Health Data Sciences and Cardiovascular Disease in Africa: Needs and the Way Forward.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The rising burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Africa is of great concern. Health data sciences is a rapidly developing field which has the potential to improve health outcomes, especially in low-middle income countries with burdened healthcare systems. We aim to explore the current CVD landscape in Africa, highlighting the importance of health data sciences in the region and identifying potential opportunities for application and growth by leveraging health data sciences to improve CVD outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: While there have been a number of initiatives aimed at developing health data sciences in Africa over the recent decades, the progress and growth are still in their early stages. Its maximum potential can be leveraged through adequate funding, advanced training programs, focused resource allocation, encouraging bidirectional international partnerships, instituting best ethical practices, and prioritizing data science health research in the region. The findings of this review explore the current landscape of CVD and highlight the potential benefits and utility of health data sciences to address CVD challenges in Africa. By understanding and overcoming the barriers associated with health data sciences training, research, and application in the region, focused initiatives can be developed to promote research and development. These efforts will allow policymakers to form informed, evidence-based frameworks for the prevention and management of CVDs, and ultimately result in improved CVD outcomes in the region.

Highlights of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Studies Presented at the 2023 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Focused review highlighting ten select studies presented at the 2023 American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions. RECENT FINDINGS: Included studies assessed semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in overweight or obese patients without diabetes (SELECT); dapagliflozin in patients with acute myocardial infarction without diabetes (DAPA-MI); effects of dietary sodium on systolic blood pressure in middle-aged individuals (CARDIA-SSBP); long-term blood pressure control after hypertensive pregnancy with physician guided self-management (POP-HT); effect and safety of zilebesiran, an RNA interference therapy, for sustained blood pressure reduction (KARDIA-1); recaticimab add-on therapy in patients with non-familial hypercholesterolemia and mixed hyperlipidemia (REMAIN-2); efficacy and safety of lepodisiran an extended duration short-interfering RNA targeting lipoprotein(a); safety and pharmacodynamic effects of an investigational DNA base editing medicine that inactivates the PCSK9 gene and lowers LDL cholesterol (VERVE-101); automated referral to centralized pharmacy services for evidence-based statin initiation in high-risk patients; and effects of intensive blood pressure lowering in reducing risk of cardiovascular events (ESPRIT). Research presented at the 2023 AHA Scientific Sessions emphasized innovative strategies in cardiovascular disease prevention and management.

Health related quality of life in adults after late repair of tetralogy of fallot: experience from a low-middle income country.

PURPOSE: Without neonatal screening in low middle-income countries like Pakistan, Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is a congenital heart disease which frequently remains untreated beyond infancy. The purpose of this study is to determine and assess outcomes and health related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients who undergo complete repair of TOF as adults. METHODS: 56 patients who underwent complete TOF repair after 16 years of age were included. Patient data was collected via retrospective chart review, and a semi structured interview along with Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire were used to assess HRQOL. RESULTS: 66.1% of patients were male with the mean age at surgery of 22.3 ± 6.00. All patients had a post-operative NYHA Classification of I or II, 94.6% had an ejection fraction of ≥ 50% and 28.6% showed small residual lesions in follow-up echocardiograms. 32.1% of patients suffered post-operative morbidity. For the quantitative assessment using SF-36 scores, patients showed good scores of median 95 (65-100). A major cause of delay to treatment was lack of consensus between treatments offered by doctors in different parts of Pakistan. There was a pattern of 'inability to fit in' among patients who had had late TOF repair, despite self- reported improved HRQOL. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that even with a delayed diagnosis, surgical repair of TOF produces good functional results. However, these patients face significant psychosocial issues. While early diagnosis remains the ultimate goal, patients undergoing late repair should be managed in more holistic manner with attention to psychological impact of the disease as well.

