Ratios between the Levels of IL-18, Free IL-18, and IL-1β-Binding Protein Depending on the Severity and Outcome of COVID-19

In 89 patients with COVID-19, the ratios between IL-18, free IL-18, and IL-18-binding protein (IL-18BP) were analyzed depending on severity and outcome of the disease. At admission to the hospital, the levels of IL-18 and free IL-18 were significantly higher than 3 months after discharge from the hospital, the levels IL-18BP of being almost the same. In patients with more severe lung injury (computed tomography data), the levels of IL-18 and free IL-18 were higher and IL-18BP levels were lower than in patients with mild and moderate COVID-19. Three months after discharge from the hospital, no differences between these parameters were found. In 9 patients who died in the hospital, free IL-18 levels were significantly higher and IL-18BP levels were lower than in survivors. Thus, high levels of bioactive free IL-18 in combination with low levels of IL-18BP can be indicative of severe inflammatory phase of COVID-19 and the risk of worse clinical outcomes.

Preventive Cardiology 2024: State of Problem Perspectives of Development

This article presents the current relevance of preventive cardiology, substantiates the increasing importance of the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) to reduce mortality and the burden of CVD, including in the era of widespread use of modern high-tech methods and effective drug therapy for treating CVD in clinical practice. The article also addresses effectiveness of secondary prevention of CVD and approaches to its improvement. Particular attention is paid to the high importance of introducing into practice comprehensive programs for secondary prevention of CVD and cardiac rehabilitation. The principles of organizing such programs and their most important components are presented in detail.

Stress, Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms are Predictors of Worse Outcomes in Outpatients With Arterial Hypertension and Coronary Heart Disease: Results of 1.5 Years Follow-up From the COMETA Multicenter Study

Aim      To study associations between the risk of severe adverse cardiovascular outcomes (SACVO) and all-cause death with psychosocial risk factors (PS RFs), such as stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, low level of education, low income, social isolation, and type D personality, in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) managed in primary health care institutions in a multi-year prospective study.Material and methods  PS RFs were assessed in patients with AH or IHD, who participated in a multi-year prospective COMETA study, using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), DS-14 questionnaire, and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for assessment of stress level. Associations of PS FRs with SACVO and all-cause death after a 1.5-year follow-up were analyzed using multivariate Cox regression models.Results At 1.5 years after patients were included in the study, it was possible to obtain data for 2,538 patients (age at baseline, 66.6 ± 7.8 years, 28.1% men), 106 of whom died during that period. The incidence of SACVO was 40.0 per 1000 person-years. According to the results of multivariate regression analysis, a very high level of anxiety symptoms (HADS-A≥14) was significantly associated with SACVO (odds ratio (OR), 1.81; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-3.15; p=0. 02). The composite endpoint that included all-cause death and/or SACVO was significantly associated with a high (VAS score ≥8) stress level (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.00-2.33; p=0.04) and a very high (HADS-D≥14) level of depressive symptoms (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.22-3.62; p=0.02). A low level of education adjusted for gender and age increased the likelihood of SACVO by 1.7 (95% CI, 1.19-2.43) times. No significant associations were found between the analyzed outcomes and type D personality or with social isolation.Conclusion      In patients with AH or IHD, the presence of high-grade stress and severe depressive symptoms increased the likelihoods of all-cause death and SACVO while a low level of education and severe anxiety symptoms were associated with SACVO. The study results showed that PS RFs for cardiovascular diseases keep the PS RF prognostic significance in the conditions of modern treatment of AH and IHD. Due to the negative impact on the prognosis, PS RFs should be taken into account when taking measures for secondary prevention of AH and IHD.

[Association of cardiovascular disease with hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients]

AIM

To evaluate the relationship between the in-hospital mortality of patients with COVID-19 and the history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) using data from the Russian registry of patients with COVID-19.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This study included 758 patients with COVID-19 (403 men, 355 women) aged from 18 to 95 years (median, 61 years), successively hospitalized in the COVID hospital of the Chazov National Medical Research Center of Cardiology from April through June 2020. Death predictors were studied using single- and multivariate regression analyses with the SPSS Statistics, Version 23.0 software.

RESULTS

During the stay in the hospital, 59 (7.8 %) patients with COVID-19 died, 677 (89.3 %) were discharged, and 22 (2.9 %) were transferred to other hospitals. The univariate regression analysis showed that the increase in age per decade was associated with a 92% increase in the risk of death [relative risk (RR), 1.92; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.58-2.34; p <0.001], and an increase in the number of CVDs increases the risk of death by 71% (RR 1.71; 95% CI 1.42-2.07; p<0.001). The presence of one or more CVDs or specific diseases [atrial fibrillation, chronic heart failure (CHF), ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, history of cerebrovascular accidents], as well as diabetes mellitus were associated with a higher risk of fatal outcome during the hospitalization for COVID-19. The presence of any CVD increased the risk of in-hospital death by 3.2 times. However, when the model was adjusted for age and sex, this association lost its strength, and only the presence of CHF was associated with a 3-fold increase in the risk of death (RR, 3.16; 95 % CI, 1.64-6.09; p=0.001). Age was another independent predictor of death (RR, 1.05; 95 % CI, 1.03-1.08; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

A history of CVD and the CVD number and severity are associated with a higher risk of death during the hospitalization for COVID-19; the independent predictors of in-hospital death are an age of 80 years and older and CHF.

The Efficacy of Telemedicine Rehabilitation Programs In Regard Of Risk Factors Control In Patients With Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation Aftercatheter Ablation

Aim      To evaluate changes in traditional risk factors (RF) during cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs with remote support in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) after catheter ablation (CA).Material and methods  The lack of control of cardiovascular RFs is a predictor for AF recurrence after CA, development of complications, and decreased life expectancy. Telemedical CR programs may improve the control of RF and enhance the CR efficacy. This randomized controlled clinical study in three parallel groups included 135 patients aged 35 to 79 years. In groups 1 and 2, CR programs with remote support were performed, which included a single personal consulting for the disease, achieving control of all patient's RFs, and remote support during 3 months (group 1, by phone and group 2, by e-mail). Participants of group 3 received standard recommendations. Body weight, blood pressure (BP), blood lipids, smoking status, and physical activity (PA) were determined at baseline and at 12 months after CA with the IPAQ questionnaire.Results In both intervention groups at 12 months, there were positive changes in RF: body weight index decreased by 3.6 % in group 1 (р=0.01) and by 2.3 % in group 2 (р=0.002) vs. 0 in the control group; systolic BP decreased by 7.1 % (p&lt;0.001) and 1.5 % (p=0.003) in groups 1 and 2 (vs. increases by 3.3 % in group 2); total cholesterol decreased by 9.4 % (p&lt;0.001) and by 6.3 % (p=0.003), respectively, (vs. 0 in group 3); values of metabolic equivalents (METs) used for walking increased by 55.0 % (р=0.014), 75.0 % (р=0.001), and 1.4 % in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. No significant intergroup differences in the frequency of AF recurrence, repeated CA, and hospitalizations were found.Conclusion      CR programs with remote support provide improved control of BP, body weight, blood cholesterol, and AF in patients with AF after CA, according to the results of the one-year follow-up.

Efficacy of secondary prevention and rehabilitation programs with distant support in patients with atrial fibrillation after intervention procedures: impact on psychological status

Aim      To evaluate the effectivity of secondary prevention/rehabilitation programs with remote support for the psychological condition of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) following interventional procedures (radiofrequency catheter ablation and cryoablation).

Material and methods  This prospective, controlled, randomized clinical study was performed in three parallel groups. Each group consisted of 45 patients with AF after interventional procedures. In groups 1 and 2, secondary prevention/rehabilitation programs with remote support were performed, including a single individual in-hospital counseling (on risk factors of AF and their control and on major aspects of the disease, treatment and prevention of complications) and three months of remote support (by phone in group 1 and by e-mail in group 2). Patients of group 3 (control group) received standard recommendations at discharge from the hospital. The psychological status was evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the PHQ-9 questionnaire, the Spielberg-Hanin scale for reactive and personal anxiety, and the visual analogue scale for stress assessment. The follow-up duration was 12 months.

