Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a complex syndrome characterised by primary cardiac dysfunction. Despite advances in therapeutic options such as mechanical cardiac support, it remains associated with high mortality. Although previous registries have described heterogeneous populations and outcomes across different centres, contemporary real-world data on management practices remain limited. This gap is particularly evident in low- and middle-income countries, where there is no robust registry that clearly defines the current state of CS management. Therefore, a multicentre registry is needed to better characterise current practices and outcomes. Our study aims to gain insight into current therapeutic trends in Mexico, a low- to middle-income country with a significant cardiovascular disease burden.

The Mexican Registry of Cardiogenic Shock is a quality initiative that aims to identify therapeutic trends, demographic characteristics and clinical presentations. It also aims to evaluate outcomes, including mortality and cognitive function at in-hospital and 1-year follow-ups, and to identify areas for improvement in the care process across the broad spectrum of CS.

Ethical approval for this multicentre study was obtained from the local research ethics committees of all participating institutions. The study results will be disseminated to all participating institutions in the form of summary reports and presentations on completion of the analysis.

Outcome from large vessel occlusion stroke can be significantly improved by time-critical thrombectomy but treatment is only available in regional comprehensive stroke centres (CSCs). Many patients are first admitted to a local primary stroke centre (PSC) and require transfer to a CSC, which delays treatment and decreases the chance of a good outcome. Access to thrombectomy might be improved if eligible patients could be identified in the prehospital setting and selectively redirected to a CSC. This study is evaluating a new specialist prehospital redirection pathway intended to facilitate access to thrombectomy.

This study is a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial with included health economic and process evaluations. Clusters are ambulance stations (or teams) which are work bases for ambulance practitioners. Intervention allocated ambulance practitioners use the Specialist PrE-hospital rEDirection for ischaemic stroke thrombectomY (‘SPEEDY’) pathway which comprises initiation according to specific criteria followed by contact with CSC staff who undertake a remote assessment to select patients for direct CSC admission. Control allocated ambulance practitioners continue to provide standard care which comprises admission to a local PSC and transfer to a CSC for thrombectomy if required. A co-primary outcome of thrombectomy treatment rate and time from stroke symptom onset to thrombectomy treatment will evaluate the impact of the pathway. Secondary outcomes include key aspects of emergency care including prehospital/hospital time intervals, receipt of other treatments including thrombolysis, and performance characteristics of the pathway. A broad population of all ambulance practitioner suspected and confirmed stroke patients across participating regions is being enrolled with a consent waiver. Data about SPEEDY pathway delivery are captured onto a study case record form, but all other data are obtained from routine healthcare records. Powered on a ‘primary analysis population’ (ischaemic stroke patients with pathway initiation criteria), 894 participants will detect an 8.4% difference in rate and data from 564 thrombectomy procedures will detect a 30 minute difference in time to treatment. The full study population is estimated to be approximately 80 000. Regression modelling will be used to examine primary and secondary outcomes in several analysis populations. The economic analyses will include cost-effectiveness and cost–utility analyses, and calculation of willingness to pay at a range of accepted threshold values. The process evaluation involves semi-structured interviews with professionals and patient/family members to explore views and experiences about the SPEEDY pathway.

This study has ethical, Health Research Authority and participating NHS Trust approvals.

Dissemination of study results will include presentations at national and international conferences and events, publication in peer-reviewed journals, and plain English summaries for patient/public engagement activities.

ISRCTN77453332.

Heart failure (HF) remains a major global health challenge, particularly in low-resource settings where access to comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is limited. Yoga, a culturally contextualised mind-body intervention, holds promise as an adjunctive therapy in CR. The Yoga-EndOmics study aims to evaluate the effects of Yoga-based cardiac rehabilitation (Yoga-CaRe) on gene expression, endothelial function, vascular biomarkers and clinical outcomes in systolic HF, providing mechanistic insights into its potential integration into conventional cardiac rehabilitation.

