Year: 2021

Tranexamic Acid Cuts Blood Loss in Myomectomies

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The use of tranexamic acid (TXA) reduced blood loss during myomectomies in women with large uterine fibroids, a retrospective cohort study has found.

Patients who underwent a myomectomy to remove uterine fibroids with a total weight greater than 173 g had lower estimated blood loss after receiving TXA compared with those who did not (205.6 mL vs 405.4 mL), reported Rachel Cullifer, MD, at the virtual American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) annual meeting. Furthermore, patients whose largest fibroid was greater than 73 mm had lower levels of blood loss with TXA (229.2 mL vs 408.3 mL).

“TXA is a highly safe hemostatic agent that gynecologic surgeons can utilize during myomectomies,” Cullifer said. “There is a role for TXA in myomectomies performed with a minimally invasive approach,” she added, noting that the treatment should be strongly considered for patients suspected of having a large fibroid burden.

When looking at all myomectomies not stratified by fibroid characteristics, there was not no significant difference in estimated blood loss between patients who received TXA and those who did not (184 mL vs 266 mL). Fibroids are the primary indication for hysterectomy in the US, Dr Cullifer noted, but myomectomy provides a safe alternative for those who want to preserve their fertility.

“Despite advances in laparoscopic techniques, blood loss and blood transfusions still remain higher in myomectomies when compared with hysterectomy,” Dr Cullifer pointed out, adding that elevated plasmin levels during surgery can result in prolonged bleeding. TXA lowers plasmin function and productivity, reducing blood loss, she stated.

Dr Cullifer and colleagues focused on fibroid characteristics to find out which patients might benefit most from TXA.

The researchers analysed patients who had a myomectomy from 2015 to 2020, compared myomectomy cases treated with TXA versus those that were not, and measured estimated blood loss, blood transfusion administration, and operative time. Of the 71 patients who had a myomectomy, 26 received TXA and 45 did not. The average estimated blood loss was 236 mL, and almost all patients underwent minimally invasive procedures, with 53% undergoing laparoscopic surgery and 40% undergoing robot-assisted procedures.

Save for age, all demographic characteristics were similar between the two groups. Patients who received TXA were an average of two and a half years younger than those who did not. Fibroid characteristics were also similar between the two groups. Additionally, adverse events were similar between the two groups. There was one case of thromboembolism in the cohort who did not receive TXA.

Source: MedPage Today

Scientists Find Second HIV Patient Achieved a ‘Sterilising Cure’

HIV infecting a human T9 cell. Credit: NIH

In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicinescientists have reported the identification of a second HIV patient who appears to have completely eliminated HIV from their systems in a ‘sterilising cure’. 

During infection, HIV creates a viral reservoir by inserting copies of its genome into a cell’s DNA. This allows the virus to escape from anti-HIV drugs and the body’s immune response. In most people, new viral particles are constantly made from this reservoir. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can prevent new viruses from being made but cannot eliminate the reservoir, necessitating daily treatment to suppress the virus.

Some, known as ‘elite controllers’, have immune systems that are able to suppress HIV without the need for medication. Though they still have viral reservoirs that can produce more HIV virus, a type of immune cell called a killer T cell keeps the virus suppressed without the need for medication.

Xu Yu, MD, a physician investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital, led a research group that identified one patient with no intact HIV viral sequence in her genome, indicating that her immune system may have eliminated the HIV reservoir: a sterilising cure. When they sequenced billions of cells from this patient, known as the San Francisco Patient, searching for any HIV sequence that could be used to create new virus, they found no sign. This extraordinary finding, the first known incidence of a sterilising cure without a stem cell transplant, was reported in Nature in 2020.  

Now, Dr Yu’s group reports a second untreated HIV-infected patient, known as the Esperanza Patient who also has no intact HIV genomes found in more than 1.19 billion blood cells and 500 million tissue cells sequenced. This may represent a second instance of a sterilising cure.

“These findings, especially with the identification of a second case, indicate there may be an actionable path to a sterilizing cure for people who are not able to do this on their own,” said Dr Yu.

She further explains that these findings may suggest a specific killer T cell response common to both patients driving this response, with the possibility that other people with HIV have also achieved a sterilising cure. If researchers can figure out the immune mechanisms behind this response, they could develop treatments that teach others’ immune systems to mimic these responses in cases of HIV infection.  

Yu adds: “We are now looking toward the possibility of inducing this kind of immunity in persons on ART through vaccination, with the goal of educating their immune systems to be able to control the virus without ART.”

Source: EurekAlert!

The True Value of Plant Burger Protein

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Plant-based burgers often promise an amount of protein comparable to their animal-based counterparts, but not all sources of proteins are equal. Rather the body depends on essential amino acids, the concentration and digestibility of which differ among protein sources.

To account for these differences, a new standard for protein quality, the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS), was developed by the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which specifically focusses on the digestibility of essential amino acids.

A new study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, used the DIAAS system to compare protein quality in meat-based and plant-based burgers.

The researchers fed the pigs (the recommended test animal) with patties alone for pork burgers, 80% and 93% lean beef burgers, the soy-based Impossible Burger, and pea-based Beyond Burger. They then measured digestibility of individual essential amino acids, computing DIAAS values  from those scores.

Both beef and pork burgers scored as “excellent” sources of protein (DIAAS scores 100+, for people of all ages). The Impossible Burger also scored as an excellent protein source for ages 3 and up, but not under 3. Beyond Burger scored 83, a “good” source of protein for ages 3 and up.

“We have previously observed that animal proteins have greater DIAAS values than plant-based proteins and that is also what we observed in this experiment,” says Hans H. Stein, professor in the Department of Animal Sciences and the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Illinois and co-author on the European Journal of Nutrition study.

Since burger patties are usually eaten with a bun, the researchers looked at the impact of adding the low-protein bun and as expected, it reduced DIAAS values.

Consuming the Impossible Burger together with a bun reduced the DIAAS value to “good” for ages 3 and up. But when pork or 80% lean beef patties were consumed together with buns, DIAAS values were still at or above 100 for the over-3 age group, demonstrating that the needs for all essential amino acids were met by these combinations.

“There was a greater DIAAS value of mixing either the pork or beef burger with the bun – values of 107 and 105 respectively, for the over-3 age group—than there was for the Impossible Burger, which had a DIAAS value of 86 if consumed with the bun. That means you need to eat 15% more of the Impossible Burger-bun combination to get the same amount of digestible amino acids as if you eat the pork-based or the beef-based burgers. And if you have to eat more, that means you also get more calories,” said co-author Mahesh Narayanan Nair, professor at Colorado State University.

Stein said, “It’s particularly children, teenagers, lactating women, and older people who are at risk of not getting enough amino acids. Results of this experiment, along with previous data, demonstrate the importance of getting animal-based proteins into diets to provide sufficient quantities of digestible essential amino acids to these populations.”

Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Automated Messaging System Saved Lives in Early Pandemic

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During the early days of the COVID pandemic, an automated text messaging system saved two lives a week, and, overall, the patients who enrolled in that system had a 68% lower mortality rate than those not on it.

These insights about Penn Medicine’s COVID Watch – a system designed to monitor COVID outpatients using automated texts and then escalate those with concerning conditions to a small team of health care providers – were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, we instinctually thought patients needed extra support at home, even if they weren’t sick enough or ill yet. And if they were to get very sick, we wanted to help them get to the emergency department earlier, so COVID Watch was our solution,” said a co-primary investigator of the study, Krisda Chaiyachati, MD, the medical director of Penn Medicine OnDemand and an assistant professor of Medicine. “Our evaluation found that a small team of five or six nurses staffing the program during some of the most hectic days of the pandemic directly saved a life every three to four days.”

COVID Watch was rapidly developed and designed to help patients with the virus recover safely at home and keep hospital capacity available. The system uses algorithmically guided text message conversations with patients to assess their conditions. It sent out twice-daily routine questions to patients, such as “How are you feeling compared to 12 hours ago?” and “Is it harder than usual for you to breathe?” If a patient indicated a worsening condition, follow-up questions were asked and they were elevated to the human members of a centralised team – headed by co-author Nancy Mannion, DNP, COVID Watch’s nurse manager – who would call to check in and recommend hospitalisation, if needed.

