Parenteral Iron in Heart Failure: An Indian Perspective.

Iron deficiency (ID) is clinically significant comorbidity usually reported with acute and chronic heart failure (HF) and associated with prognostic outcomes, independent of anemia. The exact cause of ID and anemia and their association with HF is not entirely clear. Current evidence highlights neuro-hormonal and proinflammatory cytokine activation and renal dysfunction favoring the development of anemia and ID. Intravenous iron therapy (IV Iron) enhances exercise capacity, HF-associated symptoms and health-related quality of life. Oral iron therapy might be less effective compared to IV Iron in HF patients. At the same time, large, well-designed cardiovascular outcome studies are warranted to establish the long-term efficacy and safety of IV Iron in patients with HF with coexisting ID. In India, the high prevalence of anemia increases the burden of ID in patients with HF. HF being a complex multifactorial disease, it is essential to understand the association of ID with HF which can be easily corrected to improve the patient outcomes. At the same time, there is a need to generate more robust clinical evidence on IV Iron therapy for in Indian patients of HF.

Expert Opinion on P2Y12 Inhibitors Use in Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes: Focus on Ticagrelor.

Ticagrelor is a potent, oral P2Y12 inhibitor used as a part of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in acute coronary syndromes (ACS). New evidence has emerged for its use in ACS, which may be crucial for the Indian context. This brought together nearly 150 experts in ACS management across the country who reviewed the current evidence and discussed the same through a series of 10 meetings on an online platform. With all experts' agreement, the key expert opinions for the P2Y12 inhibitors use in ACS management were finalized. These include the following. In ACS patients aged <75 years, with diabetes, a history of stroke/transient ischemic attack, and chronic kidney disease, ticagrelor may be preferred over other P2Y12 inhibitors. It may also be preferred in the elderly above 75 years with clopidogrel is a suitable alternative in patients at high-risk of bleeding. Rates of stent thrombosis are lower with ticagrelor than clopidogrel. In patients managed with fibrinolysis, use ticagrelor after 48 hours if streptokinase was the fibrinolytic agent or it can be used after 12 to 24 hours if fibrin-specific fibrinolytic was used. Rates of major bleeding in patients treated with fibrinolysis are similar to clopidogrel. Prehospital administration may be preferred over in-hospital administration with expected bleeding rates similar to clopidogrel. Switching among P2Y12 inhibitors should be done with due consideration of their pharmacodynamics. At present, DAPT should be continued for 12 months with discontinuation after three to six months in patients with high bleeding risk. The use of low dose ticagrelor may be considered in cases with high-bleeding risk. DAPT or ticagrelor continuation beyond one year should be individualized considering ischemic and bleeding risks. Dyspnea is a common, mild, and transient and does not necessitate ticagrelor discontinuation. Severe dyspnea should be investigated thoroughly. In conclusion, ticagrelor (180 mg, 90 mg, and 60 mg doses), a potent antiplatelet is expected to reshape the antiplatelet use in the management of ACS.

Screening for Hypertension in Asymptomatic Individuals in India: An Expert Consensus Statement.

INTRODUCTION: Hypertension (HTN) is a rapidly growing epidemic in India. It is no larger restricted to older adults as more young Indians are being diagnosed with HTN. Despite its significant prevalence, the awareness, treatment, and control of HTN remain low in India. Thus, early diagnosis is essential to control HTN and prevent future complications. Screening for HTN can help identify undiagnosed and asymptomatic HTN, and thereby the early use of interventions to control the blood pressure (BP). However, no comprehensive guidelines have been established for effective HTN screening in asymptomatic individuals in an Indian setting. OBJECTIVE: To provide consensus recommendations for hypertension screening in India. CONSENSUS RECOMMENDATIONS: Screening for HTN can provide more effective control of HTN and reduce the complications. Experts recommended that the initial age at screening should be 18 years. In individuals at a high risk of HTN, targeted screening can be undertaken. BP measurement using an electronic BP recorder (with at least two readings) are required for identifying HTN during screening. In asymptomatic adults with BP <130/85 mmHg and BP of 130-139/85- 89 mmHg, rescreening should be conducted every 3-5 years and at least every year, respectively. Screening for HTN can be cost effective even when universal screening of the entire population is undertaken. CONCLUSION: The consensus recommendations would increase the awareness of HTN screening. Screening for HTN can provide more effective control of HTN and reduce the complications.

A Rare Case of Pulmonary Embolism.

Pulmonary embolism is the occlusion of the pulmonary arteries by blood or foreign material. Commonly pulmonary embolism is seen when thrombus from the deep veins of the legs or pelvis embolise into the pulmonary artery. Rarely tumours, vegetations can embolise to pulmonary artery. We report a rare case of a haematological malignancy presenting as right atrial mass and pulmonary embolism, in a young male.

Pharmacological Reperfusion Therapy with Tenecteplase in 7,668 Indian Patients with ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction - A Real World Indian Experience.