This is a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoint (PROBE) mechanistic trial enrolling 78 patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Participants will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a structured Yoga-CaRe intervention or enhanced standard care for 3 months. The Yoga-CaRe group will attend 20 supervised sessions with guided home practice involving tailored asanas, pranayama and meditation. Primary outcomes are changes in endothelial-dependent flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and functional exercise capacity at 3 months. Secondary outcomes include changes in arterial compliance and stiffness, circulating biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation, and immediate changes in global gene expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells following the Yoga-CaRe intervention. Data will be analysed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for between-group comparisons and significant analysis of microarray (SAM) for global gene expression profiles.

The study has received ethical clearance from the Institutional Ethics Committee of the SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital, India (SDMIEC/2025/1072) and is registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences and stakeholder engagement platforms to inform future integrative strategies in HF management.

CTRI/2023/12/060758

To qualitatively explore patients’ lived experiences and coping mechanisms following mitral valve replacement (MVR) at the National Cardiac Institute in Tanzania.

A descriptive qualitative study using in-depth interviews and thematic analysis.

The study was conducted at the National Cardiac Institute, located in Dar es Salaam, the sole tertiary cardiac centre in Tanzania offering open-heart surgery.

17 participants were purposively sampled. Inclusion criteria were as follows: patients aged ≥18 years, had at least 28 days post-MVR, without chronic conditions (eg, diabetes and HIV) and attending postoperative cardiac clinics.

Semi-structured interviews conducted in May 2024 using an interviewer guide explored post-MVR challenges, daily life adjustments, patient-provider interactions and coping strategies. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes.

Three primary themes emerged: (1) Quality of life after MVR, encompassing physical, social, economic and psychological challenges; (2) Quality of care after MVR, highlighting patient-provider interactions and access to services; and (3) Adapting to post-MVR life, including psychological adaptation and lifestyle modification. Participants reported improved quality of life through shared experiences and support.

Patients experienced physical, socio-economic and psychological challenges post-MVR. However, quality of life improved through access to care, peer support and adaptive coping. Adaptation to life with an artificial valve is feasible with robust support systems, even in resource-limited settings.

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide affecting an estimated 5% of people over the age of 65 and is a leading cause of stroke and heart failure. Identification of patients at risk allows preventative measures and treatment before these complications occur. Conventional risk prediction models are static, do not have flexibility to incorporate dynamic risk factors and possess only modest predictive value. Artificial intelligence and machine learning-powered health virtual twin technology offer transformative methods for risk prediction and guiding clinical decisions.

In this prospective observational study, 1200 patients will be recruited in two tertiary centres. Patients hospitalised with acute illnesses (sepsis, heart failure, respiratory failure, stroke or critical illness) and patients having undergone high-risk surgery (major vascular surgery, upper gastrointestinal surgery and emergency surgery) will be monitored with a patch-based remote wireless monitoring system for up to 14 days. Clinical and electrocardiographic data will be used for modelling the risk of new-onset AF. The primary outcome is episodes of AF >30 s and will be described as ratio of episodes/patient and as percentage of patients having episodes of AF. Secondary outcomes include 30-day and 90-day readmission rates and complications of AF.

The aim of this study is to generate data for the development and validation of health virtual twins predicting onset of AF in an at-risk population. The intelligent monitoring to predict atrial fibrillation (NOTE-AF) study is part of the TARGET project, a Horizon Europe funded programme which includes risk prediction, diagnosis and management of AF-related stroke (https://target-horizon.eu/).

The study has received approval by the Health Research Authority and the National Research Ethics Service (REC reference 24/NW/0170, IRAS project ID: 342528) in the UK and has been registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06600620). Results will be disseminated as outlined in the TARGET protocol to communicate project ideas, activities and results to diverse audiences.

NCT06600620.

To examine national trends and determinants of hypertension diagnosis, treatment and control in Indonesia, and to identify factors influencing the performance of hypertension care across three waves of national health surveys.

Repeated cross-sectional analysis of three nationally representative health surveys (2013, 2018 and 2023).

Household-based, population-level surveys conducted across all provinces of Indonesia, representing primary healthcare settings.

