No abstract

Heart failure is a common disease state that can be encountered at different stages in the course of a COVID-19 patient presentation. New or existing heart failure in the setting of COVID-19 can present a set of unique challenges that can complicate presentation, management, and prognosis. A careful understanding of the hemodynamic and diagnostic implications is essential for appropriate triage and management of these patients. Abnormal cardiac biomarkers are common in COVID-19 and can stem from a variety of mechanisms that involve the viral entry itself through the ACE2 receptors, direct cardiac injury, increased thrombotic activity, stress cardiomyopathy, and among others. The cytokine storm observed in this pandemic can be a culprit in many of the observed mechanisms and presentations. A correct understanding of the two-way interaction between heart failure medications and the infection as well as the proposed COVID-19 medications and heart failure can result in optimal management. Guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure should not be interrupted for theoretical concerns but rather based on tolerance and clinical presentation. Initiating specific cardiac or heart failure medications to prevent the infection or mitigate the disease is also not an evidence-based practice at this time. Heart failure patients on advanced therapies including those with heart transplantation will particularly benefit from involving the advanced heart failure team members in the overall management if they contract the virus.

No abstract

No abstract

Radiation therapy (RT) has dramatically improved cancer survival, leading to several inevitable complications. Unintentional irradiation of the heart can lead to radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD), including cardiomyopathy, pericarditis, coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, and conduction system abnormalities. Furthermore, the development of RIHD is aggravated with the addition of chemotherapy. The screening, diagnosis, and follow-up for RIHD in patients who have undergone RT are described by the consensus guidelines from the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) and the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE). There is compelling evidence that chest RT can increase the risk of heart disease. Although the prevalence and severity of RIHD are likely to be reduced with modern RT techniques, the incidence of RIHD is expected to rise in cancer survivors who have been treated with old RT regimens. However, there remains a gap between guidelines and clinical practice. Currently, therapeutic modalities followed in the treatment of RIHD are similar to the non-irradiated population. Preventive measures mainly reduce the radiation dose and radiation volume of the heart. There is no concrete evidence to endorse the preventive role of statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and antioxidants. This review summarizes the current evidence of RIHD subtypes and risk factors and suggests screening regimens, diagnosis, treatment, and preventive approaches.