Common Cause Of Cardiovascular Death Research Articles

Temporal trends in disease-specific causes of cardiovascular mortality amongst patients with cancer in the USA between 1999 and 2019.

We report disease-specific cardiovascular causes of mortality among cancer patients in the USA between 1999 and 2019, considering temporal trends by age, sex, and cancer site. We used the Multiple Cause of Death database, accessed through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research resource. We included 629308 decedents with cardiovascular disease (CVD) recorded as the primary cause of death and active malignancy listed as a contributing cause of death. We created disease-specific CVD categories and grouped cancers by site. We calculated the proportion of CVD deaths attributed to each disease category stratified by sex, age, and cancer site. We also examined disease-specific temporal trends by cancer site. Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was the most common cardiovascular cause of death across all cancer types (55.6%), being more common in men (59.8%), older ages, and in those with lung (67.8%) and prostate (58.3%) cancers. Cerebrovascular disease (12.9%) and hypertensive diseases (7.6%) were other common causes of death. The proportion of deaths due to heart failure was greatest in haematological (7.7%) and breast (6.3%) cancers. There was a decreasing temporal trend in the proportion of cardiovascular deaths attributed to IHD across all cancer types. The proportion of deaths due to hypertensive diseases showed the greatest percentage increase, with the largest change in breast cancer patients (+191.1%). We demonstrate differential cardiovascular mortality risk by cancer site and demographics, providing insight into the evolving healthcare needs of this growing high-cardiovascular risk population.

Atypical presentation of pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis due to protein S deficiency in a young female with chest pain

Venous thromboembolism has many risk factors including protein S deficiency, which poses a significant diagnostic challenge as it presents with atypical complaints. A treatable yet potentially fatal condition, acute pulmonary embolism, is currently third most common cause of cardiovascular death. Clinicians should include pulmonary embolism as differential diagnosis in young adults with atypical symptoms with 2 D ECHO findings of the dilated right atrium, right ventricle, and elevated pulmonary artery pressure, and diagnosis is confirmed by computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). Anticoagulants including NOACs should be initiated promptly to improve the outcome for patients.

Acute pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis due to protein S deficiency in a young female presenting with chest pain

Protein S deficiency is a major risk factor for venous thromboembolism, posing a diagnostic challenge due to atypical presenting complaints. Acute pulmonary embolism is a common, treatable but potentially fatal condition, currently third most common cause of cardiovascular death. It is important for physicians to consider pulmonary embolism as a differential diagnosis in young adults presenting atypical symptoms with dilated right atrium, right ventricle and elevated pulmonary artery pressure on echocardiography. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) confirms pulmonary artery thrombosis. Prompt management with anticoagulant should be done to improve the outcome of patients.

Novel Pharmacomechanical Thrombolysis for Treating Intermediate-Risk Acute Pulmonary Embolism: The Bashir Endovascular Catheter.

Novel Pharmacomechanical Thrombolysis for Treating Intermediate-Risk Acute Pulmonary Embolism: The Bashir Endovascular Catheter.

Two-year outcomes of patients with atrial fibrillation treated with rivaroxaban: results from RIVER registry

