Dr Parillo Presents at New York Cardiovascular Symposium
Joseph E. Parrillo, M.D., FACC, director of Research Program and Research Database at Hackensack University Medical Center and Professor of Cardiology and Medicine at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, presented at the New York Cardiovascular Symposium (NYCVS) on December 9.
As part of the Hackensack Meridian Health Research Institute and Heart and Vascular Hospital, Dr. Parrillo and the COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Disease Research Team have published three papers and more than 15 abstracts regarding heart disease and COVID-19. Their research was published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the American Journal of Cardiology, and other clinical publications.
Dr. Parrillo presented the team’s significant findings in his presentation, Evolving Subacute and Chronic Impact of COVID-19 on Cardiovascular Sequelae: Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction (ANSD) as a Primary Concern. Dr. Parrillo discussed COVID-19’s impact on the cardiovascular system, the the dynamics of the disease leading to Long COVID, as well as effective treatments.
Some of the research conclusions include:
- COVID produces many cardiovascular abnormalities.
- Echocardiography assessment of cardiac function allows therapy to be tailored to the underlying abnormality, potentially improving management.
- Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID (PASC - Long COVID) is multifaceted and involves nearly every organ system.
- Milder acute COVID illness results in less severe PASC in general.
- A prospective, longitudinal observational study of HUTT (Tilt Table Testing) showed orthostatic intolerance in nearly all (23/24) study subjects. Findings suggest the presence of autonomic dysfunction.
- In PASC patients with fatigue, palpitations, and exercise intolerance, treatment with beta-blockers was associated with substantial improvement in symptoms along with reduced blood pressure and heart rate. A randomized, controlled trial is needed to confirm this preliminary observation.