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BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) Feb 2021To examine the association between antihypertensive treatment and specific adverse events. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between antihypertensive treatment and specific adverse events.
DESIGN
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials of adults receiving antihypertensives compared with placebo or no treatment, more antihypertensive drugs compared with fewer antihypertensive drugs, or higher blood pressure targets compared with lower targets. To avoid small early phase trials, studies were required to have at least 650 patient years of follow-up.
INFORMATION SOURCES
Searches were conducted in Embase, Medline, CENTRAL, and the Science Citation Index databases from inception until 14 April 2020.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The primary outcome was falls during trial follow-up. Secondary outcomes were acute kidney injury, fractures, gout, hyperkalaemia, hypokalaemia, hypotension, and syncope. Additional outcomes related to death and major cardiovascular events were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and random effects meta-analysis was used to pool rate ratios, odds ratios, and hazard ratios across studies, allowing for between study heterogeneity (τ).
RESULTS
Of 15 023 articles screened for inclusion, 58 randomised controlled trials were identified, including 280 638 participants followed up for a median of 3 (interquartile range 2-4) years. Most of the trials (n=40, 69%) had a low risk of bias. Among seven trials reporting data for falls, no evidence was found of an association with antihypertensive treatment (summary risk ratio 1.05, 95% confidence interval 0.89 to 1.24, τ=0.009). Antihypertensives were associated with an increased risk of acute kidney injury (1.18, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.39, τ=0.037, n=15), hyperkalaemia (1.89, 1.56 to 2.30, τ=0.122, n=26), hypotension (1.97, 1.67 to 2.32, τ=0.132, n=35), and syncope (1.28, 1.03 to 1.59, τ=0.050, n=16). The heterogeneity between studies assessing acute kidney injury and hyperkalaemia events was reduced when focusing on drugs that affect the renin angiotensin-aldosterone system. Results were robust to sensitivity analyses focusing on adverse events leading to withdrawal from each trial. Antihypertensive treatment was associated with a reduced risk of all cause mortality, cardiovascular death, and stroke, but not of myocardial infarction.
CONCLUSIONS
This meta-analysis found no evidence to suggest that antihypertensive treatment is associated with falls but found evidence of an association with mild (hyperkalaemia, hypotension) and severe adverse events (acute kidney injury, syncope). These data could be used to inform shared decision making between doctors and patients about initiation and continuation of antihypertensive treatment, especially in patients at high risk of harm because of previous adverse events or poor renal function.
REGISTRATION
PROSPERO CRD42018116860.
Topics: Acute Kidney Injury; Aged; Antihypertensive Agents; Blood Pressure; Causality; Gout; Humans; Hyperkalemia; Hypokalemia; Middle Aged; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 33568342
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.n189 -
Arrhythmia & Electrophysiology Review Dec 2020Chagas disease is an important public health problem in Latin America. However, migration and globalisation have resulted in the increased presence of Chagas disease... (Review)
Review
Chagas disease is an important public health problem in Latin America. However, migration and globalisation have resulted in the increased presence of Chagas disease worldwide. Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of death in people with Chagas disease, most often due to ventricular fibrillation. Although more common in patients with documented ventricular arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death can also be the first manifestation of Chagas disease in patients with no previous symptoms or known heart failure. Major predictors of sudden cardiac death include cardiac arrest, sustained and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, left ventricular dysfunction, syncope and bradycardia. The authors review the predictors and risk stratification score developed by Rassi et al. for death in Chagas heart disease. They also discuss the evidence for anti-arrhythmic drugs, catheter ablation, ICDs and pacemakers for the prevention of sudden cardiac death in these patients. Given the widespread global burden, understanding the risk stratification and prevention of sudden cardiac death in Chagas disease is of timely concern.
PubMed: 33437484
DOI: 10.15420/aer.2020.27 -
Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery Jan 2021Cardiac lipoma is an uncommon primary cardiac tumor. With the advancement of diagnostic methods and treatment techniques, more cases of cardiac lipomas have been...
