Introduction
A reduction in the number of interventional cardiology procedures has emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was performed to quantify this decrease and the impact on the management of myocardial infarction in Latin America.
Methods
A telematic survey was conducted for all countries in Latin America. Diagnostic catheterisations, coronary and structural interventions, as well as the incidence and delay to reperfusion therapy of myocardial infarction (STEMI), were recorded. Two periods were compared: from 24 February to 8 March 2020 (pre-COVID-19) and another 2‑week period that varied according to country (COVID-19).
Results
Responses were obtained from 79 centres in 20 countries. There was a significant decrease in the number of diagnostic procedures (−65.2%), coronary interventions (−59.4%), structural therapeutics (−86.1%) and STEMI care (−51.2%). A decrease was noted in the incidence of STEMI, but also a delay in the time to STEMI reperfusion. While there was a variation in activity in interventional cardiology between countries, patient behaviour was rather homogeneous.
Conclusions
A significant reduction in healthcare activity has been noted during the COVID-19 pandemic, including STEMI care, with the risk of increased mortality and/or morbidity following STEMI. Healthcare providers should encourage patients with suspected symptoms of STEMI to call for emergency care to ensure rapid diagnosis and timely reperfusion treatment.
The relationship between autoantibodies (autoAbs) to oxidized LDL (oxLDL) and coronary artery disease (CAD) remains controversial. IgM and IgG autoAbs to oxLDL and 1-palmitoyl-2 (5'-oxo-valeroyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (POVPC), as well as the levels of non modified or modified ApoB-100 immune complexes (ICs), were measured in twenty patients undergoing clinically indicated coronary angiography, and in ten young healthy volunteer sera. The levels of IgM autoAbs to oxLDL did not differ between no CAD patients and healthy subjects, but the levels of these autoAbs were significantly higher in no CAD patients and healthy subjects in comparison with CAD patients. There was not difference in the levels of IgM anti-ApoB-100 ICs between both groups of patients. In contrast, the levels of ICs formed by IgM autoAbs and oxidative modified ApoB-100 were lower in patients with CAD than in patients without CAD. No differences were observed in the levels of autoAbs to POVPC among the groups. In conclusion, our results showed that the level of circulating oxLDL IgM autoAbs was lower in CAD patients than in no CAD patients, supporting the hypothesis that this kind of autoAbs might be inversely associated with the presence of atherosclerosis.
Peer ReviewedData collection Patient data were gathered using a survey modeled on the original FINDRISK[25] score; when necessary, medical records were consulted and updated during followup. Data from both sources were entered into an information collec-
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