Adults aged ≥18 years included in the 2013, 2018 and 2023 Indonesian National Health Research surveys (Riset Kesehatan Dasar and Survei Kesehatan Indonesia). Participants with complete blood pressure measurements and information on diagnosis and treatment were included; those with missing data were excluded. The weighted sample sizes were representative of Indonesia’s adult population by sex, age group and urban–rural residence.

Primary outcomes were hypertension prevalence, diagnosis, treatment and control rates. Secondary analyses assessed sociodemographic, economic and health system factors associated with each stage of the hypertension care cascade using multivariate logistic regression. All estimates were adjusted for survey design and population weights.

Hypertension crude prevalence increased from 27.9% (95% CI 27.7% to 28.2%) in 2013 to 31.6% (95% CI 31.4% to 31.8%) in 2023. Diagnosis rates declined from 33.0% in 2013 to 24.1% in 2018, then slightly rose to 26.9% in 2023. Treatment rates doubled from 10.4% to 22.4% over the decade, corresponding to an estimated 10 million additional adults receiving antihypertensive therapy. However, control rates improved only modestly, from 2.3% to 4.2%, leaving over 95% of hypertensive adults with uncontrolled blood pressure. Women, urban residents and individuals in higher wealth quintiles had consistently better outcomes across all stages of care.

Indonesia faces a growing hypertension burden, with most cases being undiagnosed. Although treatment coverage has doubled over the past decade, control rates have remained stagnant, and disparities between wealth groups persist. Strengthening long-term management, follow-up and equitable care is essential to improve outcomes.

Hypertension (HTN) and hyperuricaemia (HUA) are chronic metabolic disorders that frequently coexist. Research indicates that HUA prevalence among adolescents and children in mainland China is significantly higher than the global average, with a continuing upward trend. When these conditions occur concomitantly, their detrimental effects on the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems far exceed those of either condition alone. The comorbidity of HUA and HTN markedly elevates the risk of adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, including stroke, ischaemic heart disease, myocardial hypertrophy and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. In adolescent populations, this comorbidity may also induce subclinical damage such as microangiopathy, premature arteriosclerosis and declined glomerular filtration function, thereby increasing the likelihood of chronic cardiorenal diseases in adulthood. Current research on HUA+HTN comorbidity among Chinese children and adolescents is predominantly limited by regional constraints, small sample sizes or inconsistent diagnostic criteria. This hinders the development of precise prevention strategies and delays timely interventions. Thus, a systematic evaluation of the risk factors for HUA+HTN comorbidity in this population is urgently needed. Such evaluation would provide evidence-based data to facilitate early detection of high-risk individuals and guide tailored preventive interventions. It would also lay the groundwork for reducing the future burden of chronic conditions such as stroke and heart failure.

Electronic databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CNKI, CBM, VIP, Wanfang) will be systematically searched up to 1 June 2025, with no language restrictions applied. This will identify observational studies (cohort, case-control and cross-sectional designs) investigating risk factors for HTN and HUA in Chinese children and adolescents. In addition, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that report baseline or preintervention data relevant to HTN+HUA comorbidity risk factors will also be considered for inclusion, where such data can provide supplementary evidence on associations between exposures and outcomes. Methodological quality will be evaluated via tools appropriate for each study design (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality checklist for cross-sectional studies; Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for case-control and cohort studies). The risk of bias in RCTs will be evaluated using the RoB 2. All analyses will be conducted per the Cochrane Handbook recommendations for observational studies.

This systematic review protocol will systematically evaluate the risk factors for HUA+HTN comorbidity in Chinese children and adolescents. We will analyse secondary data, and this does not require ethics approval. The findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals, at relevant conferences and will be shared in plain language in social media. Moreover, the findings of this review could guide the direction of healthcare practice and research.

CRD42024613929.

Tongxinluo capsule (TXL) is widely used in China as an adjunctive therapy for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), collectively referred to as ACS-PCI. However, current evidence on its therapeutic effects and safety remains limited and insufficiently synthesised. This review aims to evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of adding TXL to Western medical therapy (WM) in this population.

