COVID-19

Outside of the loss of human life due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the past two years have greatly affected hospitals, health systems and the way providers deliver care. Healthcare executives are grappling with federal monetary assistance, growing burnout rates, workforce shortages and federal oversight of vaccines and testing. This channel is also designed to update clinicians on new research and guidelines regarding COVID patient treatment strategies and risk assessments.

CVD deaths have increased dramatically, undoing years of progress

The COVID-19 pandemic undid years and years of progress in terms of preventing CVD-related deaths. What can be done to help reverse this trend once and for all? 

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Cardiologist reprimanded for performing surgery after testing positive for COVID-19

He has agreed to pay an administrative fee of $1,100 within the next three months.

COVID-19 precautions implemented in 2020 reduced D2B times in STEMI patients, and its impact continues to reduce times following the pandemic.

Hospitals still struggling to reach pre-COVID heart attack care thresholds due to pandemic disruption

NCDR report finds hospitals are seeing improvements but are still struggling to reach pre-COVID treatment thresholds years after pandemic precautions upended longstanding processes.

Video of ASNC President Mouaz Al-Mallah, MD, explaining some long-COVID cardiac symptoms might be due to coronary microvascular dysfunction. He was part of a recent study that used PET top assess myocardial perfusion that found there is impaired microvascular flow in long-COVID patients.

PET imaging helps assess coronary microvascular dysfunction in long COVID patients

Researchers noted that patients appeared to have myocarditis at first, but a closer examination revealed it was something else entirely. 

Peter Libby, MD, explains how infections cause heart attacks. This came out of research taking a close look at COVID, but the inflammation from any infection may cause increased inflammation of coronary plaques that cause heart attacks. #COVID #COVID19

Do infections cause heart attacks? Lessons from COVID

COVID-19 opened the eyes of many cardiology researchers that infections may promote inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques, leading to cardiac events.

Malissa Wood, MD. explains why Mass General created a program to combat racism and health equity.

Why health equity is important in cardiology

Malissa Wood, MD, associate chief of cardiology for diversity and equity at Massachusetts General Hospital, explains the role of health equity in cardiovascular care and what her health system is doing to address it. 

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A cause for concern: Death after heart transplant more likely if the donor had COVID-19

Heart transplantation centers have significant risks to consider when donors test positive for COVID-19, according to new research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

COVID-19 linked to elevated risk of life-threatening arrhythmia

Patients with severe COVID-19 cases that required ventilation were 16 times more likely to develop ventricular tachycardia within six months, researchers found. 

Around the web

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.