Early Recognition of Overweight Hyperglycaemia May Improve Clinical Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes.

Diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death, directly accounting for 1.5 million deaths annually worldwide. Despite several breakthrough discoveries, little progress has been made in type 2 diabetes outcomes over the past 100 years. Younger age (below 60 years), a diet high in calories and processed food, and severe obesity (body mass index >35 kg/m2) may identify reversible beta cell dysfunction. Much of the clinical presentation pertains to flooding the body's adaptive limits with overnutrition. Recognizing this as a global societal trend brought about by lifestyle changes, sedentary work, mental stress and unlimited access to calorie-dense foods is crucial. Insulin resistance and genetic abnormalities cannot account for the dramatic increase in diabetes, from only 1% five decades ago to nearly 10% today. Obesity - and not insulin resistance - is at the core of the problem. As well as hyperglycaemia, end-organ damage can also be reversed with diet and weight loss in many affected individuals. We present the evolution of our understanding and compelling reasons to reframe diabetes in the severely obese to what it really is - overweight hyperglycaemia. This may shift societal perception, governmental funding, workplace reformations and individual engagement with healthy lifestyles. The objective of this review is to better understand global trends and the potential to improve outcomes by reframing the diabetes narrative towards remission. This may shift societal perception, governmental funding, workplace reformations and individual engagement with healthy lifestyles.

First Report Of 50-Day Continuous Fasting in Symptomatic Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease and Heart Failure: Cardioprotection Through Natural Ketosis.

A 64-year-old man with angina and dyspnea due to severe two vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) was recommended for revascularization. The patient had recently learned Siddha fasting and self-inquiry meditative methods at Heartful Living, our eight-week physicianled cardiac wellness group clinic. He declined coronary artery bypass surgery and instead self-initiated a 50-day water-only fast and then switched to a vegan diet. During the fast, the patient experienced severe dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities, requiring IV fluids and electrolyte replacement. However, his hemodynamics remained stable and he had no angina, likely due to natural ketosis mediated cardioprotection. This is the first report of such a prolonged fast targeting cardiac resilience and clinical benefits in severe CAD.

Siddha fasting in obese acute decompensated heart failure may improve hospital outcomes through empowerment and natural ketosis.

BACKGROUND: Morbid obesity (BMI > 35 kg/m2 with comorbid conditions) is present in 25 - 35% of acute decompensated heart failure (AHF) patients. Prevalence of HF increases with duration of morbid obesity from 30% at 15 years to over 90% at 30 years. There is a need to develop pragmatic therapies that address the unique physical and mental challenges faced by obese AHF patients. Siddha is 5,000 year old Tamil Medicine using yoga and mind-body methods towards higher consciousness. Hunger gratitude Experience (HUGE) is intuitive Siddha fasting method which may improve in-hospital AHF outcomes independent of weight reduction. CASE SUMMARY: We present 5 cases of morbidly obese patients with cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) that began intermittent fasting either during their AHF hospitalization or in the outpatient setting for refractory symptoms despite hospitalization. Initiation of fasting correlated with reduction of respiratory distress and edema as well as improvements in psychological wellbeing and functional capacity. DISCUSSION: Siddha fasting mediates hemodynamic and anti-inflammatory effects through natural ketosis and psychological benefits through empowerment in AHF. Potential role of fasting in reducing myocardial workload, coronary steal, angina, volume overload, and CRS needs further study in cardiac patients.

Retraction.

[This retracts the article on p. 387 in vol. 118, PMID: 34373676.].

Siddha fasting in morbidly obese heart failure patients achieves significant weight loss and reduces hospitalization.

Two thirds of heart failure (HF) patients are overweight or obese. Current guidelines are unclear about weight reduction goals. We explored impact of Heartful Living (HL,) a cardiologist-led Self-Inquiry (Si) mindfulness program targeting deeper insight and resilience to promote intentional weight loss in morbidly obese HF patients. The primary outcome was >10% intentional weight loss in HF achieved in 6 males and 4 females, BMI 40 (± 8.11)Kg/m2, age of 67.1 (± 10.02) years, who participated in HL and were followed for 10 months to 3 years. Two patients had systolic dysfunction, with a reduced ejection fraction of 25 and 40%. All had diabetes (7) or metabolic syndrome (3). The fasting was unsupervised, at home and intuitive without prespecified parameters. The average weight loss through HUGE fasting was 17.5% of total body weight for all 10 patients, and 25.5% for the 5 patients followed over 2 years. Diabetes, hypertension and renal parameters improved allowing reduction of medications. This prospective case series followed ten morbidly obese patients with HF, and demonstrates intentional weight loss can be achieved with mindfulness. Clinical improvement occurs when HF patients reach over 15% weight loss. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate outcomes in broader HF populations.

