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ispartof: KARDIOLOGIA POLSKA vol:80 issue:4 pages:485-488 ispartof: location:Poland status: published

Background: Young doctors have made up a substantial part of healthcare forces during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of this study was to determine the rate and level of psychological distress among young doctors during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This cross-sectional cohort study, dedicated to doctors, at or below the age of 40, was conducted in 62 countries as an online survey between September – November 2020. Survey questions covered the following areas: 1. demographics 2. work environment 3.the ‘Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)’ and the ‘Perceived Stress Scale 10 (PSS-10)’. The primary outcome was the rate and level of anxiety/depression and stress among surveyed population defined according to adopted cut off values (HADS>13, PSS-10>14). Secondary outcomes included risk factors for increased HADS and PSS-10 scores.Results: Among 1186 respondents, median aged 32 [29–36], 675 (44.5%) females, 96% reported a high level of anxiety/depression and 97% reported a high level of stress. Factors associated with significantly higher scores for anxiety/depression were increased work hours [OR 1.61 95%CI (1.12–2.34);p=0.01] and loss of pay [OR 5.53, 95% CI (1.57–19.47);p=0.008], while reduced work hours [OR 0.68 95% CI (0.48 - 0.98);p=0.03], increased salaries [OR 0.54 95% CI (0.35–0.85);p=0.003) and good training [OR 0.99 95%CI (0.99– 1.00);p=0.002] were associated with lower scores. Higher scores for stress were associated with higher professional experience [OR 1.08 95% CI (1.02–1.14);p=0.008], reduced salaries [OR 1.74 95% CI (1.01–2.92);p=0.04] and living with a partner [OR 1.53 95% CI (1.08–2.17);p=0.01]. Conclusions: A high rate of young doctors working clinically during the COVID-19 pandemic reported a persistently high level of psychological distress more than six months after the initial outbreak. Improvements in work organization, including reduced work hours and financial security are essential to prevent further psychological suffering among young doctors worldwide.

Improvement in survival in patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) has led to increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease. Whether HIV-associated immune dysfunction is associated with preclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction despite normal LV ejection fraction (LVEF) is unclear. Accordingly, we investigated the relation of immune status and LV function in PLHIV. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) analyses were performed retrospectively on all echocardiograms for PLHIV who had available HIV-1 RNA viral load, nadir, and proximal CD4 cell count data at Duke University Medical Center between 2001 and 2012. The relation between HIV-1 RNA viral load, nadir, and proximal CD4 count and GLS as a continuous dependent variable was assessed with unadjusted and adjusted linear regression. GLS was calculated for 253 PLHIV. Median GLS in our cohort was — 15.1% with interquartile range from (−16.7 to −13.6). All participants had an LVEF ≥50%. In adjusted analyses, proximal CD4

Background: The higher risk of heart failure (HF) in African-American and Hispanic women compared with white women is related to the higher burden of risk factors (RFs) in minorities. However, it is unclear if there are differences in the association between the number of RFs for HF and the risk of development of HF and death within racial/ethnic groups. Methods and Results: In the WHI (Women’s Health Initiative; 1993–2010), African-American (n=11 996), white (n=18 479), and Hispanic (n=5096) women with 1, 2, or 3+ baseline RFs were compared with women with 0 RF within their respective racial/ethnic groups to assess risk of developing HF or all-cause mortality before and after HF, using survival analyses. After adjusting for age, socioeconomic status, and hormone therapy, the subdistribution hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of developing HF increased as number of RFs increased ( P P =0.18)—African-Americans 1 RF: 1.80 (1.01–3.20), 2 RFs: 3.19 (1.84–5.54), 3+ RFs: 7.31 (4.26–12.56); Whites 1 RF: 1.27 (1.04–1.54), 2 RFs: 1.95 (1.60–2.36), 3+ RFs: 4.07 (3.36–4.93); Hispanics 1 RF: 1.72 (0.68–4.34), 2 RFs: 3.87 (1.60–9.37), 3+ RFs: 8.80 (3.62–21.42). Risk of death before developing HF increased with subsequent RFs ( P P =0.001). The number of RFs was not associated with the risk of death after developing HF in any group ( P =0.25; interaction P =0.48). Conclusions: Among diverse racial/ethnic groups, an increase in the number of baseline RFs was associated with higher risk of HF and death before HF but was not associated with death after HF. Early RF prevention may reduce the burden of HF across multiple racial/ethnic groups.

Objectives. A systematic review of randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses evaluating the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of statins in preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women without cardiovascular disease. Background. Several meta-analyses have been performed evaluating statins in CVD primary prevention trials involving women. This review is an update incorporating the results of recent CVD primary prevention trials in women and the recent concerns of statins and new-onset diabetes. Method. PubMed database was searched for primary prevention trials and meta-analyses. The key terms “statins, cardiovascular disease, primary prevention in women” were used. Search was limited to all English publications published up to October 2012. Results. Statin use led to a trend towards reduction in cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in women. No significant increased risk in adverse events was observed. The slight increased incidence of diabetes is outweighed by the greater cardiovascular benefit derived from statin use. Conclusions. The data support the use of statins for primary prevention of CVD in women at higher risk of CVD. The lack of statistical significance in prior randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses is attributable to the lower numbers of women enrolled in these trials and the lower CVD risk of women in the trials resulting in the inadequate powering of these studies. Higher risk women who may benefit from CVD primary prevention with statins may be identified using validated tools such as the Reynolds scoring system, the 2011 American Heart Association risk algorithm for women, and the forthcoming National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute risk equations.