Abstract Introduction Non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) were recommended in preference to oral vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in the 2020 updated guidelines for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF), from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Rivaroxaban is a NOAC that is approved in many countries worldwide for reducing the risk of stroke or systemic embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF). Purpose To explore the baseline characteristics, dosing and 2-year outcomes of patients with AF treated with rivaroxaban. Methods RIVaroxaban Evaluation in Real Life setting (RIVER) is a prospective international, multicenter registry of patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular AF treated with rivaroxaban for the prevention of thromboembolic stroke and at least one investigator-determined risk factor for stroke. Results A total of 5043 patients were enrolled into RIVER between January 2015 and June 2017. Mean (SD) age at diagnosis was 69.5 (11.0) years and 55.7% were males. Caucasian patients represented the largest proportion of patients in RIVER (80.3%), followed by Asians (5.5%) and hispanic/latino (3.7%). Almost all patients (98.5%) were prescribed a single daily dose of rivaroxaban, most commonly 20 mg (77.3%) and 15 mg (20.4%), while a 10 mg dose was prescribed in only 2.3% of patients. During the 2-year follow-up, the rates (95% CI) of all-cause mortality, stroke/SE, and major bleeding were 2.75 (2.43 to 3.12), 0.89 (0.72; 1.11), and 1.26 (1.05 to 1.52) per 100 person years, respectively (Figure 1). The most common cardiovascular cause of death was congestive heart failure (30.4%) and myocardial infarction (11.4%). Leading non-cardiovascular causes of death were malignancy (27.4%), respiratory failure (18.9%) and infections/sepsis (13.2%). Over 2 years, 710 (14.1%) of patients discontinued rivaroxaban. The corresponding proportions at 6 months and 1 year were 7.8% and 10.8%, respectively. Out of all the patients who discontinued, 62 (8.7%) restarted rivaroxaban during their follow-up (Table 1). Conclusion During 2 years of follow up in the international, prospective RIVER registry, rivaroxaban treatment for AF was associated with low rates of stroke or major bleeding. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): This work was supported by an unrestricted research grant from Bayer AG, Berlin, Germany, to TRI, London, UK. This work is supported by KANTOR CHARITABLE FOUNDATION for the Kantor-Kakkar Global Centre for Thrombosis Science.

Very long-term outcomes of older adults with stable coronary artery disease (from the CORONOR study).

There are limited data on stable coronary artery disease (CAD) in the very elderly. The present study aimed to investigate incident cardiovascular events and mortality in older adults (≥85 years) included in a multicenter registry on stable CAD. A long-term follow-up was performed in 198 patients ≥85 years with stable CAD, free from myocardial infarction (MI) or coronary revascularization within the year. The median age was 87 years. Clinical events during the follow-up period [death, MI, ischemic stroke, coronary revascularization and hospitalization for heart failure (HF)] were centrally adjudicated. There were 164 deaths during follow-up. The cumulative risk of all-cause death was 9.1% at 1 year, 53.9% at 5 years and 85.5% at 10 years. The cause of death was adjudicated as cardiovascular in 64 patients with death from HF in 36 patients. Male gender, previous hospitalization for HF and an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 were independently associated with all-cause death. Ten-year cumulative incidences of MI, ischemic stroke and coronary revascularization were low (6.6, 7.7 and 6.6%, respectively). By contrast, the 10-year cumulative incidence of hospitalization for HF was high (27.8%). The 10-year mortality of elderly patients with stable CAD is very high. While ischemic events are relatively unfrequent, HF events are frequent and represent the most common cause of cardiovascular death in this population. Prevention and management of HF are important goals for physicians in charge of older adults with stable CAD.

Ultrasound-assisted catheter directed thrombolysis for pulmonary embolus during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third most common cause of cardiovascular death. For patients who are hemodynamically unstable, veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support has been shown to provide hemodynamic stability, and allow time for definitive treatment and recovery. Ultrasound-assisted catheter directed thrombolysis (USAT) has the potential to be a safe adjunct and expedite right ventricular (RV) recovery for patients requiring VA-ECMO for PE. A review of all VA-ECMO patients from January 2017 to September 2019 was performed. A total of 49 of these patients were cannulated due to a PE. USAT therapy was used as an adjunct in 6 (12%) of these patients. These 6 patients were given standardized USAT therapy with EKOs catheters at 1 mg/h of tissue plasminogen activator with an unfractionated heparin infusion for additional systemic anticoagulation. Outcomes, including in-hospital death, 90-day survival, RV recovery, and complications, were examined in the cohort of patients that received USAT as an adjunct to ECMO. Median age was 54 years old. Five of the six patients presented with a massive PE and had a PE severity score of Class V. One patient presented with a submassive PE with a Bova score of 2, but was cannulated to VA-ECMO in the setting of worsening RV function. All patients demonstrated recovery of RV function, were free from in-hospital death, and were alive at 90-day follow-up. Ekosonic endovascular system therapy may be a safe and feasible adjunct for patients on VA-ECMO for PE, and allow for survival with RV recovery with minimal complications.

