IL-10 and IL-12 (P70) Levels Predict the Risk of Covid-19 Progression in Hypertensive Patients: Insights From the BRACE-CORONA Trial.

Cardiovascular comorbidities such as hypertension and inflammatory response dysregulation are associated with worse COVID-19 prognoses. Different cytokines have been proposed to play vital pathophysiological roles in COVID-19 progression, but appropriate prognostic biomarkers remain lacking. We hypothesized that the combination of immunological and clinical variables at admission could predict the clinical progression of COVID-19 in hypertensive patients.

Effect of Discontinuing vs Continuing Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers on Days Alive and Out of the Hospital in Patients Admitted With COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: It is unknown whether angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) have a positive, neutral, or negative effect on clinical outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Objective: To determine whether discontinuation compared with continuation of ACEIs or ARBs changed the number of days alive and out of the hospital through 30 days.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A randomized clinical trial of 659 patients hospitalized in Brazil with mild to moderate COVID-19 who were taking ACEIs or ARBs prior to hospitalization (enrolled: April 9-June 26, 2020; final follow-up: July 26, 2020).

Oxygen supplementation increases the total work and muscle damage markers but reduces the inflammatory response in COPD patients.

Introduction: Oxygen supplementation (O-Suppl) is recommended for pulmonary rehabilitation with higher exercise intensities. However, high-intensity exercise tends toward muscle damage and a greater inflammatory response. We aimed to investigate the effect of O-Suppl during exercise test (EET) on CRP level and muscle damage (CPK, LDH, lactate) in non-hypoxemic COPD patients.

Ticagrelor vs Clopidogrel After Fibrinolytic Therapy in Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The bleeding safety of ticagrelor in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with fibrinolytic therapy remains uncertain.

Objective: To evaluate the short-term safety of ticagrelor when compared with clopidogrel in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with fibrinolytic therapy.

Design, Setting And Participants: We conducted a multicenter, randomized, open-label with blinded end point adjudication trial that enrolled 3799 patients (younger than 75 years) with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction receiving fibrinolytic therapy in 152 sites from 10 countries from November 2015 through November 2017.

Heart rate recovery improvement in patients following acute myocardial infarction: exercise training, β-blocker therapy or both.

Heart rate recovery (HRR) is a strong mortality predictor. Exercise training (ET) and β-blocker therapy have significant impact on the HRR of patients following myocardial infarction (MI). However, the combination of ET and β-blocker therapy, as well as its effectiveness in patients with a more compromised HRR (≤12 bpm), has been under-studied.

The dysfunction of ammonia in heart failure increases with an increase in the intensity of resistance exercise, even with the use of appropriate drug therapy.

Background: Hyperammonemia during rest periods is a dysfunction in heart failure (HF). The low formation of ammonia during exercise reflects an inefficiency of purine metabolism. Hyperkalemia in response to physical exercise is common in HF and may contribute to a contractile inefficiency in type II fibers, leading to early fatigue.

Effect of a physical exercise program in a patient with Marfan syndrome and ventricular dysfunction.

Marfan syndrome (MS) is an autosomal dominant disorder that affects multiple organs and systems. Several cardiac alterations are present, with the main ones being aortic root and ascending aorta dilatation, mitral valve prolapse and left ventricle (LV) dilatation. Aerobic exercise has not shown to be a non-drug therapy that promotes anti-remodeling effect in patients with heart failure.

Short-term effects of hydroxyethylstarch resuscitation on systemic and regional hemodynamics and metabolism in a brain-dead canine model.

Background: Hydroxyethylstarch (HES) is a synthetic polymer of glucose that has been suggested for therapeutic use in long-term plasma expansion. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the infusion of a small volume of HES may provide benefits in systemic and regional hemodynamics and metabolism in a brain-dead canine model compared with large volume crystalloid resuscitation.

Methods: Fourteen mongrel dogs were subjected to a brain-death protocol by consecutive insufflations of a balloon catheter in the epidural space.

Initial hepatosplanchnic blood flow distribution and oxygen metabolism in experimental model of hypotensive brain death.

Background: Organs from the so-called marginal donors have been used with a significant higher risk of primary non function than organs retrieved from the optimal donors. We investigated the early metabolic changes and blood flow redistribution in splanchnic territory in an experimental model that mimics marginal brain-dead (BD) donor.

Material/methods: Ten dogs (21.