The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs).The American Heart Association, through its Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update. The 2022 Statistical Update is the product of a full year's worth of effort by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and American Heart Association staff members. This year's edition includes data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population and an enhanced focus on social determinants of health, adverse pregnancy outcomes, vascular contributions to brain health, and the global burden of cardiovascular disease and healthy life expectancy.Each of the chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics.The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policymakers, media professionals, clinicians, health care administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions. 

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001052

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2022 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), which is most frequently mild yet can be severe and life-threatening. Vi...

https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa2029849?articleTools=true

SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody LY-CoV555 in Outpatients with Covid-19.

Key Clinical Points Evaluation and Management of Severe Covid-19 Patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) may become critically ill with acute respiratory distress syndrome that typ...

https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMcp2009575?articleTools=true

Severe Covid-19

BackgroundHydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have been proposed as treatments for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on the basis of in vitro activity and data from uncontrolled studies and small, randomized trials.MethodsIn this randomized, controlled, open-label platform trial comparing a range of possible treatments with usual care in patients hospitalized with Covid-19, we randomly assigned 1561 patients to receive hydroxychloroquine and 3155 to receive usual care. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality.ResultsThe enrollment of patients in the hydroxychloroquine group was closed on June 5, 2020, after an interim analysis determined that there was a lack of efficacy. Death within 28 days occurred in 421 patients (27.0%) in the hydroxychloroquine group and in 790 (25.0%) in the usual-care group (rate ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97 to 1.23; P=0.15). Consistent results were seen in all prespecified subgroups of patients. The results suggest that patients in the hydroxychloroquine group were less likely to be discharged from the hospital alive within 28 days than those in the usual-care group (59.6% vs. 62.9%; rate ratio, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.83 to 0.98). Among the patients who were not undergoing mechanical ventilation at baseline, those in the hydroxychloroquine group had a higher frequency of invasive mechanical ventilation or death (30.7% vs. 26.9%; risk ratio, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.27). There was a small numerical excess of cardiac deaths (0.4 percentage points) but no difference in the incidence of new major cardiac arrhythmia among the patients who received hydroxychloroquine.ConclusionsAmong patients hospitalized with Covid-19, those who received hydroxychloroquine did not have a lower incidence of death at 28 days than those who received usual care. (Funded by UK Research and Innovation and National Institute for Health Research and others; RECOVERY ISRCTN number, ISRCTN50189673. opens in new tab; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04381936. opens in new tab.)

/pdf/effect-of-hydroxychloroquine-in-hospitalized-patients-with-gpecxhqvwr.pdf

Effect of Hydroxychloroquine in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19

Background Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin have been used to treat patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). However, evidence on the safety and efficacy of these therapies is...

https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa2019014

Hydroxychloroquine with or without Azithromycin in Mild-to-Moderate Covid-19.

Abstract The microalgae Choricystis minor var. minor stand out as a potential source of lipids. In this study, it was evaluated the cultivate, on a pilot scale, the microalgae freshwater Choricistis minor var. minor, and the evaluation of biodiesel production from wet biomass using the pressure heating route of wet biomass followed by esterification and subsequent transesterification, as well as how the quality of the produced biodiesel was evaluated. The process of centrifugation was adequate since it allows obtaining a concentrated biomass with a water content of approximately 76%. The biomass showed high total lipid content (22%) and adequate conversion of these lipids into biodiesel. The pilot scale cultivation in open tanks showed a volumetric productivity with a production potential of six tons of biodiesel per hectare per year. Biodiesel production via the biomass pressure heating route followed by subsequent transesterification produced a biodiesel that meets most quality parameters. Some parameters still need to be adjusted, such as sulfur and ester contents. The processes of cultivation, isolation and conversion to biodiesel proposed in this work are an adequate alternative to the production of biodiesel using microalgae, with some improvements in the biodiesel purification process.

Aline T. Soares

Papers

Hydroxychloroquine with or without Azithromycin in Mild-to-Moderate Covid-19.

Production and quality assessment of biodiesel obtained by thermal process from wet microalgae biomass of Choricystis minor var. minor