Results At the end of the follow-up period, the proportion of patients with anxiety symptoms considerably decreased in both intervention groups (р<0.001 for each group) and was significantly less than in the control group (р<0.001 for both comparisons). Also, in intervention group 1, the proportion of patients with clinically pronounced anxiety symptoms was significantly decreased. For 12 months of follow-up, the severity of depressive symptoms significantly decreased in all three groups. However, in both intervention groups, this decrease was significantly greater than in the control group (р<0.001 for group 1 and р=0.020 for group 2). In both intervention groups at 12 months, the stress level was significantly reduced whereas in the control group, it remained practically unchanged. The greatest (50% on average) decrease in the stress level was observed in intervention group 2.

Conclusion      Secondary prevention and rehabilitation programs with remote support during a 12-month follow-up resulted in improvement of the psychological status in patients with AF after interventional procedures.

[Factors affecting the uptake of national practice guidelines by physicians treating common CVDS in out-patient settings]

Aim      To study factors that influence the consistency of real prescriptions with applicable national guidelines for outpatient physicians in the management of patients with common cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).Material and methods  This was a cross-sectional study based on 16 randomly selected municipal polyclinics, where internists filled in validated questionnaires, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), WHO Quality of Life - BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), and the Personal Decision-Making Factors (PDF-25). Participating physicians provided outpatient case reports of sequentially arriving patients with a high risk of CVD or confirmed CVDs during 2-3 working days, corresponding to the questionnaire period of ±1 week. The consistency of the prescriptions recorded in these case reports with the Russian Society of Cardiology (RSC) Guidelines was assessed.Results This study included 108 physicians (mean age, 44.0±13.1 years, 87.0 % women) who provided case reports of 341 patients (mean age, 64.4±13.2 years, 59.5 % women) with most common diagnoses of arterial hypertension (92.1 %), ischemic heart disease (60.7 %), and chronic heart failure (32.8 %). According to results of multivariate regression analysis, the following factors increased the likelihood of the prescription inconsistency with the guidelines: the fact that the physician had the highest attestation category (OR 2.56; 95% CI 1.39-4.7; p&lt;0.002), attended professional events less than 2 times in 5 years (OR 2.23; 95% CI 1.18-4.22; p=0.013), had an additional, part-time job (OR 15.58; 95% CI 1.51-160.5; p=0.021), was prone to prescribe familiar trade names (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.08-3.85; p = 0.028), perceived drug supply problems as an important factor influencing the decision making (OR 5.13, 95% CI 2.69-9.75; p&lt;0.001), and a total score on the emotional exhaustion scale (OR 1.03, 95 % CI 1.01-1.06; р=0.031). Also, this likelihood was increased by older age of the patient (OR 3.29; 95 % CI 1.65-6.55; р&lt;0.001) and excessive alcohol consumption by the patient (OR 1.79, 95 % CI 1.31-2.43; р&lt;0.001). The likelihood of non-compliance with the guidelines was reduced by a high assessment of own health status according to the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire (OR 0.19; 95% CI 0.05-0.72; p = 0.014), a high assessment of own working conditions (OR 0.76; 95% CI 0.64-0.9; p=0.002), and postgraduate education within the last 5 years (OR 0.14; 95% CI 0.06-0.36; p&lt;0.001).Conclusion      The study identified the factors that influence the likelihood of the consistency of prescriptions made by outpatient physicians for patients with CVD with applicable national clinical guidelines. Among these factors, the most important ones were access to educational events, additional, external part-time job, indicators of inertia of previous practice, problems with drug provision, satisfaction with own health status and working conditions, and emotional exhaustion (a component of professional burnout), older age of patients and their excessive alcohol consumption.

Sequelae of COVID-19 at long-term follow-up after hospitalization

Aim. To assess long-term sequelae of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients at 3 to 7 months after discharge.

Material and Methods. The whole of 700 patients hospitalized to the temporary COVID-19 treatment center hosted by the FSBI “National Medical Research Center of Cardiology” of the Ministry of Health of Russia from April to June 2020 were invited to participate in a follow-up study. At 3-7 months after the index hospitalization, patients or their proxies were contacted via telephone in order to obtain information on their vital status, cardiovascular and other conditions or their complications, and new hospitalizations. In addition, patients were invited to an outpatient visit under the "COVID-19-follow-up" program, encompassing physical examination and a comprehensive battery of laboratory and instrumental tests, including spirometry, chest computed tomography (CT) and the six minute walk test (6MWT). Further, dyspnea was assessed using the mMRC (Modified Medical Research Council) Dyspnea Scale. 

Results: We were able to contact 87.4% (612/700) of patients or their proxies. At follow-up, 4.4% (27) patients died, of which 96.3% (26) had cardiovascular diseases (CVD). A total of 213 patients aged 19 to 94 years old (mean age 56.8±12.5, median 57 years [49.0; 64.0]; men, 55.4%) agreed come for an outpatient visit and to participate in the “COVID-19-follow-up” program. Since discharge, 8% (17) of patients required new hospitalizations, and more than a half of these patients (58.8%; 10/17) had CVD-related hospitalizations. A total of 8.4% (18) patients experienced worsening of hypertension, 9 (4.2%) patients had newly diagnosed hypertension, 2 (0.9%) – coronary artery disease patients experienced new/recurrent angina symptoms. 4 (1.9%) patients had newly diagnosed coronary artery disease, and one patient had an ischemic stroke. At the outpatient visit, 114 (53.5%) patients had some symptoms, most frequently, shortness of breath (33%), fatigue (27.4%), chest pain (11.3%), and abnormal heartbeats (8.5%). Based on the mMRC Scale, 59% of patients had dyspnea of varying severity. Most patients had a normal vital capacity (VC), which was moderately reduced in 3.3% and severely reduced in 0.5% of patients. Chest CT scans were obtained in 78 (36.6%) patients, whose worst lung damage scores during hospitalization were CT3 or CT4. One in ten patients (10.8%) with severe lung damage during acute infection had persisting ground glass opacities, 35.9% developed fibrotic changes, 79.6% of patients had linear or fine focal opacities. According to the 6MWT data, 12.3% of patients walked less than 70% of the predicted distance, 67% walked 71 to 99% of the predicted distance, and 20.7% of patients were able to walk 100% of their predicted distance.

Conclusion. These data suggest long-term negative sequelae of COVID-19 in more than half of hospitalized patients.

[The importance of cardiorehabilitation in the era of modern treatment of cardio-vascular diseases]

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has a class IA indication in international and national guidelines as an intervention with proven efficacy for decreasing cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in various categories of cardiological patients. However, CR is one of the least used current technologies for the treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases worldwide. This article presents the state of the CR problem during the epoch of high-tech treatments of cardiovascular diseases; the prevalence of using CR in various countries; traditional and new methodological approaches, including telemedicine; and clinical and prognostic effects of CR in various categories of patients with cardiovascular diseases.

[New treatments and technologies in cardiac rehabilitation programs]

The article presents a review of literature data reflecting the relevance and modern views on the effectiveness and expediency of using various options for rehabilitation programs for cardiovascular diseases. The issues of the history of the development of cardiac rehabilitation both abroad and in Russia are consecrated. The article also presents alternative models for conducting cardiac rehabilitation, in particular, using remote and telemedicine technologies. The widespread use of smartphones and high-speed Internet access contributed to the further introduction and use of telemedicine technologies in cardiac rehabilitation. The article discusses the possibilities of telerehabilitation of cardiological patients and shows its comparable effectiveness with traditional cardiac rehabilitation.