Since the start of COVID Watch, nearly 20 000 patients have been enrolled in it.

“We did an early analysis of the system and determined that we could safely monitor more than 1,000 patients simultaneously, 24/7, with a small, well-trained team of registered nurses,” said Anna Morgan, MD, COVID Watch’s medical director and an assistant professor of Internal Medicine. “On top of that, those same nurses could often also take care of other COVID-related tasks such as helping patients arrange COVID testing and discussing their results, which is important during surges.”

To further assess COVID Watch’s effect on patients, researchers analysed data from every adult who received outpatient care from Penn Medicine, starting the day COVID Watch launched until Nov. 30, 2020. 
Only three out of 3448 patients in COVID Watch died within 30 days of their enrollment, compared to 12 of the 4337 otherwise equivalent patients outside of the program: a three times higher mortality rate. At 60 days after enrollment, five people within COVID Watch died compared to 16 not using the system.

This amounted to a 68 percent reduction mortality risk with COVID Watch. Additionally, COVID Watch was credited with saving 1.8 lives per 1000 patients at 30 days, and 2.5 per 1000 at 60 days.

The study’s lead author and co-primary investigator, M. Kit Delgado, MD, an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology, believes that the benefits seen by COVID Watch patients could be explained by: Increased access to and use of telemedicine, and more frequent and earlier trips to the hospital – an average of two days earlier for COVID Watch patients – when symptoms worsened.

Importantly, the study found that COVID Watch was equally accessible and effective for everyone.

“We saw a higher proportion of higher-risk patients and also low-income and Black patients enrolled in COVID Watch, but the fact that we measured a significant benefit associated with enrollment in the program is a good indicator that there truly is a treatment benefit for everyone,” Prof Delgado said. “It’s crucial that we found all major racial and ethnic groups benefited because non-white and low-income communities have had disproportionately higher infection rates, lower access to care, and higher death rates. This implies that this model of care could have reduced disparities in COVID outcomes if it was scaled up more broadly to these communities.”

The COVID Watch team plans to see if the approach, which had originally been built off a system for keeping tabs on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, can be applied to helping people with other conditions manage their health at home. They see the system as a lasting technology that will play an important part in future care.

Source: Penn Medicine

Miscarriage Should be Recognised as a Bereavement, Argues Psychiatrist

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A miscarriage during the first 6 months of pregnancy should be recognised as a bereavement, rather than illness in UK law, argues psychiatrist Nathan Hodson in correspondence published online in the journal BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health.

Some MPs in the UK government have called for following in the steps of New Zealand’s policy of giving bereavement leave at  any stage of pregnancy loss, though this has been met with opposition.

The Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2020 allows for two weeks’ statutory bereavement leave for a stillbirth after 24 weeks and for the loss of a child up to the age of 18 in the UK. In South Africa, the 2002 Basic Conditions of Employment Act allows for six weeks’ maternity leave for pregnancy loss after 28 weeks.

Dr Hodson pointed out that parents in these circumstances are also entitled to take maternity or shared parental leave planned before the stillbirth, giving them weeks or months to recover from their loss.

But those who miscarry before 24 weeks in the UK have no such rights, added to which the miscarriage is regarded as an illness, with entitlement to sick leave. And if this lasts longer than 7 days, a formal sick note from a doctor is required.

“This policy creates an arbitrary cliff edge at 24 weeks,” with few women who miscarry being aware of their employment rights, Dr Hodson insisted.

Presently it is not known how many miscarriages occur in the UK annually nor how much sick leave is taken for them. He acknowledges this could open up private companies to unknown costs for employee miscarriage at any stage.

A single week of statutory bereavement leave when miscarriage occurs after the 12 week scan could reduce these costs. “Miscarriage risk after 12 weeks is less than 1% so this policy would be highly targeted with a less uncertain price tag,” he explained.

And within 2 or 3 years there should be sufficient data from New Zealand to estimate the impact of the policy, which was introduced in March this year. This allows women and partners 3 days of paid leave, irrespective of how long the woman had been pregnant, but excluding abortions.

But in any case, “miscarriage should as far as possible be recognised as bereavement, not sickness, and many parents will need time off work afterwards,” wrote Dr Hodson.