Ezetimibe/simvastatin is a combination of a statin and a cholesterol absorption inhibitor. This article reviews current information on the pharmacology, clinical efficacy and safety of ezetimibe/simvastatin combination therapy as a lipid-lowering pharmacologic option. Focus is on the LDL cholesterol-lowering efficacy of ezetimibe/simvastatin. PubMed was searched for english-language articles from January 2005 to 14 April 2010 using the keywords 'ezetimibe and simvastatin' and 'hyperlipidemia'. Reviewers screened all records and only English language papers and human clinical studies were included in the review. References of these papers were reviewed for relevant articles, and retrospective studies were excluded. Limitations include the exclusion of non-English publications, the use of only one data source (PubMed), and the fact that most studies were of short duration and several studies were of low quality (nonrandomized trials or meta-analyses). Ezetimibe and simvastatin has proven to be a well-tolerated, effective lipid-lowering drug combination. It is effective in reducing LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, and increasing HDL-cholesterol. It also decreases C-reactive protein and exhibits some pleiotropic effects in a variety of patient populations. More data are needed to evaluate its effect on cardiovascular events/outcomes.

Background: Statins are recommended as first line therapy for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Some individuals are statin intolerant or may need additional cholesterol lowering to achieve their cholesterol targets. Purpose: To review the pharmacology, clinical efficacy and safety of colesevelam mono- and combination therapy in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Data source: English-language journals from PUBMED MEDLINE (without restriction of date) using key word colesevelam. Results: Trials of colesevelam as monotherpy or in combination had baseline LDL-c levels of 130 to 202 mg/dl and triglycerides levels of 114 to 230 mg/dl. Colesevelam monotherapy reduced LDL-c by 9%–20% while increasing triglycerides 6%–25%. When added to low or moderate dose statin therapy, colesevelam decreased LDL-c an additional 6%–16%; when added to fenofibrate, colesevelam additionally decreased LDL-c by 17% and non-HDL-c by 7%; and when added to statin + niacin 2 gr additionally decreased LDL-c by 10%. The hypertriglyceridemia observed with colesevelam monotherapy was largely attenuated when colesevelam was coadministered with statins, fenofibrate, or niacin 2 gr. Coadministration of colesevelam with ezetimibe provided variable additional LDL-c reductions ranging from 0 to 20% over ezetimibe alone, and triglyceride responses were similarly variable. In diabetic individuals with modest hypertriglyceridemia, colesevelam reduced hemoglobin A1c by 0.5%. Colesevelam has fewer drug interactions than older bile acid sequestrants and is well-tolerated when used in combination with other lipid-lowering medications as well as with oral anti-diabetes medications or insulin. Conclusion: Colesevelam is an option for patients who have not achieved their LDL-c and non-HDL-c goals with statin therapy, or who are statin intolerant. Colesevelam is also an option to lower both LDL-c and glucose levels in patients with inadequately controlled diabetes.

Background: Heart failure (HF), a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in women, continues to disproportionately affect African-American (AA) women compared to women of other races/ethnicities. In a large cohort of post-menopausal women, we investigated if AA women progress through HF stages and coronary heart disease (CHD) death more rapidly than Caucasian (Cau) or Hispanic/Latina (HL) women. Methods: We assessed the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) HF stage A upon enrollment into the Women’s Health Initiative (1993-1998) and the progression from Stage A to Stage C, Stage C to CHD death, up to the last date of follow-up (2010). Cox proportional hazard regressions models were used to assess disease progression risk. We adjusted for age, baseline comorbidities, duration of comorbidities, interval development of myocardial infarction, ejection fraction at HF diagnosis, socioeconomic factors, and sex specific variables. Results: At baseline, AA women were younger and had a higher percentage of Stage A HF (76%) than Cau (54%) and HL (55%) women. Overall, AA and HL women had significantly lower risk of progressing from Stage A to Stage C compared to Cau women [AA vs. Cau adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.77 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.64 -0.93) p = 0.0055; HL vs. Cau HR 0.54 (95% CI 0.40 -0.71) p < 0.0001]. After stratifying by age groups(70 years), AA women had a similar risk of progression from stage A to C compared to Cau women. When compared to Cau women, AA had an insignificant increased risk of progressing from Stage C to CHD death [adjusted HR 1.29 (95% CI 0.72 -2.32) p = 0.3883)]. Conclusions: Cau women were at higher risk for HF progression from Stage A to Stage C compared to HL women, but at similar risk as AA women. AA women had an insignificant but increased risk of progression from Stage C to CHD death compared to Cau women.

Preamble 1523 1. Introduction 1524 2. General Standards 1526 3. Training Components 1526 4. Training Requirements 1528 5. Evaluation of Proficiency 1542 6. Maintenance of Competency 1543 References 1543 Appendix 1. Author Relationships with Industry and Other Entities (Relevant) 1545 Appendix 2. Reviewer Relationships with Industry and Other Entities (Relevant) 1548 Appendix 3. Abbreviations 1551 Since the 1995 publication of its Core Cardiovascular Training Statement (COCATS), the American College of Cardiology (ACC) has played a central role in defining …