Myocardial Injury in Severe COVID-19 Compared With Non-COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Trajectory of cardiac troponin T following moderate-to-severe COVID-19 and the association with cardiac abnormalities

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 has been associated with cardiac troponin T (cTnT) elevations and changes in cardiac structure and function, but the link between cardiac dysfunction and high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) in the acute and convalescent phase is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether hs-cTnT concentrations are associated with cardiac dysfunction and structural abnormalities after hospitalization for COVID-19, and to evaluate the performance of hs-cTnT to rule out cardiac pathology.

METHODS

Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had hs-cTnT measured during the index hospitalization and after 3-and 12 months, when they also underwent an echocardiographic study. A subset also underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) after 6 months. Cardiac abnormalities were defined as left ventricular hypertrophy or dysfunction, right ventricular dysfunction, or CMR late gadolinium.

RESULTS

We included 189 patients with hs-cTnT concentrations measured during hospitalization for COVID-19, and after 3-and 12 months: Geometric mean (95%CI) 13 (11-15) ng/L, 7 (6-8) ng/L and 7 (6-8) ng/L, respectively. Cardiac abnormalities after 3 months were present in 45 (30%) and 3 (8%) of patients with hs-cTnT ≥ and < 5 ng/L at 3 months, respectively (negative predictive value 92.3% [95%CI 88.5-96.1%]). The performance was similar in patients with and without dyspnea. Hs-cTnT decreased from hospitalization to 3 months (more pronounced in intensive care unit-treated patients) and remained unchanged from 3 to 12 months, regardless of the presence of cardiac abnormalities.

CONCLUSION

Higher hs-cTnT concentrations in the convalescent phase of COVID-19 are associated with the presence of cardiac pathology and low concentrations (< 5 ng/L) may support in ruling out cardiac pathology following the infection.

Peripheral blood indicators and COVID-19: an observational and bidirectional Mendelian randomization study

Blood is critical for health, supporting key functions like immunity and oxygen transport. While studies have found links between common blood clinical indicators and COVID-19, they cannot provide causal inference due to residual confounding and reverse causality. To identify indicators affecting COVID-19, we analyzed clinical data (n = 2,293, aged 18-65 years) from Guangzhou Medical University's first affiliated hospital (2022-present), identifying 34 significant indicators differentiating COVID-19 patients from healthy controls. Utilizing bidirectional Mendelian randomization analyses, integrating data from over 2.46 million participants from various large-scale studies, we established causal links for six blood indicators with COVID-19 risk, five of which is consistent with our observational findings. Specifically, elevated Troponin I and Platelet Distribution Width levels are linked with increased COVID-19 susceptibility, whereas higher Hematocrit, Hemoglobin, and Neutrophil counts confer a protective effect. Reverse MR analysis confirmed four blood biomarkers influenced by COVID-19, aligning with our observational data for three of them. Notably, COVID-19 exhibited a positive causal relationship with Troponin I (Tnl) and Serum Amyloid Protein A, while a negative association was observed with Plateletcrit. These findings may help identify high-risk individuals and provide further direction on the management of COVID-19.

Multiparametric Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Nonhospitalized COVID-19 Infection Subjects: An Intraindividual Comparison Study

PURPOSE

To investigate intraindividual cardiac structural and functional changes before and after COVID-19 infection in a previously healthy population with a 3T cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 39 unhospitalized patients with COVID-19 were recruited. They participated in our previous study as non-COVID-19 healthy volunteers undergoing baseline CMR examination and were recruited to perform a repeated CMR examination after confirmed COVID-19 infection in December 2022. The CMR parameters were measured and compared between before and after COVID-19 infection with paired t tests. The laboratory measures including myocardial enzymes and inflammatory indicators were also collected when performing repeated CMR.

RESULTS

The median duration was 393 days from the first to second CMR and 26 days from clinical symptoms onset to the second CMR. Four patients (10.3%, 4/39) had the same late gadolinium enhancement pattern at baseline and repeated CMR and 5 female patients (12.8%, 5/39) had myocardial T2 ratio >2 (2.07 to 2.27) but with normal T2 value in post-COVID-19 CMR. All other CMR parameters were in normal ranges before and after COVID-19 infection. Between before and after the COVID-19 infection, there were no significant differences in cardiac structure, function, and tissue characterization, no matter with or without symptoms (fatigue, chest discomfort, palpitations, shortness of breath, and insomnia/sleep disorders) (all P >0.05). The laboratory measures at repeated CMR were in normal ranges in all participants.

CONCLUSIONS

These intraindividual CMR studies showed unhospitalized patients with COVID-19 with normal myocardial enzymes had no measurable CMR abnormalities, which can help alleviate wide social concerns about COVID-19-related myocarditis.

Prevalence and prognostic implications of myocardial injury across different waves of COVID-19

Introduction

The prognostic ability of myocardial injury across different waves of the COVID-19 pandemic is not well established. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and prognostic implications of myocardial injury in the first and sixth wave of COVID-19.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational study that included patients admitted to the emergency department with COVID-19 with data on concentrations of cardiac troponin during the first and sixth wave. We compared the prevalence of myocardial injury and its predictive capacity for 30-day all-cause death in both waves.

Results and discussion

A total of 346 patients were included (1st wave 199 and 6th wave 147 patients). The prevalence of myocardial injury was 21% with non-significant differences between waves. Myocardial injury was associated, in both waves, with a higher prevalence of comorbidities and with an increased risk of 30-day all-cause death [1st wave HR: 3.73 (1.84-7.55); p < 0.001 and 6th wave HR: 3.13 (1.23-7.92); p = 0.016], with non-significant differences in predictive capacity between groups after ROC curve analysis [AUC: 1st wave 0.829 (95% CI: 0.764-0.895) and 6th wave 0.794 (95% CI: 0.711-0.876)]. As limitations, this is a retrospective study with a relatively small simple size and troponin assay was performed at the discretion of the emergency physician so selection bias could be present. In conclusion, the prevalence of myocardial injury and its prognostic capacity was similar in both waves despite vaccination programs. Myocardial injury predicts short-term mortality in all COVID-19 patients, so they should be treated intensively.

A study of clinical and serological correlation of early myocardial injury in elderly patients infected with the Omicron variant

Introduction

Myocardial injury in elderly Omicron variant patients is a leading cause of severe disease and death. This study focuses on elucidating the clinical characteristics and potential risk factors associated with myocardial injury in elderly patients infected with the Omicron variant.

Methods

Myocardial injury was defined based on elevated cardiac troponin concentrations exceeding the 99th percentile upper reference limit. Among 772 elderly Omicron-infected patients, categorized into myocardial injury (n = 263) and non-myocardial injury (n = 509) groups. The stratified log-rank statistic was used to compare the probability of patients developing intensive care. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the best cut-off values of clinical and laboratory data for predicting myocardial injury. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was adopted to analyze the risk factors for myocardial injury.

Results

The occurrence of myocardial injury in Omicron variant-infected geriatric patients was up to 34.07% and these patients may have a higher rate of requiring intensive care (P < 0.05). By comparing myocardial injury patients with non-myocardial injury patients, notable differences were observed in age, pre-existing medical conditions (e.g., hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, arrhythmia, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure), and various laboratory biomarkers, including cycle threshold-ORF1ab gene (Ct-ORF1ab), cycle threshold-N gene (Ct-N), white blood cell count, neutrophil (NEUT) count, NEUT%, lymphocyte (LYM) count, LYM%, and D-dimer, interleukin-6, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, total protein, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, glomerular filtration rate, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine (sCr) levels (P < 0.05). Furthermore, in the multivariable logistic regression, we identified potential risk factors for myocardial injury in Omicron variant-infected elderly patients, including advanced age, pre-existing coronary artery disease, interleukin-6 > 22.69 pg/ml, procalcitonin > 0.0435 ng/ml, D-dimer > 0.615 mg/L, and sCr > 81.30 μmol/L.

Conclusion

This study revealed the clinical characteristics and potential risk factors associated with myocardial injury that enable early diagnosis of myocardial injury in Omicron variant-infected elderly patients, providing important reference indicators for early diagnosis and timely clinical intervention.

The effects of Chinese proprietary medicine and vaccination on patients with COVID-19: a retrospective study in Macao

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 is continuing to ravage globally and has resulted in a huge health and financial burden. Chinese proprietary medicines, such as Lianhua Qingwen (LHQW) and Huoxiang Zhengqi (HXZQ) capsules, have been recommended for non-high-risk patients with COVID-19 in China. Based on this, we described the baseline information, using status of LHQW and HXZQ capsules and inoculation history of quarantined patients in the second half of 2022 in Macao. Additionally, we analyzed the underlying association among medicines administration, vaccination and COVID-19 indices, in order to explore novel clues for the regular control and prevention of local epidemic situation in the future.