“Leave following first-trimester miscarriage should be prioritised when New Zealand has published data. But whatever approach is taken with regard to early miscarriages, the cliff edge at 24 weeks is a stark injustice demanding remedy.”

Source: EurekAlert!

Intermittent Fasting Triggers an Anti-inflammatory Response

Credit: Intermountain Healthcare

Intermittent fasting may not only be a hot dieting trend, but it also has broader health benefits, including helping to fight inflammation, according to a new study. The new research shows that intermittent fasting raises the levels of galectin-3, a protein tied to inflammatory response.

Intermittent fasting has previously been shown to possibly improve health markers not related to weight. 

“Inflammation is associated with higher risk of developing multiple chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. We’re encouraged to see evidence that intermittent fasting is prompting the body to fight inflammation and lowering those risks,” said Benjamin Horne, PhD, principal investigator of the study and director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at the Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute.

The findings of the study were presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2021.

These results form part of Intermountain’s WONDERFUL Trial which is studying intermittent fasting. It found that intermittent fasting causes drops in metabolic syndrome score (MSS) and insulin resistance.  

This particular study followed 67 patients aged 21 to 70 who all had at least one metabolic syndrome feature or type 2 diabetes, and were also not taking anti-diabetic or statin medication, and had raised LDL cholesterol levels.

Of the 67 patients studied, 36 were prescribed an intermittent fasting schedule: twice a week water-only 24-hour fasting for four weeks, then once a week water-only 24 hour-fasting for 22 weeks. Fasts could not be done on consecutive days. The remaining 31 participants continued their routines.

After 26 weeks, participants’ galectin-3 was measured, and found to be higher in the intermittent fasting group. Lower rates of HOMA-IR (insulin resistance) and MSS (metabolic syndrome) were found, which researchers believe may be similar to the reported effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors.

“In finding higher levels of galectin-3 in patients who fasted, these results provide an interesting mechanism potentially involved in helping reduce the risk of heart failure and diabetes,” said Dr Horne, who added that a few members of the trial team completed the same regime before the study started to make sure that it was doable and not overly onerous for participants.

“Unlike some IF diet plans that are incredibly restrictive and promise magic weight loss, this isn’t a drastic form of fasting. The best routine is one that patients can stick to over the long term, and this study shows that even occasional fasting can have positive health effects,” he added.

Source: EurekAlert!

DIY Artificial Pancreas Gets Expert Nod of Approval

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More than 40 healthcare professionals and legal experts have issued the first guidance of its kind to support people with type 1 diabetes using Do-it-Yourself (DIY) technology driven systems to manage their condition.

The paper sets out recommendations that allow health-care professionals to support DIY artificial pancreas systems as a safe and effective treatment option for type 1 diabetes.

Published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology and endorsed by nine professional diabetes organisations including the International Diabetes Federation. Patients say using the technology has been a “revolution and a revelation” which has had positive impacts on their wider health.

Study co-lead Dr Sufyan Hussain, a consultant diabetologist and honorary senior lecturer from King’s College London, who has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 30 years says: “The medical and legal position of do-it-yourself and citizen science approaches have been subject to a lot of debate and uncertainty. This paper not only clarifies the position for do-it-yourself artificial pancreas systems in diabetes as a safe and effective treatment but sets a precedent for achieving an international professional consensus for other treatments based on user-driven do-it-yourself technologies and innovations.”

Traditional monitoring of type 1 diabetes involves taking blood samples from the fingertips several times a day and calculating precise injections of insulin to maintain blood sugar levels. This can be a time-consuming and stressful method, but over 10 000 people worldwide are using DIY systems, also known as open-source Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) systems. These automatically adjust insulin dosing in response to continuous sensor glucose, insulin pump data and additional information using community generated algorithms. It means that the algorithm can calculate the dosage and administer the dose automatically through conventional insulin pumps.

The authors note that such systems aim to reduce both hypo- and hyperglycaemia, but can also improve glycaemic and long-term health outcomes, reducing diabetes distress and burden, and improving sleep quality.

A limited number of commercial versions of these systems have recently been approved by regulators, but they can be expensive and are accessible only in certain countries. Instead, DIY systems are a product of citizen science that have been co-created by people living with diabetes. These systems are not regulated. However, today’s landmark paper provides professional validation and clear recommendations for their use.