A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang from inception to August 2024; a rapid supplemental search was conducted up to November 2025, without language restrictions, to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the therapeutic effects and safety of adding TXL to WM in patients with ACS-PCI. Dichotomous outcomes were summarised using risk ratios (RRs) with 95% CIs; absolute risk reductions (ARRs) were estimated as risk differences, and corresponding numbers needed to treat (NNTs) were calculated. Continuous outcomes were summarised using mean differences (MDs) with 95% CIs. All meta-analyses were performed using a random-effects model. The included studies generally had limitations in methodological quality, heterogeneity across analyses was low to moderate and the potential for publication bias could not be excluded. The evidence certainty for each outcome was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

Eighteen RCTs involving 1800 participants were included. Low-certainty evidence indicated that adding TXL to WM may reduce the risks of restenosis (RR=0.30, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.91; ARR=0.056, NNT=18), revascularisation (RR=0.28, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.80; ARR=0.069, NNT=15), myocardial infarction (RR=0.44, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.98; ARR=0.033, NNT=31), angina (RR=0.32, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.61; ARR=0.076, NNT=14) and other cardiovascular events (RR=0.41, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.71; ARR=0.075, NNT=14). It also improved Seattle Angina Questionnaire scores (MD=8.82, 95% CI 6.58 to 11.05) and quality of life (qualitative synthesis). However, no statistically significant reductions were observed for sudden cardiac death (RR=0.39, 95% CI 0.12 to 1.27; ARR=0.022, NNT=45), or non-cardiovascular adverse events (RR=0.67, 95% CI 0.32 to 1.40; ARR=0.043, NNT=24) when TXL was added to WM.

Current evidence suggests that adjunctive TXL may reduce key cardiovascular events and improve symptoms and quality of life in patients with ACS-PCI, without increasing the risk of non-cardiovascular adverse events. However, all findings are based on low-certainty evidence. These results provide preliminary support for the use of TXL as an adjunctive therapy, but high-quality, multicentre RCTs are needed to confirm these effects and inform clinical guidelines.

CRD42024509453.

To assess the impact of in-hospital late ventricular fibrillation (VF) (>48 hours) on the 1-year mortality risk among patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who survived the index hospitalisation.

Retrospective cohort study estimating the incidence rates of late VF following AMI and the associated 1-year risk of all-cause mortality.

Cardiac intensive care units (CICUs) in Israel between the years 2000 and 2018.

Patients presenting with AMI (ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI) and non-ST-segment elevation MI (NSTEMI)) who were admitted to CICUs.

A total of 14 280 consecutive AMI patients of whom 118 developed late VF and 68 of these survived the index hospitalisation. Patients with late VF had higher mortality rates within 1 year following AMI overall (54.8% vs 10.2%, p

Late VF was found to be associated with increased 1-year mortality risk among patients presenting with AMI. However, this association was only significant among STEMI patients, but not NSTEMI patients.

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently have multiple comorbidities that increase the risk of hospitalisation and contribute to higher mortality. However, studies examining the prevalence of comorbidities among Middle Eastern patients with AF and their impact on clinical outcomes are scarce. This study aimed to assess the impact of comorbidities in a Middle Eastern population with AF treated with contemporary anticoagulation.

Prospective observational cohort study.

Patients from 20 hospitals and 30 outpatient cardiology clinics across Jordan were enrolled from May 2019 through October 2020.

2020 consecutive patients were enrolled. 117 of them were lost to follow-up, and 1903 had available data for analysis. Of the total, 1096 (54.3%) patients were women, and 924 (45.7%) were men. Eligible patients were 18 years of age or above, had a confirmed AF diagnosis and provided informed consent.

We are examining the outcomes of patients with AF, comparing those who have multimorbidities versus oligomorbidities. The primary outcomes were AF-related complications occurring within 1-year follow-up: major bleeding, non-major bleeding, stroke/cerebrovascular accidents, systemic emboli and acute coronary syndrome. Secondary outcomes included causes of death among deceased patients.

