Hydroxychloroquine

Final results from a randomized clinical trial continued to show that remdesivir shortens recovery time in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, although researchers said antiviral treatment alone is probably not sufficient for all patients.

Treatment with hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine may increase the rates of several CV adverse events, including QT prolongation, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias and HF, researchers found.

Healio and Cardiology Today have curated a list of the most-read cardiology news of September.

Cancers — particularly lung cancer — were more likely to occur among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who smoked, whereas use of antimalarials was linked to lower cancer risk, researchers noted.

Short-term treatment with hydroxychloroquine may not confer a risk for arrhythmia in patients with COVID-19, according to a recent study. It was the top story in cardiology last week.

The combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin significantly increased risk for heart failure and cardiovascular mortality among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to data published in The Lancet Rheumatology.

Hydroxychloroquine may be safe for the short-term treatment of patients with COVID-19 who were chosen for therapy after undergoing risk assessment, researchers found.

According to findings published in JAMA Network Open, the combination of azithromycin and QT-prolonging drugs was associated with a 40% increase in cardiac events compared with amoxicillin and QT-prolonging drugs.

CDC data show that primary care prescribers were responsible for more than half of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine prescriptions dispensed at outpatient retail pharmacies between March and April in the United States.

Hydroxychloroquine was not associated with either benefit or harm regarding COVID-19 mortality, and the evidence supporting the effect of other antirheumatic therapies is inconclusive, noted data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.