At least 20% of DIY system users are children or adolescents, although use in pregnancy and the elderly is also widely noted. For many families and users, use of an AID system improved quality of life for caregivers, allowing carers to remotely monitor their condition.

However, in common with other insulin-based treatments, these systems are not risk-free, the authors warn. Historically, people living with diabetes had to do their own research on how to build and set up these systems. The paper recommends that clinicians work with individuals living with diabetes or their caregivers to ensure safe and effective use of these systems, and provide guidance on how to achieve this.

At age 15, Dominic Nutt was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Now 54, he has a personalised algorithm that automatically controls his glucose monitor and insulin pump. He manages the process through a smartphone, putting in when he eats carbohydrates or exercises, as this affects his blood sugar.
“I’m not a techie at all,” he said, “but since I was diagnosed, I’ve always been excited to try the latest developments as soon as they’re available. A friend put me in touch with someone who could help me to personalise the algorithm to my diabetes and my insulin pump. I then worked with Dr Hussain who helped me to make it work for my diabetes and the technology I was already using.

“It’s been a revolution and a revelation. The swings in my blood sugar have gone. I used to have severe hypos needing emergency care about once every six months – my kids got used to having to talk to the paramedics. Now that never happens, my blood sugar is under control, which has wider health benefits as well, plus I’m feeling fitter and stronger, and I don’t have to eat as much sugar to control my blood sugar.

“The emotional weight that has been lifted is huge. I still have to think about my diabetes sometimes, but it’s not the daily grind it used to be. It’s exciting that now there’s more of an opportunity for others with diabetes to get the kind of personalised advice that I’ve had.”

Source: King’s College London

Obesity Found to Fuel Periodontal Disease

Source: Unsplash

Chronic inflammation resulting from obesity may trigger osteoclast production and bone tissue breakdown, including the alveolar bone that holds teeth in place, according to a new animal model study.

The study, reported in the Journal of Dental Research, found that excessive inflammation caused by obesity raises the number of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), a group of immune cells that increase during illness to regulate immune function. MDSCs, which originate in the bone marrow, develop into a range of different cell types, including osteoclasts.

Bone loss is a major symptom of periodontal disease which may ultimately lead to tooth loss. Periodontal disease affects more than 47% of adults 30 years and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Although there is a clear relationship between the degree of obesity and periodontal disease, the mechanisms that underpin the links between these conditions were not completely understood,” said Keith Kirkwood, DDS, PhD, professor of oral biology in the UB School of Dental Medicine.

“This research promotes the concept that MDSC expansion during obesity to become osteoclasts during periodontitis is tied to increased alveolar bone destruction. Taken together, this data supports the view that obesity raises the risk of periodontal bone loss,” said Kyuhwan Kwack, PhD, postdoctoral associate in the UB Department of Oral Biology.

In the study, two groups of mice were fed different diets over the course of 16 weeks: one group a low-fat diet that derived 10% of energy from fat, the other group a high-fat diet getting 45% of energy from fat.

The high-fat diet group developed obesity, had more inflammation and a greater increase of MDSCs in the bone marrow and spleen compared to the low-fat diet group. The high-fat diet group also developed a significantly larger number of osteoclasts and lost more alveolar bone, which holds teeth in place.

Additionally, in the group fed a high-fat diet, the expression was significantly elevated for 27 genes tied to osteoclast formation.
The findings may help reveal the mechanisms behind other chronic inflammatory, bone-related diseases that develop concurrently with obesity, such as arthritis and osteoporosis, Prof Kirkwood said.

Source: University at Buffalo

Penicillin Reduces Rheumatic Heart Disease Progression in Kids

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In a new study, penicillin significantly reduces the risk of underlying rheumatic heart disease progression in children and adolescents.  

The research also showed that early screening was critical for preventing serious rheumatic heart disease progression and death in young children. Rheumatic heart disease affects 40.5 million people globally, causing 306 000 or more deaths every year. The chronic disease results from damage to the valves of the heart after a case of Strep throat. It’s considered a disease of poverty and disadvantage.