Global Cardiovascular Research: Gaps and Opportunities.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. CVDs contribute to a large health and economic burden on a global scale. We aim to describe the current landscape of global cardiovascular research, highlight significant findings, and identify potential opportunities for further studies. RECENT FINDINGS: There has been remarkable research output regarding cardiovascular health in recent decades. Large-scale collaborative studies have made impactful strides in identifying modifiable risk factors and forming evidence-based guidelines to facilitate improved cardiovascular care and outcomes. However, there are significant CVD disparities between high- and low- income countries which require interventions to mitigate these inequalities. Encouraging collaborative partnerships, strengthening research capacity in low-resource settings, and promoting equity in research are fundamental strategic approaches to help improve global cardiovascular research.

Clinical spectrum of Celiac Disease in adults at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.

Objectives: Celiac Disease (CD) is a disorder that impacts physical, social and emotional health. Requiring life-long treatment, it poses a major economic burden on the healthcare system. Our objective was to study CD in patients from initial presentation to diagnosis and to ascertain the effect of a low resource setting on improvement in disease process. Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted at a Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), a tertiary care center in Karachi, Pakistan. Medical records of patients (≥ 18 years) from 2008 to 2018 with a diagnosis of CD were reviewed. Data on demographics, presenting complaints, investigations, endoscopy results and follow up visits was collected. Results: One hundred and twenty-six patients were included (61.6% females, mean age 35.5 years). The most common intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms were abdominal pain (56.3%) and fatigue (24.6%) respectively. After microcytic anemia (36.5%), increased ALT (27.2%) was the most common laboratory derangement. On endoscopy, visible fissuring (29.4%) and atrophic mucosa (29.4%) were reported. Biopsy findings showed increased intraepithelial lymphocytes (92.9%) and villous atrophy (77.8%). Improvement in at least one of three parameters (symptoms, laboratory values or EGD) was reported by 42.0% of subjects, whereas 48.4% subjects were lost to follow-up. Conclusion: The most commonly reported symptoms by CD patients were abdominal pain, diarrhea and anemia. Thus, patients presenting with vague abdominal symptoms and anemia should be worked up for CD. A concerning majority of subjects was lost to follow up for reasons such as inability to afford advised GFD and a poor understanding of the disease process.

A review of top cardiology and cardiovascular medicine journal guidelines regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence tools in scientific writing.

BACKGROUND: Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have experienced rapid development over the last decade and are gaining increasing popularity as assistive models in academic writing. However, the ability of AI to generate reliable and accurate research articles is a topic of debate. Major scientific journals have issued policies regarding the contribution of AI tools in scientific writing. METHODS: We conducted a review of the author and peer reviewer guidelines of the top 25 Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine journals as per the 2023 SCImago rankings. Data were obtained though reviewing journal websites and directly emailing the editorial office. Descriptive data regarding journal characteristics were coded on SPSS. Subgroup analyses of the journal guidelines were conducted based on the publishing company policies. RESULTS: Our analysis revealed that all scientific journals in our study permitted the documented use of AI in scientific writing with certain limitations as per ICMJE recommendations. We found that AI tools cannot be included in the authorship or be used for image generation, and that all authors are required to assume full responsibility of their submitted and published work. The use of generative AI tools in the peer review process is strictly prohibited. CONCLUSION: Guidelines regarding the use of generative AI in scientific writing are standardized, detailed, and unanimously followed by all journals in our study according to the recommendations set forth by international forums. It is imperative to ensure that these policies are carefully followed and updated to maintain scientific integrity.

The Association Between Race, Ethnicity and Sleep Quality and Duration: A National Health Interview Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Inadequate sleep duration and poor sleep quality are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: Using data from the National Health Interview Survey, we compared self-reported sleep duration and quality among different groups: Whites, Chinese, Asian Indian, Filipino, and Other Asians. Outcome included Sleep duration (≥7 and <7 hours) and sleep quality (coded as a binary variable). RESULTS: We included 155,203 participants. The overall prevalence of ≥7 hours of sleep was 69.5% and poor sleep quality was reported by 73.9%. Compared to Whites and Chinese, Filipinos, and Other Asians were less likely to get adequate sleep (≥7 hours). All 4 Asian groups were less likely to report poor sleep quality compared with White individuals, while Asian Indians reported poor sleep quality less frequently compared with Chinese individuals. CONCLUSION: There are significant differences in sleep duration and quality between White and Asian groups, as well as within Asian subgroups. Further studies with disaggregated Asian subgroup data are needed to formally study these disparities.