Among the cohort, 1160 (57.4%) had two or less comorbidities (oligomorbidity group) and 860 (42.6%) had three or more comorbidities (multimorbidity group). Compared with the oligomorbidity group, the multimorbidity group had significantly higher rates of hypertension (97.9% vs 57.2%), diabetes mellitus type II (92.4% vs 7.3%), cardiovascular disease (100% vs 79.6%), chronic kidney disease (18.4% vs 1.8%) and chronic lung disease (7% vs 1%, p

Middle Eastern patients with AF appear to exhibit a high burden of comorbidities. The results suggest the more comorbidities in these patients, the higher the rates of hospitalisation and death.

NCT03917992.

Cardiopulmonary bypass has been used to perform complex cardiac surgery for over 70 years. Advances in bypass techniques and perioperative medicine have increased the safety of cardiac procedures, leading to reduced morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, cardiopulmonary bypass still carries risks, including systemic inflammation and dysfunction of various organs. To date, optimal blood pressure management during cardiopulmonary bypass remains a subject of ongoing debate. Conflicting evidence exists regarding negative outcomes associated with both low and high mean arterial pressures. Current clinical guidelines recommend a broad target range for mean arterial pressure during cardiopulmonary bypass, which underscores the existing gap in knowledge. In non-cardiac surgery, the time-weighted average of mean arterial pressure has been used to determine minimum safe thresholds, with greater deviation from 65 mm Hg associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. However, the definition and reporting of low blood pressure during cardiopulmonary bypass varies between studies, and the use of time-weighted averages below the threshold is still uncommon. Details on pump flow during extracorporeal circulation are seldom reported.

We plan to conduct a retrospective, single-centre data analysis to investigate the effects of both arterial blood pressure and extracorporeal pump flow, including their time-weighted averages and areas under defined thresholds, during cardiopulmonary bypass on neurological outcomes in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery between 2014 and 2023. The study will include both elective and emergency procedures, with separate analyses conducted based on the urgency and complexity of the operations. Digitally recorded anaesthesia and perfusion records will be imported and validated to extract information on haemodynamic parameters, neurological monitoring and extracorporeal circulation. Ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes will be identified by screening postoperative brain imaging records for keywords indicating neurological events. Diagnostic data and additional patient and procedural information will be extracted from the local cardiac surgery database and hospital information system. Information about incidence and course of postoperative delirium will be extracted from the patient data management system used in intensive care. We expect to include approximately 500–700 cases per year in the final analysis.

The local ethics committee approved our study (Ethics Committee of the Medical University of Graz, IRB00002556, 36-296 ex 23/24). We aim to publish the results of our study preferably in an open access format.

The study protocol was registered at the Center for Open Science (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/FAMV3).

To examine the associations between sleep quality and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and their associations with haemodynamic and cardiometabolic risk factors among adults with hypertension in Pakistan.

A cross-sectional analytical study conducted from February to July 2025.

Conducted in three tertiary care hospitals in Sialkot, Pakistan representing both urban and rural populations.

A total of 405 participants aged ≥30 years, diagnosed with hypertension, were enrolled. Patients with primary sleep disorders, psychiatric illness, pregnancy or incomplete data were excluded.

Sleep quality was assessed using the Urdu version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) with a cut-off ≥5. Blood pressure was measured as the average of three seated readings. LVH was determined by echocardiography. Modified Poisson regression with robust SEs was applied to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) for factors associated with LVH and poor sleep, accounting for clustering by hospital.

LVH was present in 38.3% of participants, and 68.4% had poor sleep quality. In fully adjusted models for LVH, poor sleep quality was not independently associated with LVH (aPR 1.11; p=0.512).

Independent associates of LVH included:

Age (aPR=1.32; p

Systolic blood pressure (aPR=1.021 per mm Hg; p

Diastolic blood pressure (aPR=1.030 per mm Hg; p

Longer hypertension duration (aPR=1.47; p=0.002).

