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ObjectiveTo determine physicians’ knowledge, awareness and preferences regarding the care of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) in the Asia-Pacific region.SettingA formal questionnaire was anonymously completed by physicians from different countries/regions in the Asia-Pacific. The survey sought responses relating to general familiarity, awareness of management guidelines, identification (clinical characteristics and lipid profile), prevalence and inheritance, extent of elevation in risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and practice on screening and treatment.ParticipantsPractising community physicians from Australia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Philippines, Hong Kong, China, Vietnam and Taiwan were recruited to complete the questionnaire, with the UK as the international benchmark.Primary outcomeAn assessment and comparison of the knowledge, awareness and preferences of FH among physicians in 10 different countries/regions.Results1078 physicians completed the questionnaire from the Asia-Pacific region; only 34% considered themselves to be familiar with FH. 72% correctly described FH and 65% identified the typical lipid profile, with a higher proportion of physicians from Japan and China selecting the correct FH definition and lipid profile compared with those from Vietnam and Philippines. However, less than half of the physician were aware of national or international management guidelines; this was significantly worse than physicians from the UK (35% vs 61%, p<0.001). Knowledge of prevalence (24%), inheritability (41%) and CVD risk (9%) of FH were also suboptimal. The majority of the physicians considered laboratory interpretative commenting as being useful (81%) and statin therapy as an appropriate cholesterol-lowering therapy (89%) for FH management.ConclusionsThe study identified important gaps, which are readily addressable, in the awareness and knowledge of FH among physicians in the region. Implementation of country-specific guidelines and extensive work in FH education and awareness programmes are imperative to improve the care of FH in the region.

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Although a reduction in hospital admissions of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) patients has been observed globally during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, clinical features of those patients have not been fully investigated. The aim of the present analysis is to investigate the incidence, clinical presentation, and outcomes of patients with ACS during the COVID-19 pandemic. We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients who were admitted for ACS at our institution between March 1 and April 20, 2020 and compared with the equivalent period in 2019. Admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) reduced by 39.5% in 2020 compared with the equivalent period in 2019. Owing to the emergency medical services (EMS) of our region, all time components of ST-elevated myocardial infarction care were similar during the COVID-19 outbreak as compared with the previous year’s dataset. Among the 106 ACS patients in 2020, 7 patients tested positive for COVID-19. Higher incidence of type 2 myocardial infarction (29% vs. 4%, p = 0.0497) and elevated D-dimer levels (5650 μg/l [interquartile range (IQR) 1905–13,625 μg/l] vs. 400 μg/l [IQR 270–1050 μg/l], p = 0.02) were observed in COVID-19 patients. In sum, a significant reduction in admission for AMI was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 patients were characterized by elevated D-dimer levels on admission, reflecting enhanced COVID-19 related thrombogenicity. The prehospital evaluation by EMS may have played an important role for the timely revascularization for STEMI patients. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11239-020-02340-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Background Little is known about the quality of life (QOL) and health status of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) in developing countries. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the QOL and health status of hospitalized adults with CHD in Vietnam and investigate the association between QOL and their biological-social characteristics. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 109 adults with CHD, hospitalized in the Vietnam National Heart Institute, between June and December 2019. Validated instruments to assess QOL and health status describing patient-reported outcomes were used, including the EuroQOL-5 Dimensions-5 Level, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results The mean scores on the EuroQOL-descriptive system (EQ-DS) and EuroQOL visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) were 0.792 (SD = 0.122, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.769–0.815) and 66.3 (SD = 12.5, 95% CI 63.9–68.7), respectively. A total of 9.2% (n = 9) patients experienced life dissatisfaction. The prevalence of anxiety and depression were 18.7% (n = 20) and 11% (n = 12), respectively. Scores of QOL in patients aged > 30 years were lower than in those aged ≤ 30 years. Stratified multivariate logistic regression revealed that poor QOL related to being unemployed/unstable employment (OR 4.43, 95% CI 1.71–11.47, p = 0.002), life dissatisfaction associated with unmarried status (OR 4.63, 95% CI 1.2–17.86, p = 0.026), anxiety regarding unemployment/unstable employment (OR 3.88, 95% CI 1.27–11.84, p = 0.017) and complex CHD/PAH (OR 4.84, 95% CI 1.33–17.54, p = 0.016), and depression regarding unemployment/unstable employment (OR 4.63, 95% CI 1.22–17.59, p = 0.003). Conclusions Reduced QOL and elevated psychological problems were common experiences among hospitalized adults with CHD in Vietnam. Biological-social characteristics such as unmarried status, unemployment/unstable employment, and complex CHD/PAH related to poor QOL, life dissatisfaction, anxiety, and depression.

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Background In developing countries, fewer women have access to multidisciplinary congenital heart disease and reproductive programs staffed by experts. We report pregnancy outcomes of a multidisciplinary healthcare strategy utilizing an in-hospital teamwork approach in Vietnam. Methods This retrospective cohort study included pregnant women with unrepaired congenital heart disease managed at a referral cardiovascular center. Results Undiagnosed congenital heart disease before pregnancy, a lack of pre-pregnancy cardiology counseling, and modified World Health Organization class III/IV were common. Under the multispecialty healthcare strategy, although the rate of maternal death was 8.2% in the modified World Health Organization class IV group, no deaths occurred in any other group. Fetal/neonatal complications occurred in 54% of pregnancies, and 49.4% of neonates survived. Poor pregnancy outcomes were associated with admission during the first/seconde trimester for fetus/neonates, third trimester for mother, modified World Health Organization class III/IV, cyanosis, and heart failure. Conclusion The outcomes of pregnant women with unrepaired congenital heart disease were poor but seemed to improve with a multidisciplinary in-hospital healthcare teamwork strategy.