Social Network-Based Digital Stroke Prevention: Opportunities, Results and Prospects

Aim. To study the possibilities and limitations of the social network as a digital medical tool, which is aimed at improving programs for primary and secondary stroke prevention in young people.

Material and methods. The study was carried out in the format of online training for volunteers. At the first stage of the work, the online school “Stroke in Young People” was announced in 8 medical blogs. As part of the school, a special account was created for readers (n=1354). At the second stage, 49 respondents (4% of men, whose average age was 24.4±5.2 years) were selected from 1354 listeners, who were surveyed on “Awareness of risk factors and stroke symptoms among users of social networks” before and after the online school.

Results. The online school audience is predominantly female (91%), and 43% of readers were in the 25-34 age group. The total number of people who listened to and read the online school material is 8712 people. 17% worked in the healthcare system, and 22% of respondents had a history of stroke. 38 (78%) people of the 2nd stage among the respondents independently searched for information about stroke earlier, and 30 (61%) received this information passively from medical workers in 2020. Before the online school start, the majority of respondents (over 60%) were aware of 2 out of 7 stroke risk factors (dyslipidemia and arterial hypertension) and 3 out of 6 stroke signs (drooping of the face half, weakness in the limbs and difficulty speaking). Less than 40% of the participants considered the stroke risk factors for diabetes mellitus, other cardiovascular diseases (CVD), obesity, and alcohol use; less than 20% were aware of stroke symptoms such as impaired vision and coordination and very severe headache. After completing online learning, the greatest increase in knowledge was found among the following risk factors – smoking and other CVDs (p<0.05); stroke symptoms - headache and drooping of the face half (p<0.05).

Conclusion. The online school aroused interest among healthcare workers and people without medical education, including those with stroke. Most of the respondents believed that they knew how to prevent a stroke (over 80%) and would be able to provide first aid to a person with a stroke (over 90%). At the same time, the awareness of risk factors and stroke symptoms was low prior to the start of learning, even though the study included healthcare workers and stroke survivors. Online learning has led to increased awareness of some risk factors and stroke symptoms. Social media can be one of the tools for medical prevention of stroke in young people, but program planning should take into account the way the material is presented and its readability.

Arterial hypertension and antihypertensive therapy in older patients. The agreed opinion of experts from the Russian Association of Gerontologists and Geriatricians, the Antihypertensive League, the National Society for Preventive Cardiology

High blood pressure is a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, as well as cognitive decline and loss of autonomy in the elderly and old age. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in populations of older patients living at home with low comorbidity and preserved autonomy indicate the benefit of lowering elevated blood pressure in patients over 80 years of age. Older patients with senile asthenia, loss of autonomy and other geriatric problems were excluded from RCTs, and observational studies in these groups of patients indicate an increase in morbidity and mortality with lower blood pressure and antihypertensive therapy. Obviously, in very elderly patients, a universal strategy for the treatment of arterial hypertension cannot be applied due to the significant heterogeneity of their functional status. The geriatric approach to the management of arterial hypertension in older patients involves an assessment of the functional status, the presence of senile asthenia, and the degree of autonomy for the choice of antihypertensive therapy tactics.

Drug Therapy and Adherence in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease: Results of the Russian Part of the EUROASPIRE V International Multicenter Study

Aim      To study the practice of drug treatment of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and the consistency of this practice with the established guidelines.Material and methods  Results of the Russian part of the EUROASPIRE V study were compared with the general European population of the study. At ≥6 mos. and &lt;2 years after the discharge from the hospital, patients were invited to visit the site for an interview. The drug therapy recommended upon discharge and taken by patients in the long-term as well as the patients' compliance with the treatment were analyzed. In Russian centers, 699 patients were registered, and 399 of them visited the centers for the interview.Results             Upon discharge from the hospital, patients of the Russian cohort and of the entire study population were prescribed acetylsalicylic acid or other antiplatelet drugs (99.2% and 94.1%, respectively); beta-blockers (87.2 and 81.6%, respectively); angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (69.9% and 61.1%, respectively); sartans (16.5% and 14.2 %, respectively); calcium channel blockers (19.3 and 19.4 %, respectively); nitrates (8.0% and 22.5 %, respectively); diuretics (31.1 and 32.5 %, respectively); statins (98.0% and 85.0 %, respectively); and anticoagulants (6.6 and 8.3 %, respectively). For the long-term treatment, patients of the Russian cohort and of the entire study population took antiplatelets (94.7 % and 92.5 %, respectively); beta-blockers (83.2% and 81.0 %, respectively); ACE inhibitors (60.2% and 57.3 %, respectively); sartans (19.3% and 18.4 %, respectively); calcium antagonists (21.1% and 23.0 %, respectively); nitrates (9.0% and 18.2 %, respectively); diuretics (31.8% and 33.3 %, respectively); statins (88.2% and 80.8 %, respectively); and anticoagulants (8.8% and 8.2 %, respectively). High intensity hypolipidemic therapy was prescribed to 54.0 % of patients in Russian centers and 60.3 % of patients in the entire study. Both Russian and international patients evaluated their compliance with the prescribed medication as high.Conclusion      According to results of the EUROASPIRE V study as compared to earlier studies, the practice of drug therapy in Russian patients with IHD has significantly approached European indexes. Further optimization is possible by a more extensive use of high intense hypolipidemic treatment and antidiabetic drugs with a documented positive effect on prognosis of cardiovascular diseases.

Occupational Burnout, Psychological Status and Quality of Life in Primary Care Physicians Working in Outpatient Settings

Aim      To study features of the psychological status, job burnout syndrome (JBS)m and quality of life (QoL) in outpatient physicians.Material and methods  This cross-sectional study was performed at 16 randomly selected municipal outpatient hospitals of Moscow and included physicians (district physicians, primary care physicians, and cardiologists). The participants signed an informed consent form and then filled out a registration card that included major social and demographic (sex, age, education, position) and professional characteristics (specialization, work experience, qualification category), and questionnaires. The degree of job burnout was evaluated with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS), and the presence of anxio-depressive symptoms was evaluated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The level of stress was assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS) in a score range from 0 to 10. The QoL of physicians was assessed with the short version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (HOQOL-BREF) questionnaire.Results This study included 108 physicians from 16 municipal outpatient clinics aged 24 to 70 years (mean age, 44.0±13.1 years), mostly women (87.0 %). Among JBS components, a high level of emotional exhaustion was observed in 50.0 % of physicians, a high level of depersonalization in 34.1 %, and a severe reduction of personal accomplishment in 37.5 %. A high level of stress (VAS score ≥7) was observed in 66.3 % of physicians; symptoms of anxiety and depression of any degree (HADS-A and HADS-D subscale score ≥ 8) were found in 23.8 and 22.7 % of participants, respectively. 42.0% of physicians evaluated their QoL lower than "good" and 41.6% of physicians evaluated their health condition lower than "good". Most of the studied factors did not significantly depend on the gender and the duration of work, except for emotional exhaustion (55.3 % of women and 16.7 % of men; p=0.0086) and a high level of stress (72.2 % of women and 28.6 % of men; р=0.002).Conclusion      The study showed a high prevalence of personal factors that potentially adversely affect the work of outpatient physicians. These factors included high degrees of stress, anxio-depressive symptoms, job burnout, unsatisfactory QoL, and low satisfaction with own health. Management decisions and actions are required to create the optimum psychological climate at the workplace of physicians, to develop new strategies for prophylaxis and correction of their psychological condition, and to implement comprehensive programs for improving the professional environment to maintain and enhance the mental health and to increase the professional prestige of the medical speciality.

Antithrombotic therapy in the elderly and senile age: the consensus opinion of experts of the Russian Association of Gerontologists and Geriatricians and the National Society of Preventive Cardiology

В данном документе обсуждаются особенности АТТ у лиц пожилого и старческого возраста в различных клинических ситуациях.