Overweight (aPR=0.77) and obesity (aPR=0.71) were inversely associated with LVH, consistent with the obesity paradox. Poor sleep quality was independently associated with smoking status, longer hypertension duration and higher blood pressure. Sensitivity analyses treating PSQI as a continuous variable (aPR=1.033 per point) suggested a modest dose–response relationship between more severe sleep impairment and LVH.

Elevated blood pressure, longer hypertension duration and smoking were significantly associated with LVH and poor sleep quality. Sleep quality was not an independent correlate of LVH, suggesting an indirect relationship mediated through haemodynamic factors.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a growing public health concern associated with significant morbidity, mortality and impaired quality of life. Despite evidence supporting cardiac rehabilitation (CR) as part of secondary prevention in AF care, referral rates remain low, and the extent of CR needs in this population is unknown. This protocol outlines a nationwide survey-based and registry-based study aiming to: i) describe CR needs among individuals with AF and ii) assess eligibility and acceptance of referral to specific CR components based on individual patient preferences and their overlap with identified needs.

This cross-sectional study includes three phases: 1) identification of the study population using Danish national registries; 2) electronic survey distribution to individuals with a first-time AF diagnosis in 2023–2024 and 3) registry data enrichment of the entire population. The survey includes validated patient-reported outcome measures aligned with a newly developed Needs Assessment Model, supplemented by items on patient preferences for CR components. Data are analysed descriptively and using correlation analysis.

Participants are informed of the study purpose, data protection and their rights before providing informed consent through survey participation. The study follows the Declaration of Helsinki and Danish ethical standards. Findings are disseminated via scientific journals, conferences, a cross-sectoral stakeholder workshop and public outreach activities.

NCT06772207.

Transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and migraine can generate identical symptoms but have very different short-term risks of stroke. Uncertainty about the diagnosis may lead to missed opportunities to prevent stroke if TIA is treated as migraine, or overtreatment if migraine is treated as TIA. This project aims to define the risk of stroke for people with migrainous symptoms reviewed as suspected TIA and develop a risk assessment tool that could promote standardisation of care.

The project involves two interlinked studies:

(1) Study A: prospective observational cohort study.

Setting: NHS TIA and stroke services.

Population: adults with migrainous symptoms undergoing review for suspected TIA by a TIA/stroke service and the initial specialist clinician symptom-based diagnosis is either possible migraine or possible TIA with migrainous symptoms.

Data collection: baseline clinical characteristics, investigations and treatments. Stroke, TIA and migraine events within 90 days.

Sample size: 2709 participants.

Main analyses: analysis of stroke risk, development of stroke risk prediction model, preparation of visual tools to represent the risk model.

(2) Study B: qualitative co-design study.

Setting and population: clinicians from NHS TIA and stroke services.

Data collection: focus groups/interviews exploring views about the potential role for a risk assessment tool, the most appropriate visualisation for the risk tool and barriers/facilitators for implementation.

Sample size: approximately 16 clinicians.

Analyses: framework approach using the Implementation Research Logic Model.

This study has ethical, Health Research Authority and participating NHS Trust approvals. Dissemination of study results will include presentations at national and international conferences and events, publication in peer-reviewed journals, and plain English summaries for patient/public engagement activities.

ISRCTN16775533.

In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is associated with high mortality and serious neurological sequelae. Although medical alert systems have evolved, the ability of these systems to influence changes in IHCA incidence and aetiology remains limited.

Retrospective observational cohort study.

A single tertiary hospital in South Korea, covering tertiary care levels.

A total of 1994 adult patients (≥18 years) who experienced 2121 episodes of IHCA between January 2011 and December 2019. Patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, those aged ≤18 years and those with do-not-resuscitate orders were excluded. The mean age of patients was 63.0 years (SD, 14.6); 64.1% were male.

Not applicable.

The incidence and temporal trends of IHCA were stratified by aetiology (cardiac vs non-cardiac). Additional analyses examined changes in arrhythmic versus non-arrhythmic causes over time using Poisson regression.

