Aims: To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient admissions to Italian cardiac care units (CCUs). Methods and Results: We conducted a multicentre, observational, nationwide survey to collect data on admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) at Italian CCUs throughout a 1 week period during the COVID-19 outbreak, compared with the equivalent week in 2019. We observed a 48.4% reduction in admissions for AMI compared with the equivalent week in 2019 (P < 0.001). The reduction was significant for both ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI; 26.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 21.7–32.3; P = 0.009] and non-STEMI (NSTEMI; 65.1%, 95% CI 60.3–70.3; P < 0.001). Among STEMIs, the reduction was higher for women (41.2%; P = 0.011) than men (17.8%; P = 0.191). A similar reduction in AMI admissions was registered in North Italy (52.1%), Central Italy (59.3%), and South Italy (52.1%). The STEMI case fatality rate during the pandemic was substantially increased compared with 2019 [risk ratio (RR) = 3.3, 95% CI 1.7–6.6; P < 0.001]. A parallel increase in complications was also registered (RR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.1–2.8; P = 0.009). Conclusion: Admissions for AMI were significantly reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic across Italy, with a parallel increase in fatality and complication rates. This constitutes a serious social issue, demanding attention by the scientific and healthcare communities and public regulatory agencies.

GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase 1. During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients' baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age ≥75 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score ≥2; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc = 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N = 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in Asia and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701).

Background—: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains a concern in patients with β-thalassemia major (TM) and intermedia (TI); however, studies evaluating its prevalence and risk factors using systematic confirmation on right heart catheterization are lacking. Methods and Results—: This was a multicenter cross-sectional study of 1309 Italian β-thalassemia patients (mean age 36.4±9.3 years; 46% men; 74.6% TM, 25.4% TI). Patients with a tricuspid-valve regurgitant jet velocity ≥3.2 m/s (3.6%) on transthoracic echocardiography further underwent right heart catheterization to confirm the diagnosis of PAH (mean pulmonary arterial pressure ≥25 mm Hg and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure ≤15mm Hg). The confirmed PAH prevalence on right heart catheterization was 2.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4–3.0) and was higher in TI (4.8%; 95% CI, 3.0–7.7) than TM (1.1%; 95% CI, 0.6–2.0). The positive predictive value for the tricuspid-valve regurgitant jet velocity ≥3.2 m/s threshold for the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension was 93.9%. Considerable functional limitation and decrease in the 6-minute walk distance were noted in patients with confirmed PAH. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, independent risk factors for confirmed PAH were age (odds ratio, 1.102 per 1-year increase; 95% CI, 1.06–1.15) and splenectomy (odds ratio, 9.31; 95% CI, 2.57–33.7). Conclusions—: The prevalence of PAH in β-thalassemia patients as confirmed on right heart catheterization was 2.1%, with an ≈5-fold higher prevalence in TI than TM. Advanced age and splenectomy are risk factors for PAH in this patient population. Clinical Trial Registration—: URL: http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01496963.

The Official Journal of EuroPCR and the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI)