Statins use amidst the pandemic: prescribing, dispensing, adherence, persistence, and correlation with COVID-19 statistics in nationwide real-world data from Poland.

Background: Adherence to medications presents a significant challenge in healthcare. Statins, used in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, are of particular importance for public health. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in additional healthcare system-related barriers impeding the execution of therapies. This study aimed to assess the use of as well as adherence and persistence to statins in a national cohort of 38 million of Polish citizens during pandemic. Methods: A retrospective analysis of prescription and dispensation data for all statins users from the national payer organization covering the years 2020-2022 was conducted. Medication adherence was assessed using the Medication Possession Ratio, for persistence the 30-day cut-off was accepted. National data on COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 related deaths were obtained from ECDC. Results: The analysis identified 7,189,716 Polish citizens (approximately 19% of Polish population) who were dispensed at least 1 pack of statins within the study period. Over that time, there was a continuous significant increasing trend in prescribing and dispensing of statins. Despite a total increase of 18.9% in the number of prescribed tablets, the percentage of tablets dispensed remained similar, averaging 86%. Overall percentage of adherent patients was 48.2%. For a random sample of 100,000 patients, the mean period of continuous therapy in 2022 was 6.2+/- 5.3 months. During the lockdown period, the mean number of prescribed and dispensed tablets was lower by 6.8% and 5.9%, respectively (p < 0.05). However, fluctuations in the number of COVID-19 cases or COVID-19-related deaths per week had no major impact on the prescribing and dispensing of statins. Conclusion: Over the time of pandemic, there was a continuous increase in the number of statin tablets prescribed and dispensed in Poland. This suggests that, despite the potential limitations posed by COVID-19, access to statins remained easy, which may be attributed to the mass-scale implementation of the national e-prescription system. However, it is crucial to realise that approximately 1/7 of prescribed statin doses were never dispensed, and the overall levels of adherence and persistence were low. This underscores the necessity for concerted efforts to change this scenario in Poland.

The Potential Role of Epigenetic Modifications on Different Facets in the Periodontal Pathogenesis.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the supporting structures of teeth. In the literature, the association between the pathogenicity of bacteria and environmental factors in this regard have been extensively examined. In the present study, we will shed light on the potential role that epigenetic change can play on different facets of its process, more particularly the modifications concerning the genes involved in inflammation, defense, and immune systems. Since the 1960s, the role of genetic variants in the onset and severity of periodontal disease has been widely demonstrated. These make some people more susceptible to developing it than others. It has been documented that the wide variation in its frequency for various racial and ethnic populations is due primarily to the complex interplay among genetic factors with those affecting the environment and the demography. In molecular biology, epigenetic modifications are defined as any change in the promoter for the CpG islands, in the structure of the histone protein, as well as post-translational regulation by microRNAs (miRNAs), being known to contribute to the alteration in gene expression for complex multifactorial diseases such as periodontitis. The key role of epigenetic modification is to understand the mechanism involved in the gene-environment interaction, and the development of periodontitis is now the subject of more and more studies that attempt to identify which factors are stimulating it, but also affect the reduced response to therapy.

Cardioversion differences among first detected episode, paroxysmal, and persistent atrial fibrillation patients in the RHYTHM AF registry in Poland.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the publication is to show differences among patients with the first detected episode of atrial fibrillation (AF), paroxysmal, and persistent AF patients, for whom cardioversion was planned in the hospital setting in Poland. METHODS: We present an analysis of the Polish cohort of the multicenter, multinational RHYTHM-AF registry. Consecutive patients in the hospital setting, aged ≥ 18 years, with documented AF at the time of enrollment, and for whom cardioversion of AF is one of the planned therapeutic options were recruited. Follow-up data was collected 60 days after enrollment. RESULTS: Five-hundred-and-one patients were recruited, 483 with a defined AF type: 88 - first detected, 191 paroxysmal, and 204 persistent AF. CHA2DS2VASc scores were not significantly different between the groups, while treatment with vitamin K antagonists (VKA) was significantly lower in paroxysmal AF group than in persistent AF patients. Primary electrical cardioversion was most commonly performed in patients with persistent AF (90.4%), while primary pharmacological cardioversion - in the first detected AF (80.0%) and paroxysmal AF patients (76.7%). During 2 months of follow-up, the rate of rehospitalization and complications was comparable among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Despite their comparable CHA2DS2VASc scores, patients with persistent AF were more frequently treated with VKA antagonists than other groups. Recurrence of AF within 2 months after restoring sinus rhythm was present in about 25% of the patients, and the rate of complications was not different among the three groups.

Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with atrial fibrillation and cardioversion as planned therapeutic options in the International Registry on Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation RHYTHM-AF Polish substudy.

BACKGROUND: Cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and maintenance of sinus rhythm are the basic strategies of treating AF patients. Precise data regarding the current practice of AF cardioversion in Europe in clinical practice is lacking. AIM: The primary objective of this prospective observational study was to characterise patients and treatment patterns in whom cardioversion was the planned therapeutic option. METHODS: Patients with recent onset of AF were included, regardless of when the timing of the cardioversion was planned. Ten countries participated in the study, with Poland contributing 501 patients. The global enrollment period lasted from May 2010 to June 2011. Follow-up data was collected 60 days after enrollment via a medical chart abstraction or a telephone interview. RESULTS: The average age of the Polish patient population was 64.2 years, and 38.5% of patients were female. Mean duration of arrhythmia was 3.3 years. Paroxysmal AF was diagnosed in 38.3% and persistent AF in 43.6% of patients. The most prevalent AF risk factors were hypertension (75.0%), diabetes mellitus (20.5%), and family history of AF (12.1%). Mean body mass index of study patients was 29.5 kg/m². The most pertinent factors triggering AF were emotion (12.4%), exercise (6.5%), electrolyte disturbances (5.5%), and acute myocardial infarction (3.7%). Only 14.2% of patients were asymptomatic. Previous episodes of AF were present in 83.1% of patients and 58.5% of them had previous cardioversion: 49.8% pharmacological and 50.2% electrical. The most often used anti-arrhythmic drugs were amiodarone (53.4%) and propafenone (32.2%). The rate of antithrombotic treatment was low: 59.6%. Finally electrical cardioversion had been undergone by 165 (53%) patients and pharmacological by 146 (47%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: The population of patients with AF and planned cardioversion represented typical patients with non-valvular AF and standard symptoms, the vast majority of whom were symptomatic. The study group in terms of comprehensive characteristics is representative of the general population of AF patients.

Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation (RHYTHM-AF) International Registry in Poland.

BACKGROUND: A key procedure of the rhythm control strategy in atrial fibrillation (AF) is cardioversion to normal sinus rhythm. The aim of the present study was to provide a review of treatment patterns for the cardioversion of patients with AF in a hospital setting in Poland and document the success rate of various cardioversion procedures. METHODS: We herein present the results from Poland of a prospective observational study to characterize patients with recent onset episodes of AF for whom cardioversion is one of the planned therapeutic options - the RHYTHM-AF registry. Consecutive patients in the hospital setting, age > 18 years, with documented AF at the time of enrollment, excluding those with atrial flutter and those treated with vernakalant, were recruited. No treatment was recommended nor discouraged. RESULTS: Five hundred and one patients were recruited (mean age 64.2 ± 12.1), with 294 (58.7%) patients finally undergoing cardioversion. Primary electrical cardioversion (ECV) was successful in 131 (88.5%) patients. Primary pharmacological cardioversion (PCV) was successful in 110 (75.3%) patients. Amiodarone and propafenone were most commonly used (52.1% and 24.7%, respectively). Fourteen complications and adverse events were recorded (no stroke was observed). CONCLUSIONS: Conversion to sinus rhythm was attempted in < 60% of the patients with AF admitted to the hospital with an intention to terminate arrhythmia. ECV was successful in ~90% of the patients, while PCV in ~75% of the patients (amiodarone and propafenone were most commonly used). The rate of complications was low (2.8%).