Fallonbraswell0519

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel coronavirus infection that has rapidly spread worldwide, causing a pandemic. The main objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the prevalence of the most common symptoms and complications of COVID-19. All relevant studies on the clinical complications of COVID-19 have been identified by searching two web databases (i.e., PubMed and Scopus). Afterward, the relevant data were extracted from the selected studies, and then analyzed by the STATA (Version 14) random-effects model. The 30 studies selected for our meta-analysis covered 6,389 infected patients. The prevalence rates of the most common symptoms were as follows fever 84.30% (95% CI 77.13-90.37; I2 = 97.74%), cough 63.01% (95% CI 57.63-68.23; I2 = 93.73%), dyspnea 37.16% (95% CI 27.31-47.57%; I2 = 98.32%), fatigue 34.22% (95% CI 26.29-42.62; I2 = 97.29%), and diarrhea 11.47% (95% CI 6.96-16.87; I2 = 95.58%). Moreover, the most prevalent complications were found to be acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with 33.15% (95% CI 23.35-43.73; I2 = 98.56%), arrhythmia with 16.64% (95% CI 9.34-25.5; I2 = 92.29%), acute cardiac injury with 15.68% (95% CI 11.1-20.97; I2 = 92.45%), heart failure with 11.50% (95% CI 3.45-22.83; I2 = 89.48%), and acute kidney injury (AKI) with 9.87% (95% CI 6.18-14.25; I2 = 95.64%). In this study, we assessed the prevalence of the main clinical complications of COVID-19, and found that following respiratory complications, cardiac and renal complications are the most common clinical complications of COVID-19.Several observational studies have shown a survival benefit for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who are treated with catheter ablation (CA) rather than medical management (MM). However, data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are uncertain. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of RCTs that compared the benefits of CA and MM in treatment of AF. We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and EMBASE databases for RCTs that compared AF ablation with MM from the time of database establishment up to January 2020. The risk ratio (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as a measure treatment effect. Twenty-six RCTs that enrolled a total of 5788 patients were included in the meta-analysis. In this meta-analysis, the effect of AF ablation depended on the baseline level of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in the heart failure (HF) patients. AF ablation appears to be of benefit to patients with a lesser degree of advanced HF and better LVEF by reducing mortality. Meanwhile, this mortality advantage was manifested in long-term follow-up. CA increased the risk for hospitalization when it was used as first-line therapy and decreased the risk when used as second-line therapy. CA reduced recurrence of atrial arrhythmia for different types of AF (paroxysmal or persistent AF) and CA-related complications were non-negligible. There was no convincing evidence for a reduction in long-term stroke risk after AF ablation, and additional high quality RCTs are needed to address that issue.The clinical status and prognosis of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has dramatically changed in the recent years. Cardiovascular diseases can be related to combined antiretroviral therapy and to the aging of HIV-positive population, resulting in significant mortality and morbidity in those patients. It is crucial to understand whether the HIV-status affects the indications and outcomes of cardiac surgery. A literature search was conducted through electronic databases up to 15 May 2020 following PRISMA guidelines. Variables (i.e. patients characteristics) and endpoints (i.e. postoperative complications) were considered as defined in the original publications. All paper describing post-operative outcomes after cardiac surgery were included. Methodological quality of all included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and the US Preventive Services Task Force grade. A total of eight studies were included in this systematic review; five studies discussed the outcomes of patients with HIV infection, while three studies compared results based on HIV status. All evidences derived from retrospective observational studies with high variability and poor-to-fair quality. Most patients underwent surgical myocardial revascularization. HIV status is not associated with differences in operative mortality (P = 0.32), postoperative mediastinitis (P = 0.30) or pulmonary infective complications (P = 0.67). Cardiac surgery can be considered safe in HIV-positive patients, and HIV status alone should not be considered as a contraindication for cardiac surgery and should not be considered a risk factor for postoperative mortality or perioperative complications. Further studies are required for patients with AIDS.The world is currently in the midst of a daunting global pandemic due to SARS-CoV-2 viral infection and associated COVID-19 disease. Healthcare professionals are tasked with the challenge of managing diverse multisystem clinical manifestations of this infection. Although acute hypoxic respiratory failure is the hallmark of severe COVID-19 disease, there have been diverse manifestations within the cardiovascular (CV) system that each pose unique therapeutic challenges. Of these manifestations, myocardial injury and right ventricular dysfunction are the most common, however, heart failure, circulatory shock, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia, and vascular thrombosis have been noted as well. Furthermore, these CV related manifestations portend greater morbidity and mortality, which requires clinicians to be familiar with the most recent information to provide informed patient care. Although there are limited treatment options available for COVID-19, it is imperative that the potential cardiovascular implications of these therapies are considered in these patients. This review highlights the pathophysiological mechanisms of and therapeutics for CV manifestations