Clinical Characteristics and Factors Associated with Poor Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients with Novel Coronavirus Infection COVID-19

Aim      To evaluate the clinical picture and factors associated with unfavorable outcomes in admitted patients with COVID-19.Material and methods This study included all patients admitted to the COVID Center of the National Research Center of Cardiology of the Russian Ministry of Health Care from May 1 through May 31, 2020. Clinical demographic, laboratory, and instrumental indexes and associated factors were studied with one-way and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results This study included 402 patients aged 18 to 95 years (mean age, 62.9±14.6 years); 43.0 % of them were older than 65 years. COVID-19 was frequently associated with chronic comorbidities, including arterial hypertension (74.4 %), obesity (41.6 %), history of ischemic heart disease (12.9 %), atrial fibrillation (18.9 %), type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) (13.0 %), and oncological diseases (9.2 %). 13.0 % of patients were smokers; less than 10% had chronic lung diseases. 3.9% of patients had a combination of COVID-19 and acute coronary pathology, including acute myocardial infarction (MI) in 3.2 % (13) and unstable angina in 0.7 % (3). The most frequent clinical manifestation of COVID-19 were four symptoms: cough (81.1 %), weakness (80.3 %), shortness of breath (71.6 %), and fever (62.7 %). 46.5% of patients had shortage of breath and chest pain/compression, 40.3% had headache, 31.1% had myalgia, 28.8% had anosmia, and 25.5% had ageusia. Arterial oxygen saturation was &lt;93.0 % in 55.7 % of cases. According to laboratory blood tests the patients had anemia (58.2 %), lymphopenia (34.8 %), neutropenia (19.2 %), thrombocytopenia (11.9 %), and increased levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP, 87.3 %), interleukin-6 (89.3 %), ferritin (62.1 %), and D-dimer (49.2 %). 56.2% of patients required various regimens of oxygen support. 83 (20.6%) patients were admitted to intensive care and resuscitation units; invasive artificial ventilation was performed only for 34 (8.5 %) patients. In-hospital mortality was 7.7 % (31 / 402). One-way regression analysis identified major factors associated with death during the stay in the hospital: age &gt;55 years, NEWS scale score &gt;4.0, oxygen saturation &lt;92.0 %, blood glucose &gt;5.4 mmol/l, hs-CRP &gt;25.7 mg/l, and creatinine clearance &lt;72.0 ml/min. Furthermore, the risk increased with increasing degree of changes in each factor. According to results of the multivariate regression analysis, three most significant predictors of the hard endpoint, all-cause death during the stay in the hospital, were more than 5-fold increases in aspartate aminotransferase and/or alanine aminotransferase compared to normal levels (relative risk (RR) 16.8 at 95 % confidence interval (CI) 5.0-56.3, р&lt;0.001), pronounced changes in the lungs consistent with a CT-4 picture as shown by computed tomography (CT) (RR 13.4; 95 % CI 3.9-45.5, р&lt;0.001), and MI/unstable angina during the stay in the hospital (RR 11.3; 95 % CI 1.4-90.6, р=0.023). The probability of death was also considerably increased by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, impaired kidney function (creatinine clearance estimated by Cockcroft-Gault &lt;60.0 ml/min), type 2 DM, oncological diseases, and dementia.Conclusion      This study established factors associated with unfavorable outcomes in admitted patients with COVID-19. This will allow identifying in advance patients with a high risk of complications that require increased attention to take more active diagnostic and therapeutic measures at prehospital and hospital stages.

[The Effects of Preventive Counseling Followed by Remote Support Via Telephone on the Motivation to Change Lifestyle in Patients With High and Very High Cardiovascular Risk]

Aim To evaluate effectiveness of preventive telephone counseling with a nutritional component and distance support for three months with respect of motivation for lifestyle modification in patients with high and very high cardiovascular risk (CVR).Material and methods This prospective, controlled, randomized clinical study in two parallel groups included patients with high and very high CVR (5-9 % and ≥10 % according to the SCORE scale) who had at least two criteria of metabolic syndrome. Patients were randomized to the main and control groups in a 1:1 ratio with age and gender stratification. The main group received comprehensive preventive counseling with a nutritional component and distant support via telephone once in two weeks for three months (total 6 consultations). Patients of the control group received standard counseling by a health center physician. Patients' motivation for lifestyle changes was evaluated with a questionnaire at baseline and at 6 and 12 months.Results The study included a total of 100 patients (mean age, 59.85±4.47 years, 80 % females). At baseline, 81 % of patients had high and 19% of patients had very high CVR. Patients of the study groups did not differ in major demographic and clinical characteristics. At 6 month of follow-up, the main group showed a significantly more pronounced positive changes in motivation and healthier lifestyle (50 % in the main group vs. 12% in the control group, р&lt;0.01). At 12 months of follow-up, the number of such patients somewhat decreased to 38%. In this process, a vast majority of patients in the control group (82 %) continued theoretically considering the expediency of lifestyle modification.Conclusions Preventive counseling with nutritional component and further distance support via telephone for three months for patients with high and very high CVR provided increased motivation for healthier lifestyle and positive behavioral changes.

[Prediction of Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis in Patients with High and Very High Cardiovascular Risk]

Objective To develop a diagnostic rule for detection of patients (pts) with high probability of subclinical atherosclerosis among those with high or very high cardiovascular (CV) risk.Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study enrolled 52 pts (32 men [62 %]), aged 40 to 65 years [mean age 54.6±8.0]) with high or very high CV risk (5-9 and ≥10 % by The Systematic Coronary Risk Estimation Scale [SCORE], respectively). All participants underwent cardiac computed tomography (CT) angiography and calcium scoring. Traditional risk factors (RFs) (family history of premature CVD, smoking, overweight / obesity and abdominal obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, lipids parameters (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides) and lipids-related markers (apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B, ApoB / ApoA1 ratio), biomarkers of inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs CRP], fibrinogen), indicator carbohydrate metabolism (glucose), ankle-brachial index, stress-test, carotid plaques according to ultrasound were evaluated in all pts. Psychological RFs were evaluated using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and DS-14 for type D personality.Results All pts were divided into 2 groups according to the CT angiography results: pts in the main group (n=21) had any non-obstructive lesions or calcium score &gt;0, pts in the control group (n=31) had intact coronary arteries. The groups did not differ in age or gender. 26 multiple linear logistic models for any subclinical atherosclerosis were developed based on obtained diagnostic features. Taking into account R-square = 0.344 (p=0.0008), the best fitting model was follows: subclinical coronary atherosclerosis= -1.576 + 0.234 x SCORE ≥5 % + 0.541 x hs CRP &gt;2 g / l +0.015 x heart rate (bpm) +0.311 family history of premature CVD. The developed algorithm had sensitivity of 63 % and specificity of 80 %.Conclusion The created diagnostic model diagnostic model suggests the presence of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in patients with high / very high CV risk with a high degree of probability. This easy-to-use method can be used in routine clinical practice to improve risk stratification and management choices in high-risk pts.

Pharmacoeconomic study of rivaroxaban and acetylsalicylic acid combination use in patients with coronary artery disease and/or peripheral artery disease

Aim. Comparative assessment of the economic results of rivaroxaban/acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) combination and ASA monotherapy use in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and/or peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Material and methods. Based on the results of a large international multicenter, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial COMPASS, a model that evaluated the clinical outcomes of rivaroxaban/ASA combination and ASA monotherapy was formed. The economic results using cost and cost-effectiveness analyses, and budget impact analysis for two years were also calculated. The analysis took into account both direct medical costs (expenses for treatment, hospitalization due to complications, rehabilitation) financed under the compulsory health insurance, as well as indirect costs (loss of GDP due to disability or death). The calculation was made by accounting 100,000 patients with CAD and/or PAD.

