News & Updates

New-onset AF and HF triggered by RSV infection in an elderly patient

17 May 2025 by

An 87-year-old lady was hospitalized for respiratory distress in January 2024. When seen at bedside, her blood pressure was 190/110 mm Hg and she had atrial fibrillation (AF). She was also on oxygen support at a rate of 5 L/min. The patient’s history included hypertension well controlled on an angiotensin receptor blocker, and diabetes well controlled on linagliptin and empagliflozin. She had no known history of coronary artery disease, AF or stroke.

New-onset AF and HF triggered by RSV infection in an elderly patient

17 May 2025

QEH’s comprehensive heart failure programme — from inpatient to outpatient management

16 May 2025

Heart failure remains underdiagnosed and undertreated in Hong Kong. Watch this video to gain insights from Dr Michael Lee, Dr Esmond Fong, and Ms Cecilia Chan of the Division of Cardiology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), as they discuss QEH’s comprehensive heart failure programme aimed at optimizing patient outcomes.

QEH’s comprehensive heart failure programme — from inpatient to outpatient management

16 May 2025

VTE prevention and treatment: Role of fondaparinux in hospitalized patients

29 Apr 2025 by

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprising deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is highly prevalent among hospitalized patients, potentially fatal, yet preventable. In an interview with MIMS Doctor, Dr Andy Sing-Ong Tang, Clinical Haematologist of the Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, discussed the role of fondaparinux in prevention and treatment of VTE among hospitalized patients, with a particular focus on obese and Muslim patients.

VTE prevention and treatment: Role of fondaparinux in hospitalized patients

29 Apr 2025

PWH’s acute HF study supports predischarge initiation of SGLT2i

23 Apr 2025 by

International heart failure (HF) guidelines emphasize early predischarge initiation of all components of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), including sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), in patients hospitalized for acute HF. In an interview with MIMS Doctor, Dr Guang-Ming Tan of the Division of Cardiology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, discussed positive results of his centre’s recent study that evaluated predischarge initiation of empagliflozin in patients hospitalized for acute new-onset HF regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

PWH’s acute HF study supports predischarge initiation of SGLT2i

23 Apr 2025

Use of an SGLT2 inhibitor in an elderly patient with CKM syndrome and polypharmacy

23 Apr 2025 by

An 82-year-old frail Chinese male patient with multimorbidity and polypharmacy was admitted to the rehabilitation ward in November 2024 due to prior ischaemic stroke and congestive heart failure (HF) requiring treatment with oxygen and furosemide. Focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS) showed a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 50 percent, with formal echocardiography being scheduled for late 2025.

Use of an SGLT2 inhibitor in an elderly patient with CKM syndrome and polypharmacy

23 Apr 2025

$Early initiation of a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator in an elderly patient with refractory HFrEF$

Early initiation of a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator in an elderly patient with refractory HFrEF

23 Apr 2025 by

The patient was an 80-year-old male with multiple comorbidities, including diabetes mellitus controlled with a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i), hypertension and coronary artery disease, for which he underwent stenting in October 2023. He also had a pacemaker implanted for heart block. His left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ranged between 40–50 percent. For several years, he had been managed as an outpatient for mild heart failure (HF) symptoms and maintained independence in activities of daily living (ADL).

Early initiation of a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator in an elderly patient with refractory HFrEF

23 Apr 2025

Vaccination of vulnerable patients can reduce infection-associated CV risks

28 Mar 2025 by

The elderly and patients with chronic conditions have increased susceptibility to viral infections such as herpes zoster (HZ) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as higher risks of cardiovascular (CV) and other complications due to infection. At a recent symposium, Professor Timothy Tan of the Westmead and Blacktown Hospitals, and Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia, shared insights on how the recombinant adjuvanted RSV vaccine (RSVPreF3) and recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) can play an important role in preventing these infections, particularly in older individuals and those with comorbidities, thereby mitigating infection-associated risks.

Vaccination of vulnerable patients can reduce infection-associated CV risks

28 Mar 2025

CKD management in primary care: Why use SGLT2i?

25 Feb 2025 by

Primary care physicians, as patients’ first point of contact, play an important role in early detection and timely management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors’ (SGLT2i) positive data in CKD trials have established their role as first-line therapy recommended by international and Hong Kong guidelines. At an industry-sponsored symposium organized by the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians, experts reviewed empagliflozin’s benefits in broad populations of CKD patients, and discussed how its early initiation may slow CKD progression and delay dialysis. Case reports were presented to illustrate real-world benefits of empagliflozin among patients managed in primary care in Hong Kong.

CKD management in primary care: Why use SGLT2i?

25 Feb 2025

NT-proBNP predicts cardiorenal complications, improves risk stratification in Chinese T2D patients

20 Feb 2025

In a recent study involving 1,993 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) enrolled in the Hong Kong Diabetes Biobank, researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) demonstrated promising utility of N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) as an independent prognostic biomarker for a variety of cardiorenal complications. Notably, use of NT-proBNP with established clinical risk factors improved prediction of cardiorenal complications over clinical risk factors alone. This article summarizes these findings and highlights the potential utility of NT-proBNP in clinical practice for identification of T2D patients at risk of cardiorenal complications who may benefit from early use of more intensive, organ-protective therapies.

NT-proBNP predicts cardiorenal complications, improves risk stratification in Chinese T2D patients

20 Feb 2025

Use of an SGLT2i in a patient with cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome

20 Feb 2025 by

A 70-year-old Chinese male patient had an acute myocardial infarction (MI) at the age of 60 years and underwent a successful percutaneous coronary intervention. At the time of presentation in 2013, he had cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, including obesity with a body mass index (BMI) of 28 kg/m², type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with HbA_1c of 7.5 percent, chronic kidney disease (CKD) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 50 mL/min/1.73 m²and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) of 4 mg/mmol, and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 40 percent.

Use of an SGLT2i in a patient with cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome

20 Feb 2025

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New-onset AF and HF triggered by RSV infection in an elderly patient

New-onset AF and HF triggered by RSV infection in an elderly patient

QEH’s comprehensive heart failure programme — from inpatient to outpatient management

QEH’s comprehensive heart failure programme — from inpatient to outpatient management

VTE prevention and treatment: Role of fondaparinux in hospitalized patients

VTE prevention and treatment: Role of fondaparinux in hospitalized patients

PWH’s acute HF study supports predischarge initiation of SGLT2i

PWH’s acute HF study supports predischarge initiation of SGLT2i

Use of an SGLT2 inhibitor in an elderly patient with CKM syndrome and polypharmacy

Use of an SGLT2 inhibitor in an elderly patient with CKM syndrome and polypharmacy

Early initiation of a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator in an elderly patient with refractory HFrEF

Early initiation of a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator in an elderly patient with refractory HFrEF

Vaccination of vulnerable patients can reduce infection-associated CV risks

Vaccination of vulnerable patients can reduce infection-associated CV risks

CKD management in primary care: Why use SGLT2i?

CKD management in primary care: Why use SGLT2i?

NT-proBNP predicts cardiorenal complications, improves risk stratification in Chinese T2D patients

NT-proBNP predicts cardiorenal complications, improves risk stratification in Chinese T2D patients

Use of an SGLT2i in a patient with cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome

Use of an SGLT2i in a patient with cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome