstrated the value of CRP in predicting (i) the development of HFpEF and (ii) long-term clinical outcomes in HFpEF patients, others have shown no such correlation. As a result, we conducted the following systematic review and meta-analysis to assess both the diagnostic and prognostic role of CRP in HFpEF. PubMed and Embase were searched for studies that assess the relationship between CRP and HFpEF using the following search terms: (((C-reactive protein) AND ((preserved ejection fraction) OR (diastolic heart failure))). The search period was from the start of database to August 6, 2019, with no language restrictions. A total of 312 and 233 studies were obtained from PubMed and Embase respectively, from which 19 studies were included. Our meta-analysis demonstrated the value of a high CRP in predicting the development of not only new onset HFpEF (HR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.00-1.16; P = 0.04; I2 = 22%), but also an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality when used as a categorical (HR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.61-3.96; P < 0.0001; I2 = 19%) or a continuous variable (HR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.04-1.47; P = 0.01; I2 = 28%), as well as all-cause mortality when used as a categorical (HR: 1.78; 95% CI: 1.53-2.06; P < 0.00001; I2 = 0%) or a continuous variable: (HR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.02-1.06; P = 0.003; I2 = 61%) in HFpEF patients. CRP can be used as a biomarker to predict the development of HFpEF and long-term clinical outcomes in HFpEF patients, in turn justifying its use as a simple, accessible parameter to guide clinical management in this patient population. However, more prospective studies are still required to not only explore the utility and dynamicity of CRP in HFpEF but also to determine whether risk stratification algorithms incorporating CRP actually provide a material benefit in improving patient prognosis.

Effect of exercise on epicardial adipose tissue in adults: a systematic review and meta-analyses.

According to previous epidemiological studies, we can reduce the thickness of epicardial fat and improve cardiovascular risk factors through exercise, and the changes may depend on the form of exercise. We systemically reviewed published studies that evaluated exercise intervention on epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) levels. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing one exercise with another exercise or diet for the treatment to reduce EAT. We used fixed effects models for meta-analyses; effects of exercise on outcomes were described as mean differences (MD) or standardized difference of means (SMD) was used, their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Five RCTs were included (n = 299), 156 in exercise group and 143 in the control. In comparison to the control group, exercise significantly reduced EAT (SMD - 0.57, 95%CI - 0.97 to - 0.18) and waist circumference (MD - 2.95 cm, 95%CI - 4.93 to - 0.97). Exercise did not have an effect on BMI (MD - 0.23 kg/m2, 95%CI - 0.73 to 0.27), weight (MD - 0.06 kg, 95%CI - 1.46 to 1.34), or HDL (SMD 0.26, 95%CI - 0.06 to 0.57).VO2 was significantly increased by exercise (SMD 1.58, 95%CI 1.17 to 1.99). Risk of bias was high for 3 studies, and GRADE quality of evidence was very low to moderate. Exercise reduced epicardial adipose tissue and waist circumference, and did not have effect on weight, BMI, or HDL. Newer trials with better design and methods are necessary to improve the quality of the evidence. PROSPERO registration number (CRD42018096581).

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on coronary artery bypass graft surgery in Brazil: A nationwide perspective.

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been a worldwide challenge, and efforts to "flatten the curve," including restrictions imposed by policymakers and medical societies, have forced a reduction in the number of procedures performed in the Brazilian Health Care System. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) from 2008 to 2020 in the SUS and to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the number of procedures and death rate of CABG performed in 2020 through the database DATASUS. METHODS: This study is based on publicly available material obtained from DATASUS, the Brazilian Ministry of Health's data processing system, on numbers of surgical procedures and death rates. Only isolated CABG procedures were included in our study. We used the TabNet software from the DATASUS website to generate reports. RESULTS: We identified 281,760 CABG procedures performed from January 2008 to December 2020. The average number of procedures until the end of 2019 was of 22,104. During 2020 there was a 25% reduction CABG procedures, to 16,501. There was an increase in the national death rate caused by a statistical significant increase in death rates in Brazil's Southeast and Central-west regions. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic remains a global challenge for Brazil's health care system. During the year of 2020 there was a reduction in access to CABG related to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. There was also an increase in the national CABG death rate.

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery in Brazil from 2008 to 2017.

BACKGROUND: Brazil is an upper middle-income country in South America with the world's sixth largest population. Despite great advances in health-care services and cardiac surgical care in both its public and private health systems, little is known on the volume, outcomes, and trends of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in Brazil's public health system. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of CABG on the public health system from January 2008 to December 2017 through the database DATASUS. METHODS: This study is based on publicly available material obtained from DATASUS, the Brazilian Ministry of Health's data processing system, on numbers of surgical procedures, death rates, length of stay, and costs. Only isolated CABG procedures were included in our study. We used the TabNet software from the DATASUS website to generate reports. The χ2 test was used to compare death rates. A p < .05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: We identified 226,697 CABG procedures performed from January 2008 to December 2017. The overall in-hospital mortality over the 10-year period was 5.7%. We observed statistically significant differences in death rates between the five Brazilian macro-regions. Death rates by state ranged from 2.6% to 13.1%. The national average mortality rate remained stable over the course of time. CONCLUSION: Over 10 years, a high volume of CABG was performed in the Brazilian Public Health System, with significant differences in mortality, number of procedures, and distribution of surgeries by region. Future databases involving all centers that perform CABG and carry out risk-adjusted analysis will help improve Brazilian results and enable policymakers to adopt appropriate health-care policies for greater transparency and accountability.

Endovascular treatment of wide-neck saccular renal artery aneurysm with waffle-cone technique.

In the past, treatment of visceral artery aneurysms (VAAs) was exclusively surgical. These aneurysms were rarely diagnosed in elective or emergency cases. Development of imaging techniques and endovascular procedures has changed the history of the therapeutic options for this pathology. Endovascular management of VAAs has arisen to advances in endovascular techniques and has achieved high efficacy.

No passado, o tratamento de aneurismas da artéria visceral (VAAs) era exclusivamente cirúrgico e raramente diagnosticado em casos eletivos ou de emergência. O desenvolvimento de técnicas de imagem e procedimentos endovasculares mudou a história das opções terapêuticas dessa patologia. O manejo endovascular de VAAs surgiu devido ao avanço das técnicas endovasculares, o qual apresentou uma alta eficácia.

Endomyocardial fibrosis: past, present, and future.

Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a neglected idiopathic disorder, predominant in tropical and subtropical regions of the developing world. It is characterized by fibrotic thickening of the endocardium and myocardium of one or both ventricles. EMF was an important cause of heart failure which accounted for up to 20% of the cases in endemic areas of Africa (rural community in Mozambique), but during the last few years, incidents of the disease have decreased considerably. Although its pathogenesis and etiology are not fully understood, its pathology resembles conditions such as eosinophilic cardiomyopathy and hypereosinophilic syndrome. Extensive fibrosis of the ventricular endocardium causing architectural distortion, impaired filling, and valvular insufficiency defines the disease. Confined to peculiar and limited geographical areas, the etiology remains blurred and it carries a grim prognosis. Medical care currently remains very challenging as one-third to half of patients with an advanced disease die within 2 years. Surgery in the correct setting can increase survival and especially in patients with advanced heart failure.

Malignancy predicts outcome of Takotsubo syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Over the recent years, studies have emerged reporting on a strong relationship between the occurrence of malignancy and Takotsubo syndrome. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the predictive value of malignancy for prognosis of Takotsubo syndrome patients. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of science, and Scopus were searched until 4 September 2019 for articles concerning association of malignancy with the prognosis of Takotsubo syndrome. A total of ten studies were finally included in this meta-analysis, demonstrating that malignancy was associated with higher mortality in Takotsubo syndrome patients (RR 2.23, 95% CI 1.64-3.03, Z = 5.10, P < 0.00001). Differences between individual studies were significant, which were due to sample size and percentage of malignant patients in each study indicated by meta-regression and then verified by sensitivity analysis. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the predictive value of malignancy in mortality risk of Takotsubo syndrome patients was significant for both in-hospital death (RR 2.26, 95% CI 1.34-3.82, Z = 3.06, P = 0.002) and follow-up death (RR 2.04, 95% CI 1.63-2.55, Z = 6.21, P < 0.00001). Further analysis of other in-hospital outcomes demonstrated increased incidence of mechanical ventilation in cancer patients. Our meta-analysis suggested that malignancy plays a significant role in predicting the mortality of Takotsubo syndrome patients whether in the short term or long term.

