Abstract 4146939: Impact of Diagnosis Timing (Early vs Late) on Atrial Fibrillation Progression in Patient with New Onset Atrial Fibrillation During COVID Illness

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4146939-A4146939, November 12, 2024. Background:New onset AF during acute illness has a high rate of AF recurrence within 5-yr. However, little is known about AF progression in patients with new onset AF during COVID illness. It is also unknown whether the time of COVID diagnosis (early vs late) impacts AF progression. More specifically, did the potentially different immune and inflammatory responses during early vs late COVID produce structural and electrical cardiac remodeling that would increase the likelihood of AF progression.Objective:We sought to compare AF progression in patients with new onset AF during early vs late COVID and hypothesized that early COVID was associated with increased AF progression compared to late COVID.Methods:From Apr 2020 to Feb 2024, patients receiving a SARS-2-CoV test without a history of AF with new onset AF and at least 3-mo of follow up were included (N=11,767). Patients were subdivided based on pos vs neg SARS-2-CoV test and time of diagnosis. Early COVID diagnosis (n=3052) included Apr 2020-Aug 2021 and late COVID (n=8715) included Sep 2021-Feb 2024. AF progression endpoints at 3-, 6- and 12-mo included AF hospitalization, AF emergency department (ED) visit, cardioversion and AF ablation.Results:Patients with late COVID were more likely females with hypertension, coronary artery disease and hyperlipidemia compared to early COVID patients. At 3- and 6-mo follow-up there was no difference in AF progression between the early and late COVID groups for any endpoint. In contrast, at 12-mo follow up there was in increase in late diagnosis group AF ED visits (11% vs 7.6%,p

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4143094: COVID-19 Infection Had Significant Impact on In-Hospital Outcomes of Women with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4143094-A4143094, November 12, 2024. Background:Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is defined as a dilated form of cardiomyopathy that occurs within the last month of pregnancy and up to 5 months postpartum. The etiology is likely multifactorial and viral infections may account for up to a third of PPCM cases. We aimed to examine the impact of concurrent COVID-19 infection on in-hospital outcomes of women with PPCM.Methods:National Inpatient Sample was queried to identify women admitted with PPCM with COVID-19 (group A) between the years 2020-2021 and without (group B) concurrent COVID-19 infection between the years 2016-2019.Results:A total of 19135 women were admitted with PPCM between the years 2016-2021, of whom 420 (2%) had concurrent COVID-19 infection. Group A PPCM followed a seasonal pattern with peak incidence in fall (43%) followed by winter (31%), spring (13%) and summer (13%) [p=0.002]. Group A was more often Hispanic (20.3% -vs- 10.8%, p

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4144997: Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Kinetics across Pre-, Index, and Post-Acute COVID-19 in Hospitalized Acute on Chronic Heart Failure Patients: A Learning Health System Science Initiative

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4144997-A4144997, November 12, 2024. Introduction:Myocardial injury in patients hospitalized with acute on chronic heart failure concurrent with index SARS-CoV-2 (CoV-2) infection is well described, though studies incorporating pre- and post-acute COVID-19 (PAC) are lacking. We address this gap by estimating intensity of acutely decompensated heart failure (ADHF) using time-series pro-BNP levels across hospitalizations pre- vs. respectively index and initial readmission (PAC1).Hypothesis:Case time series analysis will reveal association (p

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4143772: Genome wide association study meta-analysis of 19,487 individuals with mitral valve prolapse identifies 52 novel genomic regions and highlights pro-fibrosis genes

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4143772-A4143772, November 12, 2024. Introduction:Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is the most common cause of primary mitral regurgitation and is estimated to affect between 1-3% of the general population. A subset of individuals with MVP develop malignant arrhythmias, often in the context of myocardial fibrosis. The genetics of MVP, and genetic factors explaining why only some individuals with MVP have adverse outcomes, remains poorly understood.Methods:We defined MVP using a combination of claims data and echocardiographic diagnosis across 15 cohorts spanning 5 countries and performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for MVP including 19,487 MVP cases among 2,247,054 individuals. Causal genes were prioritized using a combination of methods including the identification of variants in active promoters/enhancers using mitral valve ATAC-seq data from an external dataset. To determine whether prioritized genes may be differentially expressed in myocardial fibrosis, we compared single-cell RNA sequencing between fibrosed papillary muscles and normal left ventricular among two individuals with severe MVP.Results:There were 67 unique genome-wide significant (GWS; p

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4144056: Quantitative Testing Reveals Severity of Autonomic Dysfunction after Acute COVID-19 Infection: A Comparison with Controls and Autonomic Failure

