Alirocumab and Coronary Atherosclerosis in Asymptomatic Patients with Familial Hypercholesterolemia: The ARCHITECT Study.

Background: The effect of alirocumab, a PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) inhibitor, on coronary plaque burden in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia has not been addressed. Our aim was to assess changes in coronary plaque burden and its characteristics after treatment with alirocumab by quantification and characterization of atherosclerotic plaque throughout the coronary tree on the basis of a noninvasive analysis of coronary computed tomographic angiography in asymptomatic subjects with familial hypercholesterolemia receiving optimized and stable treatment with maximum tolerated statin dose with or without ezetimibe.

Methods: This study is a phase IV, open-label, multicenter, single-arm clinical trial to assess changes in coronary plaque burden and its characteristics after 78 weeks of treatment with alirocumab in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia without clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Previous Vitamin D Supplementation and Morbidity and Mortality Outcomes in People Hospitalised for COVID19: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The study aim was to assess the association of vitamin D supplementation before hospital admission and severe outcomes in subjects admitted for COVID-19. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of pseudonymised medical record data from subjects admitted to the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Barcelona, Spain) for COVID-19 during March and April 2020. The composite primary study outcome was defined as death and/or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV).