No abstract

Background: Cardiac injury is common in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and portends poorer prognosis. However, the mechanism and the type of myocardial damage associated with SARS-CoV-2 remain uncertain. Methods: We conducted a systematic pathologic analysis of 40 hearts from hospitalized patients dying of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Bergamo, Italy to determine the pathologic mechanisms of cardiac injury. We divided the hearts according to presence or absence of acute myocyte necrosis and then determined the underlying mechanisms of cardiac injury. Results: Of the 40 hearts examined, 14 (35%) had evidence of myocyte necrosis, predominantly of the left ventricle. As compared to subjects without necrosis, subjects with necrosis tended to be female, have chronic kidney disease, and shorter symptom onset to admission. The incidence of severe coronary artery disease (i.e., >75% cross sectional narrowing) was not significantly different between those with and without necrosis. 3/14 (21 .4%) subjects with myocyte necrosis showed evidence of acute myocardial infarction defined as ≥1 cm 2 area of necrosis while 11/14 (78.6%) showed evidence of focal (> 20 necrotic myocytes with an area of ≥ 0.05 mm 2 but <1 cm 2 ) myocyte necrosis. Cardiac thrombi were present in 11/14 (78.6%) cases with necrosis, with 2/14 (14.2%) having epicardial coronary artery thrombi while 9/14 (64.3%) had microthrombi in myocardial capillaries, arterioles, and small muscular arteries. We compared cardiac microthrombi from COVID-19 positive autopsy cases to intramyocardial thromboemboli from COVID-19 cases as well as to aspirated thrombi obtained during primary percutaneous coronary intervention from uninfected and COVID-19 infected patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Microthrombi had significantly greater fibrin and terminal complement C5b-9 immunostaining as compared to intramyocardial thromboemboli from COVID-19 negative subjects and to aspirated thrombi. There were no significant differences between the constituents of thrombi aspirated from COVID-19 positive and negative STEMI patients. Conclusions: The most common pathologic cause of myocyte necrosis was microthrombi. Microthrombi were different in composition as compared to intramyocardial thromboemboli from COVID-19 negative subjects and to coronary thrombi retrieved from COVID-19 positive and negative STEMI patients. Tailored anti-thrombotic strategies may be useful to counteract the cardiac effects of COVID-19 infection.

The present paper provides an update of previous recommendations on Home Blood Pressure Monitoring from the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) Working Group on Blood Pressure Monitoring and Cardiovascular Variability sequentially published in years 2000, 2008 and 2010. This update has taken into account new evidence in this field, including a recent statement by the American Heart association, as well as technological developments, which have occurred over the past 20 years. The present document has been developed by the same ESH Working Group with inputs from an international team of experts, and has been endorsed by the ESH.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background Gender-related factors might affect vulnerability to Covid-19. The aim of this study was to describe the role of gender on clinical features and 28-day mortality in Covid-19 patients. Methods Observational study of Covid-19 patients hospitalized in Bergamo, Italy, during the first three weeks of the outbreak. Medical records, clinical, radiological and laboratory findings upon admission and treatment have been collected. Primary outcome was 28-day mortality since hospitalization. Results 431 consecutive adult patients were admitted. Female patients were 119 (27.6%) with a mean age of 67.0 ± 14.5 years (vs 67.8 ± 12.5 for males, p = 0.54). Previous history of myocardial infarction, vasculopathy and former smoking habits were more common for males. At the time of admission PaO2/FiO2 was similar between men and women (228 [IQR, 134–273] vs 238 mmHg [150–281], p = 0.28). Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) assistance was needed in the first 24 h more frequently in male patients (25.7% vs 13.0%; p = 0.006). Overall 28-day mortality was 26.1% in women and 38.1% in men (p = 0.018). Gender did not result an independent predictor of death once the parameters related to disease severity at presentation were included in the multivariable analysis (p = 0.898). Accordingly, the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis in female and male patients requiring CPAP or non-invasive ventilation in the first 24 h did not find a significant difference (p = 0.687). Conclusion Hospitalized women are less likely to die from Covid-19; however, once severe disease occurs, the risk of dying is similar to men. Further studies are needed to better investigate the role of gender in clinical course and outcome of Covid-19.