Low public awareness of heart failure in Europe and health-care funding

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (12) ◽  
pp. 612-613
Author(s):  
Carol Lovegrove
2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 736-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marvin A. Konstam ◽  
Barry Greenberg

Author(s):  
Sylvain Ploux ◽  
Marc Strik ◽  
Saer Abu-Alrub ◽  
F Daniel Ramirez ◽  
Samuel Buliard ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Multiparametric remote monitoring of patients with heart failure (HF) has the potential to mitigate the health risks of lockdowns for COVID-19. Aims To compare health care use, physiological variables, and HF decompensations during one month before and during the first month of the first French national lockdown for COVID-19 among patients undergoing remote monitoring. Methods Transmitted vital parameters and data from cardiac implantable electronic devices were analyzed in 51 patients. Medical contact was defined as the sum of visits and days of hospitalization. Results The lockdown was associated with a marked decrease in cardiology medical contact (118 days before vs 26 days during, -77%, p = 0.003) and overall medical contact (180 days before vs 79 days during, -58%, p = 0.005). Patient adherence with remote monitoring was 84±21% before and 87±19% during lockdown. The lockdown was not associated with significant changes in various parameters, including physical activity (2±1 to 2±1 h/day), weight (83±16 to 83±16 kg), systolic blood pressure (121±19 to 121±18 mmHg), heart rate (68±10 to 67±10 bpm), heart rate variability (89±44 to 78±46 ms, p = 0.05), atrial fibrillation burden (84±146 vs 86±146 h/month), or thoracic impedance (66±8 to 66±9 Ω). Seven cases of HF decompensations were observed before lockdown, all but one of which required hospitalization, versus six during lockdown, all but one of which were managed remotely. Conclusions The lockdown restrictions caused a marked decrease in health care use but no significant change in the clinical status of HF patients under multiparametric remote monitoring. lay summary The first French COVID-19 lockdown had a huge detrimental impact on conventional health care use (-78% in cardiology medical contact). However the lockdown had little impact over the short-term, if any, on vital parameters and the clinical status of patients with heart failure who were adherent to multiparametric remote monitoring. This remote monitoring strategy allowed early identification and home management of most of the heart failure decompensations during the lockdown.


Author(s):  
Muhammad Sami Khan

Pakistan is facing an exorbitant burden of Non-communicable diseases among which Cardiovascular diseases are the most prominent which has not only caused mortality but also posed a big threat on weakened economy and health care system of the country. Amidst of this growing crisis, Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors emerge as a ray of hope by reducing simultaneously the complication and health care expenditure associated with the management of this major mortality-bringing Non-communicable disease. SGLT2 inhibitors, including Dapagliflozin and Empagliflozin, are evidence-based standardized novel anti-diabetic agents tested in cardiovascular outcome trials namely DAPA-HF and EMPEROR-Reduced, when added to standard care in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction, provides breakthrough heart failure outcomes and also addresses massive health care expenditures. This novel finding provides an impetus to promote its beneficial effects among health care providers and early implementation. Continuous....


2017 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruna Dias Alonso ◽  
Flora Maria Barbosa da Silva ◽  
Maria do Rosário Dias de Oliveira Latorre ◽  
Carmen Simone Grilo Diniz ◽  
Debra Bick

OBJECTIVE: To examine maternal and obstetric factors influencing births by cesarean section according to health care funding. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with data from Southeastern Brazil. Caesarean section births from February 2011 to July 2012 were included. Data were obtained from interviews with women whose care was publicly or privately funded, and from their obstetric and neonatal records. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to generate crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for caesarean section births. RESULTS: The overall caesarean section rate was 53% among 9,828 women for whom data were available, with the highest rates among women whose maternity care was privately funded. Reasons for performing a c-section were infrequently documented in women’s maternity records. The variables that increased the likelihood of c-section regardless of health care funding were the following: paid employment, previous c-section, primiparity, antenatal and labor complications. Older maternal age, university education, and higher socioeconomic status were only associated with c-section in the public system. CONCLUSIONS: Higher maternal socioeconomic status was associated with greater likelihood of a caesarean section birth in publicly funded settings, but not in the private sector, where funding source alone determined the mode of birth rather than maternal or obstetric characteristics. Maternal socioeconomic status and private healthcare funding continue to drive high rates of caesarean section births in Brazil, with women who have a higher socioeconomic status more likely to have a caesarean section birth in all birth settings.


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