Pulmonary Embolism Mortality Associated with the Necessity of Being Hospitalized Outside the Canton of Residence in Ecuador

Introduction: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common cause of cardiovascular death, with hospital mortality rates in South America around 14%. However, there is limited information regarding Ecuador. Objectives: To present a survival analysis of Ecuadorian patients affected by PE. Methods: We performed a survival analysis study based on the retrospective review of the hospital discharges by PE in Ecuador from 2011 to 2018 through the Ecuadorian National Statistics and Census Institute databases. Results: We found 2974 cases of PE. From them, 505 (16.98%) patients deceased, 59.72% were females, 64.79% had an age ≥60 years with an average of 65.04 years, 19.80% were treated outside their canton of residence, and 7.57% were associated to acute cor pulmonale (ACP). Using the Cox regression model, being treated outside the canton of residence (HR 1.40, p<0.05) and age ≥60 years (HR 1.64, p<0.05) reduced the overall survival. Contrasting, the absence of ACP improved the OS (HR 0.68, p<0.05). Excluding patients aged ≥60 years, and with ACP, being treated outside the canton of residence increased the risk of death by PE (HR 1.77, p<0.05). However, this effect was non significative in patients ≥60 years of age and with ACP (p>0.05). Conclusion: Patients treated by PE outside their canton of residence had an increased risk of mortality during the in-hospital stay, especially those younger than 60 years without ACP.

Is there Any Relationship Between Long-Term Mortality of Acute Pulmonary Embolism and Complete Blood Count Analysis?

Purpose:Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a challenging disease as the third most common cause of cardiovascular death. Despite various scoring systems and blood parameters, more simple and practical predictors are being investigated. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between hospital and long-term mortality and complete blood count parameters, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with acute PE. Patients and Methods:The present study is a retrospective observational study. Between June 2016 and June 2018, patients hospitalised in our chest diseases clinic with evident PE were included. Demographics, baseline complete blood count, D-dimer (mg/L) and C-reaktif protein (mg/L) values were recorded. In-hospital mortality and long-term mortality were investigated and predictors of mortality were analyzed. Results:Of all the 74 pateints, 36 (49%) were male and the mean age was 65±18 (20-89). Embolus was localised in main pulmonary artery in 51%, right heart dysfunction were noted in 8 (10%) patients. Baseline NLR was significantly higher in patients who died in hospital (9.8±7.1 vs. 5.3±4.8, respectively) (P=0.037). Additionally NLR was found as a predictor of long-term mortality (P=.,047). The other predictors for long-term mortality were male gender (P=0.002), advanced age (P=0.023) and lower hemoglobin (P=0.013) values. Conclusion:Acute PE may lead mortality and require close follow-up of patients. Higher NLR values relate both in-hospital and long-term mortality and may be used as a cheap, simple and useful prognostic predictor in patients with PE.

Cause of Death Among Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease: Insights From the EUCLID Trial.

Peripheral artery disease is common and associated with high mortality. There are limited data detailing causes of death among patients with peripheral artery disease. EUCLID (Examining Use of Ticagrelor in Peripheral Artery Disease) was a randomized clinical trial that assigned patients with peripheral artery disease to clopidogrel or ticagrelor. We describe the causes of death in EUCLID using mortality end points adjudicated through a clinical events classification process. The association between baseline factors and cardiovascular death was evaluated by Cox proportional hazards modeling. The competing risk of noncardiovascular death was assessed by the cumulative incidence function for cardiovascular death and the Fine and Gray method to ascertain the association between baseline characteristics and cardiovascular mortality. A total of 1263 out of 13 885 (9.1%) patients died (median follow-up: 30 months). There were 706 patients (55.9%) with a cardiovascular cause of death and 522 (41.3%) with a noncardiovascular cause of death. The most common cause of cardiovascular death was sudden cardiac death (20.1%); while myocardial infarction (5.2%) and ischemic stroke (3.2%) were uncommon. The most common causes of noncardiovascular death were malignancies (17.9%) and infections (11.9%). The factor most associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular death was age per 5 year increase (HR, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.20-1.32]). Female sex was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular death (HR, 0.68 [95% CI, 0.56-0.82]). To evaluate the effect of noncardiovascular death as a competing risk, we superimposed the cumulative incidence function curve with the Kaplan-Meier curve. These curves closely approximated each other. After accounting for the competing risk of noncardiovascular death, the magnitude and direction of the factors associated with cardiovascular death were minimally changed. Among patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease, noncardiovascular causes of death reflected a high proportion (40%) of deaths. Accounting for noncardiovascular deaths as a competing risk, there was not a significant change in the risk estimation for cardiovascular death. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01732822.