Cardiac lipoma is an uncommon primary cardiac tumor. With the advancement of diagnostic methods and treatment techniques, more cases of cardiac lipomas have been reported and suggest that the entity previously widely thought to display classic features may also show atypical findings. A systemic review of the rare cardiac tumor was done by searching the literature of cardiac lipoma. We endeavor to summarize the clinical features of the rare disease from pathogenesis to treatment. Literature of cardiac lipoma was retrospectively searched through PubMed and 255 cases of cardiac lipoma were included into this analysis. Cardiac lipomas can occur anywhere within the heart, 53.1% were located within the cardiac chambers, 32.5% in the pericardium, 10,7% within the myocardium and 3.7% involved multiple structures. More than half of the reported cardiac lipomas (66%) may be clinically symptomatic, presenting with symptoms ranging from chest discomfort to syncope depending on their size and location as well as extent of myocardial involvement. Noninvasive cardiac imaging has replaced the role of autopsy and cardiothoracic surgery in detection and diagnosis of cardiac lipomas. Most symptomatic patients (83.7%) were treated by resection of cardiac lipomas and 68.3% of asymptomatic patients also underwentprophylactic resection. Overgrowth and myocardial infiltration of lipomas may result in unsuccessful resection. Recurrence of cardiac lipomas was rare but reported in a few cases. The early detection and accurate diagnosis of cardiac lipoma is of great significance in clinical management, to avoid an unfavourable outcome due to overgrowth.
Topics: Heart Neoplasms; Humans; Lipoma; Pericardium; Rare Diseases
PubMed: 33407682
DOI: 10.1186/s13019-020-01379-6 -
Academic Emergency Medicine : Official... May 2021Emergency department (ED) patients with unexplained syncope are at risk of experiencing an adverse event within 30 days. Our objective was to systematically review the...
OBJECTIVES
Emergency department (ED) patients with unexplained syncope are at risk of experiencing an adverse event within 30 days. Our objective was to systematically review the accuracy of multivariate risk stratification scores for identifying adult syncope patients at high and low risk of an adverse event over the next 30 days.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review of electronic databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane, Embase, and CINAHL) from database creation until May 2020. We sought studies evaluating prediction scores of adults presenting to an ED with syncope. We included studies that followed patients for up to 30 days to identify adverse events such as death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiac surgery. We only included studies with a blinded comparison between baseline clinical features and adverse events. We calculated likelihood ratios and confidence intervals (CIs).
RESULTS
We screened 13,788 abstracts. We included 17 studies evaluating nine risk stratification scores on 24,234 patient visits, where 7.5% (95% CI = 5.3% to 10%) experienced an adverse event. A Canadian Syncope Risk Score (CSRS) of 4 or more was associated with a high likelihood of an adverse event (LR = 11, 95% CI = 8.9 to 14). A CSRS of 0 or less (LR = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.07 to 0.20) was associated with a low likelihood of an adverse event. Other risk scores were not validated on an independent sample, had low positive likelihood ratios for identifying patients at high risk, or had high negative likelihood ratios for identifying patients at low risk.
CONCLUSION
Many risk stratification scores are not validated or not sufficiently accurate for clinical use. The CSRS is an accurate validated prediction score for ED patients with unexplained syncope. Its impact on clinical decision making, admission rates, cost, or outcomes of care is not known.
Topics: Adult; Canada; Emergency Service, Hospital; Humans; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Syncope
PubMed: 33382159
DOI: 10.1111/acem.14203 -
European Journal of Pediatrics May 2021
PubMed: 33301072
DOI: 10.1007/s00431-020-03903-1 -
European Journal of Pediatrics May 2021Heart rate variability (HRV) is currently considered the most valuable non-invasive test to investigate the autonomic nervous system function, based on the fact that... (Review)
Review
Heart rate variability (HRV) is currently considered the most valuable non-invasive test to investigate the autonomic nervous system function, based on the fact that fast fluctuations might specifically reflect changes of sympathetic and vagal activity. An association between abnormal values of HRV and brain impairment has been reported in the perinatal period, although data are still fragmentary. Considering such association, HRV has been suggested as a possible marker of brain damage also in case of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy following perinatal asphyxia. The aim of the present manuscript was to review systematically the current knowledge about the use of HRV as marker of cerebral injury in neonates suffering from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Findings reported in this paper were based on qualitative analysis of the reviewed data. Conclusion: A growing body of research supports the use of HRV as non-invasive, bedside tool for the monitoring of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. The currently available data about the role of HRV as prognostic tool in case of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy are promising but require further validation by future studies. What is Known: • Heart rate variability (HRV) is a non-invasive monitoring technique to assess the autonomic nervous system activity. • A correlation between abnormal HRV and cerebral injury has been reported in the perinatal period, and HRV has been suggested as possible marker of brain damage in case of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. What is New: • HRV might provide precocious information about the entity of brain injury in asphyxiated neonates and be of help to design early, specific, and personalized treatments according to severity. • Further investigations are required to confirm these preliminary data.