METHODS

A total of 976 patients in Macao quarantine hotels from June to August 2022 were included in the present study, of which, 857 subjects were followed-up for prognosis evaluation. During quarantine, the baseline demographic information, including sex, age, BMI, occupation and personal habits were collected. Additionally, the inoculation history, medicine employment status and cycle threshold (Ct) values were also reported. We interviewed the patients for collection of their symptoms at the beginning and end of quarantine, as well as prognostic ones. Basic statistical description of baseline information, vaccination history and medication were displayed. Chi-squared test or with continuous correction test was employed for comparison of dichotomous data between two or multiple groups. Binary logistic regression was applied to reveal the correlation between potential risk factors and Ct values or prognosis symptoms. We also used Cox regression model to identify the effect of different types of vaccine products on Ct value altering rate.

RESULTS

Patients who were female (52.0%), engaged in service industry (31.8%), from Macao native (65.8%), never took physical exercises (33.6%) and preferred irritated diet (59.5%) enjoyed more dominant proportions. Over 80% of participants were inoculated and 74.6% of them chose inactivated COVID-19 vaccine produced by China National Biotech Group (CNBG). Participants used LHQW capsules accounted for 92.1% and the duration of medicating lasted for one to two weeks. All of the reported symptoms were significantly ameliorated after quarantine and the duration of quarantine was concentrated on 21 days. People with different age, sex, occupation and region had different choices of HXZQ administration and vaccination. Additionally, middle dose (4-5 boxes) of LHQW capsules exhibited evidently negative association with positive Ct values (adjusted, - 0.037 ± 0.19, p = 0.04). Two doses of CNBG and one dose of mRNA vaccine had obvious protective effect on reducing Ct positive rate (p = 0.041). Meanwhile, symptoms after quarantine were significantly positive correlated with those in prognosis (adjusted, 1.38 ± 0.18, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Our study found that the administration of LHQW capsules was beneficial for Ct value turning negative, meanwhile, certain mixed inoculation may be the promoting factor to reduce the positive rate of Ct value. These findings provide data basis for the Chinese proprietary medicine treatment and mixed vaccination applying for prevention and control of local COVID-19 epidemic in the future.

Cardiac injury in children with COVID-19

BACKGROUND

There is little known about the spectrum of cardiac injury in acute COVID-19 infection in children.

METHODS

A single-centre, retrospective chart analysis was performed. The protocol was deemed IRB exempt. All patients under the age of 21 years admitted from 20 March, 2020 to 22 June, 2021 for acute symptomatic COVID-19 infection or clinical suspicion of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 were included. Past medical history, lab findings, echocardiogram and electrocardiogram/telemetry findings, and clinical outcomes were reviewed.

RESULTS

Sixty-six patients with MIS-C and 178 with acute COVID-19 were reviewed. Patients with MIS-C had more cardiac testing than those with acute COVID-19. Inflammatory markers were more likely elevated, and function was more likely abnormal on echocardiogram in those with MIS-C with testing performed. Among patients with MIS-C, 17% had evidence of coronary dilation versus 0% in the acute COVID-19 group. One (0.6%) patient with acute COVID-19 had clinically significant electrocardiogram or telemetry findings, and this was in the setting of prior arrhythmias and CHD. Four (6%) patients with MIS-C had clinically significant findings on electrocardiogram or telemetry. Among patients with acute COVID-19, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support was required in 0.6% of patients with acute COVID-19, and there was a 2.8% mortality. There were no deaths in the setting of MIS-C.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with acute COVID-19 and clinical suspicion of cardiac injury had a lower incidence of abnormal laboratory findings, ventricular dysfunction, or significant arrhythmia than those with MIS-C.

Impact of Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Complications During Hospitalization on Long-Term Prognosis in Patients With COVID-19

The impact of cardiac and cerebrovascular events during COVID-19 hospitalization on long-term prognosis remains uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the effect of myocardial infarction (MI), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), and pulmonary embolism (PE) during hospitalization on the long-term prognosis in patients who survived COVID-19 hospitalization. A retrospective observational analysis was performed on a cohort of 2,389 patients who survived COVID-19 hospitalization in our institution between January and June 2020. The patients were divided into MI (n = 111) and non-MI (n = 2,278) groups according to the presence of MI during hospitalization. As a subanalysis, the patients were assigned to CVA (n = 97) and non-CVA (n = 2,292) and PE (n = 54) and non-PE (n = 2,335) groups. The primary outcome was long-term survival after discharge. During a median follow-up period of 2.4 years after discharge, 30 patients (27.0%) in the MI group and 140 patients (6.2%) in the non-MI group died (p <0.001). The Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis demonstrated that the MI group was significantly associated with an increased incidence of all-cause death after discharge (log-rank p <0.001), as supported by the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis (hazard ratio [HR] 2.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.61 to 3.74, p <0.001). However, the presence of CVA (HR 1.46, 95% CI 0.91 to 2.34, p = 0.113) or PE (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.23 to 3.84, p = 0.937) were not associated with an increased incidence of all-cause death after discharge. In conclusion, among the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications associated with COVID-19 hospitalization, the presence of MI during hospitalization was proved to be a significant independent predictor of long-term mortality in patients who survived COVID-19 hospitalization.

COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Diseases: From Cellular Mechanisms to Clinical Manifestations

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), quickly spread worldwide and led to over 581 million confirmed cases and over 6 million deaths as 1 August 2022. The binding of the viral surface spike protein to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor is the primary mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Not only highly expressed in the lung, ACE2 is also widely distributed in the heart, mainly in cardiomyocytes and pericytes. The strong association between COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been demonstrated by increased clinical evidence. Preexisting CVD risk factors, including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes etc., increase susceptibility to COVID-19. In turn, COVID-19 exacerbates the progression of CVD, including myocardial damage, arrhythmia, acute myocarditis, heart failure, and thromboembolism. Moreover, cardiovascular risks post recovery and the vaccination-associated cardiovascular problems have become increasingly evident. To demonstrate the association between COVID-19 and CVD, this review detailly illustrated the impact of COVID-19 on different cells (cardiomyocytes, pericytes, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts) in myocardial tissue and provides an overview of the clinical manifestations of cardiovascular involvements in the pandemic. Finally, the issues related to myocardial injury post recovery, as well as vaccination-induced CVD, has also been emphasized.

Myocardial injury and related mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 during the Omicron pandemic: new perspectives and insights

Myocardial injury is one of the most common comorbidity in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, and has poor prognosis. However, the incidence of myocardial injury in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection has not been sufficiently investigated during the Omicron wave. We conducted a retrospective study of 2690 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection from Tongji Hospital. The results indicated that the myocardial injury accounted for 30.8% of the total patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and was associated with higher in-hospital mortality than those without injury before and after propensity score matching (PSM) [adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 10.61; 95% confidence interval (CI), 7.76-14.51; P ​< ​0.001; adjusted HR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.86-3.93; P ​< ​0.001; respectively]. Further, the levels of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α) in patients with myocardial injury were higher than those without injury, and the higher levels of cytokines in the myocardial injury group were associated with increased mortality. Administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEI/ARB) could significantly reduce the mortality in patients with myocardial injury (adjusted HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.38-0.71; P ​< ​0.001). Additionally, the level of angiotensin II increased in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection was even higher in myocardial injury group compared to those without injury. Collectively, the study summarized the clinical characteristic and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients with myocardial injury during the Omicron wave in China, and validated the protective role of ACEI/ARB in improving the survival of those with myocardial injury.

Cardiovascular outcomes between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 pneumonia: a nationwide cohort study

BACKGROUND

Previous studies that assessed the risk of cardiovascular outcomes in survivors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were likely limited by lack of generalizability and selection of controls nonrepresentative of a counterfactual situation regarding COVID-19-related hospitalization. This study determined whether COVID-19 hospitalization was associated with incident cardiovascular outcomes compared to non-COVID-19 pneumonia hospitalization.

METHODS

Nationwide population-based study conducted using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. A cohort of 132,784 inpatients with COVID-19 (October 8, 2020-September 30, 2021) and a cohort of 31,173 inpatients with non-COVID-19 pneumonia (January 1-December 31, 2019) were included. The primary outcome was the major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE; a composite of myocardial infarction and stroke). Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all outcomes of interest were estimated between inverse probability of treatment-weighted patients with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 pneumonia.

