Clinical outcomes of high-intensity doses of atorvastatin in patients with acute coronary syndrome: A retrospective cohort study using real-world data.

AIMS: To compare the effectiveness and safety of 2 high-intensity atorvastatin doses (40 mg vs 80 mg) among acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. METHODS: This retrospective observational cohort study using real-world data included patients admitted with ACS to the Heart Hospital in Qatar between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2018. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular disease-associated death, nonfatal ACS and nonfatal stroke. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to determine the association between the 2 high-intensity atorvastatin dosing regimens and the primary outcome at 1 month and 12 months postdischarge. RESULTS: Of the 626 patients included in the analyses, 475 (75.9%) received atorvastatin 40 mg, while 151 (24.1%) received atorvastatin 80 mg following ACS. Most of the patients were Asian (73%), male (97%) with a mean age of 50 years and presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (60%). The incidence of the primary effectiveness outcome did not differ between the atorvastatin 40-and 80-mg groups at 1 month (0.8 vs 1.3%; adjusted hazard ratio = 0.59, 95% confidence interval 0.04-8.13, P = .690) and at 12 months (3.2 vs 4%; adjusted hazard ratio = 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.18-1.80, P = .340). Similarly, the use of the 2 doses of atorvastatin resulted in comparable safety outcomes, including liver toxicity, myopathy and rhabdomyolysis with an event rate of <1% in both groups. CONCLUSION: The use of atorvastatin 40 mg in comparison to atorvastatin 80 mg in patients with ACS resulted in similar cardiovascular effectiveness and safety outcomes.

Prevalence and clinical significance of antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 admitted to intensive care units: a prospective observational study.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) increases the risk of coagulopathy. Although the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) has been proposed as a possible mechanism of COVID-19-induced coagulopathy, its clinical significance remains uncertain. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of aPLs among critically ill patients with COVID-19. This prospective observational study included 60 patients with COVID-19 admitted to intensive care units (ICU). The study outcomes included prevalence of aPLs, and a primary composite outcome of all-cause mortality and arterial or venous thrombosis between antiphospholipid-positive and antiphospholipid-negative patients during their ICU stay. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the influence of aPLs on the primary composite outcome of mortality and thrombosis. A total of 60 critically ill patients were enrolled. Among them, 57 (95%) were men, with a mean age of 52.8 ± 12.2 years, and the majority were from Asia (68%). Twenty-two patients (37%) were found be antiphospholipid-positive; 21 of them were positive for lupus anticoagulant, whereas one patient was positive for anti-ß2-glycoprotein IgG/IgM. The composite outcome of mortality and thrombosis during their ICU stay did not differ between antiphospholipid-positive and antiphospholipid-negative patients (4 [18%] vs. 6 [16%], adjusted odds ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.1-6.7; p value = 0.986). The presence of aPLs does not seem to affect the outcomes of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in terms of all-cause mortality and thrombosis. Therefore, clinicians may not screen critically ill patients with COVID-19 for aPLs unless deemed clinically appropriate.

Medications adherence post-primary percutaneous coronary intervention in acute myocardial infarction: A population-based cohort study.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: The use of medications for secondary prevention is the cornerstone in the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, adherence to these medications is still suboptimal worldwide. This retrospective observational study aimed to assess the adherence to post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) medications, along with predictors of non-adherence. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study to assess the adherence to post-PCI medications by determining the rate of prescription refills for 12 months after discharge among STEMI patients, as well as predictors of non-adherence. Adherence was assessed by medication availability 80% of the time monitored by the prescription refills rate for 1 year post-discharge. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of 1334 patients who presented with STEMI and underwent primary PCI were included in our retrospective analysis. The majority of patients included were male (96%) with a mean age of 51 ± 10.2 years. The overall adherence rate for all medications was only 28.4%, with an individual adherence rate of 50.5% for aspirin, 49.9% for P2 Y12 inhibitors, 48.1% for statins, 39.6% for beta-blockers and 42.9% for angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB). Factors that increased the likelihood of non-adherence were prolonged hospital length of stay and getting the medications with charge (aOR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.1-3.3; p-value = 0.017, aOR = 1.87, 95% CI 1.1-3.3; p-value = 0.029, respectively), while having a regular follow-up after discharge and attending the first clinic appointment were significantly associated with decreased likelihood of non-adherence (aOR = 0.01, 95% CI 0.004-0.04; p-value < 0.001, aOR = 0.06, 95% CI 0.03-0.1; p-value < 0.001, respectively). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: The adherence rate to post-PCI medications among patients with STEMI was relatively low; however, attending the first outpatient clinic appointment and having a regular follow-up reduced the likelihood of non-adherence.