Topics: Asphyxia Neonatorum; Brain; Brain Injuries; Female; Heart Rate; Humans; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain; Infant, Newborn; Pregnancy
PubMed: 33245400
DOI: 10.1007/s00431-020-03882-3 -
World Journal of Cardiology Oct 2020The utility of novel oral soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulators (vericiguat and riociguat), in patients with reduced or preserved ejection fraction heart failure...
BACKGROUND
The utility of novel oral soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulators (vericiguat and riociguat), in patients with reduced or preserved ejection fraction heart failure (HFrEF/HFpEF) is currently unclear.
AIM
To determine the efficacy and safety of sGC stimulators in HF patients.
METHODS
Multiple databases were searched to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Data on the safety and efficacy of sGC stimulators were compared using relative risk ratio (RR) on a random effect model.
RESULTS
Six RCTs, comprising 5604 patients (2801 in sGC stimulator group and 2803 placebo group) were included. The primary endpoint (a composite of cardiovascular mortality and first HF-related hospitalization) was significantly reduced in patients receiving sGC stimulators compared to placebo [RR 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.85-0.99, = 0.02]. The incidence of total HF-related hospitalizations were also lower in sGC group (RR 0.91, 95%CI: 0.86-0.96, = 0.0009), however, sGC stimulators had no impact on all-cause mortality (RR 0.96, 95%CI: 0.86-1.07, = 0.45) or cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.94, 95%CI: 0.83-1.06, = 0.29). The overall safety endpoint (a composite of hypotension and syncope) was also similar between the two groups (RR 1.50, 95%CI: 0.93-2.42, = 0.10). By contrast, a stratified subgroup analysis adjusted by type of sGC stimulator and HF (vericiguat riociguat and HFrEF HFpEF) showed near identical rates for all safety and efficacy endpoints between the two groups at a mean follow-up of 19 wk. For the primary composite endpoint, the number needed to treat was 35, the number needed to harm was 44.
CONCLUSION
The use of vericiguat and riociguat in conjunction with standard HF therapy, shows no benefit in terms of decreasing HF-related hospitalizations or mortality.
PubMed: 33173569
DOI: 10.4330/wjc.v12.i10.501 -
Neurological Sciences : Official... Dec 2020Coronaviruses mainly affect the respiratory system; however, there are reports of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV causing neurological manifestations. We aimed at discussing the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Coronaviruses mainly affect the respiratory system; however, there are reports of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV causing neurological manifestations. We aimed at discussing the various neurological manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection and to estimate the prevalence of each of them.
METHODS
We searched the following electronic databases; PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, WHO database, and ClinicalTrials.gov . Relevant MeSH terms for COVID-19 and neurological manifestations were used. Randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, case-control studies, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, case series, and case reports were included in the study. To estimate the overall proportion of each neurological manifestations, the study employed meta-analysis of proportions using a random-effects model.
RESULTS
Pooled prevalence of each neurological manifestations are, smell disturbances (35.8%; 95% CI 21.4-50.2), taste disturbances (38.5%; 95%CI 24.0-53.0), myalgia (19.3%; 95% CI 15.1-23.6), headache (14.7%; 95% CI 10.4-18.9), dizziness (6.1%; 95% CI 3.1-9.2), and syncope (1.8%; 95% CI 0.9-4.6). Pooled prevalence of acute cerebrovascular disease was (2.3%; 95%CI 1.0-3.6), of which majority were ischaemic stroke (2.1%; 95% CI 0.9-3.3), followed by haemorrhagic stroke (0.4%; 95% CI 0.2-0.6), and cerebral venous thrombosis (0.3%; 95% CI 0.1-0.6).