RESULTS

After weighting, the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 pneumonia groups included 125,810 (mean [SD] age, 47.2 [17.6] years; men, 49.3%) and 28,492 patients (mean [SD] age, 48.6 [18.4] years; men, 47.2%), respectively. COVID-19 hospitalization was not associated with an increased risk of the MACE (HR, 0.84; 95% CI 0.69-1.03). However, the MACE (HR, 7.30; 95% CI 3.29-16.21), dysrhythmia (HR, 1.88; 95% CI 1.04-3.42), acute myocarditis (HR, 11.33; 95% CI 2.97-43.20), myocardial infarction (HR, 6.78; 95% CI 3.03-15.15), congestive heart failure (HR, 1.95; 95% CI 1.37-2.77), and thrombotic disease (HR, 8.26; 95% CI 4.06-16.83) risks were significantly higher in patients with COVID-19 aged 18-39 years. The findings were consistent after adjustment for preexisting cardiovascular disease. COVID-19 hospitalization conferred a higher risk of acute myocarditis (HR, 6.47; 95% CI 2.53-16.52) or deep vein thrombosis (HR, 1.97; 95% CI 1.38-2.80), regardless of vaccination status.

CONCLUSIONS

Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were not at an increased risk of cardiovascular outcomes compared to patients with non-COVID-19 pneumonia. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether the increased risk of cardiovascular outcomes is confined to younger patients.

Comparison of Incidence and Prognosis of Myocardial Injury in Patients with COVID-19-Related Respiratory Failure and Other Pulmonary Infections: A Contemporary Cohort Study

Myocardial injury (MI) is frequent in critically ill patients with COVID-19, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. We hypothesized that MI is not solely due to viral infection by SARS-CoV-2 but rather due to the common pathophysiological mechanisms associated with severe pulmonary infections and respiratory failure. This contemporary cohort study was designed to compare the incidence of MI in patients with acute respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 to patients with other pulmonary infections. In addition, we aimed to investigate whether MI was a distinct risk factor for in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 compared to those with non-COVID-19 infections. This study included 1444 patients with COVID-19 (55.5% men; age 58 (46;68) years) and 182 patients with other pulmonary infections (46.9% men; age 62 (44;73) years). The incidence of MI at ICU admission was lower in COVID-19 patients (36.4%) compared to non-COVID-19 patients (56%), and this difference persisted after adjusting for age, sex, coronary artery disease, heart failure, SOFA score, lactate, and C-reactive protein (RR 0.84 (95% CI, 0.71-0.99)). MI at ICU admission was associated with a 59% increase in mortality (RR 1.59 (1.36-1.86); p < 0.001), and there was no significant difference in the mortality between patients with COVID-19 and those with other pulmonary infections (p = 0.271). We concluded that MI is less frequent in patients with critical COVID-19 pneumonia and respiratory failure compared to those with other types of pneumonia. The occurrence of MI is a significant risk factor for in-hospital mortality, regardless of the etiology of the pulmonary infection.

Imaging Acute and Chronic Cardiac Complications of COVID-19 and after COVID-19 Vaccination

COVID-19 is associated with acute and longer-term cardiovascular manifestations including myocardial injury, myopericarditis, stress-induced cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, and thromboembolic disease. Although the morbidity and mortality related to acute COVID-19 have decreased substantially, there is growing concern about the longer-term cardiovascular effects of the disease and postacute sequelae. Myocarditis has also been reported after messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based COVID-19 vaccination, with the highest risk among adolescent boys and young adult men. Noninvasive imaging including cardiac MRI has a key role in identifying the presence of cardiovascular disease, evaluating for potential mechanisms of injury, stratifying risk of future adverse cardiovascular events, and potentially guiding treatment in patients with suspected cardiovascular injury after COVID-19 and vaccination. Patterns of injury identified at cardiac MRI after COVID-19 include myocarditis and pericarditis, myocardial ischemia, and infarction. Myocardial edema and late gadolinium enhancement have been described months after the initial infection in a minority of patients with persistent cardiac symptoms after COVID-19. In patients with myocarditis after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination, the most common pattern of late gadolinium enhancement is subepicardial at the basal inferolateral wall, and patients tend to have milder imaging abnormalities compared with those from other causes of myocarditis. This article describes the role of multimodality cardiac imaging and imaging findings in patients with acute and longer-term cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 and in patients with myocarditis after receiving an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination. ©RSNA, 2023 Online supplemental material is available for this article. Quiz questions for this article are available through the Online Learning Center.

Coronavirus disease-2019 and heart: assessment of troponin and cardiovascular comorbidities as prognostic markers in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease-2019 in a tertiary center in Brazil

OBJECTIVE

Our study aimed to evaluate the correlation of cardiac troponin T levels with comorbidities and in-hospital outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 in Brazil.

METHODS

Data from a cohort of 3,596 patients who were admitted with suspected coronavirus disease-2019 in a Brazilian tertiary center, between March and August 2020, were reviewed. A total of 2,441 (68%) patients had cardiac troponin T determined in the first 72 h of admission and were stratified into two groups: elevated cardiac troponin T (cardiac troponin T >0.014 ng/mL) and normal cardiac troponin T. Associations between troponin, comorbidities, biomarkers, and outcomes were assessed. Regression models were built to assess the association of several variables with in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 2,441 patients were embraced, of which 924 (38%) had normal cardiac troponin T and 1,517 (62%) had elevated cardiac troponin T. Patients with elevated cardiac troponin T were older and had more comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, arrhythmia, renal dysfunction, liver disease, stroke, cancer, and dementia. Patients with abnormal cardiac troponin T also had more altered laboratory parameters on admission (i.e., leukocytes, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, and B-type natriuretic peptide), as well as more need for intensive care unit, vasoactive drugs, mechanical ventilation, dialysis, and blood transfusion. All-cause mortality was markedly higher among patients with increased cardiac troponin T (42 vs. 16%, P<0.001). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that in-hospital mortality was not independently associated with troponin elevation.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that cardiac troponin T elevation at admission was common and associated with several comorbidities, biomarkers, and clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease-2019, but it was not an independent marker of in-hospital mortality.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cardiovascular Manifestations Following COVID-19

Globally, over 650 million people have had COVID-19 due to infection with the SARS-Cov-2 virus. Cardiac complications in the acute infectious and early recovery phase were recognized early in the pandemic, including myocardial injury and inflammation. With a decrease in the number of acute COVID-19 related deaths, there has been increased interest in postacute sequela of COVID-19 (PASC) and other longer-term cardiovascular complications. A proportion of patients recovered from COVID-19 have persistent cardiac symptoms and are at risk of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular imaging, including MRI, plays an important role in the detection of cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 in both the acute and longer-term phases after COVID-19. The purpose of this review is to highlight the role of cardiovascular imaging in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with acute and chronic cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 with a focus on cardiac MRI. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 4. TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3.

Association Between COVID-19 Infection and Cardiac Biomarkers in Hospitalized Patients at a Tertiary Care Center

Background The effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the cardiovascular system are well established. However, knowledge gaps in the clinical implications of cardiac involvement in COVID-19 patients are yet to be addressed. This study aimed to investigate acute cardiac injury (ACI) risk factors and outcomes associated with COVID-19 infection with cardiac involvement. Methodology In this retrospective study, we included hospitalized patients between March 2020 and May 2022 with confirmed COVID-19 infection and evidence of cardiac involvement. Results In total, 501 patients were included, of whom 396 (79%) had evidence of ACI. The median troponin level was 25.8 (interquartile range (IQR) = 10.8-71). Patients with evidence of ACI were significantly more likely to have diabetes mellitus (75% vs. 60%), cardiovascular disease (48% vs. 37%), chronic lung disease (22.2% vs. 12.4%), and chronic kidney disease (32.3% vs. 16.2%). Additionally, patients with ACI were significantly more likely to have cardiomegaly (60.6% vs. 44.8%) and bilateral lobe infiltrates (77.8% vs. 60%) on X-ray. Patients with ACI were significantly more likely to suffer from complications such as cardiogenic shock (5.3% vs. 0%), pneumonia (80.1% vs. 65.7%), sepsis (24.2% vs. 9.5%), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (33.1% vs. 8.6%). Patients with ACI were also significantly more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) (57% vs. 26.7%) and significantly more likely to die (38.1% vs. 11.4%). The results of the multivariate regression analysis indicated that mortality was significantly higher in patients with elevated troponin levels (adjusted odds ratio = 4.73; 95% confidence interval = 2.49-8.98). Conclusions In COVID-19-infected patients, old age, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, and chronic kidney disease were associated with an increased risk of ACI. The presence of ACI in the context of COVID-19 infection was noted to increase the risk for severe complications, such as cardiogenic shock, ICU admission, sepsis, and death.