Associate Professor Andrea Beaton of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center said that prior to this study, it was unknown if antibiotics were effective at preventing the progression of latent rheumatic heart disease.

“The trial is the first contemporary randomised controlled trial in rheumatic heart disease. The results are incredibly important on their own, but also demonstrate that high-quality clinical trials are feasible to address this neglected cardiovascular disease,” she said.

The trial involved 818 Ugandan children aged 5 to 17 years with latent rheumatic heart disease, who received either four-weekly injections of penicillin for two years or no treatment. All underwent echocardiography screening at the beginning and end of the trial.

The findings from the screenings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, reported just three (0.8%) participants who received penicillin experienced latent rheumatic heart disease progression, compared to 33 (8.3%) who didn’t receive the treatment.

Dr Daniel Engelman of Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) said the results showed a significant and greater than expected reduction in disease development.  

MCRI Professor Andrew Steer said screening for latent rheumatic heart disease was critical to stop progression because heart valve damage was largely untreatable.

“Children with latent rheumatic heart disease have no symptoms and we cannot detect the mild heart valve changes clinically,” he said.

“Currently, most patients are diagnosed when the disease is advanced, and complications have already developed. This late diagnosis is associated with a high death rate at a young age, in part due to the missed opportunity to benefit from preventative antibiotic treatment. If patients can be identified early, there is an opportunity for intervention and improved health outcomes.”

Uganda Heart Institute Dr Emmy Okello said the Ugandan government should strengthen programs that promote screening of rheumatic heart disease and the availability of penicillin.

“Our study found a cheap and easily available penicillin can prevent progression of latent rheumatic heart disease into more severe, irreversible valve damage that is commonly seen in our hospitals with little or no access to valve surgery,” Dr Okello said.

Source: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute

Heparin’s Beneficial Impact on COVID Outcomes

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Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna have now shown that the anticoagulant heparin not only has a beneficial effect on survival of COVID patients, but also influences the duration of active infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The results were published in the journal Cardiovascular Research.

COVID is now known to be a multifaceted infectious disease, which affects several functional systems in the human body following infection with the pathogen SARS-CoV-2. One of these functional systems is blood clotting. COVID patients are at greater risk of thromboses and embolisms, such as strokes, pulmonary or myocardial infarctions, and even deep vein thromboses. The use of drugs that inhibit blood clotting has been part of the treatment guidelines for COVID since July 2020. “These complications during hospitalisation have a direct impact on the well-being of patients and increased the risk of dying from COVID,” said first author David Pereyra from MedUni Vienna’s Department of General Surgery. The underlying coagulopathy is still not fully understood.

“The coagulopathy observed in COVID patients is novel and differs in many respects from previously known coagulation problems,” said senior author Alice Assinger, group leader at the Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research at the Medical University of Vienna. “COVID-associated coagulopathy displays characteristics that, although partially comparable with other coagulation diseases, cannot be fully explained by them.” Alice Assinger’s group therefore started to look for an explanation for this sub-condition of COVID in the spring of 2020, in an early phase of the pandemic.

In a multi-centre analysis of COVID patients, the group saw that COVID-associated coagulopathy occurs almost exclusively in patients requiring intensive care or in patients who die as a result of COVID. While anticoagulant drugs improve the survival of COVID patients, they show no effect on immunological processes related to blood coagulation (immunothrombosis).

However, an analysis of the results showed that the length of active SARS-CoV-2 infection is shortened in patients treated with low-molecular-weight heparin, the most commonly used anticoagulant. “In patients who receive this drug, infection time is an average of four days shorter than in patients who are not treated with low-molecular-weight heparin. We were surprised to see that low-molecular-weight heparin may have a direct effect on coronavirus and its infectivity,” said David Pereyra. Experimental data show that heparin can inhibit the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to bind to cells, thereby preventing them from being infected.

These observations were made in the context of a close collaboration between the three hospitals involved – the Favoriten Hospital in Vienna, the Innsbruck Regional Hospital Innsbruck and the Johannes Kepler University Hospital in Linz – as well as through the active exchange between basic researchers and clinicians,” says Alice Assinger, underscoring the relevance of good cooperation during the COVID pandemic for a better understanding of the disease and its treatment.

Source: Medical University of Vienna