[Post-COVID sequela of the lung - follow up and treatment]. / Post-COVID und die Lunge.

Most people recover completely after an acute infection with the novel corona virus SARS-CoV2. But some people continue to experience symptoms after their recovery. This phenomenon is called post-acute or long-COVID (from week 4 after the infection up to week 12) and persistent post-COVID (symptoms for effects that persist 12 or more weeks after onset). The exact processes that cause long COVID remain unknown.Most of those patients suffer from long-term symptoms of lung damage, including breathlessness, coughing, fatigue and limited ability to exercise. Today, 18 months after the first infections in Europe we have access to the first practical guidelines for the long-/post-COVID syndrome. Further on first prospective studies analysing the incidence of post-COVID are now available.In this review we will discuss some questions about treatment and follow up of patients suffering from pulmonary sequelae after their COVID-19 infection, based on the actual literature.

Occurrence of coronary collateral vessels in patients with sleep apnea and total coronary occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is thought to act as a coronary risk factor. There is emerging evidence that intermittent phases of hypoxia might contribute to alterations of the cardiovascular system. We hypothesized that OSA syndrome (OSAS) might be accompanied by an increased coronary collateral vessel (CCV) development in patients with total coronary occlusion. METHODS: Thirty-four patients with total coronary occlusions were classified according to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) (OSAS: AHI > 10/h; non-OSAS: AHI < 10/h). CCVs were scored by visual analysis and were analyzed according to the Cohen and Rentrop grading system. RESULTS: There was no significant discrepancy between the groups concerning the prevalence of age, gender, the presence of hypertension, smoking, or diabetes mellitus. There was no difference in left ventricular systolic function (ejection fraction 53% +/- 20% vs 61% +/- 20%, P = .29) or left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (22.6 +/- 8.5 mm Hg vs 18.5 +/- 7.7 mm Hg, P = .41). OSAS showed a higher Rentrop score compared with non-OSAS (1.61 +/- 1.2 vs 2.4 +/- 0.7, P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that CCV development is augmented in patients with OSA.

[Particulate matter and cardiovascular health in the European Union: time for prevention?]. / Die EU-Feinstaub-Richtlinie und das Herz: Wo stehen wir heute in Europa? : Aktuelle Entwicklungen zur Prävention von durch Feinstaub getriggerten kardiovaskulären Erkrankungen.

With reference to the EU-Council Directive (1999/30/EC) a discussion in the European Union between basic science, epidemiologic knowledge, and regulatory policies has become of growing public interest. The consequences following particulate matter (PM) exposure on the cardiovascular system, are actually not fully understood. This work reviews latest developments as regards the realization of the mentioned Council Directive and emphasizes the cardiovascular health impairment in this context. PM is assumed to increase the risk for arrhythmia, ischemic cardiovascular events, and worsens heart failure. The importance of the risk factor PM is due to the number of people who are affected, if consequent actions for air pollution prevention are not adequately transposed. Health-care providers can protect especially patients at high risk by informing them about behavior modification to prevent PM exposure and its possible consequences. To promote public health on the health-policy level, several action plans have been established. Forthcoming challenge for PM-associated cardiovascular health promotion remains an interdisciplinary approach to create synergistic effects of several sanctions, which primarily concerns scientific and political decision makers and public consciousness. In conclusion, further investigations are necessary to deepen the understanding of PM exposure and its consequences for the cardiovascular system and evaluate the success of preventive strategies.

Intracoronary autologous bone marrow cell transplantation beneficially modulates heart rate variability.

The effect of intracoronary administration of autologous bone marrow cells on autonomic modulation of heart rate has not yet been demonstrated. Therefore, we investigated different parameters of heart rate variability (HRV) in 46 patients without (n=23) or with (n=23) intracoronary stem cell therapy after transmural myocardial infarction. After three to twelve months of follow up, patients receiving stem cells showed a significant increase of HRV parameters that have been linked to cardiovascular prognosis.

Sudden death is associated with a widened paced QRS complex in noncoronary cardiac disease.

INTRODUCTION: Recent experimental and clinical trials have provided evidence that increased duration of right ventricular electrogram in response to premature extrastimuli correlates with the risk of ventricular fibrillation in noncoronary heart disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the duration of the surface QRS complex at short coupling intervals of extrastimuli as a new indicator for major arrhythmic events. METHODS: 32 patients all with nonischemic heart diseases and well preserved left ventricular function in sinusrhythm were included into the study. Fifteen had witnessed sudden death due to ventricular fibrillation or polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VF/VT group). The control group comprised seventeen patients without a history of ventricular arrhythmias (control group). All subjects underwent programmed ventricular stimulation and QRS-durations S1-S2-S3 directly above the ventricular refractory period were analyzed. RESULTS: Both groups had a comparable basic QRS complex of 85 +/- 9 (VF/VT) vs. 87 +/- 13 ms (control), p = 0.83. The stimulated QRS complex S3 was significantly wider in the VF/VT group compared to the control group at pacing rates of 500 and 430 ms (500 ms: 256 +/- 22 vs. 235 +/- 32 ms, p = 0.04; 430 ms: 258 +/- 23 vs. 226 +/- 27 ms, p = 0.001). No differences with regard to the ventricular effective refractory period and the ventriculoatrial conduction could be observed beween the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the duration of the paced QRS complex may be a valuable parameter to predict arrhythmic risk in patients with nonischemic heart disease. Further prospective studies in larger trials are necessary to corroborate this investigation.

Effects of synthetic progestagens on autonomic tone, neurohormones and C-reactive protein levels in young healthy females in reproductive age.

BACKGROUND: Heart rate variability and baroreceptor sensitivity are measures of autonomic control. While progestagen-containing replacement therapy in postmenopausal women adversely affects autonomic balance, the impact of hormonal contraceptives with synthetic progestagens on autonomic activity, neurohormones and C-reactive protein levels is not well characterized. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed parameters of heart rate variability and baroreceptor sensitivity in young healthy females without (n = 27) or on oral contraceptives with synthetic progestagens (n = 31). Demographic characteristics were not different among the examined groups. Total power (controls: 5682+/-3618 vs. hormones: 4800+/-2957 ms2; NS), standard deviation of beat-to-beat intervals (SDNN; 66+/-24 vs. 63+/-20 ms; p = 0.74), other time- and frequency-dependent parameters of heart rate variability and baroreceptor sensitivity (6.0+/-3.2 vs. 6.5+/-2.7 ms/mm Hg; NS) were not significantly different among the groups. Total cholesterol and triglyceride as well as C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were significantly higher in users of hormonal contraceptives than in non-users (cholesterol: 187+/-37 vs. 166+/-28 mg/dL; p = 0.05; triglycerides: 110+/-35 vs. 68+/-30 mg/dL; p = 0.01; CRP: 2.7+/-2.1 vs. 1.0+/-1.4 mg/L; p < 0.001). Heart rate variability, baroreceptor sensitivity, lipid parameters and CRP levels were not affected during the ovarian cycle in non-users of hormonal contraception. CONCLUSIONS: The use of oral contraceptives containing synthetic progestagens was not associated with a modulation of autonomic tone, while lipid parameters and CRP levels were adversely affected. These data suggest that synthetic progestagens in modern oral contraceptives do not modulate the autonomic balance, but probably affect the atherogenic risk profile of young females in reproductive age.