Encouraging Flow: A State Of Calm and Deep Focus May Improve Exercise Compliance in Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for more deaths worldwide than any other illness. Over 80% of CVD can be prevented by lifestyle changes. Improving compliance with exercise requirements and reaching 30 minutes of brisk physical activity (PA) on most days remains a challenge. Only a minority of eligible CVD patients complete cardiac rehabilitation (CR) and fewer sustain PA long term. Changing work environments, urbanization, and virtual engagement foster a sedentary lifestyle in students and healthy adults. Disabilities and comorbidities limit PA in older CVD patients. The Flow phenomenon was described in the 1970s as an intrinsically enjoyable state, typically achieved by highly trained people encountering significant challenge like competitive tennis or writing new music. Siddha Tamil medicine has recognized the importance of this 2,000 years ago, recommending ways to experience flow and engage enthusiastically. We hypothesize that flow can be learned and targeted during CR. Older cardiac patients despite comorbidities can experience some level of flow state during CR. This significantly improves long term PA adherence while also sustainably improving other aspects of lifestyle, including diet, smoking cessation, stress reduction, and medication compliance. Clinicians can estimate flow at baseline, following PA sessions and during clinic visits to encourage a deeper mind-body connection. Once PA becomes enjoyable, compliance and cardiac outcomes may improve in CVD.

Home-Based Arm Cardiac Rehabilitation in Disabled Veterans: A Pilot Study.

One of the cornerstones of treatment after acute coronary syndromes is cardiac rehabilitation (CR). However, traditional CR remains underused in the United States due to comorbidities and geographical limitations. To evaluate feasibility and safety of our individually tailored CR program, we evaluated twelve weeks of tele-monitored home-based arm ergometer and weight training exercises in seven Veterans. Prior to beginning our CR program, all Veterans underwent an arm ergometer stress test and training in the proper techniques for arm exercises and weight training. Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) and the MacNew Heart Disease Health-related Quality of Life (MacNew) questionnaire were administered at the beginning and conclusion of the program. Six patients completed the study. One withdrew due to generalized weakness. There were no adverse events during the study period. There was a perceived improvement in heart disease related global (4.47 to 4.61), physical, emotional, and social well-being by the MacNew questionnaire. The SAQ showed improvement in physical limitation, angina frequency, treatment satisfaction, and overall quality of life (36.1 to 51.7) after completion of our tailored CR program. There was a decrease in average blood pressure and patients were able to exercise seven minutes longer and workload increased eight additional watts. This pilot study demonstrates the safety and feasibility of a home-based arm cardiac rehabilitation program. These tailored programs may improve quality of life in coronary artery disease patients with disabilities.

A case report on transient cardiomyopathy with cytokine storm in SARS-CoV-2.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac manifestations during Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic have included acute coronary syndrome, arrhythmias, myocarditis, and stress cardiomyopathy. However, the combination of cardiomyopathy and negative cardiac biomarkers has not yet been reported. CASE SUMMARY: A 49-year-old man admitted for respiratory failure secondary to SARS-CoV-2 developed new-onset cardiomyopathy with negative cardiac biomarkers. Left ventricular ejection fraction and strain improved 7 days after the initial echocardiogram, after administration of Tocilizumab, coinciding with clinical recovery, and improvement in inflammatory markers. DISCUSSION: As experience of cardiovascular manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 increases, more patients will likely present with cardiovascular manifestations; the recognition and proper management of these may improve patient outcomes.

Takotsubo Syndrome in Patients with COVID-19: a Systematic Review of Published Cases.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is caused by catecholamine surge, which is also observed in COVID-19 disease due to the cytokine storm. We performed a systematic literature search using PubMed/Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases to identify COVID-19-associated TTS case reports and evaluated patient-level demographics, clinical attributes, and outcomes. There are 12 cases reported of TTS associated with COVID-19 infection with mean age of 70.8 ± 15.2 years (range 43-87 years) with elderly (66.6% > 60 years) female (66.6%) majority. The time interval from the first symptom to TTS was 8.3 ± 3.6 days (range 3-14 days). Out of 12 cases, 7 reported apical ballooning, 4 reported basal segment hypo/akinesia, and 1 reported median TTS. Out of 12 cases, during hospitalization, data on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was reported in only 9 of the cases. The mean LVEF was 40.6 ± 9.9% (male, 46.7 ± 5.7%, and female, 37.7 ± 10.6%). Troponin was measured in all 12 cases and was elevated in 11 (91.6%) without stenosis on coronary angiography except one. Out of 11 cases, 6 developed cardiac complications with 1 case each of cardiac tamponade, heart failure, myocarditis, hypertensive crisis, and cardiogenic shock in 2. Five patients required intubation, 1 patient required continuous positive airway pressure, and 1 patient required venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The outcome was reported in terms of recovery in 11 (91.6%) out of 12 cases, and a successful recovery was noted in 10 (90.9%) cases. COVID-19-related TTS has a higher prevalence in older women. Despite a lower prevalence of cardiac comorbidities in COVID-19 patients, direct myocardial injury, inflammation, and stress may contribute to TTS with a high complication rate.

