2023, Volume 30, Issue 2, pages 41–80

Access to echocardiography represents the main current barrier to early detection of heart valve disease in the UK. One-third to two-thirds of outpatient echocardiography requests are made to investigate a murmur,^1–3 and almost a fifth of cases have moderate or severe heart valve disease.³ In early 2022, 155,000 people were waiting for outpatient echocardiography in the UK,⁴ with up to 91,450 likely to have a murmur, and up to 16,461 likely to have moderate or severe heart valve disease. Delayed diagnosis causes delay in management with potential negative consequences on patient outcome. Consequently, the British Heart Valve Society (BHVS) recommends easy access to echocardiography for patients with suspected heart valve disease; it also recommends that echocardiography departments have a system of alerts for detected significant heart valve disease.

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic brought disruption to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) services in the UK, requiring innovation and use of remote interventions. This retrospective longitudinal study compares single-centre CR service data across three time periods: ‘pre’ (June 2019 to December 2019), ‘during’ (January 2020 to May 2020) and ‘post’ (June 2020 to December 2020), evaluating adaptations in programme delivery and subsequent effect on efficiency.

There were 614 patients (72.7% male) identified between June 2019 and December 2020. Eligible CR referrals reduced 30.3% and encountered >50% decrease in engagement ‘during’ the pandemic, compared with ‘pre’ pandemic. The ‘post’ pandemic hybrid redesign led to a significant reduction in hospital discharge to CR contact (mean 5.39 days, p=0.001), and time spent in CR (41.33 days, p=0.001) when compared with ‘pre’ and ‘during’ figures. CR engagement significantly increased ‘post’ pandemic for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)/non-STEMI (NSTEMI)/acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (56%, p=0.02) and ‘post’ cardiac surgery (76%, p=0.015). Referrals to cardiac psychology increased >50% ‘post’ pandemic (7.8%, p=0.038).

A ‘post’ pandemic hybrid CR programme is effective at reducing wait times, increasing engagement and reducing time to completion of CR, compared with ‘pre’ and ‘during’ pandemic figures. A significant increase in cardiac psychology referrals ‘post’ pandemic highlights the importance of psychology support within CR.

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is frequently associated with an increased body mass index (BMI), and related to an adverse cardiovascular prognosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and association between MS, obesity and subclinical atherosclerosis (SA).

This cross-sectional study included healthy adults, allocated to normal weight (NW) when BMI <25 kg/m², overweight (OW) BMI ≥25 and <30 kg/m², or obese (OB) BMI ≥30 kg/m² groups. Presence of MS was defined according to National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) criteria. SA was evidenced with vascular ultrasound. Association between SA, obesity and MS, was evaluated by logistic regression models.

There were 3,716 patients studied (female 66.7%, mean age 47 ± 17.5 years). According to BMI, NW represented 28.2%, OW 39.4% and OB 32.4%. MS showed a strong correspondence with BMI (NW 4.9%, OW 21.4%, OB 49.7%; p<0.001). SA was more prevalent in each group when MS was present: NW (25.4% vs. 45.1%, p<0.005), OW (43.2% vs. 58.9%, p<0.0001) and OB (44.2% vs. 57.8%, p<0.0001). Logistic-regression models showed an independent association of SA with MS criteria (arterial hypertension p<0.001; high-density lipoprotein [HDL] p<0.05; and triglycerides p<0.005) adjusted by gender, age and BMI.

In conclusion, overweight and obesity are frequent and strongly linked with MS and SA. Prevalence of SA is high, and is independently associated with MS components. However, BMI could not retain statistical significance in the multi-variate analyses.

This educational review provides information about the epidemiology of diabetes and heart failure (diabetic cardiomyopathy) and the challenges in diagnosis and screening. Details on how to investigate patients with imaging and other modalities are discussed, as well as an update regarding the efficacy and safety of novel agents for treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Women represented 29% of cardiology trainees and 16% of consultants in the UK in 2021. While the numbers of women in cardiology have increased over the last 20 years, these proportions remain among the lowest in comparison with other medical specialties. This essay aims to explore the contributing factors behind, and plans to reduce, gender disparity in cardiology.

PubMed was searched using keywords such as ‘gender’, ‘inequality’, ‘women’, ‘training’ and ‘cardiology’. Retrieved studies were screened for themes contributing towards, and strategies to overcome, gender inequality within cardiology.

Reasons for gender inequality included poor perceptions of cardiology as a female-friendly specialty, experiences of gender-based discrimination, inflexible working hours, poor work–life balance, and lack of female role models. Recommended resolutions should target these themes; increase opportunities for flexible working hours, enforce a discrimination-free workplace culture, and encourage mentoring relationships between female senior and junior doctors. Improving the experience of the existing female workforce in cardiology will have a knock-on effect on the perceptions of trainees rotating through departments, in addition to initiatives promoting cardiology as a female-friendly specialty.

In conclusion, promoting gender equality within cardiology remains an ongoing challenge. Nationwide efforts to increase retention and improve perceptions should target issues highlighted by the voices of women.

While statins are the gold standard for lipid-lowering therapies, newer therapies, such as PCSK9 inhibitors, have also demonstrated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction, but with a similar or better safety profile. Conflicting guidance has contributed to a low uptake. More up-to-date, evidence-led guidance supports greater use of newer therapies, particularly in combination with statins, to reduce LDL-C to levels shown to be effective in trials. The aim of this study was to determine how such guidance can be implemented more effectively in the UK.

Using a modified Delphi approach, a panel of healthcare professionals with an interest in the management of dyslipidaemia developed 27 statements across four key themes. These were used to form an online survey that was distributed to healthcare professionals working in cardiovascular care across the UK. Stopping criteria included 100 responses received, a seven-month window for response (September 2021 to March 2022), and 90% of statements passing the predefined consensus threshold of 75%.

A total of 109 responses were analysed with 23 statements achieving consensus (four statements <75%). Variance was observed across respondent role, and by UK region. From the high degree of consensus, seven recommendations were established as to how evidence-based guidance can be delivered, including a call for personalised therapy strategies and simplification of LDL-C goals, which should be achieved within as short a time as possible.

We present the angiographic findings of a case of myocardial infarction associated with COVID-19 with a heavy burden of thrombus, despite only minor obstructive coronary disease.

There has been suggestion that vitamin D may play a role in protection against severe infection with COVID-19. In this article a potential mechanism involving angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is proposed.

Acute type A aortic dissection is a devastating aortic disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Clinicians should maintain a high degree of suspicion in patients presenting with sudden-onset chest pain, although the diagnosis may be confounded by the broad spectrum of attendant symptoms and signs. Accurate and timely identification of the acute dissection is of paramount importance to ensure suitable patients are referred promptly for definitive surgical management. This review focuses on the diagnosis of acute type A aortic dissection and discusses the haematological tests, and electrocardiographic, echocardiographic and radiological investigations necessary to confirm the diagnosis and assess for associated complications. The acute medical management of patients with acute type A dissection is also reviewed.