Diagnostic agreement of quantitative flow ratio with fractional flow reserve in a Latin-American population.

Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is a recently proposed angiographic index that allows to assess the pressure loss in coronary arteries in a similar fashion as the fractional flow reserve (FFR). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of QFR as compared to FFR, in a Latin-American population of patients with suspected ischaemic heart disease. QFR was retrospectively derived from coronary angiograms. The association, diagnostic performance, and continuous agreement of fixed-flow QFR (fQFR) and contrast-flow QFR (cQFR) with FFR was assessed by continuous and dichotomous methods. 90 vessels form 66 patients were finally included. The study comprised coronary stenoses of intermediate severity, both angiographically (diameter stenosis: 46.6 ± 12.8%) and physiologically [median FFR = 0.83 (quartile 1-3, 0.76-0.89)]. The correlation of FFR with both fQFR [ρ = 0.841, (95% CI 0.767 to 0.893), p < 0.001] and cQFR [ρ = 0.833, (95% CI 0.755 to 0.887), p < 0.001] was strong. The diagnostic performance of cQFR was good [area under the ROC curve of 0.92 (95% CI 0.86 to 0.97, p < 0.001)], with 0.80 as the optimal cQFR cut-off against FFR ≤ 0.80. This 0.80 cQFR cut-off classified correctly 83.3% of total stenoses, with a sensitivity of 85.2% and specificity of 80.6%. QFR was strongly associated with FFR and exhibited a high diagnostic performance in this Latin-American population.

Return to exercise after COVID-19. Statement of the Mexican Society of Cardiology / Retorno al ejercicio después de COVID-19. Posicionamiento de la Sociedad Mexicana de Cardiología

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020; one consequence has been the increase in sedentary lifestyle and reduction of sports activity. Exercise benefits the immune defense system especially in older adults; it is recommended to keep a distance of 1.5 meters between people, and if walking or jogging is carried out, the space must be up to 5 and 10 meters respectively. The reported cases are mostly mild up to 80% and can be critical in up to 4.7%; the risk factors are well known, hypertension, diabetes and previous heart disease. Severe or critical cases present as symptoms of acute respiratory distress syndrome, and in the case of cardiovascular disease, they mainly occur as myopericarditis, acute coronary syndromes, cardiogenic shock, thrombotic events, among others. Returning to exercise after recovery from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is always recommended, however it will depend on the clinical picture what measures should be taken prior to its onset, and it is in moderate cases and especially in the severe ones where the evaluation and prescription prior to returning to exercise or sport should be guided by medical personnel experts in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, especially in athletes.

La enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) fue declarada pandemia el 11 de marzo de 2020; una consecuencia ha sido el incremento en el sedentarismo y la reducción de la actividad deportiva. El ejercicio beneficia el sistema inmunitario de defensa, especialmente en adultos mayores. Se recomienda guardar distancia de 1.5 metros entre personas, y si se realiza caminata o trote, el espacio debe ser de hasta 5 y 10 metros respectivamente. Los casos reportados son en su mayoría leves hasta en un 80%, y pueden ser críticos hasta en 4.7%; los factores de riesgo son bien conocidos: hipertensión, diabetes y enfermedad cardiaca previa. Los casos graves o críticos se presentan como cuadros de síndrome de distrés respiratorio agudo y ante afección cardiovascular cursan principalmente como miopericarditis, síndromes coronarios agudos, choque cardiogénico y eventos trombóticos, entre otros. El ejercicio después de la recuperación de infección por coronavirus 2 del síndrome respiratorio agudo grave (SARS-CoV-2) siempre está recomendado, sin embargo, dependerá del cuadro clínico qué medidas se deben tomar previo a su inicio, y es en casos moderados y especialmente en los graves donde la evaluación y prescripción previa al retorno al ejercicio o deporte debe ser guiada por personal médico experto en rehabilitación cardiopulmonar, en especial en deportistas.