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4144056-A4144056, November 12, 2024. Background:COVID-19 infections have been associated with cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction (AD). Clinical findings include fatigue, cognitive impairment, and postural intolerance. However, quantitative post-COVID AD assessments are lacking.Objective:Compare autonomic testing measures of post-COVID-19 subjects to controls and those with pure autonomic failure (PAF).Methods:Autonomic testing included 1) change in heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) with active standing (AS) and tilt table testing (TT), 2) time to BP nadir and recovery during AS and TT, 3) Valsalva ratio (VR), and 4) respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Comparisons between two groups were made using t-tests, Kruskal-Wallis, or chi-square tests. Multivariable linear regression was used to adjust findings for age and sex. A p-value of

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4142506: Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Myocarditis: COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination vs. Pre-Pandemic Viral Etiologies

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4142506-A4142506, November 12, 2024. Introduction:Myocarditis has been reported after mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination, but the immune mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to identify the proteome-based immunopathogenesis of post-vaccination myocarditis compared to viral myocarditis in the pre-COVID-19 era.Methods:Proteomic analysis of right ventricle (RV) biopsy specimens was performed in myocarditis patients (pre-pandemic viral myocarditis: n=3, post-vaccination myocarditis: n=3) and controls (normal endomyocardial biopsy specimens of heart transplant recipients, n=4) using mass spectrometry. Differentially expressed proteins were analyzed with CIBERSORTx, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). To examine the relationship between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and post-vaccination myocarditis, immunohistochemistry (IHC), mass spectrometry analysis of spike protein, and activation-induced marker (AIM) assay in T cells from RV samples were conducted.Results:In the proteomic analysis, 6,861 proteins were identified. Post-vaccination myocarditis showed increased extracellular matrix formation and cardiac fibrosis. Both pre-pandemic and post-vaccination myocarditis had elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine activities. However, post-vaccination myocarditis exhibited higher expression of interferon-alpha (IFNα) and pattern recognition receptor activation, including TLR3 and TLR7. Pre-pandemic myocarditis showed higher activation of the complement system, neutrophils, and NK cells, whereas post-vaccination myocarditis showed increased Th2 cell activation and classical macrophage activation. Spike protein and related T-cell activation were not detected.Conclusion:The immune activation in myocarditis after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination may be triggered by the mRNA in the vaccine via an IFNα-driven immune response, leading to autoimmune-like features. Further studies are necessary to validate whether these proteins correlate with clinical characteristics.

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4142337: Takotsubo Syndrome During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4142337-A4142337, November 12, 2024. Background:We previously demonstrated a significantly increased inpatient mortality of COVID-19 infection-induced male Takotsubo (TTS) patients during the early pandemic period. Since then, our management of COVID-19 prevention and treatment have evolved significantly, reducing both hospitalization and mortality rates. With these advancements, we have analyzed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of reported COVD-19-associated TTS patients since the initial pandemic.Research Question:What are the clinical characteristics and mortality outcomes of COVID-19-associated TTS patients especially in the context of improved prevention and treatment?Aims:To identify clinical characteristics and outcome correlates in patients with COVID-19-associated TTS.Methods:We completed a systematic review of 191 patients with TTS from 95 published case reports, 13 case series, and 4 observational cross-sectional/cohort studies published from April 1, 2020 to May 1, 2024 (PubMed). We performed clustering analysis using the clinical, imaging, and inpatient mortality data of 78 patients, which categorized groups of patients based on how closely associated or similar they are relative to other groups. Following this, we applied feature analysis to identify which features contributed the most to the clustering results.Results:Of all TTS cases, the mean age was 64.2±16.1 with 32.9% males. A total of 122 (63.9%) had COVID-19 infection, 21 (11.0%) had COVID-19 vaccination, and 50 (26.2%) patients had other triggers (2 patients had both COVID-19 infection and a non-infectious trigger). In-hospital mortality was 28.6% (16 of 56) for males and 13.2% (15 of 114) for females (p-value = 0.01). There was no association between COVID-19 vaccine administration and in-hospital mortality (0%, 0 of 21). There were notable differences in the clinical and demographic characteristics of TTS patients before and after September 2021 based on clustering analysis. Feature analysis indicated that COVID-19-induced TTS strongly correlated with in-hospital mortality and long-term adverse outcome in male patients.Conclusion:More male TTS patients were found during the pandemic than is expected of the traditional TTS archetype. A triad of “male, COVID-19 infection and TTS” appears to predict higher inpatient mortality. Compared to our prior study, inpatient mortality rates for TTS COVID patients have declined for all groups. Vaccine-induced TTS is associated with a benign clinical phenotype.

