Cardiovascular Risk in People Living with Human Immunodeficiency (HIV) Viremia Suppression in a Young, Mid-Eastern European Population - Preliminary Study.

Purpose: People living with HIV are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and myocardial infarction related to atherosclerosis than the uninfected population. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis in a young, mid-eastern European population of PLWH receiving ART for undetectable viremia. Patients and Methods: This was a single-centre study. We included 34 patients below 50 years old, treated in Szczecin, Poland, with confirmed HIV-1 infection, treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART), and undetectable viremia. All patients underwent coronary artery computed tomography (CACT), carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) evaluation, and echocardiography. Results: In the primary assessment, only two (5.8%) patients had an increased CVD risk calculated using the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), but we identified coronary or carotid plaques in 26.5% of the patients. Neither traditional risk factors nor those associated with HIV significantly influenced the presence of the plaque. IMT was significantly positively correlated with age and the FRS (R=0.38, p=0.04). Relative wall thickness assessed in echocardiography was higher in those with plaque (0.49 vs 0.44, p=0.04) and significantly correlated with IMT (R=0.38, p=0.04). Conclusion: In our population, more than a quarter of PLWH with undetectable viremia had subclinical atherosclerosis in either the coronary or carotid arteries. The FRS underpredicted atherosclerosis in this population. The role of RWT as a possible early marker of atherosclerosis needs further studies.

Nonsurgical treatment of a patient with decompensated right ventricular failure due to chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension with proximal clot location-A case report.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a disease resulting from impaired patency of the pulmonary arteries by a clot, and the treatment method of choice is pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). In inoperable patients, balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) is recommended, but we need to implement pharmacological bridge therapy to BPA in some cases. We report a case of a 38-year-old male diagnosed with CTEPH, disqualified from PEA due to comorbidity, who developed right ventricular (RV) failure. The case shows a complex pharmacological treatment method that can be successfully used as an effective bridge therapy to BPA in patients with CTEPH and severe RV dysfunction, disqualified from surgery.

Unveiling the Heart of the Matter: Echocardiographic Insights into Diastolic Function and Left Ventricular and Atrial Changes in HIV Patients with Controlled Viremia.

BACKGROUND: People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH) have increased risk of developing diastolic dysfunction (DD) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (EF). In this observational study, we evaluated DD and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in PLWH receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) with undetectable viremia. METHODS: We conducted an observational study. All participants underwent transthoracic echocardiography to assess chamber size and systolic and diastolic function. RESULTS: Most patients showed concentric remodeling without LVH. All patients had normal left ventricle systolic function (EF median 61.3%, interquartile range: 57.8-66.2). None fulfilled the DD criteria, while two patients (6%) had undetermined diastolic function. Twenty percent (n = 7) of patients had an enlarged left atrium (left atrium volume index [LAVI] > 34 cm3/m2). These patients had a significantly lower CD4+ count (771.53 ± 252.81 vs. 446.00 ± 219.02, p = 0.01) and higher relative wall thickness (0.50 ± 0.05 vs. 0.44 ± 0.06, p = 0.03). Patients without immune restoration above 500 cells/µL had significantly higher LAVI (33.92 ± 6.63 vs. 24.91 ± 7.03, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: One-fifth of patients had left atrial enlargement associated with worse immune restoration during ART treatment. The mechanism of left atrial enlargement and its association with cardiovascular risk require further investigations.

The Impact of Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction on Respiratory Adverse Events in Cardiac Surgery Patients-An Observational Prospective Single-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LV DD) is the most dominant cause of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) worldwide. This pathological condition may contribute to postcapillary pulmonary hypertension (pcPH) development. Hypoxemia, often observed in pcPH, may significantly negatively impact the course of hospitalization in patients after cardiac surgery. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of LV DD on the frequency of postoperative respiratory adverse events (RAE) in patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG). METHODS: The left ventricular (LV) diastolic function was assessed in 56 consecutive patients admitted for CABG. We investigated the relationship between LV DD and postoperative respiratory adverse events (RAE) in groups with normal LV diastolic function and LV DD stage I, II, and III. RESULTS: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction stage I was observed in 11 patients (19.6%) and LV DD stage II or III in 19 patients (33.9%). Arterial blood partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) to the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) index during postoperative mechanical ventilation was significantly lower in LV DD stage II or III than in the group with normal LV diastolic function. Patients with DD stage II or III had a higher occurrence of postoperative pneumonia than the group with normal LV diastolic function. CONCLUSIONS: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is widespread in cardiac surgery patients and is an independent risk factor for lower minimal PaO2/FiO2 index during mechanical ventilation and higher occurrence of pneumonia.

