Home monitoring of arterial pulse-wave velocity during COVID-19 total or partial lockdown using connected smart scales.

Aims: To investigate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown on trajectories of arterial pulse-wave velocity in a large population of users of connected smart scales that provide reliable measurements of pulse-wave velocity. Methods and results: Pulse-wave velocity recordings obtained by Withings Heart Health & Body Composition Wi-Fi Smart Scale users before and during lockdown were analysed. We compared two demonstrative countries: France, where strict lockdown rules were enforced (n = 26 196) and Germany, where lockdown was partial (n = 26 847). Subgroup analysis was conducted in users of activity trackers and home blood pressure monitors. Linear growth curve modelling and trajectory clustering analyses were performed. During lockdown, a significant reduction in vascular stiffness, weight, blood pressure, and physical activity was observed in the overall population. Pulse-wave velocity reduction was greater in France than in Germany, corresponding to 5.2 month reduction in vascular age. In the French population, three clusters of stiffness trajectories were identified: decreasing (21.1%), stable (60.6%), and increasing pulse-wave velocity clusters (18.2%). Decreasing and increasing clusters both had higher pulse-wave velocity and vascular age before lockdown compared with the stable cluster. Only the decreasing cluster showed a significant weight reduction (-400 g), whereas living alone was associated with increasing pulse-wave velocity cluster. No clusters were identified in the German population. Conclusions: During total lockdown in France, a reduction in pulse-wave velocity in a significant proportion of French users of connected smart bathroom scales occurred. The impact on long-term cardiovascular health remains to be established.

Home monitoring of arterial pulse-wave velocity during COVID-19 total or partial lockdown using connected smart scales

Aims To investigate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown on trajectories of arterial pulse-wave velocity in a large population of users of connected smart scales that provide reliable measurements of pulse-wave velocity. Methods and results Pulse-wave velocity recordings obtained by Withings Heart Health & Body Composition Wi-Fi Smart Scale users before and during lockdown were analysed. We compared two demonstrative countries: France, where strict lockdown rules were enforced (n = 26 196) and Germany, where lockdown was partial (n = 26 847). Subgroup analysis was conducted in users of activity trackers and home blood pressure monitors. Linear growth curve modelling and trajectory clustering analyses were performed. During lockdown, a significant reduction in vascular stiffness, weight, blood pressure, and physical activity was observed in the overall population. Pulse-wave velocity reduction was greater in France than in Germany, corresponding to 5.2 month reduction in vascular age. In the French population, three clusters of stiffness trajectories were identified: decreasing (21.1%), stable (60.6%), and increasing pulse-wave velocity clusters (18.2%). Decreasing and increasing clusters both had higher pulse-wave velocity and vascular age before lockdown compared with the stable cluster. Only the decreasing cluster showed a significant weight reduction (−400 g), whereas living alone was associated with increasing pulse-wave velocity cluster. No clusters were identified in the German population. Conclusions During total lockdown in France, a reduction in pulse-wave velocity in a significant proportion of French users of connected smart bathroom scales occurred. The impact on long-term cardiovascular health remains to be established. Lay Summary Pulse-wave velocity (PWV) measurements from users of connected smart bathroom scales showed that during the first COVID-19 imposed lockdown in France and Germany, arterial stiffness decreased, with greater improvement in France, where three distinct patterns of PWV progression could be identified. Graphical Graphical During COVID19 total lockdown in 2020 in France, a significant reduction in vascular stiffness, recorded by home smart scales, was observed.

Care management and 90-day post discharge mortality in patients hospitalized for myocardial infarction and COVID-19: A French nationwide observational study.

BACKGROUND: Concomitant or cured coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) may lead to difficulties in acute care management and impair prognosis. AIMS: To describe and compare the characteristics, care management and 90-day post discharge outcomes of patients hospitalized for MI who did not have COVID-19 with those of patients with concomitant or previous hospital-diagnosed COVID-19. METHODS: This population-based French study included all patients hospitalized for MI in France (30 December 2019 to 04 October 2020) from the French National Health Data System. Outcomes were described for each COVID-19 group and compared using adjusted logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Among 55,524 patients hospitalized for MI, 135 had previous hospital-diagnosed COVID-19 and 329 had concomitant COVID-19. Patients with previous hospital-diagnosed COVID-19 had more personal history of cardiovascular diseases than those without concomitant/previous confirmed COVID-19. In-hospital and 90-day post discharge mortality rates of patients with previous COVID-19 were 8.1% and 4.0%, respectively, compared with 3.5% and 3.0% in patients without concomitant/previous confirmed COVID-19 (odds ratio [OR]adjin-hospital 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97-3.46; ORadjpostdischarge 0.77, 95% CI 0.28-2.13). Patients with concomitant COVID-19 had more personal history of cardiovascular diseases, but also a poorer prognosis than their no concomitant/no previous confirmed COVID-19 counterparts; they presented excess cardiac complications during hospitalization (ORadj 1.62, 95% CI 1.29-2.04), in-hospital mortality (ORadj 3.31, 95% CI 2.32-4.72) and 90-day post discharge mortality (ORadj 2.09, 95% CI 1.24-3.51). CONCLUSIONS: In-hospital and 90-day post discharge mortality of patients hospitalized for MI who had previous hospital-diagnosed COVID-19 did not seem to differ from those hospitalized for MI alone. Conversely, concomitant COVID-19 and MI carried a poorer prognosis extending beyond the hospital stay. Special attention should be given to patients with simultaneous COVID-19 and MI, in terms of acute care and secondary prevention.