Clinical spectrum of COVID-19 complications in young adults: combined analysis of the American Heart Association COVID-19 Cardiovascular Disease Registry and the Outcomes Registry for Cardiac Conditions in Athletes

BACKGROUND

While young adults 18-24 years old bear a significant proportion of COVID-19 diagnoses, the risk factors for hospitalisation and severe COVID-19 complications in this population are poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for hospitalisation and other COVID-19 complications across the health spectrum of young adults diagnosed with COVID-19 infection.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

Young adults (aged 18-24) with confirmed COVID-19 infection from the American Heart Association (AHA) COVID-19 Cardiovascular Disease Registry of hospitalised patients and the Outcomes Registry for Cardiac Conditions in Athletes (ORCCA) study of collegiate athletes. The AHA registry included 636 young adults from 152 hospitals. The ORCCA registry consisted of 3653 competitive college athletes from 42 colleges and universities.

INTERVENTION

None (exposure to COVID-19).

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Main outcomes included hospitalisation, death, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and other severe clinical events.

RESULTS

In comparison to the ORCCA registry, patients in the AHA registry were more likely to be female (59% vs 33%); had higher average body mass index (BMI) (32.4 vs 25.6); and had increased prevalence of diabetes (10% vs 0.4%), hypertension (7% vs 0.6%), chronic kidney disease (2% vs 0%) and asthma (14% vs 8%), all with p<0.01. There were eight (2%) deaths in the AHA hospitalised registry compared with zero in the ORCCA cohort. BMI was a statistically significant predictor of death in the hospitalised cohort (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.00, 1.10). No significant predictors of MACE or other severe clinical events were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of cardiac events in young adults aged 18-24 diagnosed with COVID-19 infection is low. Patients who were hospitalised (AHA registry) were more likely to have pre-existing medical comorbidities and higher BMI than healthy collegiate athletes (ORCCA registry). Once hospitalised, elevated BMI is associated with increased mortality although other drivers of MACE and other severe clinical events remain unclear.

Use and Prognostic Implications of Cardiac Troponin in COVID-19

Myocardial injury is common in patients with COVID-19 and is associated with an adverse prognosis. Cardiac troponin (cTn) is used to detect myocardial injury and assist with risk stratification in this population. SARS-CoV-2 infection can play a role in the pathogenesis of acute myocardial injury due to both direct and indirect damage to the cardiovascular system. Despite the initial concerns about an increased incidence of acute myocardial infarction (MI), most cTn increases are related to chronic myocardial injury due to comorbidities and/or acute nonischemic myocardial injury. This review will discuss the latest findings on this topic.

Characteristics of Cardiac Abnormalities in Pediatric Patients With Acute COVID-19

Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is known to cause cardiac abnormalities in adults. Cardiac abnormalities are well-described in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, but effects in children with acute COVID-19 are less understood. In this multicenter study, we assessed the cardiac effects of acute COVID-19 among hospitalized children (<21 years) admitted to three large healthcare systems in New York City. Methods We performed a retrospective observational study. We examined electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, troponin, or B-type natriuretic peptides. Results Of 317 admitted patients, 131 (41%) underwent cardiac testing with 56 (43%) demonstrating cardiac abnormalities. Electrocardiogram abnormalities were the most common (46/117 patients (39%)), including repolarization abnormalities and QT prolongation. Elevated troponin occurred in 14/77 (18%) patients and B-type natriuretic peptide in 8/39 (21%) patients. Ventricular dysfunction was identified in 5/27 (19%) patients with an echocardiogram, all of whom had elevated troponin. Ventricular dysfunction resolved by first outpatient follow-up. Conclusion Electrocardiogram and troponin can assist clinicians in identifying children at risk for cardiac injury in acute COVID-19.

Cardiovascular Complications in Coronavirus Disease 2019-Pathogenesis and Management

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a devastating impact on morbidity and mortality around the world. Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 has a characteristic tropism for the cardiovascular system by entering the host cells and binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors, which are expressed in different cells, particularly endothelial cells. This endothelial injury is linked by a direct intracellular viral invasion leading to inflammation, microthrombosis, and angiogenesis. COVID-19 has been associated with acute myocarditis, cardiac arrhythmias, new onset or worsening heart failure, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and thromboembolic disease. This review summarizes key relevant literature regarding the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and preventive measures related to cardiovascular complications in the setting of COVID-19.

Mechanical Circulatory Support in Patients With COVID-19 Presenting With Myocardial Infarction

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicating COVID-19 is associated with an increased risk of cardiogenic shock and mortality. However, little is known about the frequency of use and clinical impact of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in these patients. We sought to define patterns of MCS utilization, patient characteristics, and outcomes in patients with COVID-19 with STEMI. The NACMI (North American COVID-19 Myocardial Infarction) is an ongoing prospective, observational registry of patients with COVID-19 positive (COVID-19+) with STEMI with a contemporary control group of persons under investigation who subsequently tested negative for COVID-19 (COVID-19-). We compared the baseline characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of COVID-19+ and patients with COVID-19- according to the use of MCS. The primary outcome was a composite of in-hospital mortality, stroke, recurrent MI, and repeat unplanned revascularization. A total of 1,379 patients (586 COVID-19+ and 793 COVID-19-) enrolled in the NACMI registry between January 2020 and November 2021 were included in this analysis; overall, MCS use was 12.3% (12.1% [n = 71] COVID-19+/MCS positive [MCS+] vs 12.4% [n = 98] COVID-19-/MCS+). Baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. The use of percutaneous coronary intervention was similar between the groups (84% vs 78%; p = 0.404). Intra-aortic balloon pump was the most frequently used MCS device in both groups (53% in COVID-19+/MCS+ and 75% in COVID-19-/MCS+). The primary outcome was significantly higher in COVID-19+/MCS+ patients (60% vs 30%; p = 0.001) because of very high in-hospital mortality (59% vs 28%; p = 0.001). In conclusion, patients with COVID-19+ with STEMI requiring MCS have very high in-hospital mortality, likely related to the significantly higher pulmonary involvement compared with patients with COVID-19- with STEMI requiring MCS.

Title: Serious COVID-19 may have a causal relationship with myocardial injury: A Mendelian randomization study

Background: The association of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with myocardial injury is not well known. This study explored the association between them using the Mendelian randomization (MR) method. Method: We obtained summary data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on myocardial injury and COVID-19 from public databases. Then, as tool variables, we chose single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with susceptibility and COVID-19 severity to investigate the causal relationship of COVID-19 with myocardial injury using inverse-variance weighting (IVW) as the primary approach. Finally, the reliability of the results was evaluated by performing sensitivity analyses. Results: As revealed by the IVW analyses, the seriously hospitalized patients with COVID-19 had causality with myocardial injury, with an β of 0.14 and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.03-0.25 (p = 0.01). The results showed that COVID-19 with severe respiratory symptoms positively affected myocardial injury (β = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.03-0.19; p = 0.005). Conclusion: According to this study, severe respiratory symptoms and hospitalization due to COVID-19 may increase the risk of myocardial injury.

Risk of incident heart failure after COVID-19 recovery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Patients recovered from COVID-19 have an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and heart structural changes. The aim of the present manuscript is to assess the risk of incident heart failure (HF) after COVID-19 infection. Data were obtained searching MEDLINE and Scopus for all studies published at any time up to September 1, 2022 reporting the risk of incident HF in COVID-19 recovered patients. The cumulative post-COVID-19 incidence and risk of incident HF were pooled using a random effects model and presented with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Statistical heterogeneity was measured using the Higgins I² statistic. Overall, 21,463,173 patients (mean age 54.5 years, 58.7% males) were analyzed. Among them, 1,628,424 had confirmed COVID-19 infection while the remaining 19,834,749 represented the controls. The mean length of follow-up was 9.2 months. A random effect model revealed a pooled incidence of post COVID-19 HF in 1.1% of cases (95% CI: 0.7-1.6, I²: 99.8%). Moreover, recovered COVID-19 patients showed an increased risk of incident HF (HR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.54-3.24, p < 0.0001, I² = 96.5%) in the same follow-up period. Meta-regression showed a direct relationship for the risk of incident HF using age (p = 0.001) and hypertension (HT) (p = 0.02) as moderators, while an inverse association was observed when the follow-up length was adopted as moderating variable (p = 0.01). COVID-19 survivors had an additional 90% risk of developing HF after COVID-19 infection in the long-term period. This risk was directly related with age and previous history of HT especially in the early post-acute phase of the infection.