The lived experience with pulmonary embolism: A qualitative study using focus groups.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third most common cause of cardiovascular death. However, comprehensive knowledge on the lived experience of patients with PE is lacking so far. The objective of this study was to fill this gap using a qualitative research approach. A qualitative study using focus group methodology was conducted. Sampling of patients followed the maximum variation strategy. Sample size was determined by saturation. The patients were presented eight questions, which asked for their experiences in terms of prodromal and acute symptoms, changes of physical and mental well-being, daily life and social life, and experiences with PE medication and treatment. The focus group discussions were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. The constant comparative method was used for data analysis. Five focus groups with n=18 participants (50% female, median age 56 years) in total were performed. Major identified themes were: (1) progressing dyspnea and pain as major prodromal and acute symptoms, (2) persisting dyspnea and loss of physical fitness, (3) depression, fears and threat monitoring, (4) exhaustion which improves over time, (5) social contacts ranging between ignorance and overprotection, (6) anticoagulants as lifesavers and threat, (7) quick versus delayed diagnosis, (8) left alone by health care providers, and (9) unsupportive health care system. PE may be associated with considerable mental health problems and the existing health care system is experienced as not supportive by a number of patients. Further results from larger, quantitative studies are needed to estimate the extent of the identified problems.

Antioxidant defence and oxidative stress markers in cats with asymptomatic and symptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a pilot study

BackgroundHypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common cardiovascular cause of death in cats. Although the majority of cats remain asymptomatic, some may develop signs of chronic heart failure due to diastolic failure, arterial thromboembolism (ATE) or sudden cardiac death. Therefore, it is crucial to identify individuals that are in high risk of developing cardiac complications before the onset of life-threatening signs. Oxidative stress is the imbalance between the production and neutralisation of reactive oxygen species. Uncontrolled reactive oxygen species overproduction leads to protein and lipid peroxidation and damages the DNA strands, injuring the cells and leading to their death. The aim of the study was to evaluate the oxidative state in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and healthy controls.ResultsIn total, 30 cats divided into three groups were assessed: animals with clinically evident hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM; n = 8), subclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (SUB-HCM; n = 11) and healthy controls (n = 11). The activity of superoxide dismutase was statistically significantly lower in animals with symptomatic and asymptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM 0.99 ± 0.35 U/mL; SUB-HCM 1.39 ± 0.4 U/mL) compared to healthy cats (2.07 ± 0.76 U/mL, p < 0.01). The activity of catalase was significantly lower in the SUB-HCM group (19.4 ± 4.2 nmol/min/mL) compared to the HCM (23.6 ± 5.9 nmol/min/mL) and the control (30 ± 7.5 nmol/min/mL, p < 0.01) group. The activity of glutathione peroxidase was 4196 ± 353 nmol/min/mL in the HCM group, 4331 ± 451 nmol/min/mL in the SUB-HCM group and 4037 ± 341 nmol/min/mL in the control group and did not differ significantly between groups. The total antioxidant capacity of plasma was 602 ± 65.5 copper reducing equivalents (CRE) in the HCM group, 605.9 ± 39.9 CRE in the SUB-HCM group and 629 ± 77.5 CRE in the healthy cats and did not differ significantly between the groups.ConclusionsActivities of superoxide dismutase and catalase differed in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, however the activity of the latter was only significantly lower in asymptomatic stage of the disease. The potentially beneficial effect of antioxidative substances on the disease progression in the asymptomatic and symptomatic stage of this disease should also be examined.