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Novembre 2024

Abstract Sa807: Spread of Chest Compression-Only CPR During the COVID-19 Pandemic Increased Pediatric Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Mortality: A Nationwide, Retrospective, Observational Study

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page ASa807-ASa807, November 12, 2024. Background:Despite the lack of evidence supporting the use of chest compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CO-CPR) emphasizing the importance of rescue breathing for pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), prehospital CO-CPR is increasing. The COVID-19 pandemic may have led more bystanders to perform CO-CPR, even for pediatric OHCA. However, studies on the dissemination of CO-CPR and outcomes in pediatric OHCA are limited.Hypothesis:Spread of CO-CPR led to increased mortality in pediatric OHCA.Aims:Investigate the mortality of nationwide pediatric OHCA patients with the dissemination of CO-CPR pre- and post-COVID-19.Methods:We conducted a retrospective study using a Utstein-Style population cohort database (Japanese National Registry). Pediatric OHCA patients (≤17 years old) with bystander resuscitation attempts registered between the pre-COVID-19 era (2017-2019) and the post-COVID-19 era (2020-2021) were included. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality after OHCA. The secondary outcome was 30-day poor neurological outcomes, defined as Cerebral Performance Category scores of 3, 4, or 5. We used Poisson regression with robust variance to estimate adjusted risk ratio (aRR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and the population attributable fraction (PAF, %) with a focus on the post-COVID-19 period.Results:A total of 3,352 pediatric OHCA, 2,023 pre-COVID-19, and 1,329 post-COVID-19 patients received bystander CPR and were registered in the database. CO-CPR was more common than CPR with rescue breathing (RB-CPR) during the pre- and post-COVID-19 periods [pre-COVID-19: 1,356 (67.0%) vs. 667 (33.0%), post-COVID-19: 1,048 (78.9%) vs. 281 (21.1%)]. Comparison of CO-CPR vs. RB-CPR showed increased 30-day mortality in both periods [pre-COVID-19: 1,081/1,356 (79.7%) vs. 420/667 (63.0%), post-COVID-19: 841/1,048 (80.2%) vs. 181/281 (64.4%)]. In the overall cohort, mortality increased with CO-CPR (aRR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.09-1.23, PAF:1.60%). Due to the increased number of patients receiving CO-CPR, we estimated 21.2 excess deaths over the two-year post-COVID-19 period. Similar results were observed for poor neurological outcome (aRR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.05-1.16, PAF: 1.10%, excess poor outcome: 14.6]).Conclusion:With the spread of CO-CPR for pediatric OHCA, an estimated 10.6 excess deaths per year attributed to CO-CPR may have occurred in the post-COVID-19 period compared to the pre-COVID-19 period in Japan.

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4139661: Usefulness of High-sensitive Troponin I and N-terminal pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Risk Stratification on and after Omicron Variant Waves: COVID-MI Registry Cohort-2 Analysis

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4139661-A4139661, November 12, 2024. Introduction:Troponin-defined myocardial injury or N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) elevation frequently coincides with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our prior study (COVID-MI Registry Cohort-1) confirmed that high-sensitive troponin I (HsTnI) and NT-proBNP effectively stratified mortality risk. However, variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) change rapidly, and it remains unclear whether these biomarkers are consistently effective in predicting prognosis of COVID-19 patients irrespective of epidemic periods.Research Questions:Can HsTnI or NT-proBNP stratify mortality risk in recent COVID-19 cohorts?Aims:To assess the potential of HsTnI and NT-proBNP levels for risk stratification in the recent COVID-19 waves.Methods:In the COVID-MI Registry Cohort-2, we enrolled 1115 consecutive COVID-19 patients admitted between October 2021 and October 2022, during the Omicron variant endemic. We collected data of HsTnI or NT-proBNP levels from hospital charts or using the samples in our hospital’s serum/plasma bank if the data were not available. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality.Results:On admission, more than one-third of patients were classified as having severe COVID-19. HsTnI and NT-proBNP levels were available for 427 and 414 patients, respectively. The median HsTnI and NT-proBNP levels were 16 (interquartile range [IQR]: 5-57) ng/L and 524 (IQR: 140-2056) pg/mL, respectively. We stratified the patients into three groups by HsTnI level:

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4141859: Impacts of the COVID-19 era Practice of Preventing Bypass of the Emergency Department for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Identified in the Field by Emergency Medical Services on In-Hospital Mortality and Other Performance Metrics

