Cardiac Effort to Compare Clinic and Remote 6-Minute Walk Testing in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has limited objective physiologic assessments. A standardized remote alternative is not currently available. "Cardiac effort" (CE), that is, the total number of heart beats divided by the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) distance (beats/m), has improved reproducibility in the 6MWT and correlated with right ventricular function in pulmonary arterial hypertension. RESEARCH QUESTION: Can a chest-based accelerometer estimate 6MWT distance remotely? Is remote cardiac effort more reproducible than 6MWT distance when compared with clinic assessment? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a single-center, prospective observational study, with institutional review board approval, completed between October 2020 and April 2021. Group 1 subjects with pulmonary arterial hypertension, receiving stable therapy for > 90 days, completed four to six total 6MWTs during a 2-week period to assess reproducibility. The first and last 6MWTs were performed in the clinic; two to four remote 6MWTs were completed at each participant's discretion. Masks were not worn. BioStamp nPoint sensors (MC10) were worn on the chest to measure heart rate and accelerometry. Two blinded readers counted laps, using accelerometry data obtained on the clinic or user-defined course. Averages of clinic variables and remote variables were used for Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank tests, Bland-Altman plots, or Spearman correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Estimated 6MWT distance, using the MC10, correlated strongly with directly measured 6MWT distance (r = 0.99; P < .0001; in 20 subjects). Remote 6MWT distances were shorter than clinic 6MWT distances: 405 m (330-464 m) vs 389 m (312-430 m) (P = .002). There was no difference between in-clinic and remote CE: 1.75 beats/m (1.48-2.20 beats/m) vs 1.86 beats/m (1.57-2.14 beats/m) (P = .14). INTERPRETATION: Remote 6MWT was feasible on a user-defined course; 6MWT distance was shorter than clinic distance. CE calculated by chest heart rate and accelerometer-estimated distance provides a reproducible remote assessment of exercise tolerance, comparable to the clinic-measured value.

Transitioning selexipag to oral treprostinil in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension.

There are no prospective studies or guidelines describing transition between selexipag and oral treprostinil. We present two different transition strategies from selexipag to oral treprostinil, one started inpatient and then completed at home, and one completely under outpatient settings. Neither patient experienced worsening prostacyclin-type adverse effects; both were rigorous in their attention to a 7-8 hour administration schedule for oral treprostinil, and both experienced objective clinical benefit at follow-up. Prospective studies are needed to help guide clinical decisions when patients remain intermediate risk after a trial of either drug.

Chronic therapeutic anticoagulation is associated with decreased thrombotic complications in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

BACKGROUND: Thrombotic disease complicates severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Various anticoagulation strategies have been evaluated in hospitalized patients to prevent complications. The impact of chronic anticoagulation before SARS-CoV-2 infection on the risk for subsequent thrombosis has not been systematically studied. METHODS: This was a retrospective single-center study. All patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing from March 13, 2020, through May 6, 2020, at the University of Rochester Medical Center were identified. We included all patients receiving therapeutic anticoagulation for at least 1 month before COVID diagnosis. We documented the rate of thrombotic complications, type of anticoagulation, bleeding complications, and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 107 SARS-CoV2-infected patients were chronically anticoagulated before SARS-CoV-2 testing with a median age of 78. Of those, 42 required hospital admission, with 17 requiring intensive care. No patients, inpatient or outpatient, were diagnosed with a new symptomatic thrombotic complication. Three patients had minor bleeding in the hospital. Thirteen (12%) patients died (69% male). CONCLUSION: Our uncontrolled findings suggest that chronic anticoagulation at the time of infection may protect against thrombotic complications and decrease disease severity.