OBJECTIVE: This real-world, observational, prescription event monitoring study was conducted to evaluate safety and efficacy of indigenous tenecteplase (TNK-tPA) in Indian patients presenting with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS: This is a multi-centric, observational, prescription event monitoring study. Data was collected for 7,668 patients from 1,307 investigator sites across India from January 2011 to February 2016. RESULTS: Overall, 76.71% patients were hypertensive, 47.97% patients were diabetic, 42.01% had dyslipidemia, 24.35% had ischemic heart disease and 40.82% patients were smokers. The overall rate for achieving clinically successful thrombolysis by TNK was 93.34%. Delayed administration of tenecteplase yielded lower success rate (84.66%) as against those patients who received tenecteplase within 3 hours of symptoms (94.34%). 93.2% patients had chest pain resolution after pharmacological fibrinolysis. Overall 91.1% patients had 50% resolution of ST elevation at 90 minutes and mean time for 50% ST resolution was 72.06 minutes. Overall 53 patients died (mortality of 0.69%) before discharge. The incidence of bleeding (excluding stroke) was 1.77%, any stroke without ICH was 0.18% and any ICH was 0.38%. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study further reinforce the safety and efficacy of indigenous TNK-tPA in Indian patients presenting with STEMI, including high-risk sub-groups. The study also highlights the importance of early reperfusion therapy.

Lipid Association of India 2023 update on cardiovascular risk assessment and lipid management in Indian patients: Consensus statement IV.

OBJECTIVE: In 2016, the Lipid Association of India (LAI) developed a cardiovascular risk assessment algorithm and defined low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals for prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in Indians. The recent refinements in the role of various risk factors and subclinical atherosclerosis in prediction of ASCVD risk necessitated updating the risk algorithm and treatment goals. METHODS: The LAI core committee held twenty-one meetings and webinars from June 2022 to July 2023 with experts across India and critically reviewed the latest evidence regarding the strategies for ASCVD risk prediction and the benefits and modalities for intensive lipid lowering. Based on the expert consensus and extensive review of published data, consensus statement IV was commissioned. RESULTS: The young age of onset and a more aggressive nature of ASCVD in Indians necessitates emphasis on lifetime ASCVD risk instead of the conventional 10-year risk. It also demands early institution of aggressive preventive measures to protect the young population prior to development of ASCVD events. Wide availability and low cost of statins in India enable implementation of effective LDL-C-lowering therapy in individuals at high risk of ASCVD. Subjects with any evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis are likely to benefit the most from early aggressive interventions. CONCLUSIONS: This document presents the updated risk stratification and treatment algorithm and describes the rationale for each modification. The intent of these updated recommendations is to modernize management of dyslipidemia in Indian patients with the goal of reducing the epidemic of ASCVD among Indians in Asia and worldwide.

Coronary-to-coronary bypass grafting in aortoarteritis: a case report.

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is an idiopathic vasculitis affecting the aorta and its major branches. In TA, coronary artery involvement is rare and it mainly consists of stenosis or occlusion of the coronary ostia. In TA, as the arterial tree is diseased, often, arterial grafts are unsuitable for grafting so the saphenous vein grafts (SVG) are commonly used. We present a case of a young female with TA with an ostial left main stenosis who has undergone a right coronary-to-left anterior descending artery SVG and put on immunosuppression and steroids. She was asymptomatic with a patent graft during 7 years follow-up.

Heart Rate in Hypertension: Review and Expert Opinion.

Heart rate (HR) is strongly associated with both peripheral and central blood pressures. This association has implications in hypertension (HTN) prognosis and management. Elevated HR in HTN further elevates the risk of adverse outcomes. Evidence suggests that HR is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) and total mortality in patients with HTN. With objective to engage physicians and researchers in India to identify and discuss the implications related to HR management in HTN, experts in the HTN management provided consensus recommendations. The key expert recommendations included the following. (i) Heart rate (HR) has inverse relationship with the central aortic pressure, whereby reduction in HR is associated with an increase in central aortic pressure. This counter-balances the benefit of HR reduction with the harmful effects of rising central aortic pressure. (ii) Increase in the resting HR is associated with increased risk of incident HTN. A linear association between the two is observed especially in individuals with HR >80 bpm. (iii) A reduced HR variability further adds to the propensity for the development of HTN, especially in men. (iv) Each 10 beats per minute increase in the resting HR can substantially increase the risk of adverse CV and mortality outcomes. On treatment HR provides a better prognostic guide. (v) Ambulatory HR with day-time and night-time HR evaluation may also suggest different impact on outcomes. (vi) Target HR in patients with HTN remains unclear. Generally, HR<70 bpm on beta blocker (BB) treatment is advised which may be further lowered in patients with comorbidities like heart failure and coronary artery disease. (vii) Adopting healthy lifestyle approaches to keep check on BP and HR is essential. (viii) Use selective beta-1 blocker in symptomatic cases with elevated HR beyond 80-85 mmHg. BBs are expected to benefit by lowering HR by nearly 10 bpm. Preference should be given to newer beta-blockers which reduce HR and both peripheral and central blood pressure to derive comprehensive advantage of this dual action. (ix) It still remains unclear whether reducing HR in HTN without comorbidities alters the CV and mortality outcomes.

S-Amlodipine: An Isomer with Difference-Time to Shift from Racemic Amlodipine.

Calcium channel blockers are among the first-line drugs for treatment of hypertension (HTN). S-amlodipine (S-AM), an S-enantiomer of amlodipine, is available in India and in other countries like China, Korea, Russia, Ukraine, and Nepal. Being clinically researched for nearly two decades, we performed in-depth review of S-AM. This review discusses clinical evidence from total 42 studies (26 randomized controlled trials, 14 observational studies, and 2 meta-analyses) corroborating over 7400 patients treated with S-AM. Efficacy and safety of S-AM in HTN in comparison to racemic amlodipine, used as monotherapy and in combination with other antihypertensives, efficacy in angina, and pleiotropic benefits with S-AM, are discussed in this review.