Increasing rate of hospitalization for severe peptic ulcer in digestive disease emergencies after the pandemic

Since December 2019, the novel coronavirus has spread worldwide, affecting more than 510 million people, with more than 6 million deaths. However, some of the potential effects of the pandemic have not been thoroughly studied. We collected data from 2 regional emergency centers from May to November for the years 2015 to 2019, before the pandemic, and from May to November 2020, after the pandemic. We evaluated the incidence of each major type of digestive disease before and after the pandemic in adults at the 2 hospitals, which experienced coronavirus disease 2019 outbreaks with varying severity. A total of 11,394 patients were enrolled in the study Affiliated Hospital of Putian University (PUTIAN, n = 5503) Union Hospital, Tongji Medical college, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (UNION, n = 5891), and the proportion of male patients was approximately the same at both hospitals, with 3360 (61.1%) and 3680 (62.5%), respectively. The average ages of the patients were 55.8 ± 18.4 years PUTIAN and 54.3 ± 15.8 years UNION. The numbers of patients at the 2 hospitals increased steadily, but in 2020, the number of patients at UNION declined. The baseline characteristics of the 2 groups at the 2 hospitals showed significant differences for age before and after the pandemic but not for sex. The constituent ratios of diseases in each year in the 2 hospitals differed. The number of patients with peptic ulcers in 2020 was significantly different from those in each year from 2015 to 2019 (PUTIAN 2015-2020, 15.0%, 18.2%, 14.9%, 16.9%, 19.5%, 34.9%; UNION 2015-2020, 29.2%, 32.5%, 29.3%, 29.4%, 29.7%, 41.3%, respectively). The rates of peptic ulcer increased dramatically in both hospitals in 2020. An increase in the incidence of severe peptic ulcer was observed after the pandemic compared to the same period before the pandemic. Therefore, these factors should be considered in the formulation of public health strategies and the allocation of medical resources in the post pandemic era.

Independent Predictors of Mortality in COVID-19 Myocardial Injury: The Role of Troponin Levels, GRACE Score, SOFA Score, and TIMI Score

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is associated with troponin elevation, which is associated with increased mortality. However, it is not clear if troponin elevation is independently linked to increased mortality in COVID-19 patients. Although there is considerable literature on risk factors for mortality in COVID-19-associated myocardial injury, the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE), Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI), and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores have not been studied in COVID-19-related myocardial injury. This data is important in risk-stratifying COVID-19 myocardial injury patients. Methodology Of the 1,500 COVID-19 patients admitted to our hospitals, 217 patients who had troponin levels measured were included. Key variables were collected manually, and univariate and multivariate cox regression analysis was done to determine the predictors of mortality in COVID-19-associated myocardial injury. The differences in clinical profiles and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with and without troponin elevation were compared. Results Mortality was 26.5% in the normal troponin group and 54.6% in the elevated troponin group. Patients with elevated troponins had increased frequency of hypotension (p = 0.01), oxygen support (p < 0.01), low absolute lymphocyte (p < 0.01), elevated blood urea nitrogen (p < 0.01), higher C-reactive protein (p < 0.01), higher D-dimer (p < 0.01), higher lactic acid (p < 0.01), and higher Quick SOFA (qSOFA), SOFA, TIMI, and GRACE (all scores p < 0.01). On univariate cox regression, troponin elevation (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.18-2.88, p < 0.01), TIMI score >3 (HRv = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.11-2.75, p = 0.01), and GRACE score >140 (HR = 2.27, 95% CI = 1.45-3.55, p < 0.01) were highly associated with mortality, whereas cardiovascular disease (HR = 1.40, 95% CI = 0.89-2.21, p = 0.129) and cardiovascular risk factors (HR = 1.15, 95% CI = 0.73-1.81, p = 0.52) were not. After adjusting for age, use of a non-rebreather or high-flow nasal cannula, hemoglobin <8.5 g/dL, suspected or confirmed source of infection, and qSOFA and SOFA scores (HR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.07-1.29, p < 0.01) were independently associated with mortality, whereas troponin (HR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.63-1.85, p = 0.76), TIMI score (HR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.99-1.06, p = 0.12) and GRACE scores (HR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.99-1.02, p = 0.10) were not associated with mortality. Conclusions Our study shows that troponin, GRACE score, and TIMI score are not independent predictors of mortality in COVID-19 myocardial injury. This may be because troponin elevation in COVID-19 patients may be related to demand ischemia rather than acute coronary syndrome-related. This was shown by the association of troponin with a higher degree of systemic inflammation and end-organ dysfunction. Therefore, we recommend SOFA scores in risk-stratifying COVID-19 patients with myocardial injury.

Troponin in COVID-19: To Measure or Not to Measure? Insights from a Prospective Cohort Study

Myocardial injury (MI), defined by troponin elevation, has been associated with increased mortality and adverse outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the role of this biomarker as a risk predictor remains unclear. Data from adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were recorded prospectively. A multiple logistic regression model was used to quantify associations of all variables with in-hospital mortality, including the calculation of odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CI). Troponin measurement was performed in 1476 of 4628 included patients, and MI was detected in 353 patients, with a prevalence of 23.9%; [95% CI, 21.8–26.1%]. The total in-hospital mortality rate was 10.9% [95% CI, 9.8–12.0%]. The mortality was much higher among patients with MI than among those without MI, with a prevalence of 22.7% [95% CI, 18.5–27.3%] vs. 5.5% [95% CI, 4.3–7.0%] and increased with each troponin level. After adjustment for age and comorbidities, the model revealed that the mortality risk was greater for patients with MI [OR = 2.99; 95% CI, 2.06–4.36%], and for those who did not undergo troponin measurement [OR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.62–2.97%], compared to those without MI. Our data support the role of troponin as an important risk predictor for these patients, capable of discriminating between those with a low or increased mortality rate. In addition, our findings suggest that this biomarker has a remarkable negative predictive value in COVID-19.

COVID-19 in Older Individuals Requiring Hospitalization

Older individuals have an increased risk for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and a higher risk for complications and death. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of older patients admitted with COVID-19 and describe their outcomes. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients older than 65 years admitted to the COVID-19 Department of the University Hospital of Heraklion. Data recorded and evaluated included age, gender, Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) severity score, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) use, admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), laboratory exams, treatment administered, and outcome. In total, 224 patients were evaluated in the present study. The median age was 75 years and 105 (46.9%) were female. In 50 patients (22.7%), HFNO was used and 23 (10.3%) were admitted to the ICU. Mortality was 13.4% (30 patients). Patients that died had higher age, were more likely to be male, had an IDSA severity score of 3, had prior HFNO use, had been admitted to the ICU, and were also more likely to have a higher white blood cell (WBC) count, CRP, ferritin, procalcitonin, d-dimers, and troponin. A multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age and the need for HFNO use to be independently positively associated with mortality. To conclude, COVID-19 carries significant mortality in hospitalized older patients, which increases with age, while the need for HFNO also increased the likelihood of worse outcomes. Clinicians caring for patients with COVID-19 should bear in mind these two factors. Future studies could elaborate on the effect of new variants on the dynamics of mortality in older patients.

Surgical coronary revascularization in patients with COVID‐19; complications and outcomes: A retrospective cohort study

Background and Aims

Coronary artery disease is high‐risk comorbidity of COVID‐19 infection. Nonelective coronary artery revascularization in COVID‐19 patients carries substantial risk. Therefore, it is essential to understand the risk factors and outcomes fully. This study aims to evaluate the prognosis of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery in patients with COVID‐19.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study assesses 171 patients who underwent urgent and emergent CABG in Tehran Heart Center from March 2020 to September 2021. The patients were allocated to cases and controls based on COVID‐19 infection status. Demographic and clinical features, alongside the complications and outcomes, were compared between the two groups.

Results

According to diagnostic criteria, 62 patients were diagnosed with COVID‐19 (Case) and 109 patients had no COVID diagnosis (Control). Regarding the demographics and risk factors, hypertension was more prevalent among patients with COVID‐19 (64.5% compared to 43.1% p= 0.007). Length of hospital stay, ventilation time, and intensive care unit (ICU) stay time were significantly higher in patients infected with COVID‐19. Postoperative complications, including stroke, atrial fibrillation, pleural effusion, blood transfusion, and Inotrope use, were significantly higher in the case group. Mortality rates were also higher in COVID‐19 patients with an odds ratio of 1.53; however, this difference is not statistically significant (p: 0.44, 95% CI = 0.50–4.01).