Echocardiographic Probability of Pulmonary Hypertension in Cardiac Surgery Patients-Occurrence and Association with Respiratory Adverse Events-An Observational Prospective Single-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an independent risk factor of increased morbidity and mortality in cardiac surgery patients (CS). The most common cause underlying PH is left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. This study aimed to evaluate the echocardiographic probability of PH in patients undergoing CS and its correlation with postoperative respiratory adverse events (RAE). METHODS: The echocardiographic probability of PH and its correlation with LV diastolic dysfunction was assessed in 56 consecutive adult patients who were qualified for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Later, the postoperative RAE (such as pneumonia, pulmonary congestion, or hypoxemia), the length of intensive care unit (ICU) treatment and mortality in groups with moderate or high (PH-m/h) and low (PH-l) probability of pulmonary hypertension were examined. RESULTS: PH-m/h was observed in 29 patients, of whom 65.5 % had LV diastolic dysfunction stage II or III. A significantly higher occurrence of RAE was observed in the PH-m/h group as compared to the PH-l group. There were no differences between the PH-m/h and PH-l patient groups regarding the in-hospital length of stay or mortality. CONCLUSIONS: High or intermediate probability of PH is common in cardiac surgical patients with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and correlates with respiratory adverse events.

The Value of Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) as a Prognostic Tool in Predicting Mortality in COVID-19-A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Due to the unpredictable nature of COVID-19, there is a need to identify patients at high risk of severe course of the disease and a higher mortality rate. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to find the correlation between frailty and mortality in adult, hospitalized patients with COVID-19. METHODS: Clinical records of 201 patients who suffered from COVID-19 and were hospitalized between October 2020 and February 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic, clinical, and biochemical data were collected. Patients were assessed using Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and were divided into three groups: CFS 1-3 fit; CFS 4-6 vulnerable and with mild to moderate frailty; CSF 7-9, severe frailty. The association between frailty and in-hospital mortality was the primary outcome. RESULTS: Severe frailty or terminal illness was observed in 26 patients (12.94%) from a cohort of 201 patients. Those patients were older (median age 80.73, p < 0.001) and had more comorbidities. Frailty was also associated with higher requirement for oxygen supplementation, greater risk of in-hospital complications and worse biochemical laboratory results. An increase in CFS score also correlated with higher mortality (OR = 1.89, p < 0.001). The Conclusions: Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) can be used as a potentially useful tool in predicting mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Wristbands in Home-Based Rehabilitation-Validation of Heart Rate Measurement.

The possibility of using a smartwatch as a rehabilitation tool to monitor patients' heart rates during exercise has gained the attention of many researchers. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the HR measurement performed by two wrist monitors: the Fitbit Charge 4 and the Xiaomi Mi Band 5. Thirty-one healthy volunteers were asked to perform a stress test on a treadmill. Their heart rates were recorded simultaneously by the wristbands and an electrocardiogram (ECG) at 1 min intervals. The mean absolute error percentage (MAPE), Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (LCCC), and Bland-Altman analysis were calculated to compare the precision and accuracy of heart rate measurements. The estimated validation criteria were MAPE < 10% and LCCC < 0.8. The overall MAPE and LCCC of the Fitbit were 10.19% (±11.79%) and 0.753 (95% CI: 0.717-0.785), respectively. The MAPE and LCCC of the Xiaomi were 6.89% (±9.75) and 0.903 (0.886-0.917), respectively. The precision and accuracy of both devices decreased with the increased exercise intensity. The accuracy of wearable wrist-worn heart rate monitors varies and depends on the intensity of training. Therefore, the decision to use such a device as a heart rate monitor during in-home rehabilitation should be made with caution.