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.

Heart disease-related deaths increased due to COVID-19, undoing a decade of progress

American Heart Association President Michelle A. Albert, MD, urged physicians to seek out patients who may have not received medical care since the start of the pandemic. These patients could face an increased risk of cardiac complications.

COVID-19 infections impact cardiovascular disease

Recent research has revealed that the medium and long-term impact of an acute illness may be associated with cardiovascular events, such as venous thromboembolism, stroke and myocardial infarction.

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Heart damage after COVID-19 vaccination extremely rare among adolescents

Vaccine-related myocarditis was seen in approximately 0.00005% of children between the ages of 12 and 15. All cases were mild, and the median length of stay at the hospital was three days. 

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COVID-19 drug Paxlovid may react poorly with certain heart medications, cardiologists warn

Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, sold by Pfizer under the name Paxlovid, is commonly prescribed to treat COVID-19. When treating some heart patients, however, physicians may want to consider an alternative approach.

New evidence that heart damage risk is much higher after COVID-19 infection than after vaccination

The new meta-analysis, published in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, included data from 58 million patients. “We hope our findings will help mitigate vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccine uptake," one researcher said. 

Cardiologist says COVID-19 vaccinations ‘must stop’ due to the risk of adverse events—scientists and doctors push back

A well-known cardiologist who once fully supported COVID-19 vaccines is now saying he thinks they have done more harm than good. Online, as one might expect, people on both sides of this particular debate have been quick to respond. 

Impella Heart Pump Abiomed RECOVER IV RCT cardiogenic shock

Impella heart pumps boost survival up to 81% for cardiogenic shock patients

The heart pumps appear to provide significant benefits for patients with acute myocardial infarction- or myocarditis-related cardiogenic shock. 

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1 in 20 hospitalized COVID-19 patients develop new-onset AFib

Researchers examined data from nearly 31,000 adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19, sharing their findings in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology.

Around the web

Several key trends were evident at the Radiological Society of North America 2024 meeting, including new CT and MR technology and evolving adoption of artificial intelligence.

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