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Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a challenging medical emergency with high mortality and its prevalence is increasing in India. There is paucity of data on ADHF in the country.Indian College of Cardiology National Heart Failure Registry (ICCNHFR) is an on-going observational registry on ADHF contributed by 22 hospitals across India; and we present the in-hospital and 30-day outcomes of ADHF patients enrolled from August 2018 to July 2019. Major objective included capturing demographics, comorbid conditions, aetiology, prescription patterns and assessing clinical outcomes.Of 5269 patients (mean age: 61.90 ± 13.85 years) enrolled in this study, males were predominant (67.09%). Mean duration of hospitalization was 5.74 ± 4.74 days. Ischemic heart disease was the most common (75.44%) aetiology. Abnormal electrocardiogram readings were found in most patients (89.86%). LVEF of ˂40% was found in 68.29% of patients. In-hospital mortality rates were 6.98%. The 30-day cumulative mortality was 12.35% and 30-day rehospitalization rate was 7.98%. At discharge, all guideline-based medical therapy (GDMT) were prescribed only to 24.99% of patients and 23.72% adhered to the prescription until 30 days. Older age, high serum creatinine levels and poor LVEF contributed to high mortality and rehospitalization.Patients with ADHF were younger and predominantly males. Usage of GDMT in ADHF patients was low (24.99%) and the in-hospital mortality was high. Older age, high serum creatinine levels, poor LVEF contributed for 30-day mortality and rehospitalization. This data on ADHF, could help in developing strategies to improve outcomes for HF patients in India.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly hypercoagulable viral infection complicated as COVID-inflicted coagulopathy (CIC), that is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. International guidelines recommend low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) to treat CIC in both in-hospital and in-home settings. However, in India, using subcutaneous LMWH may not be a feasible option for a vast majority of patients under home management. Additionally, while some evidence advocates the use of novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs), in hospitalized settings, most guidelines find no role of NOACs in hospital settings. On the other hand, the resource crunch faced in recent COVID-19 pandemic in India forced physicians to treat many patients in home settings. These patients had been usually prescribed NOACs for ease of administration and adherence. Therefore, there is a need to form a consensus on the use of NOACs to manage CIC in India.

A rising burden of coronary artery disease (CAD) in India is a major cause of concern, with angina being the leading manifestation. Hence a questionnaire to sensitize the clinicians about stable angina management and to assist in risk stratification is imperative.To evaluate the content and face validity of a modified questionnaire adapted from the 7-item Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ).A panel of six experts in the field of evidence-based practice reviewed and rated the modified instrument for content clarity and relevance based on the 4-point ordinal scale. Face validity was assessed based on the trichotomous rating of "disagreed", "agree" or "neutral". Items on which ≥75% of patients "disagreed" were subjected to further review and revision.A total of six experts and 51 patients participated in the content and face validity, respectively. As no question received a score ≤2 by two or more experts for either content clarity or relevance, no modification in the questionnaire was required post content validation. During face validation, all patients agreed that the questions correctly measured the specific area of cardiovascular health status and response options correctly captured the answers provided. Demographic and baseline data of the patients were collected.The newly developed 5-item questionnaire demonstrated content and face validity, suggesting it to be a potential instrument to improve management decision and care of angina patients in India.

Real-world data on the effectiveness of antihypertensive drugs (AHDs) in India is limited. The present study aims to provide updated evidence regarding the effectiveness of olmesartan as monotherapy or in combination with other AHDs in Indian patients with essential hypertension.Electronic medical record data of adult patients who were diagnosed with essential hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg) and were prescribed olmesartan as mono- or add-on therapy were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were classified based on the number of AHD classes prescribed on initiation of olmesartan. Change in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) from baseline was the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoint was evaluation of proportion of patients who achieved treatment goals as per 2018 European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension guidelines. Readings were obtained before initiating olmesartan and after at least a month of therapy with olmesartan.Among the 459 included patients, majority were on olmesartan monotherapy or olmesartan+1AHD (91.7%). Mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) change in olmesartan monotherapy group was: SBP (-13.4 [-15.7, -11.1] mmHg) and DBP (-8.3 [-9.5, -7.1] mmHg) and mean (95% CI) change in olmesartan+1AHD group was: SBP (-11.7 [-15.1, -8.3] mmHg) and DBP (-6.6 [-8.3, -4.9] mmHg) (P0.001 for all). SBP and DBP goals were achieved by 40.4% and 50.3% of patients on olmesartan monotherapy and by 36.1% and 46.2% of patients on olmesartan+1AHD. Among patients with comorbid diabetes, mean (95% CI) change in olmesartan monotherapy group was: SBP (-15.5 [-18.6, -12.4] mmHg) and DBP (-8.7 [-10.2, -7.2] mmHg) and mean (95% CI) change in olmesartan+1AHD group was: SBP (-13.5 [-18.3, -8.7] mmHg) and DBP (-7.6 [-9.8, -5.4] mmHg) (P0.001 for all). SBP and DBP goals were achieved by 38.5% and 49.4% of patients on olmesartan monotherapy and by 31.7% and 42.9% of patients on olmesartan+1AHD.Olmesartan prescribed as mono- or add-on therapy during routine clinical practice significantly reduced blood pressure in Indian patients with essential hypertension as well as in patients with comorbid diabetes.

The mortality rate from cardiovascular disease (CVD) in India is higher than the global figures (272 per 100,000 persons vs. 235 per 100,000 persons, respectively). Smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia are the known risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The treatment of either condition aims to reduce the risk of ASCVD. This goal is achievable only when a holistic, simultaneous treatment is initiated and is monitored to reduce the blood glucose, blood cholesterol, and BP. India heralds a huge population of nearly 73 million people with diabetes. Diabetes is one of the major contributors of ASCVD, dyslipidemia and hypertension often coexist with diabetes. Patients diagnosed with either condition need risk stratification, followed by defining the treatment target for each risk category and developing appropriate treatment strategies based on the risk category. Unfortunately, there is no clear guideline that defines the treatment targets and subsequent management. This statement has been created based on the vast experience and an extensive literature review conducted by experts from multidisciplinary teams to address several treatment dilemmas that are routinely faced by clinicians when treating their patients with diabetes. An attempt is made to provide well-defined answers to these quandaries. This statement discusses screening, diagnosis, risk stratification, treatment targets, and management of dyslipidemia and/or hypertension in patients with diabetes and provides a roadmap for the treatment of Indian patients to curtail the risk of ASCVD.