Background: The estimated total annual cost of syncope-related hospitalizations in the year 2005 was about $2.4 billion with a mean cost of $5,400 per hospitalization. Syncope of cardiac etiology has 18-33% mortality in comparison to 0-12% with non-cardiac etiology. We sought to evaluate the role cardiac biomarkers in patients presenting with syncope to evaluate their [...]

Background: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused a staggering 200 million cases with over 4 million deaths globally as of August 2021. COVID-19 is associated with lung inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are used to improve lung function by reducing inflammation, edema, mucus secretion, and inhibiting various cytokine activities. However, there is [...]

Background: Role of vitamin K antagonist (VKA) or Direct Oral anticoagulation (DOAC) for non-valvular atrial fibrillation has widely been discussed. But the literature on anticoagulation therapy for patients with valvular atrial fibrillation (VAF) is limited. Aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the outcomes (stroke-vascular events and intracranial bleeding) following DOAC and VKA amongst patients [...]

Background: We compared 1) monthly rates of hospitalizations by disease severity and heart failure types, 2) measures of in-hospital care process, 3) and 30-day clinical outcomes of patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) hospitalized during COVID-19 pandemic with those admitted in pre-pandemic periods. Methods: Retrospective study of 8989 ADHF hospitalizations (6769 unique patients, mean [...]

Background: The knowledge regarding the association between increased blood pressure variability (BPV) and risk of subsequent clinical outcomes following acute ischemic stroke is not entirely clear. We constructed a cohort of patients hospitalized for new AIS to examine the effect of systolic BPV (SBPV) on the risk of dependency at discharge and 1 year readmission [...]

Background: Treating HFpEF (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction) is complex due to its diverse origins, leaving many patients with limited options. While diuretics offer symptom relief, most therapies don’t markedly improve outcomes. SGLT2 inhibitors, particularly Dapagliflozin, show potential in reducing cardiovascular events. Yet, guidelines for HFpEF and HFmrEF are vague regarding SGLT2 use. This [...]

Background: Acute pancreatitis is among the most common and costly reasons for hospitalization in the United States. While bowel rest, pain control, and intravenous fluids are the cornerstone of treatment, recent evidence suggests that early rather than delayed feeding may be beneficial. Guidelines, however, continue to recommend waiting for clinical improvement before feeding. We thus [...]

Background: The role of aspirin in primary prevention of cardiovascular events remains controversial, Especially in diabetic patients. We have conducted a meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of aspirin for primary prevention in diabetic patients. Methods: Literature search of Pubmed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and Clinicaltrials.gov for related RCTs [...]

Background: An increased cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) on chest radiographs (CXR) is considered equivalent to cardiomegaly. However, its diagnostic value to identify left ventricular (LV) dilation is unclear. Methods: We reviewed and included the diagnostic studies that utilized CXR as the index test and TTE as the reference standard to diagnose LV dilation. Two-gate (case-control) diagnostic [...]

Background: In the management of transplant-ineligible multiple myeloma (MM), therapeutic strategies are crucial for improving patient outcomes. Recent clinical trials have explored the efficacy of triplet vs dual therapy in this context. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness (overall survival [OS], progression-free survival [PFS], minimal residual disease [MRD] negative, and response rate [RR]) [...]