An epidemic that occurs worldwide, involving many countries and affecting a large population is called as a pandemic. The ongoing corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has not only adversely affected the global healthcare infrastructure, but has significantly impacted world economy, socio-political and cultural environment. There are 219 different types of viruses, known at present to be able to infect human beings. This number is just a tip of the iceberg, with the possibility of a substantial pool of undiscovered human viruses and millions of other virus species (which affect plants and non-human animals) that can be potentially infectious to humans as well. Throughout human history there have been numerous pandemics and disease outbreaks that have not only led to huge loss of life, but also hindered economic growth and development. Therefore, in this review article we wanted to highlight major viral pandemics that have occurred in the last two decades, to understand factors contributing to their emergence, transmission and suggest ways to curb future outbreaks.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the world's leading cause of death. High blood pressure (BP) is the leading global risk factor for all-cause preventable morbidity and mortality. Globally, only about 14% of patients achieve BP control to systolic BP <140 mm Hg and diastolic BP <90 mm Hg. Most patients (>60%) require two or more drugs to achieve BP control, yet poor adherence to therapy is a major barrier to achieving this control. Fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) of BP-lowering drugs are one means to improve BP control through greater adherence and efficacy, with favorable safety and cost profiles. The authors present a review of the supporting data from a successful application to the World Health Organization (WHO) for the inclusion of FDCs of two BP-lowering drugs on the 21st WHO Essential Medicines List. The authors discuss the efficacy and safety of FDCs of two BP-lowering drugs for the management of hypertension in adults, relevant hypertension guideline recommendations, and the estimated cost of such therapies.
Heart failure affects over 2.6 million women and 3.4 million men in the United States with known sex differences in epidemiology, management, response to treatment, and outcomes across a wide spectrum of cardiomyopathies that include peripartum cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, stress cardiomyopathy, cardiac amyloidosis, and sarcoidosis. Some of these sex-specific considerations are driven by the cellular effects of sex hormones on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, endothelial response to injury, vascular aging, and left ventricular remodeling. Other sex differences are perpetuated by implicit bias leading to undertreatment and underrepresentation in clinical trials. The goal of this narrative review is to comprehensively examine the existing literature over the last decade regarding sex differences in various heart failure syndromes from pathophysiological insights to clinical practice.
Participants with HF in the THFR have high 3-year all-cause mortality. Targeted hospital-based quality improvement initiatives are needed to improve survival during and after hospitalization for HF.
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