Conclusion

COVID‐19 is associated with a significantly higher hospital stay, ventilation time, and ICU stay. Mortality rates are also higher, albeit insignificantly. Various postoperative complications are also higher with COVID‐19.

Strain in children with MIS-C and acute COVID-19

Context

Cardiac injury has been described in both acute COVID-19 and the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Echocardiographic strain has been shown to be a sensitive measure of systolic function.

Aims

We sought to describe strain findings in both the groups on initial presentation and follow-up.

Settings and Design

A retrospective study analyzing echocardiograms of all patients presenting with acute COVID-19 infection and MIS-C at our institution between March 2020 and December 2020 was performed.

Subjects and Methods

TOMTEC software was used for strain analysis in both the study groups (COVID-19 and MIS-C) and age-matched healthy controls. Strain was correlated with LV ejection fraction (EF) and serum troponin levels.

Results

Forty-five patients (34 - MIS-C and 11 - COVID-19) met the inclusion criteria. There was a statistically significant decrease in LV longitudinal strain (P < 0.001), LV circumferential strain (P < 0.001), and left atrial strain (P = 0.014) in the MIS-C group when compared to the control group. There was a statistically significant decrease in LV longitudinal strain (P = 0.028) in the acute COVID-19 group. All patients with abnormal left ventricular EF (LVEF) had abnormal strain. However, 14 (41%) patients in the MIS-C group and 3 (27%) in the acute COVID-19 group had preserved LVEF but abnormal strain. There was a significant correlation with LV longitudinal strain (P = 0.005) and LVEF (P = 0.002) and troponin in patients with MIS-C. Abnormal strain persisted in one-third of patients in the MIS-C and acute COVID-19 groups on outpatient follow-up.

Conclusions

Patients with MIS-C and acute COVID-19 can develop myocardial dysfunction as seen by abnormal strain. LV longitudinal strain correlates with cardiac injury as measured by serum troponin in patients with MIS-C. Strain may provide an additional tool in detecting subtle myocardial dysfunction. It can be routinely employed at diagnosis and at follow-up evaluation of these patients.

Unmasking the 'Asymptomatic' COVID-19: A Nose Question

The new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has high infectivity, often masked by asymptomatic carriers, which allows it to spread rapidly and become a pandemic. Attempts to slow the pandemic at this stage depend on the ability to unmask asymptomatic carriers. The rapid diagnosis of active coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is one of the cornerstones of pandemic control, as the nasal cavity is the main gateway for SARS-CoV-2 entry and altered sense of smell is a feature of the current virus. In the present study, we therefore tested the olfactory threshold coupled with heart–lung parameters in subjects undergoing traditional molecular testing, resulting in a significantly different score between asymptomatic subjects and healthy controls. In total, 82% of asymptomatic positives showed olfactory impairment; of these, 46% had severe hyposmia and 7% had anosmia, while in the control 9% had severe hyposmia and 0% had anosmia, respectively, which agrees with heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure parameter variations. The olfactory test coupled with physiological parameters may help to identify asymptomatic people. In conclusion, our results suggest that most asymptomatic individuals could be unmasked by mass olfactory rapid threshold screening and then referred to traditional slower diagnostic tests.

A Real Pandora's Box in Pandemic Times: A Narrative Review on the Acute Cardiac Injury Due to COVID-19

The intricate relationship between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the cardiovascular system is an extensively studied pandemic topic, as there is an ever-increasing amount of evidence that reports a high prevalence of acute cardiac injury in the context of viral infection. In patients with Coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19, a significant increase in serum levels of cardiac troponin or other various biomarkers was observed, suggesting acute cardiac injury, thus predicting both a severe course of the disease and a poor outcome. Pathogenesis of acute cardiac injury is not yet completely elucidated, though several mechanisms are allegedly involved, such as a direct cardiomyocyte injury, oxygen supply-demand inequity caused by hypoxia, several active myocardial depressant factors during sepsis, and endothelial dysfunction due to the hyperinflammatory status. Moreover, the increased levels of plasma cytokines and catecholamines and a significantly enhanced prothrombotic environment may lead to the destabilization and rupture of atheroma plaques, subsequently triggering an acute coronary syndrome. In the present review, we focus on describing the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and role of biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with acute cardiac injury in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explore some novel therapeutic strategies involving immunomodulatory therapy, as well as their role in preventing a severe form of the disease, with both the short-term outcome and the long-term cardiovascular sequelae being equally important in patients with SARS-CoV-2 induced acute cardiac injury.

The Cost of Return to Play Protocols in Collegiate Athletes Recovering from Coronavirus Disease 2019

INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE

SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) can result in myocarditis. Protocols were developed to allow competitive athletes to safely return to play (RTP) after a COVID-19 infection, but the financial impact of these protocols is unknown. Our objective was to determine the differential cost of post-COVID-19 RTP protocols for competitive collegiate athletes.

METHODS

This multicenter retrospective cohort study of clinical evaluation of 295 athletes after COVID-19 infection was performed at four institutions with three RTP protocols. Costs were calculated using adjusted Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services pricing. All athletes underwent electrocardiogram and clinical evaluation. A tiered approach performed cardiac imaging and biomarker analysis for major symptoms. A universal transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) approach performed TTE and biomarkers for all athletes. A universal exercise stress echocardiogram (ESE) approach performed ESE and biomarkers for all athletes.

RESULTS

The cost per athlete was $632.51 ± 651.80 ($44,908 total) in tiered group (n = 71), $1,072.30 ± 517.93 ($87,928 total) in the universal TTE group (n = 82), and $1357.38 ± 757.05 ($192,748 total) in the universal ESE group (n = 142) (P < 0.001). Extrapolated national costs for collegiate athletes would be $39 to 64 million higher for universal imaging approaches versus a tiered approach. Only seven athletes had probable/possible myocarditis with no significant difference between approaches.

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiac screening in collegiate athletes after COVID-19 infection resulted in significant cost to the health care system. A tiered-based approach was more economical, and a universal exercise echocardiogram group detected slightly more myocardial abnormalities by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The clinical consequences of these approaches are unknown.

New strategies and therapies for the prevention of heart failure in high-risk patients

Despite declines in total cardiovascular mortality rates in the United States, heart failure (HF) mortality rates as well as hospitalizations and readmissions have increased in the past decade. Increases have been relatively higher among young and middle-aged adults (<65 years). Therefore, identification of individuals HF at-risk (Stage A) or with pre-HF (Stage B) before the onset of overt clinical signs and symptoms (Stage C) is urgently needed. Multivariate risk models (e.g., Pooled Cohort Equations to Prevent Heart Failure [PCP-HF]) have been externally validated in diverse populations and endorsed by the 2022 HF Guidelines to apply a risk-based framework for the prevention of HF. However, traditional risk factors included in the PCP-HF model only account for half of an individual's lifetime risk of HF; novel risk factors (e.g., adverse pregnancy outcomes, impaired lung health, COVID-19) are emerging as important risk-enhancing factors that need to be accounted for in personalized approaches to prevention. In addition to determining the role of novel risk-enhancing factors, integration of social determinants of health (SDoH) in identifying and addressing HF risk is needed to transform the current clinical paradigm for the prevention of HF. Comprehensive strategies to prevent the progression of HF must incorporate pharmacotherapies (e.g., sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors that have also been termed the "statins" of HF prevention), intensive blood pressure lowering, and heart-healthy behaviors. Future directions include investigation of novel prediction models leveraging machine learning, integration of risk-enhancing factors and SDoH, and equitable approaches to interventions for risk-based prevention of HF.

Laboratory Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Prognosis in COVID-19

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, with progression to multiorgan failure in the most severe cases. Several biomarkers can be altered in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and they can be associated with diagnosis, prognosis, and outcomes. The most used biomarkers in COVID-19 include several proinflammatory cytokines, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate transaminase (AST), neutrophil count, neutrophils-to-lymphocytes ratio, troponins, creatine kinase (MB), myoglobin, D-dimer, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and its N-terminal pro-hormone (NT-proBNP). Some of these biomarkers can be readily used to predict disease severity, hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mortality, while others, such as metabolomic and proteomic analysis, have not yet translated to clinical practice. This narrative review aims to identify laboratory biomarkers that have shown significant diagnostic and prognostic value for risk stratification in COVID-19 and discuss the possible clinical application of novel analytic strategies, like metabolomics and proteomics. Future research should focus on identifying a limited but essential number of laboratory biomarkers to easily predict prognosis and outcome in severe COVID-19.

Myocardial Injury Predicts Risk of Short-Term All-Cause Mortality in Patients With COVID-19: A Dose–Response Meta-Analysis

Objective

Predictive value of myocardial injury as defined by elevated cardiac tropnins (cTns) in patients with COVID-19 has not been fully investigated. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the dose–response relationship between myocardial injury and short-term all-cause mortality.

Methods

Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library database were searched for all the studies which evaluated the relationship between cTns and the risk of short-term all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Results

Compared with patients without myocardial injury, the group with elevated cTns was associated with increased short-term mortality (11 studies, 29,128 subjects, OR 3.17, 95% CI 2.19–4.59, P = 0.000, I2 = 92.4%, P for heterogeneity 0.00). For the dose–response analysis, the elevation of cTns 1 × 99th percentile upper reference limit (URL) was associated with increased short-term mortality (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.53–2.58, P = 0.000). The pooled OR of short-term mortality for each 1 × URL increment of cTns was 1.25 (95% CI 1.22–1.28, P = 0.000).

Conclusion

We found a positive dose–response relationship between myocardial injury and the risk of short-term all-cause mortality, and propose elevation of cTns &gt; 1 × 99th percentile URL was associated with the increased short-term risk of mortality.

Echocardiographic assessment of COVID19 sequelae in survivors with elevated cardiac biomarkers

Aims

We sought to determine, using advanced echocardiography, the prevalence and type of cardiovascular sequelae after COVID19 infection with marked elevation of cardiovascular biomarkers (CVB), and their prognostic implications.

Methods

All patients admitted from March 1st to May 25th, 2020 to a tertiary referral hospital were included. Those with cardiovascular diseases or dead during admission were excluded. Patients with hs-TnI > 45 ng/L, NT-proBNP>300 pg/mL, and D-dimer >8000 ng/mL were matched with COVID controls (three biomarkers within the normal range) based on intensive care requirements and age, and separately analyzed.

Results

From 2025 patients, 80 patients with significantly elevated CVB and 29 controls were finally included. No differences in baseline characteristics were observed among groups, but elevated CVB patients were sicker. Follow-up echocardiograms showed no differences among groups regarding LVEF and only slight differences between groups within the normal range. Hs-TnI patients had lower myocardial work and longitudinal strain. The presence of an abnormal echocardiogram was more frequent in the elevated CVB group compared to controls (23.8 vs 10.3%, P = 0.123) but mainly associated with mild abnormalities in deformation parameters. Management did not change in any case and no major cardiovascular events except deep vein thrombosis occurred after a median follow-up of 7 months.

Conclusion

Minimal abnormalities in cardiac structure and function are observed in COVID19 survivors without previous cardiovascular diseases who presented a significant CVB rise at admission, with no impact on patient management or short-term prognosis. These results do not support a routine screening program after discharge in this population.

Role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in troponinemia syndromes

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an evolving technology, proving to be a highly accurate tool for quantitative assessment. Most recently, it has been increasingly used in the diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of conditions involving an elevation in troponin or troponinemia. Although an elevation in troponin is a nonspecific marker of myocardial tissue damage, it is a frequently ordered investigation leaving many patients without a specific diagnosis. Fortunately, the advent of newer cardiac MRI protocols can provide additional information. In this review, we discuss several conditions associated with an elevation in troponin such as myocardial infarction, myocarditis, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, coronavirus disease 2019 related cardiac dysfunction and athlete’s heart syndrome.

Prevalence, Characteristics, and Outcomes of COVID-19-Associated Acute Myocarditis

Background:

Acute myocarditis (AM) is thought to be a rare cardiovascular complication of COVID-19, although minimal data are available beyond case reports. We aim to report the prevalence, baseline characteristics, in-hospital management, and outcomes for patients with COVID-19–associated AM on the basis of a retrospective cohort from 23 hospitals in the United States and Europe.

Methods:

A total of 112 patients with suspected AM from 56 963 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were evaluated between February 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021. Inclusion criteria were hospitalization for COVID-19 and a diagnosis of AM on the basis of endomyocardial biopsy or increased troponin level plus typical signs of AM on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. We identified 97 patients with possible AM, and among them, 54 patients with definite/probable AM supported by endomyocardial biopsy in 17 (31.5%) patients or magnetic resonance imaging in 50 (92.6%). We analyzed patient characteristics, treatments, and outcomes among all COVID-19–associated AM.

Results:

AM prevalence among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was 2.4 per 1000 hospitalizations considering definite/probable and 4.1 per 1000 considering also possible AM. The median age of definite/probable cases was 38 years, and 38.9% were female. On admission, chest pain and dyspnea were the most frequent symptoms (55.5% and 53.7%, respectively). Thirty-one cases (57.4%) occurred in the absence of COVID-19–associated pneumonia. Twenty-one (38.9%) had a fulminant presentation requiring inotropic support or temporary mechanical circulatory support. The composite of in-hospital mortality or temporary mechanical circulatory support occurred in 20.4%. At 120 days, estimated mortality was 6.6%, 15.1% in patients with associated pneumonia versus 0% in patients without pneumonia (P=0.044). During hospitalization, left ventricular ejection fraction, assessed by echocardiography, improved from a median of 40% on admission to 55% at discharge (n=47; P<0.0001) similarly in patients with or without pneumonia. Corticosteroids were frequently administered (55.5%).

Conclusions:

AM occurrence is estimated between 2.4 and 4.1 out of 1000 patients hospitalized for COVID-19. The majority of AM occurs in the absence of pneumonia and is often complicated by hemodynamic instability. AM is a rare complication in patients hospitalized for COVID-19, with an outcome that differs on the basis of the presence of concomitant pneumonia.

Cardiac Registries During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned

Purpose of this Review

We discuss the role of observational studies and cardiac registries during the COVID-19 pandemic. We focus on published cardiac registries and highlight contributions to the field that have had clinical implications.

Recent Findings

We included observational studies of COVID-19 patients published in peer-reviewed medical journals with defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, defined study design, and primary outcomes. A PubMed and MEDLINE literature review results in 437 articles, of which 52 include patients with COVID-19 with cardiac endpoints. From July 2020 to December 2021, the average time from last data collected to publication was 8.9 ± 4.1 months, with an increasing trend over time (R = 0.9444, p < 0.0001). Of the 52 articles that met our inclusion criteria, we summarize main findings of 4 manuscripts on stroke, 14 on acute coronary syndrome, 4 on cardiac arrest, 7 on heart failure, 7 on venous thromboembolism, 5 on dysrhythmia, and 11 on different populations at risk for cardiovascular.

Summary

Registries are cost effective, not disruptive to essential health services, and can be rapidly disseminated with short intervals between last data point collected and publication. In less than 2 years, cardiac registries have filled important gaps in knowledge and informed the care of COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular conditions.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11886-022-01686-5.

Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome

Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has resulted in millions of deaths and a major strain on health systems worldwide. Medical treatments for COVID-19 (anticoagulants, corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, oxygenation therapy and ventilation) and vaccination have improved patient outcomes. The majority of patients will recover spontaneously or after acute-phase management, but clinicians are now faced with long-term complications of COVID-19 including a large variety of symptoms, defined as "post-acute COVID-19 syndrome". Most studies have focused on patients hospitalised for severe COVID-19, but acute COVID-19 syndrome is not restricted to these patients and exists in outpatients. Given the diversity of symptoms and the high prevalence of persistent symptoms, the management of these patients requires a multidisciplinary team approach, which will result in the consumption of large amounts of health resources in the coming months. In this review, we discuss the presentation, prevalence, pathophysiology and evolution of respiratory complications and other organ-related injuries associated with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome.

The Potential Impact of COVID-19 Virus on the Heart and the Circulatory System

Heart attacks, arrhythmias, and cardiomyopathy are all linked to the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has been identified as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Nothing can be held accountable in the current state of affairs. Undiagnosed chronic systolic heart failure (CSHF) develops when the heart’s second half of the cardiac cycle does not function properly. As a result, the heart’s blood pumping function is interrupted. Stress-induced cardiomyopathy may be caused by a variety of factors inside the body (SICM). Cytokine storm and microvascular dysfunction are among the issues. There is inflammation in the heart muscle, which may lead to stress-induced cardiomyopathy. A major part of our study is going to be devoted to understanding the effects of coronavirus on the cardiovascular system and blood vessels. A lot of time and effort has been put into figuring out the health effects of radiation exposure. The heart and circulatory system are shown to be affected by the coronavirus in this research. COVID-19 is shown to influence persons with heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, microvascular angiopathy, and cardiac damage in this study.