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4141859-A4141859, November 12, 2024. Background:Field activation of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) during the COVID-19 (COVID) pandemic era involved a change in policy whereby patients underwent COVID-19 testing in the emergency department (ED) prior to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) versus bypassing the ED to the Catheterization (Cath) Lab.Research Question:We aimed to compare In-Hospital Mortality and other performance metrics of field activated STEMI patients at a large rural health system during the COVID era to pre and post pandemic periods.Methods:Retrospective single-center (Essentia Health, Duluth, MN, USA) cohort study of consecutive patients with STEMI activation identified in the field by EMS prior to the COVID era (5/27/2018–3/26/2020), during the 22 months of the COVID testing policy (3/27/2020–1/25/2022), and post-COVID when ED bypass resumed (1/ 26/2022–11/26/2023). The main outcomes of this study were in-hospital mortality and common STEMI system performance metrics.Results:A total of 373 consecutive field activated STEMI cases were included (pre COVID [N =132], COVID [N = 104], post COVID [N = 137]). Pre COVID, 40.9% of EMS activated STEMI cases stopped in the ED prior to the Cath Lab, 97.1% during the COVID era, and 51.1% in the post-COVID era (p

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4137878: Trends in Survival After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Across Community Demographics Since the COVID-19 Pandemic

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4137878-A4137878, November 12, 2024. Background:The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was marked by a sharp decrease in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival. Whether OHCA survival has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, and whether changes in OHCA survival are similar across communities of different racial and ethnic composition, is unknown.Methods:We included adult patients with non-traumatic OHCA from 2015-2022 in the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival registry. Using hierarchical multivariable regression, we calculated risk-adjusted rates of survival to hospital discharge during 2015-2019 (reference period) and compared this to survival rates during 2020, 2021, and 2022. We also examined whether the trajectory of survival over this period differed based on the racial/ethnic composition of the community served by the emergency medical service (EMS) agency, defined as predominantly White ( >80% White residents), majority Black or Hispanic ( >50% Black or Hispanic residents), or integrated (neither).Results:Of 485,079 patients with OHCA, mean age was 61.9 years; 64% were male, and 22% were of Black race with 7% of Hispanic ethnicity. Overall, risk-adjusted survival rates to hospital discharge for OHCA decreased from 10.1% in 2015-2019 to 8.4% in 2020 (P

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4126581: COVID-19 Impacted Septal Reduction Therapies in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4126581-A4126581, November 12, 2024. Background:Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic had a significant impact on emergent and elective treatment strategies in patients with cardiovascular disease. We aimed to examine the impact of COVID-19 on septal reduction therapy (SRT) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).Methods:National Inpatient Sample 2019-2021 was queried to identify patients with HCM and SRT using appropriate ICD codes. Temporal trends for SRT were obtained before and after COVID-19 outset.Results:There was a significant decline in the number of SRT from 2019 to 2020 (1505 vs. 1180, p

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4141946: Characterization of Cardiac, Autonomic, and Exercise Physiology in Patients with Long COVID

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4141946-A4141946, November 12, 2024. INTRODUCTION:Mechanisms contributing to the post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC, aka Long COVID) and associated functional limitations are unclear.RESEARCH QUESTION:Determine cardiovascular, autonomic and exercise physiology among patients with Long COVID.METHODS:Twenty-one Long COVID patients (16 females, 41±12yrs) underwent cardiovascular assessment during head-up tilt at supine, 30oand 60o, a 10-minute upright standing orthostatic challenge and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Baroreceptor sensitivity was determined with Valsalva maneuver. Heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were monitored continuously. Plasma norepinephrine (NE) was monitored during tilt.RESULTS:During tilt, HR increased with transition from supine to 30oand 60o(72±12 v. 80±14 v. 90±15bpm, P

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Novembre 2024

Abstract Sa907: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Favorable Neurological Outcome after Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest Witnessed by Emergency Medical Service Personnel