Clinical profile, diagnostic yield, and procedural outcomes of single balloon enteroscopy: A tertiary care hospital experience.

BACKGROUND: Single balloon enteroscopy (SBE) allows ease of access for small bowel visualization and has multiple diagnostic and therapeutic indications. It provides the advantage of performing various therapeutic interventions alongside the diagnostic procedure. SBE has also been considered a relatively safe procedure with no major complications. AIM: To investigate the indications, safety, and clinical yield of SBE, and determine its effect on disease outcome. METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Medical records of 56 adult patients (≥ 18 years) who underwent SBE between July 2013 and December 2021 were reviewed and data were collected using a structured proforma. A descriptive analysis of the variables was performed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences Version 19. Results are reported as the mean ± SD for quantitative variables and numbers and percentages for qualitative variables. Missing data are reported as unknown. RESULTS: A total of 56 patients who underwent 61 SBE procedures were included. The mean age was 50.93 ± 16.16 years, with 53.6% of them being males. Hypertension (39.3%) and diabetes mellitus (25.0%) were the most common pre-existing comorbidities. Obscure gastrointestinal bleed (39.3%) was the most common indication for enteroscopy, followed by chronic diarrhea (19.7%) and unexplained anemia (16.4%). The majority of procedures were performed in the endoscopy suite (90.2%) under monitored anaesthesia care (93.4%). Most procedures were diagnostic (91.8%) and completed without complications (95.1%). The depth of examination ranged from 95 cm to 500 cm with a mean of 282.05 ± 90.04 cm. The most common findings were inflammation and ulcerations (29.5%), followed by masses (19.7%) and vascular malformations (14.8%). As a result of the findings, a new diagnosis was made in 47.5% of the cases and a previous one was ruled out in 24.6% of them; 65.6% of the cases had a change in management. CONCLUSION: SBE is a suitable modality for investigating diseases in the small bowel. It is shown to be technically efficient and reasonably safe and is associated with high diagnostic and therapeutic yield.

Safety of Vasopressor Medications through Peripheral Line in Pediatric Patients in PICU in a Resource-Limited Setting.

Objective: Central venous catheter (CVC) placement in children in resource-limited settings (RLSs) can be a difficult task. Timely administration of vasopressor medications (VMs) through peripheral intravenous line (PIV) can help overcome this limitation. We aim to determine the safety of administration of vasopressor medications through PIVs in children admitted to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in a RLS. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting. An eight-bedded PICU of a tertiary care hospital. Patients. Children aged 1 month to 18 years admitted to the PICU. Intervention. None. Measurements and Main Results. All children (aged 1 month-18 years) who received VMs through PIV line from January 2019 to December 2019 were prospectively followed for the development of extravasation, conversion to CVC, duration of infusion, maximum dose of VMs used, maximum vasopressor inotropic score (VIS), and coadministration of vasopressor medication through PIV line. Results are presented as means with standard deviation and frequency with percentages. A total of 369 patients were included in the study, 221 (59.9%) were males, and the median age of the study population was 24 months (IQR; 6-96). Epinephrine was the most frequently used vasopressor medication (n = 279, 75.6%), followed by milrinone (n = 93, 25.2%), norepinephrine (n = 42, 11.4%), and dopamine (n = 32, 8.7%). The maximum dose of vasopressor medication was 0.25 µg/kg/min (epinephrine), 0.2 µg/kg/min (norepinephrine), 15 µg/kg/min (dopamine), and 0.8 µg/kg/min (milrinone). Extravasation was observed in 8 (2.2%) patients, while PIV line was converted to CVC in 127 (34.4%) children. Maximum dose of epinephrine, norepinephrine, VIS score, and PRISM Score was associated with conversion to CVC (p < 0.001), while none of them was associated with risk for extravasation. Conclusion: Vasopressor medication through PIV line is a safe option in patients admitted to the PICU.