CONCLUSIONS
Neurological symptoms are common in SARS-CoV-2 infection, and from the large number of cases reported from all over the world daily, the prevalence of neurological features might increase again. Identifying some neurological manifestations like smell and taste disturbances can be used to screen patients with COVID-19 so that early identification and isolation is possible.
Topics: Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; Central Nervous System Diseases; Coronavirus Infections; Humans; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; Prevalence; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 33089477
DOI: 10.1007/s10072-020-04801-y -
Archivos de Cardiologia de Mexico Sep 2020There is controversy regarding the most appropriate goals for blood pressure control. We assess the benefits and risks of chossing different therapeutic thresholds.
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES
There is controversy regarding the most appropriate goals for blood pressure control. We assess the benefits and risks of chossing different therapeutic thresholds.
METHODS
We perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of large clinical trials in order to assess the impact of different therapeutic strategies on the reduction of cardiovascular events and the development of serious adverse effects.
RESULTS
Four trials with 29,820 participants were included, with mean age of 65 ± 7.9 years; 42.2% were women and 22% were diabetic. Overall, intensive goals showed a non-significant trend towards reducing cardiovascular mortality (relative risk [RR]: 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68-1.07; p=0.16) with non-impact in total mortality (p=0.45) and with moderate heterogeneity among the included trials (I index [I]2:44 and 59% respectively). Nevertheless, intensive goals reduce non-fatal cardiovascular events (RR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.70-0.91; p=0.0003), being consistent in all the analyzed trials (I2: 0%). Regarding adverse effects, intensive goals caused more emergency consultations or hospitalization (RR: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.59-2.46; p<0.0001; I2: 14%), with no clear increase in renal failure (RR: 1.65; 95% CI: 0.94-2.89) but with increase in falls and syncope (RR: 2.39; 95% CI: 1.56-3.67; p<0.0001; I2: 28%).
CONCLUSION
Intensive blood pressure goals reduce non-fatal cardiovascular events, without reduction in mortality, and with an increase of risk of adverse events. These results suggest that individual goals should be set according to the risk of each patient.
CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO (CRD42020149134).
PubMed: 33008145
DOI: 10.24875/ACM.20000132 -
Zdravstveno Varstvo Jun 2020Heart rhythm disorders (HRD) are often present in patients visiting their family physician (FP). Dealing with their problems is not always simple, efficient and cost... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Heart rhythm disorders (HRD) are often present in patients visiting their family physician (FP). Dealing with their problems is not always simple, efficient and cost effective. The aim of this paper is to review the existing literature about the use and experience of telecardiology in patients experiencing HRD.
METHODS
We conducted a review of literature in PubMed biographical databases (MeSH thesaurus), Web of Science and Cochrane, between 1995 and 2019. We included original articles in English that describe the use of telecardiology at primary and secondary healthcare levels. Exclusion criteria are those publications that discuss heart failure or observation of the activity of pacemakers or defibrillators and the age of patients under 18 years. A total of 19 papers met the inclusion criteria, thirteen of them were original scientific articles and we included them in the analysis.
RESULTS
Use of telemedicine can shorten the time from diagnosis to the necessary treatment (2/13), telemedicine can reduce mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction (4/13), it can shorten the time to diagnose atrial fibrillations (4/13), it can help determine the diagnosis for patients complaining about heart rhythm disorders which were not detected on the standard ECG recording (2/13) and can also help identify cardiac causes for syncope or collapse (2/13). All studies have confirmed that the use of telecardiology significantly reduces the number of unnecessary referrals to a cardiologist or hospitalization, and shortens the time needed to treat patients with life-threatening conditions.
CONCLUSION
The use of telecardiological techniques increases the quality and safety of work in managing patients with cardiovascular disease in FP practice. Usage of telecardiologic devices can also save money and bridge the gap between the primary and secondary healthcare levels.
PubMed: 32952710
DOI: 10.2478/sjph-2020-0014