Mechanistic Insights Into the Immune Pathophysiology of COVID-19; An In-Depth Review

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus-19 (COVID-19), has caused significant morbidity and mortality globally. In addition to the respiratory manifestations seen in severe cases, multi-organ pathologies also occur, making management a much-debated issue. In addition, the emergence of new variants can potentially render vaccines with a relatively limited utility. Many investigators have attempted to elucidate the precise pathophysiological mechanisms causing COVID-19 respiratory and systemic disease. Spillover of lung-derived cytokines causing a cytokine storm is considered the cause of systemic disease. However, recent studies have provided contradictory evidence, whereby the extent of cytokine storm is insufficient to cause severe illness. These issues are highly relevant, as management approaches considering COVID-19 a classic form of acute respiratory distress syndrome with a cytokine storm could translate to unfounded clinical decisions, detrimental to patient trajectory. Additionally, the precise immune cell signatures that characterize disease of varying severity remain contentious. We provide an up-to-date review on the immune dysregulation caused by COVID-19 and highlight pertinent discussions in the scientific community. The response from the scientific community has been unprecedented regarding the development of highly effective vaccines and cutting-edge research on novel therapies. We hope that this review furthers the conversations held by scientists and informs the aims of future research projects, which will potentially further our understanding of COVID-19 and its immune pathogenesis.

Cardiovascular Dysfunction in COVID-19: Association Between Endothelial Cell Injury and Lactate

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious respiratory disease propagated by a new virus known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in global healthcare crises. Emerging evidence from patients with COVID-19 suggests that endothelial cell damage plays a central role in COVID-19 pathogenesis and could be a major contributor to the severity and mortality of COVID-19. Like other infectious diseases, the pathogenesis of COVID-19 is closely associated with metabolic processes. Lactate, a potential biomarker in COVID-19, has recently been shown to mediate endothelial barrier dysfunction. In this review, we provide an overview of cardiovascular injuries and metabolic alterations caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also propose that lactate plays a potential role in COVID-19-driven endothelial cell injury.

Heart Failure Quality of Care and In-Hospital Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic Findings from the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Registry

Aims

To assess heart failure (HF) in‐hospital quality of care and outcomes before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Methods and results

Patients hospitalized for HF with ejection fraction (EF) <40% in the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines©‐HF (GWTG‐HF) registry during the COVID‐19 pandemic (3/1/2020–4/1/2021) and pre‐pandemic (2/1/2019–2/29/2020) periods were included. Adherence to HF process of care measures, in‐hospital mortality, and length of stay (LOS) were compared in pre‐pandemic vs. pandemic periods and in patients with vs. without COVID‐19. Overall, 42 004 pre‐pandemic and 37 027 pandemic period patients (median age 68, 33% women, 58% White) were included without observed differences across clinical characteristics, comorbidities, vital signs, or EF. Utilization of guideline‐directed medical therapy at discharge was comparable across both periods, with rates of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placement or prescription lower during the pandemic (vs. pre‐pandemic period). In‐hospital mortality (3.0% vs. 2.5%, p <0.0001) and LOS (mean 5.7 vs. 5.4 days, p <0.0004) were higher during the pandemic vs. pre‐pandemic. The highest in‐hospital mortality during the pandemic was observed among patients hospitalized in the Northeast region (3.4%). Among patients concurrently diagnosed with COVID‐19 (n = 549; 1.5%), adherence to ICD placement or prescription, prescription of aldosterone antagonist or angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker/angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor at discharge were lower, and in‐hospital mortality (8.2% vs. 3.0%, p <0.0001) and LOS (mean 7.7 vs. 5.7 days, p <0.0001) were higher than those without COVID‐19.

Conclusion

Among GWTG‐HF participating hospitals, patients hospitalized for HF with reduced EF during the pandemic received similar care quality but experienced higher in‐hospital mortality than the pre‐pandemic period.

COVID-19 Cardiovascular Connection: A Review of Cardiac Manifestations in COVID-19 Infection and Treatment Modalities

The coronavirus pandemic has crippled healthcare system since its outbreak in 2020, and has led to over 2.6 million deaths worldwide. Clinical manifestations of COVID-19 range from asymptomatic carrier to severe pneumonia, to life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The early efforts of the pandemic surrounded treating the pulmonary component of COVID-19, however, there has been robust data surrounding the cardiac complications associated with the virus. This is suspected to be from a marked inflammatory response as well as direct viral injury. Arrhythmias, acute myocardial injury, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, thrombosis, and myocardial fibrosis are some of the observed cardiac complications. There have been high morbidity and mortality rates in those affected by cardiac conditions associated with COVID-19. Additionally, there have been documented cases of patients presenting with typical cardiac symptoms who are subsequently discovered to have COVID-19 infection. In those who test positive for COVID-19, clinical awareness of the significant cardiac components of the virus is pertinent to prevent morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, treatment and preventative measures developed for COVID-19 have been shown to be also be associated with cardiac complications. This is a comprehensive review of the cardiac complications and manifestations of COVID-19 infection in addition to those associated with both treatment and vaccination.

The ratio of cardiac troponin T to troponin I may indicate non-necrotic troponin release among COVID-19 patients

BACKGROUND

Although cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and troponin I(cTnI) are expressed to similar amount in cardiac tissue, cTnI often reach ten-times higher peak levels compared to cTnT in patients with myocardial necrosis such as in acute myocardial infarction (MI). In contrast, similar levels of cTnT and cTnI are observed in other situations such as stable atrial fibrillation and after strenuous exercise.

OBJECTIVE

Examine cTnT and cTnI levels in relation to COVID-19 disease and MI.

METHODS

Clinical and laboratory data from the local hospital from an observational cohort study of 27 patients admitted with COVID-19 and 15 patients with myocardial infarction (MI) that were analyzed with paired cTnT and cTnI measurement during hospital care.

RESULTS

Levels of cTnI were lower than cTnT in COVID-19 patients (TnI/TnT ratio 0.3, IQR: 0.1-0.6). In contrast, levels of cTnI were 11 times higher compared to cTnT in 15 patients with MI (TnI/TnT ratio 11, IQR: 7-14). The peak cTnI/cTnT ratio among the patients with MI following successful percutaneous intervention were 14 (TnI/TnT ratio 14, IQR: 12-23). The 5 COVID-19 patient samples collected under possible necrotic events had a cTnI/cTnT ratio of 5,5 (IQR: 1,9-8,3).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with COVID-19, cTnT is often elevated to higher levels than cTnI in sharp contrast to patients with MI, indicating that the release of cardiac troponin has a different cause in COVID-19 patients.

Dexamethasone Improves Cardiovascular Outcomes in Critically Ill COVID-19, a Real World Scenario Multicenter Analysis

BACKGROUND

Severe COVID-19 pneumonia requiring intensive care treatment remains a clinical challenge to date. Dexamethasone was reported as a promising treatment option, leading to a reduction of mortality rates in severe COVID-19 disease. However, the effect of dexamethasone treatment on cardiac injury and pulmonary embolism remains largely elusive.

METHODS

In total 178 critically ill COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care treatment and mechanical ventilation were recruited in three European medical centres and included in the present retrospective study. One hundred thirteen patients (63.5%) were treated with dexamethasone for a median duration of 10 days (IQR 9-10). Sixty five patients (36.5%) constituted the non-dexamethasone control group.

RESULTS

While peak inflammatory markers were reduced by dexamethasone treatment, the therapy also led to a significant reduction in peak troponin levels (231 vs. 700% indicated as relative to cut off value, p = 0.001). Similar, dexamethasone resulted in significantly decreased peak D-Dimer levels (2.16 mg/l vs. 6.14 mg/l, p = 0.002) reflected by a significant reduction in pulmonary embolism rate (4.4 vs. 20.0%, p = 0.001). The antithrombotic effect of dexamethasone treatment was also evident in the presence of therapeutic anticoagulation (pulmonary embolism rate: 6 vs. 34.4%, p < 0.001). Of note, no significant changes in baseline characteristics were observed between the dexamethasone and non-dexamethasone group.

CONCLUSION

In severe COVID-19, anti-inflammatory effects of dexamethasone treatment seem to be associated with a significant reduction in myocardial injury. Similar, a significant decrease in pulmonary embolism, independent of anticoagulation, was evident, emphasizing the beneficial effect of dexamethasone treatment in severe COVID-19.