Shockwave Therapy Promising for COVID-19 and Heart Disease
Title of study: Cardiovascular Implications of Fatal Outcomes of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Authors: Tao Guo, Yongzhen Fan, Ming Chen, Xiaoyan Wu, Lin Zhang, Tao He, Hairong Wang, Jing Wan, Xinghuan Wang, Zhibing Lu
Title: Shockwave Therapy May Benefit COVID-19 Patients with Cardiovascular Disease
A study conducted in Wuhan, China, evaluated the association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) and myocardial injury with fatal outcomes in patients with COVID-19. The retrospective single-center case series analyzed 187 patients with confirmed COVID-19, where 66 had underlying CVD and 52 exhibited myocardial injury. The study found that patients with underlying CVD and elevated troponin T (TnT) levels had a mortality rate of 69.44%, while those without CVD and normal TnT levels had a mortality rate of 7.62%.
The study also found that plasma TnT levels demonstrated a high and significantly positive linear correlation with plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels. During hospitalization, patients with elevated TnT levels had more frequent malignant arrhythmias, and the use of glucocorticoid therapy and mechanical ventilation were higher compared with patients with normal TnT levels.
The study concluded that myocardial injury is significantly associated with fatal outcomes of COVID-19, while the prognosis of patients with underlying CVD but without myocardial injury is relatively favorable. Inflammation may be a potential mechanism for myocardial injury, and aggressive treatment may be considered for patients at high risk of myocardial injury.
In summary, this study suggests that shockwave therapy may benefit COVID-19 patients with CVD as it targets inflammation and may help prevent myocardial injury.