Post Meal Exercise May Lead to Transient Hypoglycemia Irrespective of Glycemic Status in Humans.

During exercise, there is coordination between various hormonal systems to ensure glucoregulation. This study examined if hypoglycemia occurs during moderate-intensity exercise in non-obese and obese individuals with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D). Eighteen non-obese, 18 obese, and 10 obese with T2D completed 2 study days that included a meal at 1,800 h followed by rest (NOEX) or exercise (PMEX; 45 min/55% of VO2 max 2 h post meal). Glucose, insulin, and glucagon concentrations were measured throughout this 5.5 h period. Subjects with T2D had elevated glucose responses to the meal on both study days, compared to non-obese and obese subjects (P < 0.05). During evening exercise (PMEX), subjects with T2D had a greater drop in glucose concentration (-98.4 ± 13.3 mg/dL) compared to obese (-44.8 ± 7.1 mg/dL) and non-obese (-39.3 ± 6.1 mg/dL; P < 0.01) subjects. Glucose levels decreased more so in females than males in both conditions (P < 0.01). Nadir glucose levels <70 mg/dL were observed in 33 subjects during NOEX and 39 subjects during PMEX. Obese males had a larger exercise-induced insulin drop than obese females (P = 0.01). During PMEX, peak glucagon concentrations were elevated compared to NOEX (P < 0.001). Male participants with T2D had an increased glucagon response during NOEX and PMEX compared to females (P < 0.01). In conclusion, in individuals with varying glucose tolerance, there is a dramatic drop in glucose levels during moderate-intensity exercise, despite appropriate insulin concentrations prior to exercise, and glucagon levels rising during exercise. Moderate-intensity exercise can result in low glucose concentrations (<60 mg/dL), and yet many of these individuals will be asymptomatic.

Dobutamine stress echocardiogram-related in-stent thrombosis with acute myocardial infarction.

Dobutamine stress echocardiogram (DSE) is considered a safe and reliable method for screening for underlying myocardial ischaemia. We report a case of a 60-year-old man who developed inferior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction within 30 minutes of a normal DSE. The patient was found to have a 99% in-stent restenosis in the mid-right coronary artery with significant thrombosis for which successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed. Acute coronary syndrome after a normal DSE has been rarely reported in the literature. The reported cases were found to have obstructive or non-obstructive coronary plaques with overlying thrombus, which suggests plaque destabilisation and rupture as the possible underlying mechanism behind coronary occlusion.

Multimodality detection of multiple left ventricular diverticula: A case report and brief review of the literature.

Left ventricular diverticula (LVD) are rare congenital anomalies usually detected incidentally in the adult population. Most commonly, they are found as a single left ventricular diverticulum in association with other congenital abnormalities but multiple LVD are exceedingly rare. We are describing a patient who was found to have multiple LVD on multimodality imaging studies. He had presented with a sudden cardiac arrest attributed to a combination of alcohol intoxication and QT interval prolongation from hypokalemia and antidepressant medications. The patient was managed conservatively and discharged with an implantable loop recorder for detecting any occult arrhythmias.

Characterising the Clinical Spectrum, Diagnosis and Outcomes in Secondary Stress Cardiomyopathy.

INTRODUCTION: Available literature on takotsubo cardiomyopathy excludes critically ill patients due to challenges in angiographic confirmation. Secondary stress cardiomyopathy (sSC) occurs in patients already hospitalised for other critical illnesses. Diagnosis of sSC is challenging, while clinical presentation and outcomes are significantly different from primary stress cardiomyopathy. Our aim was to better characterise the clinical picture of sSC. METHODS: The diagnosis of sSC was confirmed based on characteristic clinical and morphological features, applying our diagnostic algorithm suited for critically ill patients. We were able to characterise these sSC patients and differentiate their presentation from takotsubo registry population. Data on selected patients was extracted manually on Microsoft Excel worksheets with relevant patient demographics, presenting features and outcomes. RESULTS: We developed a profile of sSC based on 18 consecutive confirmed cases diagnosed at our university hospital between April 2016 and September 2018. sSC differed from takotsubo cardiomyopathy in several key clinical aspects - younger people may develop sSC (range 21-86 years) and men were more frequently affected in comparison to takotsubo cardiomyopathy (29%). Dyspnoea was noted in 22% of our patients and angina was rare. Apical ballooning occurred in only 33% of the patients, while mid (39%) and basal left ventricular (11%) variants accounted for half of the patients. Mortality was much higher (28%) due to underlying medical comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: Our series illustrates significant clinical and morphologic differences in the presentation of sSC. Shifting the emphasis to serial echocardiography would reduce the need for invasive catheterisation and downstream comorbidity in critical care settings.