Low dose combined oral contraceptives induced thrombotic anterior wall myocardial infarction: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Combined oral contraceptive pills are associated with an established risk for venous thrombosis; however, their risk for arterial thrombosis remains uncertain, especially with the development of low dose new generations of combined oral contraceptive. Arterial thrombosis is less likely to occur with the use of oral contraceptive pills in the absence of cardiovascular risk factors. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a 35-year old female with no cardiovascular risk factors who presented with thrombotic anterior wall myocardial infarction 6 months after using a third generation low dose combined oral contraceptive pills (Marvelon; ethinylestradiol 30 mcg and desogestrel 150 mcg). CONCLUSION: Third generation low dose combined oral contraceptives may lead to myocardial infarction in young women, even in the absence of other cardiovascular risk factors.

Inotropic agents use in patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure: a retrospective analysis from a 22-year registry in a Middle-Eastern Country (1991-2013).

BACKGROUND: Data about the use of positive inotropic agents in patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is limited. METHODS: The records of 8066 patients with ADHF who were hospitalized at Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar from 1991 to 2013 were analyzed to explore demographics and clinical characteristics of the patients according to inotropic agents use. RESULTS: Eight hundred fifty eight patients [10.6%, 95% CI (10 to 11.3%)] received intravenous inotropic support. Patients receiving inotropes were more likely to be female and have preserved ejection fraction when compared to those not receiving inotropic agents. Comorbidities associated with higher likelihood of receiving inotropic treatment included acute myocardial infarction, chronic renal impairment, dyslipidemia, hypertension, obesity and hyperglycemia. Patient on inotropes were more likely to undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), intra-aortic balloon pump support and intubation. There were no differences in the mean plasma BNP and CK-MB levels between the 2 groups. Heart failure patients receiving inotropes also were more likely to have complications including ventricular tachycardia (2.0% vs. 0.9%, p = 0.003), prolonged hospital stay (8.0 vs. 5.0 days, p = 0.001), cardiac arrest (14.6% vs. 3.2%, p = 0.001) and in-hospital mortality (30.8% vs. 9.1 %, p = 0.001). Over the study period there was an increase use of inotropic agents and decreased mortality rates. CONCLUSION: Inotropic use increased over the period whereas; female gender and conventional cardiac risk factors were predictors of inotropic agents use in the study.

Successful Use of Intravenous B-blocker Therapy in Cardiogenic Shock Supported With Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Case Series.

Tachycardia in cardiogenic shock (CS) might reduce the cardiac output (CO) by decreasing the ventricular filling time. Nevertheless, heart rate (HR) control with agents that possess negative inotropy might decrease the CO. Therefore, controlling the tachycardia in the setting of CS remains controversial. We herein describe four cases of patients presenting with myocardial infarction complicated with CS that required rescue venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) initiation. Tachycardia was present with HR ∼130-140 beats per minute after VA-ECMO initiation, and hence esmolol was infused continuously at a starting dose of 10-20 mcg/kg/min and titrated according to HR. With the use of esmolol to control the HR in the setting of CS supported with VA-ECMO, lactate cleared, and echocardiographic parameters improved, allowing the four cases to be successfully decannulated from ECMO. Our report indicates that short-acting beta-blocker could be safely used in the complex scenario of severe tachycardia while supported with VA-ECMO.

A Comparative Study of Safety Outcomes of Sodium Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors and Loop Diuretics Among Diabetic Patients Using Real-world Data.

Sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and loop diuretics can cause volume depletion. However, the long-term safety of the concurrent use of both agents has not been widely evaluated. We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study to evaluate the safety of SGLT2 inhibitors with loop diuretics vs SGLT2 inhibitors alone among diabetic patients. The primary endpoint was a composite of volume-depletion adverse events at 1 month and 12 months. Of the 400 patients included, 98 received SGLT2 inhibitors with a loop diuretic and 302 received SGLT2 inhibitors alone. The concurrent use of SGLT2 inhibitors and loop diuretics was tolerated at 1 month; however, it resulted in a significant increase in volume-depletion events at 12 months (10.2% vs 1.7%; aHR = 7.03, 95% CI (1.80-27.37), P-value = 0.005). In conclusion, the long-term concurrent use of SGLT2 inhibitors and loop diuretics increases the risk of volume depletion, warranting frequent monitoring.

A Comparative Study of High-intensity Rosuvastatin Versus Atorvastatin Therapy Post-acute Coronary Syndrome Using Real-world Data.

A high-intensity statin is recommended for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, real-world evidence of the effectiveness of rosuvastatin following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is scarce. This retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with ACS to compare between the 2 high-intensity statin therapies (rosuvastatin vs atorvastatin) in terms of a primary composite outcome of CVD-associated death, non-fatal ACS, and non-fatal stroke at 1 month and 12 months post discharge. The primary effectiveness outcome did not differ between the 2 groups at 1 month (1.3% vs 1%; aHR = 1.64, 95% CI 0.55-4.94, P= 0.379) and at 12 months (4.8% vs 3.5%; aHR = 1.48, 95% CI 0.82-2.67, P= 0.199). Similarly, the 2 groups had comparable safety outcomes. In conclusion, the use of high-intensity rosuvastatin compared to high-intensity atorvastatin therapy in patients with ACS had resulted in comparable cardiovascular effectiveness and safety outcomes.

Adding colchicine to tocilizumab in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia: An open-label randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Colchicine acts upstream in the cytokines cascade by inhibiting the nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome while interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor antagonists, such as tocilizumab, block the end result of the cytokines cascade. Hence, adding colchicine to tocilizumab with the aim of blocking the early and end products of the cytokines cascade, might reduce the risk of developing cytokine storm. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We aim to conduct an open-label randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding colchicine to tocilizumab among patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia to reduce the rate of invasive mechanical ventilation and mortality. We will include patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia who received tocilizumab according to our local guidelines. Enrolled patients will be then randomized in 1:1 to colchicine versus no colchicine. Patients will be followed up for 30 days. The primary outcome is the rate of invasive mechanical ventilation and will be determined using Cox proportional hazard model. DISCUSSION: Given colchicine's ease of use, low cost, good safety profile, and having different anti-inflammatory mechanism of action than other IL-6 blockade, colchicine might serve as a potential anti-inflammatory agent among patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. This study will provide valuable insights on the use of colchicine in severe COVID-19 when added to IL-6 antagonists. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The Medical Research Center and Institutional Review Board at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar approved the study protocol (MRC-01-21-299). Results of the analysis will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Prolonged ventricular pause associated with ticagrelor use: A case report.

CASE: We report a case of a 76-year-old female who presented with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and developed a 22-second ventricular pause with ticagrelor that did not recur after shifting to clopidogrel. Based on the Naranjo algorithm, the likelihood that our patient's prolonged ventricular pause was due to ticagrelor exposure was probable. CONCLUSION: Ticagrelor use is associated with prolonged ventricular pauses, warranting close monitoring, particularly during the first week of therapy.

Acute Stent Thrombosis Associated with Eptifibatide-Induced Profound Thrombocytopenia.