Developing a communication-skills training curriculum for resident-physicians to enhance patient outcomes at an academic medical centre: an ongoing mixed-methods study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Effective physician-patient communication is directly linked to enhanced patient safety, improved healthcare quality and health outcomes. Numerous studies have been done to implement and reinforce communication skills as core competencies to be acquired during residency training for providing culturally competent care. Pakistan has an ethnically diverse culture with people from varying diasporas. Hence there is a need to develop a curriculum that teaches cultural competency to residents. Thus, the aim of this study is (1) the identification of existing problems of communication skills among residents across various specialties, and (2) to strategise a communication skills curriculum by organising a conference of experts based on the Delphi method/estimate-talk-estimate method. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is divided into two phases. The first phase will employ a mixed-methods approach whereby the perceptions of attendings, residents, fellows, nurses, medical students and patients about resident-patient communication will be assessed via validated surveys, focused group discussions and in-depth interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data will be analysed using Stata and NVivo, respectively. The second phase is the development of a communication skills curriculum for residents based on results from phase one and a Delphi consensus involving medical education experts. Both phases will be conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has received ethical approval from the Ethical Review Committee at the Aga Khan University (2021-6041-17126). All participants will be mandated to provide informed consent and their confidentiality will be maintained by using de-identifiers and limiting access of the data to the research team only. The findings from this study will be presented in the form of original research papers.

Corrigendum: A Nationwide Virtual Research Education Program for Medical Students in Pakistan: Methodological Framework, Feasibility Testing, and Outcomes.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.812130.].

The Effects of Temperature and Prothrombotic Conditions on Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis Frequency: An Institutional Experience.

OBJECTIVES: The pathogenesis of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is complex and involves the interplay of underlying provocative factors. Upon observing a higher frequency of CVST cases presenting to our hospital in summer, we hypothesized that CVST may be influenced by variations in climate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients who were diagnosed with CVST at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan between January 2010 and December 2019 was conducted. After dividing patients into groups based on the type of risk, the frequency of CVST in these groups between four seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter) was compared. RESULTS: A total of 256 patients diagnosed with CVST were included, of which 129 were female and 127 were male. The mean age was 41.7 ± 15.2 years. Of the total patients, 91.4% had some sort of risk factor, either systemic (162 patients) or local (72 patients), while 22 patients did not have any identifiable risk factor. The number of patients with more than one known risk factor was 93 (36.3%). Of the total number of patients, 96 (37.5%) patients had hyperhomocysteinemia, followed by 85 patients (33.2%) with a prothrombotic risk factor other than hyperhomocysteinemia and 44 (17.2%) patients with central nervous system infections. The most commonly affected sinuses were a combination of the transverse sinus and sigmoid sinus (21%), There was a statistically significant seasonal variation in CVST cases among all patients (P = 0.03) and in the systemic risk factor group (P = 0.05), with the highest number of cases occurring in the summer season. CONCLUSIONS: CVST may be influenced by seasonal changes in atmospheric temperatures and humidity, especially in patients with underlying prothrombotic risk factors.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) in Pakistani children: A description of the phenotypes and comparison with historical cohorts of children with Kawasaki disease and myocarditis.

OBJECTIVES: To determine clinical, laboratory features and outcomes of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C) and its comparison with historic Kawasaki Disease (KD) and Viral Myocarditis (VM) cohorts. METHODS: All children (1 month- 18 years) who fulfilled the World Health Organization criteria of MIS-C presenting to two tertiary care centers in Karachi from May 2020 till August 31st were included. KD and VM admitted to one of the study centers in the last five years prior to this pandemic, was compared to MIS-C. RESULTS: Thirty children with median age of 24 (interquartile range (IQR)1-192) months met the criteria for MIS-C. Three phenotypes were identified, 12 patients (40%) with KD, ten (33%) VM and eight (26%) had features of TSS. Echocardiography showed coronary involvement in 10 (33%), and moderate to severe Left Ventricular dysfunction in 10 (33%) patients. Steroids and intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) were administered to 24 (80%) and 12 (41%) patients respectively while 7 (23%) received both. Overall, 20% children expired. During the last five years, 30 and 47 children were diagnosed with KD and VM, respectively. Their comparison with MIS-C group showed lymphopenia, thrombocytosis, and higher CRP as well as more frequent atypical presentation in MIS-C KD group with less coronary involvement. The MIS-C VM was more likely to present with fulminant myocarditis. CONCLUSIONS: Our MIS-C cohort is younger with higher mortality compared to previous reports. MIS-C is distinct from historic cohorts of KD and VM in both in clinical features and outcomes.