Extractos de los documentos de posicionamientos y recomendaciones mexicanas en enfermedades cardiovasculares y COVID-19 / Excerpts from the documents of Mexican positions and recommendations in cardiovascular diseases and COVID-19

Resumen Se presentan las recomendaciones en las cuales la Sociedad Mexicana de Cardiología (SMC) en conjunto con la Asociación Nacional de Cardiólogos de México (ANCAM), así como diferentes asociaciones médicas mexicanas vinculadas con la cardiología, después de una revisión y análisis exhaustivo y consensuado sobre los tópicos relacionados con las enfermedades cardiovasculares en la pandemia de COVID-19, se analizan posturas científicas y se dan recomendaciones responsables sobre medidas generales a los pacientes, con cuidados personales, alimentación saludable, actividad física regular, acciones en caso de paro cardiorrespiratorio, la protección del paciente y del personal de salud así como las indicaciones precisas en el uso de la imagen cardiovascular no invasiva, la prescripción de medicamentos, cuidados en tópicos específicos como en la hipertensión arterial sistémica, insuficiencia cardiaca, arritmias y síndromes coronarios agudos, además de hacer énfasis en los procedimientos de electrofisiología, intervencionismo, cirugía cardiaca y en la rehabilitación cardiaca. El interés principal es brindar a la comunidad médica una orientación general sobre el quehacer en la práctica cotidiana y pacientes con enfermedades cardiovasculares en el escenario esta crisis epidemiológica sin precedentes de COVID-19.

Abstract The recommendations in which the Mexican Society of Cardiology (SMC) in conjunction with the National Association of Cardiologists of Mexico (ANCAM) as well as different Mexican medical associations linked to cardiology are presented, after a comprehensive and consensual review and analysis of the topics related to cardiovascular diseases in the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientific positions are analyzed and responsible recommendations on general measures are given to patients, with personal care, healthy eating, regular physical activity, actions in case of cardio-respiratory arrest, protection of the patient and health personnel as well as precise indications in the use of non-invasive cardiovascular imaging, prescription of medications, care in specific topics such as systemic arterial hypertension, heart failure, arrhythmias and acute coronary syndromes, in addition to emphasizing electrophysiology, interventionism, cardiac surgery and in cardiac rehabilitation. The main interest is to provide the medical community with a general orientation on what to do in daily practice and patients with cardiovascular diseases in the setting of this unprecedented epidemiological crisis of COVID-19.

[National Registry of Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs in México]. / Registro Nacional sobre Programas de Rehabilitación Cardíaca en México (RENAPREC).

Cardiac Rehabilitation and secondary prevention programs are a group of therapeutic maneuvers that can reduce the adverse impact of cardiovascular disease, by using the cardiovascular risk factors reduction, through secondary prevention and exercise training therapy programs. This program started in Mexico in 1944, since then, several health institutions are working on a public or private basis, mainly in an isolated way. This article presents data about fourteen cardiac rehabilitation institutions that answered the first national registry of cardiac rehabilitation programs (RENAPREC) in 2007. On this study, we observed that these centers were mainly private; nevertheless, almost all of the referred population was attended in public health institutions. The core-components for an adequate cardiac rehabilitation attention were satisfied by almost all these centers. The patients used to pay, by their own, this kind of medical practice. In our country, only the 0.58% of the population, that needed to be included on a cardiac rehabilitation program, was covered. This phenomena is due, in one hand, to the reduced number of cardiac rehabilitation centers in Mexico, but on the other hand, it happens because the primary physician do not refer all the eligible patients to this kid of programs. RENAPREC can be one first attempt to consolidate all the activities around the inter-institutional cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention programs in our country.

Registro Nacional sobre Programas de Rehabilitación Cardíaca en México (RENAPREC) / National Registry of Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs in México

Cardiac Rehabilitation and secondary prevention programs are a group of therapeutic maneuvers that can reduce the adverse impact of cardiovascular disease, by using the cardiovascular risk factors reduction, through secondary prevention and exercise training therapy programs. This program started in Mexico in 1944, since then, several health institutions are working on a public or private basis, mainly in an isolated way. This article presents data about fourteen cardiac rehabilitation institutions that answered the first national registry of cardiac rehabilitation programs (RENAPREC) in 2007. On this study, we observed that these centers were mainly private; nevertheless, almost all of the referred population was attended in public health institutions. The core-components for an adequate cardiac rehabilitation attention were satisfied by almost all these centers. The patients used to pay, by their own, this kind of medical practice. In our country, only the 0.58% of the population, that needed to be included on a cardiac rehabilitation program, was covered. This phenomena is due, in one hand, to the reduced number of cardiac rehabilitation centers in Mexico, but on the other hand, it happens because the primary physician do not refer all the eligible patients to this kid of programs. RENAPREC can be one first attempt to consolidate all the activities around the inter-institutional cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention programs in our country.