Results. Modeling of clinical outcomes per 100,000 patients based on COMPASS results showed a decrease of stroke prevalence by 649 cases, myocardial infarction — 301 cases, amputations — 478 cases, cardiovascular mortality — 476 cases when using rivaroxaban/ASA combination compared with ASA monotherapy. The cost-effectiveness analysis showed that rivaroxaban/ASA combination has greater clinical efficacy and lower costs in comparison with ASA monotherapy. Budget impact analysis showed that the switching of 100,000 patients with CAD and/or PAD from ASA monotherapy to rivaroxaban/ASA combination leads to budget savings of 1,026 million rubles in two years. This is due to a decrease in the incidence of cardiovascular events.

Conclusion. It was found that the use of a rivaroxaban/ASA combination in comparison with ASA monotherapy in patients with CAD and/or PAD can both decrease a number of complications and lead to cost savings, despite the initially higher cost pharmacotherapy.

The effectiveness of preventive counseling with the use of remote technologies on medical awareness of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with high and very high cardiovascular risk

Purpos. To assess the effectiveness of preventive counseling with focus on diet modification followed by remote support via telephone on awareness of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (RFs) in patients (pts) with high/very high CV risk. Material and methods. This is a prospective randomized controlled study of 100 pts with high/very high CV risk (5-9% and ≥10% according to the SCORE scale) and any 2 criteria for metabolic syndrome.  Pts were randomized into 2 groups in 1:1 ratio - the intervention group (n=50) and the control group (n=50). The intervention group received comprehensive preventive counseling with focus on diet modification followed by remote preventive counseling by phone every two weeks for the first 3 months after enrollment (a total of 6 sessions). The control group received usual care in Health centers which also included basic preventive counseling. A specially designed questionnaire was used to evaluate the awareness of the basic CV RFs, including open questions. The awareness was assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Results. The groups were well balanced according to demographic and clinical features. The results of the study revealed an extremely low awareness of major CV RFs of pts in both groups at baseline: practically none of them indicated as RFs for cardiovascular disease elevated cholesterol (8,0% and 4,0%, respectively) and blood pressure (14.0% and 4.0%). At 6 month the level of awareness of CV RFs has increased significantly. Moreover, pts of the intervention group were more informed about elevated cholesterol (58,0% vs. 28,0%; p<0,01) and unhealthy diet (76,0% vs. 52,0%; p<0,05). At 12 month the level of awareness of CV RFs was significantly higher in both groups  to compare from baseline. Conclusion. Preventive counseling with focus on diet modification followed by 3 months  remote support via phone provided a significant improvement of awareness of CV RFs in pts with high/very high CV risk.

The efficacy of secondary prevention programs with remote support in coronary heart disease patients with abdominal obesity

Background Long-term secondary preventive programs in coronary heart disease (CHD) are of highest efficacy but numerous logistical problems often compromise their implementation. Contemporary remote technologies have a potential to overcome these barriers. Aim: To assess  the impact of 2 preventive counselling programs with subsequent remote support in CHD patients with concomitant obesity. Methods: A prospective randomized parallel-group study in 120 stable CHD patients hospitalized for elective coronary revascularization who were from 40 to 65 years old and had concomitant obesity. Patients were randomized (1:1:1) into 3 groups (n=40 each). Before discharge, Groups 1 and 2 received a single-session comprehensive counselling with focus on diet followed by remote counselling by phone (Group 1) or via text messages (Group 2). Remote counselling was delivered weekly (Months 1-3) and then monthly (Months 4-6). Group 3 received only standard advice from their attending physicians. The patients were followed for 12 months with assessment of adiposity measures, self-reported dietary patterns, physical activity (IPAQ questionnaire), smoking status, blood pressure (BP), fasting blood glucose, lipids and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, as well as of clinical events. Results: At 1 year of follow-up, the patients from both intervention groups showed a marked improvement of several risk factors including obesity: the body mass index was reduced by 1.48±0.13 kg/m² in Group 1 and by 1.53±0.18 kg/m² in Group 2; the waist circumference went down by 7.62±0.49 and by 7.41±0.74 cm, respectively; the height-normalized fat mass decreased by 4.66±0.40 kg and 5.98±0.63 kg, respectively (all P values are <0.01 vs corresponding changes in the control group). These changes were coupled with more healthy dietary patterns and less sedentary lifestyles in both intervention groups: the proportion of patients with low activity level fell from 87.5% to 2.5% in Group 1 and from 80% to 10% in Group 2 (both p values <0.01 vs control). In Group 1, BP decreased by 18.08±2.20 mmHg (systolic) and 8.56±1.61 mmHg (diastolic); both р values <0.01 vs Group 3. In Group 2 systolic BP dropped by only 11.95±2.50 mmHg (non-significant) and diastolic BP by 6.33±1.52 mmHg (р<0.05 vs control). The proportion of smokers went down from 30% to 5% in Group 1 and from 22.5% to 0% in Group 2 (both p values <0.01 vs control). The fasting glucose levels decreased by 0.21±0.20 mmol/L in Group 1 and by 0.48±0.25 mmol/L in Group 2 (<0.01 vs control, both), but there were no meaningful improvements in blood lipids or CRP. Conclusion: Long-term (6 months) secondary prevention programs incorporating remote support technologies result into sustained improvement of key secondary prevention indicators in obese CHD patients, irrespective of the support modality (by phone or via electronic messaging).

[The Impact of Secondary Prevention Programs Incorporating Remote Technologies on Psychological Well-Being and Quality of Life in Coronary Heart Disease Patients with Abdominal Obesity]

BACKGROUND

Quality of life, which is determined both by the physical symptoms and by psychosocial risk factors, is among the primary treatment goals in coronary heart disease (CHD). Therefore, it is reasonable to assess the impact of any therapeutic interventions in CHD on these measures.

AIM

To assess the changes of psychological status and quality of life in patients with CHD and abdominal obesity (AO) over time during 2 secondary prevention programs using two different modalities of remote support.

METHODS

An open-label randomized study with 3 parallel groups enrolling hospitalized patients with stable CHD and AO (most hospitalizations were due to elective revascularization procedures). The patients were randomized into 2 intervention groups (Group I and Group II) and into Group III (control). Both intervention groups received secondary prevention programs including one in-hospital preventive counselling session with focus on healthy eating habits and subsequent remote support for 6 months (Month 1 to 3: once a week; Month 4 to 6: once a month). Group I received this subsequent counselling via phone calls and Group II received text messages via different platforms according to patient preferences. Group III received standard advice at discharge only. During 1 year of follow-up motivation for lifestyle changes and continued participation in secondary prevention programs, anxiety and depression symptoms (HADS), stress levels (10-point VAS) and quality of life (HeartQol) were assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 120 patients were enrolled (mean age±SD, 57.75±6.25 years; men, 83.4%) who had a high baseline motivation to participate in preventive programs. At 1 year of follow-up there was a substantial improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms in Groups I and II which was absent in Group III. As a result, the proportion of patients with HADS-A score ≥8 dropped from 45.0% to 10.0% in Group I and from 40.0% to 7.5% in Group II (both р values &lt;0.01 vs control), and the proportion of participants with HADS-D ≥8 decreased from 30.0% to 10.0% (р&lt;0.01 vs control) and from  12.5% to 0% (р&lt;0.05 vs control), respectively. Stress level decreased in Groups I and II by 3.95±0.38 and 3.56±0.39 баллов, respectively (both р values &lt;0.01 vs control). The HeartQol global score increased by 1.07±0.08 points in Group I and by 0.98±0.13 points in Group (both р values &lt;0.01 vs control).

CONCLUSION

Both secondary prevention programs with long-term remote support targeting obese CHD patients resulted in improvement of pivotal measures of their psychological status i.e. into a decline of anxiety and depression symptomatology, stress reduction and into a better quality of life.