Cardiac arrhythmia was the most common cause of IHCA (314 of 2121, 14.8%; incidence: 0.42/1000 admissions), including ventricular tachycardia (n=86), ventricular fibrillation (n=87) and Torsades de Pointes (n=79). Respiratory failure was the second most common cause (266 of 2121, 12.5%; incidence: 0.36/1000 admissions). The incidence of IHCA due to respiratory failure in 2011 was 0.63/1000 admissions, which decreased to 0.20/1000 admissions by 2019 (β=0.883, 95% CI 0.842 to 0.926, p for trend 0.007; Poisson p

IHCA causes have shown significant temporal shifts. Arrhythmia has become the leading cause of IHCA, with incidences remaining stable, whereas a marked decrease has been observed in respiratory-related IHCA. Therefore, enhanced in-hospital cardiac monitoring systems are required for early detection.

To investigate if beliefs about medicines affect the time to the initiation of cardiovascular preventive medications during a 3 year follow-up period.

A questionnaire and register-based cohort study.

Primary care in Sweden, in which people 40, 50 and 60 years old underwent risk factor screening and individual health promotion within the Västerbotten intervention programme (VIP).

People at low/medium risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) according to the risk factor screening were included in the VIsualiZation of asymptomatic Atherosclerotic disease for optimum cardiovascular prevention—a population-based Pragmatic Randomised Open Blinded End-point trial (PROBE) nested in the Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIPVIZA), aiming at improved primary prevention of CVD. People participating in the VIPVIZA 3 year follow-up (n=3167 (89.7%)), receiving the Beliefs about medicines questionnaire (BMQ) (n=2314 (73.1%)) and with complete answers to at least one subscale in the BMQ general (n=2258 (97.6%)) were included. Moreover, only those 60 years old at baseline (n=2073 (58.7%)) and without antihypertensive and/or lipid-lowering drugs (n=1769 (50.1%)) 6 months prior to inclusion in the VIPVIZA trial were included. Accordingly, the final study population comprised 888 people without antihypertensive medicines and 1185 without lipid-lowering drugs, respectively.

The primary outcome was time to the binary event of initiating antihypertensives or lipid-lowering agents, identified within the time frame from inclusion in the VIPVIZA study until the study participants’ 3 year follow-up visit. General beliefs about medicines were assessed according to the BMQ. Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for sex, were conducted to investigate primary outcome.

Participants with stronger general beliefs about medicines being overused had significantly longer time to initiation of antihypertensive drugs in the control group (HR 0.91; 95% CI 0.84 to 0.996) but not in the intervention group (HR 1.05; 95% CI 0.95 to 1.16). No significant associations were found between beliefs about medicines and initiation of lipid-lowering treatment.

A more negative perception of drugs being overused was significantly associated with delayed initiation of antihypertensive drug treatment. Our results suggest that the VIPVIZA intervention may overbridge negative perceptions and affect the initiation of antihypertensive medications in a positive manner.

NCT01849575 (date of registration: 8 May 2013).

To develop and validate a simple risk score for predicting major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients using routinely available clinical variables.

This was a cohort study with retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data.

This study was conducted at a tertiary care centre in China.

This cohort study included 7182 CAD patients, randomly divided into training dataset and testing dataset in a ratio of 3:1.

The primary outcome was a composite of MACE (cardiovascular death, non-fatal MI, stroke and revascularisation). A Cox regression model was developed on a training set to identify independent predictors. Variables were assigned points based on their β-coefficients to construct a risk score. The model was validated on a testing set. Discrimination was assessed using the concordance index (C-index) and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). Risk groups were defined according to the total score.