One-year clinical events and management of patients with atrial fibrillation hospitalized in cardiology centers: Data from the BLITZ-AF study

The management of atrial fibrillation (AF) has changed with the introduction of direct anticoagulants (DOACs) and new techniques such as catheter ablation. An update collection of data from "real world" AF patients followed by cardiologists is useful to obtain information on both management, outcomes and guideline adherence in clinical practice. Follow-up information on survival, embolic and bleeding events and hospital readmission, persistence of oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy was collected in 84 centers participating to the BLITZ-AF study. Patients were followed for a median of 366 days (IQR: 356-378) and vital status was available for 2159 patients. Mortality was 9.2%. Heart failure was the most common cardiovascular cause of death (70%) followed by arrhythmias (6.7%), acute coronary syndrome (5.0%) and ischemic stroke (2.5%). During follow-up 18.1% of the patients were readmitted, mainly (81.3%) for cardiovascular causes. Patients on OAC were 83.4%, 9.1% were on antiplatelets and 7.5% did not receive antithrombotic therapy. The use of DOACs increased from 42.1% to 46.4% during the follow-up, OAC discontinuation occurred in 9.1%. AF recurrences occurred in 23.4% of the patients discharged in sinus rhythm. Rate control strategy was adopted in 55.9% and beta-blockers were the most used drugs (81.9%). Amiodarone (22%) and flecainide (9.7%) were the most frequent used antiahrrythmic drugs. The follow-up of the BLITZ-AF study provide an up to date picture of the clinical course of patients with AF, who appear frequently affected by heart failure and severe comorbidities which might have led to the high mortality rate.

Pulmonary vasodilation in acute pulmonary embolism - a systematic review.

Acute pulmonary embolism is the third most common cause of cardiovascular death. Pulmonary embolism increases right ventricular afterload, which causes right ventricular failure, circulatory collapse and death. Most treatments focus on removal of the mechanical obstruction caused by the embolism, but pulmonary vasoconstriction is a significant contributor to the increased right ventricular afterload and is often left untreated. Pulmonary thromboembolism causes mechanical obstruction of the pulmonary vasculature coupled with a complex interaction between humoral factors from the activated platelets, endothelial effects, reflexes and hypoxia to cause pulmonary vasoconstriction that worsens right ventricular afterload. Vasoconstrictors include serotonin, thromboxane, prostaglandins and endothelins, counterbalanced by vasodilators such as nitric oxide and prostacyclins. Exogenous administration of pulmonary vasodilators in acute pulmonary embolism seems attractive but all come with a risk of systemic vasodilation or worsening of pulmonary ventilation-perfusion mismatch. In animal models of acute pulmonary embolism, modulators of the nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate-protein kinase G pathway, endothelin pathway and prostaglandin pathway have been investigated. But only a small number of clinical case reports and prospective clinical trials exist. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the causes of pulmonary embolism-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction and of experimental and human investigations of pulmonary vasodilation in acute pulmonary embolism.

Asian management of hypertension: Current status, home blood pressure, and specific concerns in Singapore.

Despite reductions in hypertension prevalence and improvements in control rates in recent years, almost one-third of all deaths in Singapore are due to cardiovascular disease and that proportion is growing. Ischemic heart disease is the most common cause of cardiovascular death, ahead of stroke. Local data suggest that awareness and support for home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is good, but there are reservations about the accuracy of HBPM devices and physicians cited a lack of time and resources to educate patients about HBPM. In addition, there was a knowledge gap around use of HBPM for evaluating treatment response. This is consistent with the emphasis of using HBPM for the diagnosis, rather than monitoring, of hypertension in the Singapore hypertension guidelines. In the absence of specific HBPM thresholds and targets, it is suggested that HOPE Asia Network consensus documents provide the most locally relevant guidance of the use of HBPM. Calcium channel blockers and angiotensin receptor blockers are the most commonly used antihypertensive agents in Singapore, and monotherapy was relatively uncommon (24%) of patients. Overall, more needs to be done in detecting and managing hypertension in Singapore to address rates of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular disease mortality. Use of HBPM needs to be encouraged to improve adherence to treatment and optimize BP targets according to Asian perspectives and data.

