Autopsy-based studies have suggested that even mild and moderate COVID-19 infections can have lingering effects on a person's cardiovascular system. A report published in the European Heart Journal indicated that the virus impacts the heart, brain and kidneys, with specific changes including decreased left and right ventricular function and a higher presence of some cardiac biomarkers.

A UK study found that pediatric hospitalizations for all types of infection declined significantly during the opening months of the COVID-19 pandemic, from March 2020 through June 2021. Flu-related hospitalizations fell by 94%, and measles hospitalizations dropped by 90%, researchers reported in The BMJ.

Higher adiposity levels may increase the risk of hospitalization, and the waist-hip ratio as a measure of body fat may be a better predictor than body mass index, according to a study published in the journal Economics & Human Biology. "Finding causal effect estimates between fatty tissue and hospital admissions larger than those previously reported in existing studies emphasizes the necessity of exploring policies aimed at reducing obesity in the population," said researcher Dea Hazewinkel.

New, simpler treatments for Helicobacter pylori infection are necessary to improve adherence to testing, diagnosis and treatment guidelines, according to a survey study published in the journal GastroHep Advances. Only 28.7% of surveyed physicians felt that current treatment options were satisfactory.

Two new drugs were recommended by the World Health Organization as treatments for COVID-19 infections: the oral drug baricitinib, to be administered with corticosteroids, and the monoclonal antibody drug sotrovimab. The recommendation for use of the two drugs is based on data gathered from seven trials involving 4,000 COVID-19 patients with mild, severe and critical cases.

To build a strong digital health approach beyond a health crisis, health care systems must establish an infrastructure with a modernized foundation, offer smarter virtual care solutions to link patients with care teams and ensure a secure and seamless access to patient and health data, says Mike Grisamore, vice president of small-business sales at CDW. The three components of a long-term digital health program are inextricably linked, and as value-based care becomes the industry standard, systems must make sure that their digital health approach will help them advance, Grisamore says.

Research published in JACC: Heart Failure showed that cardiac resynchronization therapy with a defibrillator was linked to more favorable outcomes than an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator alone in older patients who had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Researchers examined data from nearly 14,000 patients with HFrEF who had CRT-D, ICD or both procedures between January 2008 and August 2015.

Research data indicate that people in rural areas of Michigan waited longer to receive STEMI care once the COVID-19 pandemic began. Presentation delays of more than 12 hours were seen in 2.4% of patients before the pandemic began and 19.5% of patients after it began.

An international study including data from 16,500 individuals indicated that women may have more trouble quitting smoking than men do. Women had a lower chance of succeeding on the first day of a quit attempt, a key success predictor, which could be because they tend to experience more withdrawal symptoms, researchers said.

In a new JACC Leadership Page, ACC President Dipti Itchhaporia, MD, FACC, reflects on the lessons learned from COVID-19 and the use of clinical guidance in the absence of guidelines. While the College has continuously provided guidance tools, such as the comprehensive COVID-19 Hub filled with links to the latest published research and health policy updates, it has also leaned on science to communicate evidence-based recommendations for prevention, diagnosis and treatment across the spectrum of cardiovascular disease in the form of guidelines. "It is science with research and evidence that continues to give us hope in the face of ongoing uncertainties," Itchhaporia writes. "Hence, there is no better time than now to hold science in high regard and promote scientific culture by believing in, respecting, and loving science." Read more.

Learn to select the best anticoagulant treatment strategies for initial management of acute venous thromboembolism (VTE), determine the optimal evidence-based prophylaxis anticoagulant therapy, and identify comorbidities that influence anticoagulation treatment strategies with ACC's online course, Practical Management of VTE: Simplifying Anticoagulation Strategies. Among the activities is a quick-tips video with Craig J. Beavers, PharmD, FACC, on initial management, along with patient case quizzes, slide lectures and a panel discussion. Learn more.