[The Possibility of Correcting Anxiety Symptoms in Cardiac Patients in Primary Care Settings: Results of the Therapeutic Part of a Russian Multicenter Study COMETA]

PURPOSE

to assess efficacy of correction of anxiety states by anxiolytic drug fabomotizole in ambulatory patients with arterial hypertension (AH) and / or ischemic heart disease (IHD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In the framework of multicenter cross-sectional study with participation of patients aged ≥55 years with verified AH / IHD we conducted the therapeutic part of the COMETA program in which we included patients with comorbid anxiety state (≥11 points on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Anxiety [HADS-A] and clinically expressed anxiety state) without clinically expressed depressive symptoms (&lt;11 points on the HADS-Depression). Participants were randomized into main and control groups. Patients in the main group in addition to therapy prescribed because of AH / IHD were given a recommendation to take fabomotizole (10 mg thrice a day), patients of control group received standard therapy. Efficacy of therapy was evaluated by HADS and visual analog scale after 6 and 12 weeks of observation.

RESULTS

We included 182 and 104 in the main and control groups, respectively. Most patients in main and control groups had AH (97.3 and 95.2 %, respectively, about one third had IHD (36.8 and 30.8 %, respectively). Social-demographic, clinical characteristics, and recommended for AH / IHD treatment of participants of both groups were similar. Portion of patients with complete reduction of anxiety symptoms (&lt;8 points on HADS-A) was significantly higher already after 6 weeks of fabomotizole therapy (37.9 and 19.2 %, respectively, p&lt;0.001). Analogous picture was noted by the end of observation (66.9 and 32 %, respectively; p&lt;0.001). Mean estimate of chronic psychoemotional stress in the main group decreased by 25 % after 6 weeks (from 6.45±2.20 to 5.05±1.96 points; р&lt;0.001) and by 40 % after 12 weeks (from 6.45±2.20 to 3.98±1.99 points; р&lt;0.001). In the control group it also decreased but degree of lowering was 2 times less than in the main group (11.1 % vs. 25 % after 6 weeks, р=0.016; and 20 % vs. 40 % after 12 weeks, р&lt;0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The use of fabomotizole by patients with AH / IHD provided improvement of psychological status (reduction of anxiety symptoms and lowering of the level of chronic psychoemotional stress).

[Psychosocial Risk Factors in Patients With Most Common Cardiovascular Diseases Such as Hypertension and Coronary Artery Disease (Based on Results From the Russian Multicenter COMET Study)]

BACKGROUND

Psychosocial risk factors (RFs) play a major role in the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

AIM

The COMET study aimed to obtain current data on psychosocial RFs in outpatients with arterial hypertension (AH) and/or coronary heart disease (CHD) seen in primary care facilities in 30 cities of Russia.

METHODS

In 2016-2017, a multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out involving 325 physicians from community primary care facilities who enrolled 2,775 patients with AH and/or CHD ≥ 55 years of age. However, only 73 CHD patients (2.6%) were not hypertensive, therefore, these patients were excluded from the analyses. As a result, current paper is based on the comparison of AH patients (n=1687) vs. participants with both CHD and AH (AH+CHD; n=1015). We collected patients' socio-demographic data, clinical features, traditional and psychosocial RFs, such as anxiety and depression, stress level, type D personality, and treatment adherence.

RESULTS

The study population (women, 72%; mean age ± SD, 66.7 ± 7.9 years) had a significant prevalence of psychosocial RF. 43.8% of AH patients and 45.5 % of participants with AH+CHD rated their income as low or very low, a low educational level was reported in 21.6% and 26.0%, respectively (both p=n/s). Social isolation was uncommon, but it occurred more frequently in AH+CHD patients (8.3% vs. 5.2%, p&lt;0.01). Nevertheless, 40.2% of AH patients and 39.4% of AH+CHD were not married, and 26.0% and 24.6% were living alone, respectively. Elevated stress level was prevalent in more than 60% of patients (67.9% in AH patients vs. 67.7% in AH+CHD patents, p=n/s), and 63.3% and 64.8% of patients, respectively, reported stressful life events in the preceding year (p=n/s). Type D personality was more common in AH+CHD patients (41.2% vs. 35.8%; p&lt;0.01). Clinically significant anxiety symptoms were prevalent in 24.7% ofAH patients and in 27.4% ofAH+CHD patients (p=n/s), and clinically significant depressive symptoms were identified in 13.9% and 20.9%, respectively (p&lt;0.001).

CONCLUSION

We obtained current data on psychosocial RFs prevalence in outpatients with the most common CVDs in primary care setting. At the moment, their prevalence remains significant.

[Medical awareness of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases in different types of hospitalized patients (part 2)]

OBJECTIVE

To study medical awareness of cardiovascular risk factors (RFs) in different types of hospitalized patients (pts).

METHODS

A total of 150 pts from neurological, endocrinological and cardiac units one of Moscow city hospital were enrolled into the survey (50 pts in each unit). The pts were interviewed during the I-II days of the hospitalization. A special questionnaire was developed in‑ cluding socio-demographic and clinical indicators, open questions on the awareness of traditional cardiovascular RFs and their target values.

RESULTS

Pts of three units did not differ in gender and age. The range of diagnoses corresponded to the profile of the unit. The survey revealed an extremely low awareness of major cardiovascular RFs of pts in all 3 units: almost none of them pointed to elevated cholesterol (0%, 4% and 0%, respectively) and blood pressure (2%, 2% and 0%) respectively) as RF of cardiovascular diseases. The pts of the three units most often referred to stress (64%, 56% and 66%, respectively) and unhealthy diet (50%, 56% and 64%, respectively) as the main cardiovascular RFs. On average, pts in three units correctly indicated only 2 RFs.

CONCLUSION

The survey revealed a low awareness of cardiovascular RFs in different types of medical pts, including cardiac pts, at time of hospital admission.

[An exploration of potential approaches to improve the diagnosis of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with high cardiovascular risk]

PURPOSE

The search for optimal approaches to the diagnosis of subclinical atherosclerosis using a wide range of traditional and psychosocial risk factors (RFs), as well as clinical and instrumental diagnostic methods in patients (pts) with high or very high cardiovascular (CV) risk.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study enrolled52 pts, aged 40 to 65 years with high or very high CV risk (5-9 and ≥10% by the Systematic Coronary Risk Estimation Scale [SCORE], respectively). All participants underwent cardiac computed tomography (CT)angiography and calcium scoring. Traditional RFs (family history of premature CVD, smoking, overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, lipids parameters (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides) and lipids-related markers (apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B, ApoB/ApoA1 ratio), biomarkers of inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs CRP], fibrinogen), indicator carbohydrate metabolism (glucose), ankle-brachial index, stress-test, carotid plaques according to ultrasound, arterial stiffness were evaluated in all pts. Psychological RFs were evaluated using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and DS-14 for type D personality.

RESULTS

All pts were divided into 2 groups according to the CT angiography results: pts in the main group (n=21) had any non-obstructive lesions or calcium score &gt;0, pts in the control group (n=31) had intact coronary arteries. The groups did not differ in age or gender. It was found that patients with subclinical atherosclerosis significantly more often have a very high (≥10%) CV risk (42.9% vs.16.3%, p&lt;0.05), a long (≥5 years) history of arterial hypertension (47.6% vs. 12.9% , p&lt;0.01) and longer duration of antihypertensive therapy (61.9% vs. 29.0%, p&lt;0.05), higher heart rate in rest (87. ± 14 vs. 77 ± 10 beats/min, p&lt;0.01), increased arterial stiffness according to aortic pulse wave velocity (85.7% vs. 61.3%, p&lt;0.05) and high level of hs-CRP (100% vs. 90.3%, p&lt;0.05).

CONCLUSION

Using in routine clinical practice of additional anamnestic (hypertension lasting ≥ 5 years and the intake of any antihypertensive drugs) and clinical-instrumental parameters (high heart rate in rest, hs CRP and arterial stiffness in pts with high and very high CV risk increases effectiveness of early detection of subclinical atherosclerosis.

[Efficiency of primary prevention for diseases caused by atherosclerosis in patients at high cardiovascular risk in Russia and other European countries (Part 2)]

BACKGROUND

The picture of primary prevention obtained from real-life practice makes possible scheduling measures for prevention improvement.