BACKGROUND: Eptifibatide is an inhibitor of the platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor that is commonly used in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). CASE: We describe a case of a 62-year-old female patient admitted with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary coronary intervention (primary PCI) with a drug-eluting stent placement. She developed profound thrombocytopenia within 8 hours of first administration of eptifibatide and subsequent acute stent thrombosis next day. Other causes of thrombocytopenia were excluded and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) showed good stent expansion and opposition to the coronary wall. Platelet count gradually returned to normal after discontinuation of eptifibatide. CONCLUSION: Although Eptifibatide has been associated with the development of thrombocytopenia, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report in the medical literature that associates acute stent thrombosis and eptifibatide-induced thrombocytopenia.

Mobitz Type II Atrioventricular Block following Tramadol and Fentanyl in a Patient with Acute Coronary Syndrome and Systolic Heart Failure.

Serotonin syndrome is a potentially fatal condition allied with increased serotonergic activity in the central nervous system. There are published data reporting serotonin syndrome induced by either tramadol or fentanyl in combination with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in adult patients; however, there are no reports of serotonin syndrome resulting from the combination of tramadol and fentanyl. We report a case of a 52-year-old woman who was admitted to cardiology service and who developed Mobitz Type II atrioventricular (AV) block after administration of oral tramadol and intravenous fentanyl.

Anticoagulation control among patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: A single tertiary cardiac center experience.

There is a limited knowledge about the predictors of anticoagulation control in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Furthermore, few reports addressed the role of time in therapeutic range (TTR) that could reflect the safety and efficacy of anticoagulation therapy. We aimed to assess factors that affect the quality of anticoagulation therapy utilizing TTR in patients with NVAF. A retrospective observational study was conducted for patients with NVAF who were maintained on warfarin >6 months at a tertiary cardiac care hospital. Patients were categorized according to the TTR status (≥65% vs. <65%). A total of 241 eligible patients were identified. A high-quality anticoagulation based on TTR values ≥65% was found in 157 (65.1%) patients; the remaining (34.9%) patients represented the low-quality anticoagulation group (TTR <65%). Demographics and clinical characteristics were comparable in the two TTR groups. Both groups were comparable in terms of warfarin dose and medications use. When compared to patients with high-quality anticoagulation, patients in the low-quality anticoagulation group were more likely to seek outpatient warfarin clinic visits more frequently (22.3 ± 5.5 vs. 18 ± 4.4, P = 0.001) and to have higher rate of polypharmacy (57.1% vs. 42%, P = 0.03). Of note, patients in both groups had similar major bleeding events (P = 0.41). After adjusting for age and sex, polypharmacy use was a predictor of poor coagulation control (odds ratio = 1.89, 95% confidence interval: 1.03-3.33; P = 0.03). In NVAF patients, TTR is generally high in our cohort. Patients with polypharmacy and frequent clinic visits have lower TTR. High-quality oral anticoagulation could be achieved through optimizing TTR without a significant risk of major bleeding.

Impact of Polypharmacy on Adherence to Evidence-Based Medication in Patients who Underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of polypharmacy on primary and secondary adherence to evidence-based medication (EBM) and to measure factors associated with non-adherence among patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis for patients who underwent PCI at a tertiary cardiac care hospital in Qatar. Patients who had polypharmacy (defined as ≥6 medications) were compared with those who had no polypharmacy at hospital discharge in terms of primary and secondary adherence to dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), beta-blockers (BB), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and statins. RESULTS: A total of 557 patients (mean age: 53±10 years; 85%; males) who underwent PCI were included. The majority of patients (84.6%) received ≥6 medications (polypharmacy group) while only 15.4% patients received ≥5 medications (nonpolypharmacy group). The two groups were comparable in term of gender, nationality, socioeconomic status and medical insurance. The non-polypharmacy patients had significantly higher adherence to first refill of DAPT compared with patients in the polypharmacy group (100 vs. 76.9%; p=0.001). Similarly, the non-polypharmacy patients were significantly more adherent to secondary preventive medications (BB, ACEI and statins) than the polypharmacy group. CONCLUSION: In patients who underwent PCI, polypharmacy at discharge could play a negative role in the adherence to the first refill of EBM. Further studies should investigate other parameters that contribute to long term non-adherence.