Myocardial infarction throughout 1 year of the COVID-19 pandemic: French nationwide study of hospitalization rates, prognosis and 90-day mortality rates.

BACKGROUND: Studies reported a decrease in hospital admissions for myocardial infarction (MI) in early 2020 as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, mainly restricted to the beginning of the pandemic. AIMS: To describe national trends in hospital admissions for MI in 2020, and to compare patient characteristics, in-hospital prognosis and 90-day mortality between patients who had an MI in 2020 and those admitted in 2017-2019. METHODS: All patients hospitalized for MI in France from 2017 to 2020 were selected from the national hospital discharge database. Analyses compared temporal trends in MI admissions, in-hospital cardiac complications and mortality rates in 2020 versus 2017-2019. RESULTS: In 2020, 94,747 patients were hospitalized for MI, corresponding to a 6% decrease in MI admissions compared with 2017-19. This decrease was larger during the first lockdown (-24%; P<0.0001) than during the second lockdown (-8%; P<0.0001). Reductions in MI admissions were more pronounced and longer among patients with non-ST-segment elevation MI, older people and women. An increase in ST-segment elevation MI admissions was observed between lockdowns (+4%; P=0.0005). Globally, and after adjustment for age, sex and calendar year, in-hospital and 90-day post-discharge mortality rates did not differ in 2020 versus 2017-19: incidence rate ratio (IRR)adjin-hospital 1.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.98-1.08); IRRadj90-daypost-discharge 1.06, 95% CI (0.98-1.13). CONCLUSIONS: In 2020, a significant decrease in MI admissions was observed, and was marked at the beginning of the year. This highlights the need to disseminate public information on the importance of maintaining care and regular medical follow-up. The effect of the COVID-19 crisis on acute and 3-month outcomes of patients hospitalized for MI appears limited. Nevertheless, monitoring of chronic MI complications and the impact on non-hospitalized patients should continue.

COVID-19-related medical research: a meta-research and critical appraisal.

BACKGROUND: Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, a large number of COVID-19-related papers have been published. However, concerns about the risk of expedited science have been raised. We aimed at reviewing and categorizing COVID-19-related medical research and to critically appraise peer-reviewed original articles. METHODS: The data sources were Pubmed, Cochrane COVID-19 register study, arXiv, medRxiv and bioRxiv, from 01/11/2019 to 01/05/2020. Peer-reviewed and preprints publications related to COVID-19 were included, written in English or Chinese. No limitations were placed on study design. Reviewers screened and categorized studies according to i) publication type, ii) country of publication, and iii) topics covered. Original articles were critically appraised using validated quality assessment tools. RESULTS: Among the 11,452 publications identified, 10,516 met the inclusion criteria, among which 7468 (71.0%) were peer-reviewed articles. Among these, 4190 publications (56.1%) did not include any data or analytics (comprising expert opinion pieces). Overall, the most represented topics were infectious disease (n = 2326, 22.1%), epidemiology (n = 1802, 17.1%), and global health (n = 1602, 15.2%). The top five publishing countries were China (25.8%), United States (22.3%), United Kingdom (8.8%), Italy (8.1%) and India (3.4%). The dynamic of publication showed that the exponential growth of COVID-19 peer-reviewed articles was mainly driven by publications without original data (mean 261.5 articles ± 51.1 per week) as compared with original articles (mean of 69.3 ± 22.3 articles per week). Original articles including patient data accounted for 713 (9.5%) of peer-reviewed studies. A total of 576 original articles (80.8%) showed intermediate to high risk of bias. Last, except for simulation studies that mainly used large-scale open data, the median number of patients enrolled was of 102 (IQR = 37-337). CONCLUSIONS: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of research is composed by publications without original data. Peer-reviewed original articles with data showed a high risk of bias and included a limited number of patients. Together, these findings underscore the urgent need to strike a balance between the velocity and quality of research, and to cautiously consider medical information and clinical applicability in a pressing, pandemic context. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://osf.io/5zjyx/.