ABSTRACT
AIMS: The present study analysed the patterns of physical activity pre-, during and post-lockdown measures for COVID-19 pandemic in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) under remote monitoring (RM), and assessed the physical activity patterns during these periods. METHODS: The raw data from 95 patients with CHF (age 67,7 ± 15,1 years, 71,5% male) corresponding to 2238 RM transmissions of the Medtronic Carelink™ network platform was obtained. The physical exercise profiles and the impact of the lockdown measures on the physical behaviour during and after the measures were analysed. According to the level of activity duration in the pre-lockdown, lockdown and post-lockdown periods, the patterns of behaviour were identified (non-recoverees, incomplete recoverees, recoverees and full-recoverees). CONCLUSION: RM of CHF patients with CIED using the Carelink™ network is useful for close follow-up and identification of heart failure risk status variations. After relieving the confinement measures there were two groups of patients that did not recover the previous physical activity levels. Physical inactivity in patients with CHF can have a significant impact on outcomes.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Reports of cardiovascular complications related to the COVID-19 infection have been frequent. METHODS: Narrative review for relevant articles on the topic. The classic cardiovascular risk factors, like age, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are associated with adverse outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Cardiovascular complications can have a diverse clinical presentation including silent myocardial injury, acute coronary syndromes, thromboembolism, cardiac arrhythmias, and heart failure. There are multiple mechanisms of cardiac injury that are not mutually exclusive. The approach to diagnosis and management should be carried out according to usual practice, while considering the particularities of COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSION: The interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and the heart is complex and is manifested in multiple ways. Regardless of the clinical presentation, cardiac complications convey a worse prognosis. Patients should be actively monitored and treated accordingly.
Introdução: As complicações cardiovasculares associadas a infeção por COVID-19 têm sido frequentemente reportadas. Métodos: Revisão da literatura sobre os artigos relevantes neste tópico. Os fatores de risco cardiovasculares clássicos como idade, obesidade, diabetes e hipertensão foram associados a um risco maior de evolução desfavorável. As complicações cardiovasculares podem ter uma apresentação clínica variável incluindo lesão miocárdica, síndrome coronário agudo, trombo-embolismo, arritmias e insuficiência cardíaca. Estão descritos múltiplos mecanismos de lesão cardíaca os quais não são mutualmente exclusivos. A abordagem diagnóstica e terapêutica deve seguir a prática comum tendo, no entanto, em consideração as particularidades da infeção por COVID-19. Conclusão: A interação entre a infeção por COVID-19 e o coração é complexa e manifesta-se de várias formas. Independentemente da apresentação clínica, as complicações cardíacas conferem um prognostico desfavorável pelo que devem ser monitorizadas ativamente e tratadas de forma apropriada.