Background:Garlic has been linked to improved cardiovascular health. Garlic has been suggested to lower blood pressure, plasma lipids as well as an antiplatelet effect and other cardiovascular markers.Objective:We aim to assess the latest evidence on the effect of garlic on blood pressure and cholesterol in patients with and without hypertension through systematic review and meta-analysis.Method:We performed a comprehensive search on topics that assesses garlic outcomes in patients with and without hypertension from inception up until December 2020.Results:There were a total of 503 patients from 12 controlled trial studies. Pooled systolic blood pressure was lower in garlic group (mean difference -3.62 [-5.43, -1.80], p = <0.000001; I2: 85%, p < 0.0001). Meta-analysis showed that diastolic blood pressure was lower in garlic group (mean difference -1.40 [-2.72, -0.08], p = <0.00001; I2: 86%, p = 0.04) on follow-up. Total cholesterol was also lower in garlic group (mean difference -17.17 [-28.57, -5.78], p < 0.00001; I2: 86%, p = 0.003). Level of heart rate was similar in garlic and placebo group.Conclusion:This meta-analysis suggests that garlic is associated with reducing blood pressure and cholesterol in patients with and without hypertension. Future long-term trials are needed to elucidate the impact of garlic on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Background:At least half of the millions of heart failure patients have heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). There have been many drugs used to treat heart failure, but these drugs don’t directly work on the target pathogenesis of HFrEF. Improving systolic function will prevent neurohormonal activation and ventricular remodeling, which clinically will provide better results from hospitalization and causes of death. Omecamtive mecarbil (OM) is a novel selective cardiac myosin activator, it will improve cardiac function in patients with HFrEF.Objective:We aim to assess the latest evidence on the outcome of OM in heart failure patients.Method:We performed a comprehensive search on topics that assesses OM outcomes in heart failure patients from inception up until January 2021.Results:There were 17.712 HFrEF patients from six studies. Three studies showed the decrease of heart rate, two studies prove that OM increase the stroke volume and systolic ejection time, while each of one study showed increase of left ventricular ejection fraction and decrease left ventricular end systolic volume, left ventricular end diastolic volume, left ventricular fraction shortening, left ventricular end systolic dimension and left ventricular end diastolic dimension from the baseline. The route via intravena maximum tolerated by dose 0,5 mg/kg per h, while via orally start with dose 25 mg twice daily. No significant side effects were found. One randomized controlled trial study also showed a lower risk of a composite heart failure events and cardiovascular death than those who received placebo.Conclusion:Omecamtive mecarbil improved cardiac function in heart failure and could be the first in class of a new therapeutic agent. Further controlled studies are warranted for definite conclusion.

s e19Results: A total of 205 patients were included, 117 (57.1%) were males, of whom 40 (19.5%) died and 165 (80.5%) were discharged. The mean value of the patients' age was 53.7±13.8 years old, and the median hospitalization-day was 11 (range: 1-45) days. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity (n=72;35.1% patients); 13 (18.1%) were dead and 59 (81.9%) survived. A chi-square test showed no statistically signifi cant difference between mortality and hypertension, X 2 (1, N=205) =0.15, p=0.70; OR: 0.87, 95% confi dence interval (CI) 0.42-1.80. Logistic regression analysis reveals that patient's age is the only statistically signifi cant factor for death in this study (P <0.05; OR: 1.05, 95% CI 1.02-1.08). Conclusion:Hypertension is not associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients. Further investigations including larger sample size and more possible variables are warranted to understand this relationship further.

Background:At least half of the millions of heart failure patients have heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). There have been many drugs used to treat heart failure, but these drugs don’t directly work on the target pathogenesis of HFrEF. Improving systolic function will prevent neurohormonal activation and ventricular remodeling, which clinically will provide better results from hospitalization and causes of death. Omecamtive mecarbil (OM) is a novel selective cardiac myosin activator, it will improve cardiac function in patients with HFrEF.Objective:We aim to assess the latest evidence on the outcome of OM in heart failure patients.Method:We performed a comprehensive search on topics that assesses OM outcomes in heart failure patients from inception up until January 2021.Results:There were 17.712 HFrEF patients from six studies. Three studies showed the decrease of heart rate, two studies prove that OM increase the stroke volume and systolic ejection time, while each of one study showed increase of left ventricular ejection fraction and decrease left ventricular end systolic volume, left ventricular end diastolic volume, left ventricular fraction shortening, left ventricular end systolic dimension and left ventricular end diastolic dimension from the baseline. The route via intravena maximum tolerated by dose 0,5 mg/kg per h, while via orally start with dose 25 mg twice daily. No significant side effects were found. One randomized controlled trial study also showed a lower risk of a composite heart failure events and cardiovascular death than those who received placebo.Conclusion:Omecamtiv mecarbil improved cardiac function in heart failure and could be the first in class of a new therapeutic agent. Further controlled studies are warranted for definite conclusion.