Editor's Note In a Scientific Statement, the American Heart Association (AHA) says marijuana use has no cardiovascular benefits and that it has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure. Though a full understanding of how marijuana use affects the heart and blood vessels…

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Editor's Note Researchers at George Washington University, Washington DC, have found five biomarkers in blood of COVID-19 patients that are associated with higher odds of clinical deterioration and death. The research team analyzed 299 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who were admitted to George Washington University Hospital. Of these, 200 had…

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Editor's Note Differing immune system responses of patients with COVID-19 can predict who will experience moderate and severe outcomes of the disease, this study by Yale researchers finds. Of 113 patients analyzed, all shared common COVID-19 immune system activity early in the course of the disease. Patients with moderate symptoms had…

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Editor's Note COVID-19 patients have larger lower extremity arterial thrombi and a significantly higher rate of amputation and death than uninfected patients with the same condition, this study finds.ontefi Researchers at Montefiore Medical Center, New York City, compared 16 COVID-19 patients who had symptoms of leg ischemia with 32 COVID-19…

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Editor's Note In this study, Yale researchers found that endotheliopathy and platelet activation might be important factors in the pathophysiology of COVID-19-associated coagulopathy. The researchers examined the blood of 68 COVID-19 patients, 48 of them in ICU and 20 receiving care in a hospital unit, along with 13 disease free…

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Editor's Note COVID-19 is associated with substantial alterations in the platelet transcriptome and proteome, and greater platelet hyper-reactivity, this study finds. Researchers examined 41 hospitalized COVID-19 patients at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City. Of these, 17 were in the ICU and nine were on ventilators. Blood…

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Editor's Note Treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients with anticoagulants may improve their chances of survival, this study from Mount Sinai finds. Of 2,773 COVID-19 patients analyzed, 786 received a full-treatment dose of anticoagulants, which was a higher dose than that typically given for clot prevention; it is one usually given to…

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Editor's Note COVID-19 may predispose patients to venous and arterial thrombotic disease because of excessive inflammation, platelet activation, endothelial dysfunction, and stasis, this study finds. Though a recent document from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates an increased risk of severe COVID-19 in patients receiving antiplatelet agents and…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on February 5 announced that a new performance improvement (PI) Accelerate PI dashboard is now available for accredited hospitals. It is posted in the “Resources and Tools” section of the Joint Commission Connect extranet site. The dashboard, which is intended to be a springboard for…

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Editor's Note Despite high rates of patients discharged with cardioprotective medications, the long-term burden of postoperative myocardial infarction (MI) after major vascular surgery is substantial, with a high mortality rate in the following year, this study finds. Of 26,231 vascular surgery patients analyzed, factors linked to an increased risk of postoperative…

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