2019-Novel Coronavirus-Related Acute Cardiac Injury Cannot Be Ignored.

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a new infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has reached a pandemic status. Although SARSCoV-2 causes primarily respiratory problems, concurrent cardiac injury cannot be ignored since it may be an independent predictor for adverse outcomes. To resolve these issues, we aim to summarize the prevalence and its underlying mechanisms of acute cardiac injury in the setting of SARS-CoV-2 infection. RECENT FINDINGS: The main clinical manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection is pneumonia, cardiovascular complications have also been identified in the earliest reported cases from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. Given the SARS-CoV-2 likely uses the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptors as its host receptor, ACE2-related signaling pathways may play a key role in mediating myocardial injury. SARS-CoV-2 infection related acute cardiac injury cannot be ignored, and its underlying mechanisms remain speculated. We would suggest that health professionals investigate cardiac function as part of the routine care.

Excessive Supraventricular Ectopic Activity and Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Excessive supraventricular ectopic activity (ESVEA), in the form of frequent premature atrial contractions (PACs) and runs of PACs, is commonly observed in clinical practice and is frequently considered to be benign. Yet, recent studies have demonstrated a link between ESVEA and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the association between ESVEA and the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke, and mortality. RECENT FINDINGS: A systematic search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library up to December 2017 to identify studies assessing adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with ESVEA, recorded on ambulatory electrocardiography. ESVEA was defined as a burden of PACs > 30 PACs/h or any runs of ≥20 PACs. The risk estimates for EVSEA and each clinical endpoint were pooled and analyzed separately. RESULTS: Five studies comprising 7545 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis showed that ESVEA doubled the risk of AF (HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.70-2.82). ESVEA was also associated with a higher incidence of stroke (HR 2.23, 95% CI 1.24-4.02). Finally, ESVEA was associated with higher all-cause mortality (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.25-2.07). Our meta-analysis found that ESVEA is closely associated with AF, stroke, and all-cause mortality. Further studies are required to examine the implication of therapeutic strategies in patients with ESVEA, in order to prevent potential subsequent adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Profiling the Acute Effects of Modified Risk Products: Evidence from the SUR-VAPES (Sapienza University of Rome-Vascular Assessment of Proatherosclerotic Effects of Smoking) Cluster Study.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Modified risk products (MRP) are promoted as a safer alternative to traditional combustion cigarettes (TCC) in chronic smokers. Evidence for their lower hazardous profile is building, despite several controversies. Yet, it is unclear whether individual responses to MRP differ among consumers. We hypothesized that different clusters of subjects exist in terms of acute effects of MRP. RECENT FINDINGS: Pooling data from a total of 60 individuals, cluster analysis identified at least three clusters (labelled 1 to 3) of subjects with different electronic vaping cigarettes (EVC) effects and at least two clusters (labelled 4 to 5) of subjects with different heat-not-burn cigarettes (HNBC) effects. Specifically, oxidative stress, platelet aggregation, and endothelial dysfunction after EVC were significantly different cluster-wise (all p < 0.05), and oxidative stress and platelet aggregation after HNBC were significantly different (all p < 0.05). In particular, subjects belonging to Cluster 1 appeared to have less detrimental responses to EVC usage than subjects in Cluster 2 and 3, as shown by non-significant changes in flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and less marked increase in Nox2-derived peptide (NOX). Conversely, those assigned to Cluster 3 had the worst reaction in terms of changes in FMD, NOX, and P-selectin. Furthermore, individuals belonging to Cluster 4 responded unfavorably to both HNBC and EVC, whereas those in Cluster 5 interestingly showed less adverse results after using HNBC than EVC. Results for main analyses were consistent employing different clusters, tests, and bootstrap. Individual responses to MRP differ and smokers aiming at using EVC or HNBC as a risk reduction strategy should consider trying different MRP aiming at finding the one which is less detrimental, with subjects resembling those in Cluster 1 preferably using EVC and those resembling Cluster 5 preferably using HNBC.