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page ASa907-ASa907, November 12, 2024. Background:Different from the negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) collapsed before emergency medical service (EMS) arrival, there was a report suggested that COVID-19 pandemic did not affect outcomes after OHCA witnessed by EMS personnel. However, no large-scale studies have examined the impact of COVID-19 pandemic after EMS-witnessed OHCA, focusing on favorable neurological outcomes.Research Questions:Does COVID-19 pandemic affect favorable neurological outcomes after EMS-witnessed OHCA?Aims:To assess COVID-19’s impact on favorable neurological outcomes after EMS-witnessed OHCA.Methods:We performed an interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) with a prospective, nationwide, population-based registry in Japan to assess trends of incidence and favorable neurological outcome (Cerebral Performance Category 1 or 2) at 30 days with adult EMS-witnessed OHCA between pre-pandemic (January 2016-March 2020) and pandemic (April 2020-December 2021) periods. Subgroup analyses were performed by stratifying regions by infection spread status defined by whether a state of emergency has been declared. To assess whether there are differences in trends between areas with and without COVID-19 spread, we performed a controlled ITSA between the two areas.Results:We identified 58,315 patients with adult EMS-witnessed OHCA, 41,112 during the pre-pandemic period and 17,203 during the pandemic period. There was no significant increase in the incidence of EMS-witnessed OHCA during the pandemic period (0.03 per 100,000 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI], –0.02 to 0.08; p = 0.21). Favorable neurological outcome significantly decreased (relative risk [RR], 0.80; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.91; p < 0.01). In subgroup analysis, favorable neurological outcome significantly decreased in areas with COVID-19 spread (RR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.81; p < 0.01), while there was no significant difference in areas without COVID-19 spread (RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.77 to 1.07; p = 0.24). A controlled ITSA showed that favorable neurological outcome significantly decreased in areas with COVID-19 spread compared to without COVID-19 spread (RR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.98; p = 0.04).Conclusion:Unlike previous studies, our research with a nationwide, population-based registry showed that COVID-19 pandemic influenced favorable neurological outcome in EMS-witnessed OHCA. This trend appears to be more pronounced in areas with widespread infection.

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4143723: Thrombocytosis is Prevalent and Associated with Greater Inflammation and Coronary Artery Involvement in Both Kawasaki Disease and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Associated with COVID-19

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4143723-A4143723, November 12, 2024. Introduction:Thrombocytosis, sometimes extreme, after acute Kawasaki disease (KD) is common and felt to be pathognomonic of this diagnosis, although has also been reported after multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a clinically similar condition. We sought to determine differences in factors associated with thrombocytosis for each condition.Methods:From 01/2020 to 10/2023 across 41 sites in 8 countries from the International KD Registry, 1674 MIS-C and 1290 contemporaneous KD patients with adequate laboratory data were included in the analysis. Age-related cutpoints (derived from the CALIPER Study of normal children/adolescents; AJCP 2020; 154:342) were applied to peak platelet counts to define thrombocytosis (age 647 x109/L; age 1 to 434; age 12 to 371). Associations of demographic, clinical, laboratory and outcome factors with thrombocytosis were determined for each diagnosis group.Results:Thrombocytosis was more prevalent after KD (57%) than MIS-C (49%; p

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Novembre 2024

Abstract 4127513: Cardiopulmonary long-term effects 6, 18 and 30 months after severe covid-19 infection

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4127513-A4127513, November 12, 2024. Background:SARS-CoV-2 infection affects the cardiopulmonary system in both the acute and long-term phase. This study aimed to comprehensively assess symptoms and potential long-term impairments 6, 18 and 30 months in patients previously hospitalized for severe Covid-19 infection.Methods:This prospective registry included patients hospitalized for PCR-confirmed Covid-19 infection. Approximately 6 months post-discharge, follow-up examination included patient history, clinical examination, echocardiography, electrocardiogram, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI), chest computed tomography (CT) scan, pulmonary function test (PFT), six-minute walk test (6MWT) and a comprehensive laboratory panel. Patients with pathologic findings during the first visit underwent a second (at 18 months) and third (at 30 months) follow-up examination. Those without pathologic findings or who refused further medical examinations were contacted via phone to inquire about symptoms.Results:Between July 2020 and April 2022, 200 patients (91% general ward, 9% intensive care unit) were recruited. Due to dropouts, the second visit was conducted in 170 patients, and the third visit in 139 (74 in person, 65 via telephone). Long Covid criteria were fulfilled by 73% at 6 months, 52% at 18 months and 49% at 30 months post-discharge, with fatigue being the most common symptom (Figure 1). Echocardiography at 6 months showed impaired left ventricular function in 15 patients, with normalization in 80% at 18 months and further 66% at 30 months (Figure 2). cMRI revealed pericardial effusions in 28 patients at 6 months, which resolved in 47% at 18 months and in further 60% at 30 months. Signs of peri- or myocarditis were present in 7 patients at 6 months and were resolved in all 4 patients who attended control studies at 18 months. Chest CT scans at 6 months identified post-infectious residues in 41 patients, with full recovery in 20% at 18 months without further normalization after 30 months.The length of in-hospital stay was identified as a significant predictor for persisting Long Covid 6 months after discharge (95% CI: 1.005 – 1.12, p=0.03).Conclusion:While the prevalence of Long Covid decreased over time, a significant symptom burden persisted at 6, 18 and even 30 months after severe Covid-19 infection. Structural and functional abnormalities were less frequent compared to reported symptoms, posing a challenge in substantiating the causes of these symptoms.

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Novembre 2024