A Nationwide Virtual Research Education Program for Medical Students in Pakistan: Methodological Framework, Feasibility Testing, and Outcomes.

Introduction: Equipping young medical trainees with fundamental research skills can be a promising strategy to address the need for professionals who can understand and responsibly communicate evolving scientific evidence during a pandemic. Despite an ardent interest to partake in research, most educational institutions in Pakistan and other low-middle income countries have not yet adopted a comprehensive strategy for research skills education. The authors aimed to design and assess the feasibility of implementing the first nation-wide virtual research workshop for medical students in Pakistan. Methods: The course "Beginners Guide to Research," designed as a nation-wide virtual research workshop series, was conducted for medical students across Pakistan in June 2020. Four interactive live workshops took place online on alternate days from June 22nd, 2020, to June 27th, 2020, each lasting 1-2 h. Outcomes included: (i) reach, (ii) efficacy as indexed by pre-post change in score pertaining to knowledge and application of research and (iii) self-rated perceptions about understanding of research on a Likert scale. Results: 3,862 participants enrolled from 41 cities and 123 institutions. Enrolled participants belonged to the following provinces: Sindh (n = 1,852, 48.0%), Punjab (n = 1,767, 45.8%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (n = 109, 2.8%), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (n = 84, 2.2%) Balochistan (n = 42, 1.1%). We also saw a few registrations from international students (n = 8, 0.2%). Mean (SD) age of enrolled medical students was 21.1 (2.1) years, 2,453 (63.5%) participants were female and 2,394 (62.0%) were from private-sector medical colleges. Two thousand ninety-three participants participants filled out all four pre-test and post-test forms. The total median knowledge score improved from 39.7 to 60.3% with the highest improvements in concepts of research bioethics and literature search (p < 0.001) with greater change for females compared to males (+20.6 vs. +16.2%, p < 0.001) and private institutions compared to public ones (+16.2 vs. +22.1%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The overwhelming enrollment and significant improvement in learning outcomes (>50% of baseline) indicate feasibility of a medical student-led research course during a pandemic, highlighting its role in catering to the research needs in the LMICs.

Assessment of Blood Glucose and Electrolytes during Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Patients of Pakistan.

INTRODUCTION: Perioperative hyperglycemia has been shown to be related to higher levels of morbidity and mortality in patients on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), both diabetic and non-diabetic. Blood electrolytes, like sodium, potassium, calcium, and chloride play a very important role in the normal functioning of the body and can lead to a variety of clinical disorders if they become deficient. A minimal number of studies have been conducted on the simultaneous perioperative changes in both blood glucose and electrolyte levels during CPB in Pakistan. Therefore, our aim is to record and compare the changes in blood glucose and electrolyte levels during CPB in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. MATERIALS & METHODS: This was a prospective, observational study conducted on 200 patients who underwent CABG with CPB, from October 2014 to March 2015. The patients were recruited from the Cardiac Surgery Ward, Civil Hospital Karachi after they complied with the inclusion criteria. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the trend of the changes perioperatively for the two groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in changes in blood glucose between the two groups (P = 0.62). The only significant difference detected between the two groups was for PaCO2 (P = 0.001). Besides, further analysis revealed insignificant group differences for the trend changes in other blood electrolytes (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings highlighted that there is no significant difference in blood electrolytes changes and the increase in blood glucose levels between diabetic and non-diabetic patients.