High-Intensity Interval Training in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Systematic Review.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: High-intensity exercise may beneficially impact on insulin sensitivity. However, there is still uncertainty on the actual impact of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on chronic physiologic adaptations among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We aimed to systematically search and appraise the evidence base on the effects of HIIT in comparison to mild- or moderate-intensity interval training (MMIIT) on glycemic control inT2DM. RECENT FINDINGS: A total of 5 RCT met the inclusion criteria. Most studies presented significant differences for weight and BMI with HIIT, and with both interventions for total body fat. For the other health-related variables (systolic and diastolic BP, fasting cholesterol, LDL and HDL, triglycerides, fasting glucose, and HbAc1), only 1 study provided detailed results for HIIT, showing significant differences for systolic BP and HDL cholesterol in 2 studies, total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides, whereas for MIIT, only 1 study brought significant differences for LDL cholesterol. For glucose levels, significant differences were reported in 4 studies for both HIIT and MMIT, but only two studies used the percentage delta assessment tool, whereas 1 study only showed significant improvements for HIIT. The number of studies for the analysis is not precise as to the statements regarding the results of the intervention proposed for this public, since they do not allow identifying a consistency of the findings, not presenting diversity between the training methods and the different methods of volume control and intensity of training.

Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Peak Oxygen Consumption, VE/VCO2 Slope, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of aerobic exercise on peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2), minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2 slope), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with heart failure (HF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). RECENT FINDINGS: We conducted a Cochrane Library, MEDLINE/PubMed, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, and SciELO search (from 1985 to May 2019) for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of aerobic exercise in HFpEF patients. We calculated the mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Ten intervention studies were included providing a total of 399 patients. Compared with control, aerobic exercise resulted in improvement in peak VO2 MD 1.9 mL kg-1 min-1 (95% CI 1.3 to 2.5; N = 314) and HRQoL measured by Minnesota Living with Heart Failure MD 5.4 (95% CI - 10.5 to - 0.2; N = 256). No significant difference in VE/VCO2 slope was found between participants in the aerobic exercise group and the control group. The quality of evidence for peak VO2 and HRQoL was assessed as being moderate. Aerobic exercise moderately improves peak VO2 and HRQoL and should be considered a strategy of rehabilitation of HFpEF individuals.

Mid-ventricular obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with apical aneurysm: An important subtype of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.

Mid-ventricular obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (MVOHCM) is an uncommon type of HCM. LV apical aneurysms are present in more than 20% MVOHCM cases and has been identified as an independent predictor of potentially lethal arrhythmic events, including non-sustained or sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), and ventricular fibrillation (VF), as well as SCD. Although the pathogenesis of LVA remains unknown, but it has been suggested that apical aneurysm may be secondary to the increased after-load and high apical pressure arising from significant pressure gradient of the midventricular obstruction. The scarred rim of the aneurysm and the adjacent areas of LV myocardial fibrosis and consequent apical oxygen-demand mismatch may be responsible for the formation of apical aneurysm. Recent electrophysiologic studies have demonstrated that the aneurysmal rim forms the primary culprit arrhythmogenic substrate for generation of monomorphic ventricular tachycardia leading to SCD, but the clinical significance of the size of aneurysm in relation to SCD remains unsettled. We summarized the clinical features of the patients with MVOHCM and apical aneurysms. Appropriate therapeutic interventions include ICD implantation, and early surgical intervention for gradient relief may be undertaken to relief the MVO.