Predictive Value of Cellular Blood Indices for All-Cause Mortality in Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Introduction: Pulmonary embolism (PE) contributes to more than 100,000 annual deaths in the United States and is the third most common cause of cardiovascular death. Short-term all-cause mortality rates differ widely, from 2% among low risk normotensive patients to 95% among those experiencing cardiac arrest. Prognostic models for PE help clinicians facilitate decision making but have suboptimal predictive values. The most widely used tool is the simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) - a scoring system which utilizes 6 clinical variables to predict death. Cellular indices, like platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), have been shown to be markers of systemic inflammation and are associated with worsened prognosis in acute PE. Other ratios, such as lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) and platelet-neutrophil ratio (PNR), have not been fully explored. Given the need to further improve sPESI to better manage PE patients, we sought to determine the association of PLR, NLR, LMR, and PNR with all-cause mortality in patients presenting with acute PE. We also evaluated the additive effect of these cellular indices on the predictive value of sPESI. Methods: We retrospectively investigated patients who were consecutively diagnosed and treated between March 2016 and June 2019 at Loyola Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois and Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Illinois. Diagnosis of PE was made using CT pulmonary angiography or ventilation perfusion (VQ) scan. Patients were excluded if there was presence of infection, sepsis, ongoing cancer treatment, or a chronic inflammatory condition at the time of PE diagnosis. Clinical characteristics were collected using the electronic medical record system. Differential complete blood count data was collected within 24 hours prior to PE diagnosis. Mann Whitney U and Chi-Square tests were used to determine associations between all-cause mortality and clinical data. ROC curves were constructed to illustrate the sensitivity and specificity of cellular indices to predict all-cause mortality. Optimal ratio cutoffs were determined using Youden J Index. A composite sPESI score was created using cellular blood indices cutoff values. One point was added to the sPESI score for every additional condition met. Results: Among the 228 PE patients, 48 (21%) were non-survivors with median follow up period of 56 days (IQR: 17-182). Elevated PLR and NLR, as well as decreased LMR, were associated with all-cause mortality (all p &lt; 0.01). PNR was not associated with all-cause mortality (p &gt; 0.62). PLR &gt; 256.7 was predictive of mortality (p &lt; 0.01) with sensitivity 54.2% and specificity 85.6%. NLR &gt; 5.5 was predictive of mortality (p &lt; 0.01) with sensitivity 66.7% and specificity 68.3%. LMR &lt; 1.6 was predictive of mortality (p &lt; 0.01) with sensitivity 66.7% and specificity 70.8%. sPESI was predictive of mortality (p &lt; 0.01) with sensitivity 72.9% and specificity 64.0%. A composite model including sPESI, PLR, NLR, and LMR had further improved predictive abilities for all-cause mortality with sensitivity 85.4% and specificity 66.3% as compared to sPESI alone (AUC: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.76-0.89 vs AUC 0.75, 95% CI: 0.68-0.83). Conclusion: This study demonstrated an association between PLR, NLR, and LMR and all-cause mortality in PE patients. Our findings were consistent with past literature and contribute to the argument that these routine laboratory tests can supplement existing risk prediction models. Lymphopenia as well as elevated neutrophil count are associated with pro-inflammatory states during cardiopulmonary events, which may increase risk for thrombotic events. Platelets, a key component of thrombosis, are significantly decreased immediately after a thrombotic event. The composite sPESI model, including PLR, NLR, and LMR exhibited higher sensitivity which allows for improved detection of patients who are at high risk for death. Future studies are required to assess the predictive value of other routine blood tests on all-cause mortality in this patient population to further optimize sPESI and other predictive tools. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Asian management of hypertension: Current status, home blood pressure, and specific concerns in Korea.

