TCTMD’s Top 10 Most Popular Stories for April 2020

No surprise: every single one of our top 10 stories for April 2020 covered some angle of the COVID-19 pandemic. We covered the physicians in stories about senior doctors, junior trainees, echocardiographers working safely, and clinical trialists scrambling to close down studies. We covered emerging disease characteristics including inflammatory-system responses, thrombosis, and obesity as a risk factor. We covered the big drop in STEMIs around the world and in the United States, specifically. And last but not least, we brought you our COVID-19 Daily Dispatch, updated with breaking research and policy news every day.

1. The Mystery of the Missing STEMIs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Fear of infection is likely the biggest driver, but as other theories circulate, cardiologists are bracing for the fallout.

2. Hopes High for Anti-inflammatories to Combat COVID-19 Immune System Storms

How the immune response tips so radically off-balance is unclear, but research, some drawing on recent CVD trials, ploughs on.

3. How COVID-19 Promotes Thrombosis, Posing Problems for Drug-Drug Interactions

A new review explores the higher risk of thrombotic disease with this coronavirus, how to prevent and treat it, plus research gaps.

4. COVID-19: TCTMD’s Daily Dispatch

We’re curating a list of COVID-19 research and other useful content, and updating it daily.

5. Thanks to COVID-19, Cardiology Fellows Gain Unexpected Skills but Risk Losing Others

Trading catheters for central lines, many fellows are stepping into roles they’d never imagined as programs adapt.

6. Echo During COVID-19? New Advice Weighs Doctor Safety, Patient Needs

Their suggestions include an increased use of POCUS, greater scrutiny of orders, and a hiatus for hands-on training.

7. COVID-19 Linked to 38% Drop in US STEMIs

Numbers from nine US hospitals largely echo the drop seen in Spain. Understanding the consequences is key, experts say.

8. Obesity and COVID-19: Theories and Blame Fill the Scientific Void

Obesity is the latest theory du jour for why some SARS-CoV-2 infections take a deadlier course, particularly in the young.

9. ‘Salvage What We Can’: Cardiology Clinical Trials in Turmoil Amid COVID-19

RCTs are paused or slowing to a trickle. Researchers predict data gaps, less funding, and new priorities when the pandemic ends.

10. An Age/Old Dilemma? Pulling Senior Cardiologists From the Front During COVID-19

Some US hospitals have asked doctors over a certain age to work from home, but surge situations may mean all hands on deck.

All of TCTMD’s COVID-19 coverage—news, videos, and podcasts—can be found on our COVID-19 Hub.