Artificial intelligence (AI) has penetrated the field of medicine, particularly the field of radiology. Since its emergence, the highly virulent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected over 10 million people, leading to over 500,000 deaths as of July 1 st , 2020 . Since the outbreak began, almost 28,000 articles about COVID-19 have been published ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ); however, few have explored the role of imaging and artificial intelligence in COVID-19 patients—specifically, those with comorbidities. This paper begins by presenting the four pathways that can lead to heart and brain injuries following a COVID-19 infection. Our survey also offers insights into the role that imaging can play in the treatment of comorbid patients, based on probabilities derived from COVID-19 symptom statistics. Such symptoms include myocardial injury, hypoxia, plaque rupture, arrhythmias, venous thromboembolism, coronary thrombosis, encephalitis, ischemia, inflammation, and lung injury. At its core, this study considers the role of image-based AI, which can be used to characterize the tissues of a COVID-19 patient and classify the severity of their infection. Image-based AI is more important than ever as the pandemic surges and countries worldwide grapple with limited medical resources for detection and diagnosis.

The present porcine AQM model demonstrated findings largely in accordance with results previously reported in patients and offers a feasible approach to future mechanistic studies aimed at identifying underlying mechanisms and developing improved diagnostic tests and intervention strategies.

Objective To evaluate the 36-month efficacy and safety of cyanoacrylate closure for the treatment of incompetent great saphenous veins in comparison with radiofrequency ablation. Methods In this multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial, 222 symptomatic subjects with incompetent great saphenous veins were assigned to either cyanoacrylate closure or radiofrequency ablation. The primary endpoint, complete closure of the target great saphenous vein, was determined using duplex ultrasound examination starting from three-month visit. Results At month 36, the great saphenous vein closure rates were 94.4% for the cyanoacrylate closure group and 91.9% for the radiofrequency ablation group. Stable improvement in symptoms and quality of life was observed in both groups. Adverse event rates between the 24- and 36-month visits were similar between the groups as were serious adverse events which were infrequent and judged unrelated to either the device or the procedure in both groups. Conclusions This trial continues to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of cyanoacrylate closure for the treatment of great saphenous vein incompetence with great saphenous vein closure rate at 36 months similar to that of radiofrequency ablation, indicating non-inferiority of cyanoacrylate closure to radiofrequency ablation. The improvement in quality of life outcomes were also sustained and similar between the two treatment groups.

No abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic where several comorbidities have been shown to have a significant effect on mortality. Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have a higher mortality rate than non-DM patients if they get COVID-19. Recent studies have indicated that patients with a history of diabetes can increase the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Additionally, patients without any history of diabetes can acquire new-onset DM when infected with COVID-19. Thus, there is a need to explore the bidirectional link between these two conditions, confirming the vicious loop between “DM/COVID-19”. This narrative review presents (1) the bidirectional association between the DM and COVID-19, (2) the manifestations of the DM/COVID-19 loop leading to cardiovascular disease, (3) an understanding of primary and secondary factors that influence mortality due to the DM/COVID-19 loop, (4) the role of vitamin-D in DM patients during COVID-19, and finally, (5) the monitoring tools for tracking atherosclerosis burden in DM patients during COVID-19 and “COVID-triggered DM” patients. We conclude that the bidirectional nature of DM/COVID-19 causes acceleration towards cardiovascular events. Due to this alarming condition, early monitoring of atherosclerotic burden is required in “Diabetes patients during COVID-19” or “new-onset Diabetes triggered by COVID-19 in Non-Diabetes patients”.

The incidence of vascular access site related complications ranges between 0.8 % to 1.8 % of diagnostic cardiac catheterization and up to 9 % of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) [1]. The femoral vessels at the groin are used as the access site for the majority of percutaneous coronary, peripheral arterial and venous, and electrophysiologic interventions. With emergence of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR), thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR), and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), larger access sheaths (up to 18Fr-24Fr) are required, which further increases the potential for access site complications. The true incidence of access site complications arising from non-coronary interventions is unknown; hence it is likely that the total incidence of vascular access site complications is greatly underestimated. Vascular closure devices (VCDs), radial artery access, fluoroscopic guidance, and ultrasound guidance have all been used with a hope to minimize these complications. Despite these attempts, vascular access complications have not been eliminated. Cardiovascular specialists must promptly identify these complications and manage them appropriately.

Introduction: Venous leg ulcers (VLU) embody the most severe stage of the broad spectrum of chronic venous disease. Approximately 40% of patients with VLU present with the underlying deep venous disease (DVD). Although the data are scarce, these deep venous disease-related VLU (DRV) are thought to have higher recurrence rates and a substantial economic burden. The objective of this study was to assess the economic burden of DRV across Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the USA. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was undertaken to identify publications documenting the incidence and prevalence of VLU and DRV, medical resource utilization, and associated costs of DRV. Findings from this literature review were used to estimate the economic burden of illness, including direct medical costs over a 12-month interval following initial presentation of a newly formed DRV. Results: Total annual incidence of new or recurrent DRV in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, and the US are estimated at 122,000, 263,000, 345,000, 253,000, 85,000, 230,000, and 643,000 events, respectively, in 2019. Incidence ranges from 0.73 to 3.12 per 1000 persons per year. The estimated annual direct medical costs for patients managed conservatively in these geographies total ~ $10.73 billion (USD) or $5527 per person per year. Conclusion: The availability of published data on the costs of VLU care varies widely across countries considered in this analysis. Although country-specific VLU practice patterns vary, there is a uniform pattern of high-cost care.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States of America and globally. Carotid arterial plaque, a cause and also a marker of such CVD, can be detected by various non-invasive imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT), and ultrasound (US). Characterization and classification of carotid plaque-type