of COVID-19 as well as the CV implications of proposed COVID-19 therapies. Since our hospital-based providers are the frontline caregivers battling this pandemic, the aim of this review is to assist with clinical decision-making for optimal patient outcomes while maintaining a safe environment for healthcare personnel.After the emergence of the novel 2019 coronavirus disease in P. R. China, this highly contagious disease has been currently spread out to almost all countries, worldwide. Novel 2019 coronavirus disease, Middle East respiratory syndrome, and severe acute respiratory syndrome are reported to cause a higher risk for severe infections in patients with chronic comorbidities, such as hypertension and diabetes. These severe infections can contribute to higher rates of morbidity and mortality in these patients. In the present review, we discussed the role and underlying mechanisms of the two most common chronic diseases, type-2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension, in clinical manifestations and disease severity of novel 2019 coronavirus disease, Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome, with the hope to provide evidence for better decision-making in the treatment of this vulnerable population.Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the host cell-binding site for SAR-CoV-2, poses two-fold drug development problems. First, the role of ACE2 itself is still a matter of investigation, and no specific drugs are available targeting ACE2. Second, as a consequence of SARS-CoV-2 interaction with ACE2, there is an impairment of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) involved in the functioning of vital organs like the heart, kidney, brain, and lungs. In developing antiviral drugs for COVID-19, ACE2, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and the specific enzymes involved in the viral and cellular gene expression have been the primary targets. SARS-CoV-2 being a new virus with unusually high mortality, there has been a need to get medicines in an emergency, and the drug repurposing has been a primary strategy. Considering extensive mortality and morbidity throughout the world, we have made a maiden attempt to discover the drugs interacting with RAS and identify the lead compounds from herbal plants using molecular docking. Both host ACE2 and viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and ORF8 appear to be the primary targets for the treatment of COVID-19. While the drug repurposing of currently approved drugs seems to be one strategy for the treatment of COVID-19, purposing phytochemicals may be another essential strategy for discovering lead compounds. Using in silico molecular docking, we have identified a few phytochemicals that may provide insights into designing herbal and synthetic therapeutics to treat COVID-19.Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are susceptible to developing atherosclerosis. Consequently, such patients are at a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, leading to poor prognosis. Many physiological parameters have been previously used to predict the development of atherosclerosis. One such parameter, the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), a measure of arterial stiffness, has garnered much attention as it can also predict the degree of atherosclerosis. The CAVI can be calculated based on noninvasive measurements, and is less susceptible to blood pressure variations at the time of measurement. Therefore, the CAVI can assess changes in arterial stiffness and the risk of developing atherosclerosis independent of blood pressure changes. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a standard therapy for OSA and can suppress the issue significantly. Several studies have shown that CPAP treatment for OSA could also reduce the CAVI. In this review, we discuss the relationship between OSA and arterial stiffness, primarily focusing on the CAVI. Furthermore, we propose future perspectives for the CAVI and OSA.Since January 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly become a global concern, and its cardiovascular manifestations have highlighted the need for fast, sensitive and specific tools for early identification and risk stratification. Machine learning is a software solution with the ability to analyze large amounts of data and make predictions without prior programming. When faced with new problems with unique challenges as evident in the COVID-19 pandemic, machine learning can offer solutions that are not apparent on the surface by sifting quickly through massive quantities of data and making associations that may have been missed. Artificial intelligence is a broad term that encompasses different tools, including various types of machine learning and deep learning. Here, we review several cardiovascular applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence and their potential applications to cardiovascular diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy in COVID-19 infection.There is emerging evidence to suggest that vitamin D deficiency is associated with adverse outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Conversely, vitamin D supplementation protects against an initial alveolar diffuse damage of COVID-19 becoming progressively worse. The mechanisms by which vitamin D deficiency exacerbates COVID-19 pneumonia remain poorly understood. In this review we describe the rationale of the putative role of endothelial dysfunction in this event. Herein, we will briefly review (1) anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic effects of vitamin D, (2) vitamin D receptor and vitamin D receptor ligand, (3) protective role of vitamin D against endothelial dysfunction, (4) risk of vitamin D deficiency, (5) vitamin D deficiency in association with endothelial dysfunction, (6) the characteristics of vitamin D relevant to COVID-19, (7) the role of vitamin D on innate and adaptive response, (8) biomarkers of endothelial cell activation contributing to cytokine storm, and (9) the bidirectional relationship between inflammation and homeostasis.