Self-reported depressive symptoms in adolescence increase the risk for obesity and high BP in adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Negative psychological symptoms may impact cardiovascular (CV) risk factors such as obesity and abnormal blood pressure (BP). Currently, a third of the US population is obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and nearly half have high BP (BP > 120/80 mmHg). This research aims to investigate whether self-reported depressive symptoms in adolescence affect adulthood obesity and high BP. METHODS: We leveraged the data from a representative sample of US individuals collected by the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). We identified the survey questions pertaining to self-reported depressive symptoms in over 14,000 adolescents. Based on their follow-up health test in adulthood, we evaluated the impact of adolescent depressive symptoms on adulthood obesity and high BP by adjusting for socio-demographic, socio-economic and adolescent health status. RESULTS: This study reveals a high prevalence of obesity (36%) and high BP (66%) among young US adults with an average age of only 28 years. Excessive moodiness in adolescence significantly impacted the development of obesity in early adulthood (p-value <0.001). 'Feeling sad' on most days in adolescence significantly increases the risk of obesity (p-value 0.01) and high BP (p-value <0.03) in early adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates self-reported moodiness in adolescence to be a significant predictor of obesity in adulthood. Feeling sad on most days increase the subsequent risk for high BP. Early intervention may improve lifestyle and CV outcomes.

Reversible cardiac dysfunction in long-standing hypertension may be global variant of stress cardiomyopathy.

An adult man with long-standing poorly controlled cardiac risk factors presented with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Echocardiogram, cardiac MRI and catheterisation suggested idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, severe systolic dysfunction, ejection fraction 25% with global left ventricular (LV) dilation and apical thrombus. He responded well to diuretics and gradual uptitration of lisinopril and carvedilol. Follow-up echocardiogram in 2 months demonstrated complete recovery of systolic function, normalisation of LV size and shape with severe LV hypertrophy. This presentation is potentially a global variant of stress cardiomyopathy with recovery of LV function, highlighting the importance of appropriate imaging, catheterisation and clinical monitoring in patients with ADHF.

Stress cardiomyopathy of the critically ill: Spectrum of secondary, global, probable and subclinical forms.

Stress cardiomyopathy (SC) typically presents as potential acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in previously healthy people. While there may be physical or mental stressors, the initial symptom is usually chest pain. This form conforms to the published Mayo diagnostic criteria, is well reported and as the presentation is initially cardiac, is considered primary SC. Increasingly we see SC develop several days into the hospitalization secondary to medical or surgical critical illness. This condition is more complex, presents atypically, is not easy to recognize and carries a much worse prognosis. Label of Secondary SC is appropriate as it manifests in sicker hospitalized patients with numerous comorbidities. We review the limited but provocative literature pertinent to SC in the critically ill and describe important clues to identify global, subclinical and probable forms of SC. We illustrate the several unique clinical features, demographic differences and propose a diagnostic algorithm to optimize cardiac care in the critically ill.

A Case Report of Recurrent Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy in a Patient during Myasthenia Crisis.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with myasthenia crisis can develop Takotsubo stress cardiomyopathy (SC) due to emotional or physical stress and high level of circulating catecholamines. We report a patient who developed recurrent Takotsubo cardiomyopathy during myasthenia crisis. Coexisting autoimmune disorders known to precipitate stress cardiomyopathy like Grave's disease need to be evaluated. CASE REPORT: A 69-year-old female with seropositive myasthenia gravis (MG), Grave's disease, and coronary artery disease on monthly infusion of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), prednisone, pyridostigmine, and methimazole presented with shortness of breath and chest pain. Electrocardiogram (ECG) showed ST elevation in anterolateral leads with troponemia. Coronary angiogram was unremarkable for occlusive coronary disease with left ventriculogram showing reduced wall motion with apical and mid left ventricle (LV) hypokinesis suggestive of Takotsubo stress cardiomyopathy. Her symptoms were attributed to MG crisis. Her symptoms, ECG, and echocardiographic findings resolved after five cycles of plasma exchange (PLEX). She had another similar episode one year later during myasthenia crisis with subsequent resolution in 10 days after PLEX. CONCLUSION: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy can be one of the manifestations of myasthenia crisis with or without coexisting Grave's disease. These patients might benefit from meticulous fluid status and cardiac monitoring while administering rescue treatments like IVIG and PLEX.