Assessing the genetic relationship between gastro-esophageal reflux disease and risk of COVID-19 infection.

Symptoms related with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) were previously shown to be linked with increased risk for the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We aim to interrogate the possibility of a shared genetic basis between GERD and COVID-19 outcomes. Using published GWAS data for GERD (78 707 cases; 288 734 controls) and COVID-19 susceptibility (up to 32 494 cases; 1.5 million controls), we examined the genetic relationship between GERD and three COVID-19 outcomes: risk of developing severe COVID-19, COVID-19 hospitalization and overall COVID-19 risk. We estimated the genetic correlation between GERD and COVID-19 outcomes followed by Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to assess genetic causality. Conditional analyses were conducted to examine whether known COVID-19 risk factors (obesity, smoking, type-II diabetes, coronary artery disease) can explain the relationship between GERD and COVID-19. We found small to moderate genetic correlations between GERD and COVID-19 outcomes (rg between 0.06 and 0.24). MR analyses revealed a OR of 1.15 (95% CI: 0.96-1.39) for severe COVID-19; 1.16 (1.01-1.34) for risk of COVID-19 hospitalization; 1.05 (0.97-1.13) for overall risk of COVID-19 per doubling of odds in developing GERD. The genetic correlation/associations between GERD and COVID-19 showed mild attenuation towards the null when obesity and smoking was adjusted for. Susceptibility for GERD and risk of COVID-19 hospitalization were genetically correlated, with MR findings supporting a potential causal role between the two. The genetic association between GERD and COVID-19 was partially attenuated when obesity is accounted for, consistent with obesity being a major risk factor for both diseases.

Gender Characteristics of the Novel Coronavirus Infection (COVID-19) in Middle-Aged Adults.

The aim of the study is to assess the gender-related specifics of the COVID-19 course in patients under 55 years of age. Materials and Methods: This pilot single-center continuous retrospective non-randomized study was carried out in the repurposed infectious diseases hospital of the Privolzhsky Research Medical University (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia). The study inclusion criterion was the age of patients (up to 55 years) and confirmed coronavirus infection. In the groups based on gender differences (25 men, average age 44.0±7.8 years and 32 women, average age 41.9±9.1 years), we monitored complications of COVID-19 such as the transfer of patients to the ICU and the volume of lung damage (determined with CT scans). Results: The course of COVID-19 in male patients younger than 55 was aggravated by concomitant diseases (γ=0.36; p=0.043), among which IHD (γ=1.00; p=0.003) and liver disease (γ=0.58; p=0.007) dominated. Frequency analysis confirmed the high prevalence of coronary artery disease in men (p=0.044). Significant differences between the gender-related groups were noted in the volume of lung lesions: at admission (p=0.050), during hospital treatment (p=0.019), and at discharge (p=0.044). Using the logistic regression method, a relationship was found between the transfer of male patients to ICU and the Krebs index [y= -2.033 + 1.154 male gender + 1.539 Krebs index (χ2=5.68; p=0.059)] and comorbidity [y= -2.836 + 1.081 male gender + 2.052 comorbidity (χ2=7.03; p=0.030)]. The influence of the Krebs index and the male gender on the excess volume of lung lesions was shown [y= -1.962 + 0.575 male gender + 1.915 Krebs index (χ2=7.78; p=0.021)]. Conclusion: In individuals under the age of 55 diagnosed with COVID-19, gender is of significant importance: in men, there is a more pronounced lesion of the lung parenchyma and a more significant change in laboratory parameters. Risk factors for a severe course of COVID-19 in men are coronary artery disease and hepatobiliary disorder. Calculating the Krebs index can be used to assess the risk of disease progression.

Decreased in-hospital mortality associated with aspirin administration in hospitalized patients due to severe COVID-19.

Hypercoagulability and thrombosis caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are related to the higher mortality rate. Because of limited data on the antiplatelet effect, we aimed to evaluate the impact of aspirin add-on therapy on the outcome of the patients hospitalized due to severe COVID-19. In this cohort study, patients with a confirmed diagnosis of severe COVID-19 admitted to Imam Hossein Medical Center, Tehran, Iran from March 2019 to July 2020 were included. Demographics and related clinical data during their hospitalization were recorded. The mortality rate of the patients was considered as the primary outcome and its association with aspirin use was assessed. Nine hundred and ninety-one patients were included, of that 336 patients (34%) received aspirin during their hospitalization and 655 ones (66%) did not. Comorbidities were more prevalent in the patients who were receiving aspirin. Results from the multivariate COX proportional model demonstrated a significant independent association between aspirin use and reduction in the risk of in-hospital mortality (0.746 [0.560-0.994], p = 0.046). Aspirin use in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is associated with a significant decrease in mortality rate. Further prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to assess the efficacy and adverse effects of aspirin administration in this population.

Spontaneous right coronary artery dissection in a patient with COVID-19 infection: A case report and review of the literature.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although the virus predominantly causes respiratory system infection, recent reports have shown that it is also associated with many cardiovascular complications. It has been reported that COVID-19 may cause myocarditis, type 1 and 2 acute myocardial infarction, and thrombotic complications.[1] Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare form of coronary artery disease that has recently been associated with COVID-19 in a few case reports. The case reported here is of COVID-19 associated SCAD in a patient with no history of cardiovascular disease.

The Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography: 2020 Year in review.

The purpose of this review is to highlight the most impactful, educational, and frequently downloaded articles published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (JCCT) for the year 2020. The JCCT reached new records in 2020 for the number of research submissions, published manuscripts, article downloads and social media impressions. The articles in this review were selected by the Editorial Board of the JCCT and are comprised predominately of original research publications in the following categories: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), coronary artery disease, coronary physiology, structural heart disease, and technical advances. The Editorial Board would like to thank each of the authors, peer-reviewers and the readers of JCCT for making 2020 one of the most successful years in its history, despite the challenging circumstances of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Mortality and pre-hospitalization use of low-dose aspirin in COVID-19 patients with coronary artery disease.

To determine whether pre-hospitalization use of aspirin is associated with all-cause mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We recruited 183 adult patients with CAD diagnosed with COVID-19, including 52 taking low-dose aspirin (mean [SD] age, 69.7 [1.1] years; 59.6% men) and 131 without using aspirin (mean [SD] age, 71.8 [0.9] years; 51.9% men), who were admitted in the Tongji hospital in Wuhan, China from January 10, 2020 to March 30, 2020. There was no difference on in-hospital mortality between aspirin group and non-aspirin group (21.2% vs. 22.1%, P = .885). Similarly, for critically severe COVID-19 patients, the mortality in aspirin group was close to that in non-aspirin group (44% vs. 45.9%, P = .872). Moreover, the percentage of patients with CAD taking low-dose aspirin did not differ between those survivors and non-survivors (28.7% vs. 27.5%, P = .885). Meanwhile, the usage of aspirin was not correlated with all-cause mortality in multivariate analysis (OR = 0.944, 95% CI: 0.411-2.172, P = .893). Collectively, our study suggested that the pre-hospitalization use of low-dose aspirin was not associated with the clinical outcome of patients with CAD hospitalized with COVID-19 infections.