AIM

To analyze features of drug and non-drug therapy aimed at decreasing cardiovascular risk in Russian patients with a high risk (HR) of CVD compared with the study general population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

14 European countries, including the Russian Federation, participated in this cross-sectional study. The study included patients aged 18-80 without clinical signs of atherosclerosis who have received antihypertensive and/or lipid-lowering therapy and/or therapy for diabetes mellitus (DM) within >6 to.

[Efficacy of primary prevention for atherosclerosis-induced diseases in patients with high cardiovascular risk in Russia and other European countries (Part 1)]

RELEVANCE

Evaluation of the effectiveness of risk management in persons with high cardiovascular risk is an important element in reducing the death rate of the population from cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

AIM

Analysis of the prevalence and level of risk factors control in patients with high CV risk CVD from the Russian centers of the primary care unit of the EUROASPIRE IV study in comparison with the general population of the study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 14 European countries, including the Russian Federation, participated. Patients aged 18 to 79 years were included in the study, without clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis, who were prescribed antihypertensive therapy and/or lipid lowering therapy and/or treatment for diabetes between the ages of ≥6 months and.

Psychosocial Risk Factors in Ambulatory Patients With Arterial Hypertension and Ischemic Heart Disease of 30 Cities in Russia: Data from the КОМЕТА (Сomet) Study

BACKGROUND

Psychosocial (PS) risk factors (RF) make a substantial contribution in populational burden of cardio-vascular diseases (CVD) and their complications.

PURPOSE

The KOMETA (Comet) study was directed to obtaining actual information on PSRF among ambulatory patients with arterial hypertension (AH) and / or ischemic heart disease (IHD) in 30 cities of Russian Federation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016-2017. Doctors participating in the study (n=325) recruited in state polyclinics 2775 patients aged ≥55 years with AH and / or IHD. Information collected from these patients comprised social-demographic and clinical characteristics, data on RF, adherence to therapy. Assessment of PSRF was carried out with consideration of levels of anxiety, depression and stress, presence of personality type D.

RESULTS

Population of patients studied (72 % women) was characterized by considerable prevalence of PSRFs. Low levels of education and income were found in 24.5 and 44.2 % of patients, respectively; 25.2 % of patients reported living alone, 6.3 % - felt social isolation. Elevated, extremely high levels of stress, type D personality were detected in 67.8, 10, and 37.6 % of patients, respectively; clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and depression were found in 25.5 and 16.3 %, respectively. Most RFs were significantly more often detected in women, and older people. One third of patients (33.1 %) during a year preceding inclusion took some psychotropic drugs mainly herbal or barbiturate-containing (27.1 %). Moreover, 30 % of patients had lowering of cognitive functioning.

CONCLUSION

In this large-scale study we revealed high prevalence of PSRFs among ambulatory patients with AH and / or IHD in Russia. Despite positive dynamics of prevalence of states of anxiety and depression relative to earlier studies in this country their negative impact on prognosis of CVD and quality of life of affected patients requires optimization of efforts for organization of adequate care and directed to timely diagnosis and correction of these states.

[Preventive Counselling With the Use of Remote Technologies Provides Effective Control of Metabolic Risk Factors in Patients With High and Very High Cardiovascular Risk]

PURPOSE

to assess the impact of preventive counseling with focus on diet modification on lipid and metabolic parameters in patients with high / very high cardiovascular (CV) risk who visited Health centers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a prospective randomized controlled study of patients aged 40 to 65 years with high/very high CV risk (≥5% according to the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation scale [SCORE]) and any 2 criteria for metabolic syndrome. Patients were 1:1 randomized into 2 groups. The intervention group (n=50) received comprehensive preventive counseling with focus on diet modification followed by remote preventive counseling by phone every two weeks for the first 3 months after enrollment (a total of 6 sessions). The control group (n=50) received usual care in Health centers which also included basic preventive counseling.

RESULTS

A total of 100 patients (women 82%, age 59.74±4.66 years) were randomized. At baseline 81% of patients had high and 19% - very high CV risk. The groups were well balanced according to demographic and clinical features. At 1 year of follow-up patients from the intervention group experienced significant improvement of metabolic parameters compared with controls: their diastolic blood pressure (BP) decreased by 5.62±7.7 mm Hg, total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TC and LDL-C) - by 0.5±0.83 and 0.46±0.62 mmol/l, respectively. Both groups experienced statistically and clinically significant decreases in systolic BP (intervention, - 17.76±16.2 mm Hg, control, - 13.44±15.6 mm Hg; both groups p.

[Clinical-Epidemiological Program of Studying Psychosocial Risk Factors in Cardiological Practice in Patients With Arterial Hypertension and Ischemic Heart Disease: First Results of a Multicenter Study in Russia]

BACKGROUND

More than 10 years passed since conduction of the first clinical-epidemiological study of prevalence of psychosocial risk factors (PSRF) in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) an/or ischemic heart disease in Russian Federation.

PURPOSE

to assess current prevalence of PSRF in patients with AH/CHD and their relationship with traditional risk factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with verified AH and/or CHD aged ≥55 years were included into this cross-sectional study in 30 cities of Russia representing 7 federal districts according to the following procedure. In each city we selected 2-5 federal clinics - providers of primary medical care; in each of these clinics we at random invited 2-5 physicians to take part in this study. Each of these physicians for 1-2 days included 10 consecutive patients with AH and/or CHD. Information collected from patients comprised social demographic and clinical characteristics, risk factors, adherence to therapy; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was applied for detection of symptoms of anxiety and depression. Obtained information was used for analysis of prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and their association with symptoms of depression and anxiety in a framework of Pearson linear and Kendall rank correlation analysis.

RESULTS

Symptoms of anxiety of various severity (HADS-A≥7) were detected in 42.2% of patients with AH and/or CHD, in 25.5% they were clinically significant (HADS-A≥11). Symptoms of depression of various severity (HADS-D ≥7) were detected in 42.5% of patients with AH and/or CHD, in 16.3% they were clinically significant (HADS-D≥11). We also observed several significant associations of symptoms of depression and anxiety with traditional cardiovascular risk factors: low level of physical activity, elevated systolic and diastolic arterial pressure, level of total cholesterol, abdominal obesity; some unhealthy nutritional habits.

CONCLUSIONS

Prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression was found to be high among ambulatory patients with AH and/or CHD. However, in this study it was lower compared with that reported by previous studies in Russia.

[Monitoring the Secondary Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease in Europe and Russia: Results of the Russian Part of the International Multicenter Study EUROASPIRE IV]

The results of the Russian part of the EUROASPIRE IV study show that we have a large room for improvement of traditional risk factors management in CAD patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndromes, PCI or CABG (at average in 1.7 years of follow-up after index events). It is also true for other European countries, although certain differences exist between Russian and whole study population. In some respects, the results of secondary prevention in Russian patients were even more successful: e.g. effective blood pressure control was achieved in 73.4% of our patients taking antihypertensive drugs vs 53.5% in whole study population. In contrast, smoking was more prevalent among Russian patients (22.2% vs 15.0% in other countries). Obviously, it was related to lower frequency of smoking cessation support offered to our patients: only 1.1% were referred to a smoking cessation program, 3.2% were prescribed nicotine replacement therapy, none were prescribed varenicline (vs 18.6, 22.9, 6.2%, respectively, in whole study population). The Russian cohort had the highest rate of overweight and obesity compared to other European countries (93.1 vs 82.1% in whole study population). 74.9% our patients received lipid lowering drugs (vs 86.6% in Europe), although the LDL-C goal was achieved only in 15.9% of our patients taking lipid lowering drugs (vs 21.1% in whole study population).