Over a median follow-up of 27.3 months, 487 (6.8%) MACE events occurred. Six independent predictors were identified and included in the score: age ≥65 years (three points), NT-proBNP ≥125 pg/mL (four points), HbA1c ≥7% (3 points), elevated serum creatinine (>106 µmol/L for male or >97 µmol/L for female, 4 points), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥1.8 mmol/L (two points), and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) ≥0.15 ng/mL (four points). The score stratified patients into low- (0–4 points), middle- (5–9 points), and high-risk (10–14 points) groups. In the testing set, the middle- and high-risk groups had significantly increased MACE risk compared with the low-risk group (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.29; HR 2.70, 95% CI 1.78 to 4.08, respectively). The model showed consistent discrimination in both training (C-index = 0.726, AUC = 0.728) and testing sets (C-index = 0.702, AUC = 0.705).

A simple risk score comprising six clinical variables effectively stratified CAD patients into distinct MACE risk categories. This tool may aid in clinical decision-making and resource prioritisation in secondary prevention, pending external validation.

Declined donor organs and explanted recipient organs may hold considerable value for biomedical research, particularly in advancing knowledge of disease mechanisms and supporting drug development. However, public perceptions of such use, and preferences for how consent should be obtained, remain underexplored.

Four workshops were held across the UK to examine the views of organ donor families and transplant recipients regarding the use of human organs in research, with a focus on myocardial regeneration. Each workshop included three brief presentations on transplantation and cardiac regeneration, followed by facilitated small-group discussions. Observational notes were taken to capture participants’ perspectives on the use of organs unsuitable for transplantation. A follow-up survey generated both quantitative and qualitative data, the latter analysed using thematic analysis.

Participants expressed strong support for the use of declined donor and explanted recipient organs in research. Transplant recipients frequently cited a desire to give back to the National Health Service (NHS), while donor families viewed research use as a meaningful way to honour their loved ones when transplantation was not possible.

This exploratory study highlights widespread support for using non-transplantable organs in research among individuals with personal experience of transplantation. The findings suggest a need for further research into how best to support and inform potential donors and families. Participants emphasised the importance of sensitive communication, clear consent processes and transparency regarding the use of donated organs.

To investigate, in a prospective cohort study, the association between cognitive impairment and cardiovascular disease (CVD), to quantify the extent to which uncontrolled risk factors mediate this association, and to explore whether the mediation effect varies across sex and age groups.

Prospective cohort study.

UK Biobank, a large population-based cohort study in the UK.

A total of 152 155 participants without prevalent CVD or dementia at baseline were included. The mean age was 56.3±8.2 years, and 44.0% were male.

Cardiovascular death and composite cardiovascular outcomes, assessed using Cox proportional-hazards models and mediation analyses.

During a median follow-up of 13.03–13.87 years, 1474 cardiovascular deaths and 21 518 composite cardiovascular outcomes were recorded. Participants with cognitive impairment (n=23 146; 15.2%) exhibited higher proportions of lifestyle, metabolic and psychological risks (p

Cognitive impairment is associated with increased risks of cardiovascular death and composite cardiovascular outcomes. Uncontrolled lifestyle, cardiometabolic and psychological risk factors partially mediate this association, highlighting the importance of comprehensive management to improve cardiovascular prognosis in this population.

To describe the outcomes and associations of pericardial disease, with a particular focus on the outcomes of patients admitted with primary or secondary pericardial disease.

Retrospective observational study.

All public and private hospitals in New South Wales, Australia.

Hospitalised patients with pericardial disease admitted from 2004 to 2021 that was (a) a primary diagnosis or (b) a secondary diagnosis.

Mortality both in-hospital and during several years of available follow-up.

Out of 45 446 patients diagnosed with pericardial disease, under half (46.8%) had pericardial disease as the primary reason for hospitalisation. Patients in whom pericardial disease was the primary compared with the secondary diagnosis were more commonly male (68.2% vs 59.1%), younger (median 51.2 years vs 66.0 years) and less comorbid (age-adjusted median Charlson Comorbidity Index 1 vs 4). In patients with pericardial disease, adjusted in-hospital mortality was fivefold lower if this was the primary diagnosis (OR 0.21, p

Patients with pericardial disease have a low in-hospital mortality of about 1% if this was the primary diagnosis. However, patients in whom it was a secondary diagnosis, especially in the presence of comorbidities such as malignancy, had a much worse prognosis.