Hypertension is present in almost one-quarter of women and one-third of men in Korea. Although mortality rates from stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) appear to be decreasing, stroke is a more common cause of cardiovascular death than MI. This may be due to better control of hypertension, but national control rates have remained stable for more than a decade (at about 45%). Korean Society of Hypertension guidelines have recommended the use of home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) since 2007, but a recent survey suggests that physicians have concerns about the accuracy of HBPM devices. Nevertheless, use of HBPM is indispensable to monitoring and achieving blood pressure (BP) control. Current diagnostic and treatment thresholds and recommendations are based on Asian consensus document guidance. Use of dual combination antihypertensive therapy is slightly more common than use of monotherapy in Korea, while triple combination therapy is used less often. Angiotensin receptor blockers and calcium channel blockers are the most popular choices for antihypertensive therapy and are the most widely used combination. HBPM plays an important role in evaluating and monitoring BP, particularly in Asians. Individualized cardiovascular risk assessment and better BP control are required to prevent cardiovascular diseases, but there is a need for local evidence relating to optimal BP thresholds and targets.

Trends in thrombolytic treatment and outcomes of acute pulmonary embolism in Germany.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third most common cardiovascular cause of death; systemic thrombolysis is potentially lifesaving treatment in patients presenting with haemodynamic instability. We investigated trends in the use of systemic thrombolysis and the outcome of patients with acute PE. We analysed data on the characteristics, comorbidities, treatment, and in-hospital outcome of 885806 PE patients in Germany between 2005 and 2015. Incidence of acute PE was 99/100000 population/year and increased from 85/100000 in 2005 to 109/100000 in 2015 [β 0.32 (0.26-0.38), P < 0.001]. During the same period, in-hospital case fatality rates decreased from 20.4% to 13.9% [β -0.51 (-0.52 to -0.49), P < 0.001]. The overall proportion of patients treated with systemic thrombolysis increased from 3.1% in 2005 to 4.4% in 2015 [β 0.28 (0.25-0.31), P < 0.001]. Thrombolysis was associated with lower in-hospital mortality rates in patients with haemodynamic instability, both in those with shock not necessitating cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or mechanical ventilation [odds ratio (OR) 0.42 (0.37-0.48), P < 0.001], and in those who underwent CPR [OR 0.92 (0.87-0.97), P = 0.002]. This association was independent from age, sex, and comorbidities. However, systemic thrombolysis was administered to only 23.1% of haemodynamically unstable patients. Although the proportion of PE patients treated with systemic thrombolysis increased slightly in Germany between 2005 and 2015, only the minority of haemodynamically unstable patients currently receive this treatment. In the nationwide inpatient cohort, thrombolytic therapy was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality rates in PE patients with shock, and also in those who underwent CPR.

Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams: A Novel Approach for the Care of Complex Patients With Pulmonary Embolism.

Pulmonary embolism represents the third most common cause of cardiovascular death in the United States. Reperfusion therapeutic strategies such as systemic thrombolysis, catheter directed therapies, surgical pulmonary embolectomy, and cardiopulmonary support devices are currently available for patients with high- and intermediate-high–risk pulmonary embolism. However, deciding on optimal therapy may be challenging. Pulmonary embolism response teams have been designed to facilitate multidisciplinary decision-making with the goal to improve quality of care for complex cases with pulmonary embolism. Herein, we discuss the current role and strategies on how to leverage the strengths from pulmonary embolism response teams, its possible worldwide adoption, and implementation to improve survival and change the paradigm in the care of a potentially deadly disease.

Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Natural History of Pulmonary Embolism.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common and potentially deadly form of venous thromboembolic disease. It is the third most common cause of cardiovascular death and is associated with multiple inherited and acquired risk factors as well as advanced age. The prognosis from PE depends on the degree of obstruction and hemodynamic effects of PE and understanding the pathophysiology helps in risk-stratifying patients and determining treatment. Though the natural history of thrombus is resolution, a subset of patients have chronic residual thrombus, contributing to the post-PE syndrome.