[Awareness of the Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in Different Types of Hospitalized Medical Patients]

OBJECTIVE

to study medical awareness of cardiovascular risk factors (FR) in hospitalized patients of the cardiac and internal medicine units (CU and IMU).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 100 patients from CU (n=50) and IMU (n=50) of a Moscow city hospital were included into the survey. The patients were interviewed during the I-II days of hospital stay. A special questionnaire was developed including socio-demographic and clinical indicators, open questions on the knowledge of traditional cardiovascular RFs and their target values.

RESULTS

Patients of both units did not differ in gender and age. The survey revealed an extremely low awareness of major cardiovascular RFs of patients in both units: practically none of them indicated as RFs for cardiovascular disease elevated cholesterol (0 and 2 %, respectively, p>0.05) and blood pressure (0 % and 2 %, respectively, p>0.05). The majority of patients in both units (74 and 68 %, respectively, p>0.05) reported only 1-2 RFs. Patients in both units often believed that stress is the main cardiovascular RF (66 % and 50 %, respectively, p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

The survey revealed a low awareness of cardiovascular RFs in different types of medical patients at time of hospital admission.

[The New European Questionnaire for Assessment of Quality of Life of Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease: HeartQoL]

Quality of life (QL) of patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a combination symptoms of the disease, physical state, emotional status, and social-laboring functioning. Until recently there were no universal questionnaire allowing to perform comparative analysis of QL of patients with effort angina (EF), survivors of myocardial infarction (MI) and chronic heart failure (CHF). Therefore, European Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation conducted a study with the aim of developing universal questionnaire for assessment of QL in patients with IHD - HeartQol. The study enrolled 6384 patients with angina, MI, or CHF across 22 countries (315 in Russia). Patients completed a battery of questionnaires and Mokken scaling analysis was used to identify most important guestions for assessment of QL questions to be included into the HeartQoL questionnaire.

[A Single Preventive Counseling in the Hospital Does Not Improve the Prognosis of Patients After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention]

The purpose of the study "Invasive Techniques for the treatment of atherosclerosis: the effectiveness of secondary preventive intervention" (IMLA-TRAC) - long-term efficacy of single preventive counseling of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) in a stationary treatment for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In a prospective, randomized, controlled trial included 160 patients with coronary artery disease who underwent PCI between the ages of 38 to 87 years (mean age 59,43+/-8,94 years, 81.9% male). Included in the study, patients were randomized in a ratio of 1: 1 into 2 groups - the primary (n=80) and control (n=80). Patients in both groups received standard hospital treatment and hospital doctors recommendations. In addition to these patients of the main group carried out a preventive educational program After being discharged from hospital patients in both groups were followed for 12 months.

RESULTS

The study showed that a single prevention counseling, conducted in patients with coronary heart disease at the stage of hospital treatment over a planned or emergency PCI, does not provide a stable positive dynamics of the main risk factors and has no effect on mortality and combined end point. There is only a small positive dynamics of individual indicators, for example, significantly lower intake of saturated fats, an increase in adherence to treatment, in particular, receive aspirin.

CONCLUSION

Further studies are needed to determine the most effective models for preventive intervention in patients with coronary artery disease, which can start in a hospital, but should continue on an outpatient or remote formats.

WHY CARDIOVASCULAR MORTALITY IN MOSCOW IS LOWER THAN IN OTHER REGIONS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION?

Since 2003 there is a decline of cardiovascular (CVD) mortality of the RF, that established in 2006 in women and in men. From 2003 to 2013 y. total coefficient of cardiovascular mortality (number of died per 100 thousand of population) decreased by 25% (698,1 vs. 927,5), although still it is higher than in the beginning of the nineties (621,0 per 100 thous. of population in 1991 y.). The significant differences in RG regions are noted by the values of morbidity and mortality from CVD. For the period 2006-2013 y. the standardized value of mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) in Moscow decreased by 35,7% that is 1,5 more than in RF and 1,3 more higher than in St-Petersburg, and 2,6 times more than in Moscow region. In 2012 the value of the suspected life duration (SLD) of Moscow citizens was 76,0 y. (mean in Russia — 70,0 y), and just 4 years is the gap between then and EU citizens. In 2013 SLD in Moscow reached 72,3 y. Significantly lower values of mortality from CVD and higher values of SLD can be explained by higher socio-economic level, higher psychological endurance and better availability of psychological (psychotherapeutic) help, higher level of fish, fruits and berries consumption, better availability of outpatient and high technology medical care for Moscow citizens.

 

[First Results of Analysis of the Russian Part of the European Register on Cardiac Rehabilitation EuroCaReD (European Cardiac Rehabilitation Database)]

The joint European Registry of patients with cardiovascular diseases participating in cardiac rehabilitation programs (European Cardiac Rehabilitation Database, EuroCaReD) is conducted in collaboration between the ESC and EACPR). Its main goals were to improve the routine use of cardiac rehabilitation, to develop joint standards for cardiac rehabilitation in all European countries and evidence based rehabilitation programs and to monitor any changes. In the EuroCaReD registry participated a total of 44 centers from 13 countries, including 3 centers from Russia, which enrolled 151 patients during 2010-2012. This paper is comparing the baseline demographics, clinical data and risk factors in Russian patients versus the rest of Europe. It was shown that cardiac rehabilitation patients in Russia, as in the whole cohort, are predominantly male. Elderly patients from Russia were 3 times less likely to be referred for rehabilitation than in Europe. Unlike the whole cohort Russian patients were almost never sent to rehabilitation because of heart failure or stable angina. Likewise the whole Europe Russian patients had an average of 3 cardiovascular risk factors before rehabilitation, but with some national differences in their prevalence and severity.

[First Results of Analysis of Russian Part of the European Register on Cardiac Rehabilitation EuroCaReD (European Cardiac Rehabilitation Database)]

The joint European Registry of patients with cardiovascular diseases participating in cardiac rehabilitation programs (European Cardiac Rehabilitation Database, EuroCaReD) is conducted in collaboration between the ESC and EACPR). It's main goals were to improve the routine use of cardiac rehabilitation, to develop joint standards for cardiac rehabilitation in all European countries and evidence based rehabilitation programs and to monitor any changes. In the EuroCaReD registry participated a total of 44 centers from 13 countries, including 3 centers from Russia, which enrolled 151 patients during 2010-2012. This paper is comparing the baseline demographics, clinical data and risk factors in Russian patients versus the rest of Europe. It was shown that cardiac rehabilitation patients in Russia, as in the whole cohort, are predominantly male. Elderly patients from Russia were 3 times less likely to be referred for rehabilitation than in Europe. Unlike the whole cohort Russian patients were almost never sent to rehabilitation because of heart failure or stable angina. Likewise the whole Europe Russian patients had an average of 3 cardiovascular risk factors before rehabilitation, but with some national differences in their prevalence and severity.

RUSSIAN VERSION OF PHQ-2 AND 9 QUESTIONNAIRES: SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY IN DETECTION OF DEPRESSION IN OUTPATIENT GENERAL MEDICAL PRACTICE

Aim. Current study aimed to adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of Russian versions of Patient Health Questionnaires 2 and 9 (PHQ-2 and PHQ-9) used for detection of depression in general medical practice worldwide.

Material and methods. Questionnaires were translated into Russian and adapted with regard to linguistic features of population. A study was performed on a sample of 193 patients (130 female, 63 male, mean age 34,6±11,4), who attended general practitioners in outpatient practice department of NRC for Preventive Medicine. Patients filled in PHQ-2 and –9 questionnaires in presence of clinical psychologist and then assessed for depression by a psychiatrist (using ICD-10 criteria).

Results. The optimal measures of sensitivity and specificity corresponded to cut-off scores of 3 for PHQ-2 (66,2% and 87,4% respectively) and 10 for PHQ-9 (68,9% and 93,3% respectively). Russian questionnaires were found to success in sensitivity, specificity and their positive predictive values are comparable to similar research data reported in literature. Article discusses the principles of implementation of the studied scales for depression screening in general medical practice.