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Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Cardiovascular Testing in Asia: The IAEA INCAPS-COVID Study

Takashi Kudo1, Ryan Lahey2, Cole B Hirschfeld3

  • 1Department of Radioisotope Medicine, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.

JACC. Asia
|November 7, 2022
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced cardiovascular diagnostic procedures in Asia, especially in low-income nations. Procedure volumes saw an 81% drop in these areas, highlighting disparities in care access during the health crisis.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Public Health
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted global cardiovascular disease management.
  • The specific effects on the volume of cardiovascular diagnostic procedures remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular diagnostic procedures in Asia.
  • To evaluate changes in safety practices related to these procedures during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

  • A worldwide survey was conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
  • Data on cardiovascular procedure volumes from March 2019, March 2020, and April 2020 were collected from 180 centers across 33 Asian countries.
  • Data were analyzed by subregions to compare procedural volumes and safety practice changes.

Main Results:

  • Cardiovascular procedure volumes decreased by 47% from March 2019 to March 2020.
  • Eastern Asia, particularly China, showed recovery from March 2020 to April 2020.
  • Lower-income countries experienced the most severe reductions, with an 81% decrease in volumes from March 2019 to April 2020.
  • Centers implemented physical distancing, visitor restrictions, and increased study times; COVID-19 testing was infrequent.

Conclusions:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic led to substantial reductions in cardiovascular diagnostic procedures across Asia, with a disproportionate impact on low-income countries.
  • Further research is needed to understand the long-term cardiovascular outcomes and evolving care delivery models post-pandemic.
Abstract

Keywords:
CMR, cardiac magnetic resonanceCOVID-19COVID-19, coronavirus disease-19CTA, computed tomographic angiographyICA, invasive coronary angiographyPET, positron emission tomographySARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2TTE, transthoracic echocardiographycardiac testingcardiovascular diseasecoronavirusglobal health

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