A closer look at COVID-19's initial impact on cardiovascular care
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic led to a rapid decline in the number of cardiovascular diagnostic procedures being performed in Asia, according to new data published in JACC Asia. The impact was especially strong in low-income countries.
The study's authors analyzed data from the International Atomic Energy Agency Division of Human Health Non-invasive Cardiology Protocols of COVID study (INCAPS COVID). Data was collected from 180 locations across 33 countries before being codified into four sub-regions for comparison.
In the analysis, diagnostic cardiovascular procedures dropped an average of 47% in Asia from March 2019 to March 2020, with some low-income countries seeing declines of up to 80%.
In addition, the median number of procedures performed per participating center dropped from 367 to 188. By April 2020, computed tomographic angiography volume had recovered, but transthoracic echocardiography and invasive coronary angiography volumes remained low.
“The rapid global spread of COVID-19 has changed the global economy and social environment and has had a negative impact on routine medical practice, particularly the diagnostic evaluation of cardiovascular disease,” lead author Takashi Kudo, MD, PhD, a professor at Nagasaki University in Japan, said in a prepared statement.
Most of the centers that were examined in the study initiated COVID-19 protocols. These policies included canceling outpatient activities, allowing additional time for cleaning and disinfecting, implementing physical distancing and restricting visitors. These measures were also linked to the observed procedural declines.
“Further study is warranted to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality, as well as to develop strategies to maintain essential health care services like cardiac diagnostics in a resurgence of COVID-19 or in future pandemics,” Kudo said.
Read the analysis here.