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    Case Report Series: Genetic and clinical characterization of long QT syndrome in admixed Ecuadorian patients and its implications for sudden cardiac death risk
    Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a hereditary cardiac channelopathy associated with delayed ventricular repolarization and increased risk of life-threatening arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. We report three Ecuadorian patients with LQTS, each presenting distinct clinical features and carrying pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in KCNH2 or KCNQ1. Subject A, an 18-year-old woman with exertion-related syncope and a QTc of 520 ms, was diagnosed with LQT2 due to a KCNH2 p.Ala614Val variant. Subject B, a 3-year-old girl with congenital deafness and a QTc of 580 ms, was diagnosed with Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome (JLNS), harboring a homozygous KCNQ1 p.Arg192Cys variant. Subject C, a 44-year-old man with recurrent syncope misdiagnosed as epilepsy and a strong family history of sudden death, was found to carry a KCNH2 p.Val612Met variant and had a QTc of 600 ms. All variants were classified according to ACMG/AMP guidelines and supported by in silico and functional data. Ancestry analysis provided additional genomic context in this admixed population. These cases underscore the clinical utility of integrating ECG findings, genetic testing, and ancestry-informed interpretation to improve diagnostic accuracy and personalize management in patients with inherited arrhythmia syndromes.
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    Case Report: Genomic and clinical insights into MYBPC3-related hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Ecuadorian patients: implications for sudden cardiac death risk
    Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited cardiac disease and a leading cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young adults and athletes. It exhibits marked clinical variability, which may be influenced by genetic background and environmental factors. Although MYBPC3 is the most frequently implicated gene, data from Latin American and admixed populations remain scarce. In this study, we describe three unrelated Ecuadorian patients with clinically diagnosed HCM who harbored MYBPC3 variants. Two patients carried likely pathogenic mutations (p.Glu258Lys and p.His875Profs*8), while novel missense variants (p.Ala536Pro and p.Thr274Met) were identified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Additional variants were detected in TTN, MYLK2, RYR1, SDHA, APOB, and JPH2, but given their classification as VUS or a lack of association with HCM, they are described only as incidental findings. An ancestry analysis revealed heterogeneous contributions of Native American, European, and African backgrounds, reflecting the admixed composition of the Ecuadorian population. This case series underscores the phenotypic heterogeneity of HCM, even among patients with MYBPC3 variants, and highlights the importance of genomic testing in underrepresented populations to improve diagnosis, family screening, and SCD risk stratification. 2026 Paz-Cruz, Guevara-Ramírez, Tamayo-Trujillo, Ruiz-Pozo, Cadena-Ullauri, Ibarra-Castillo, Laso-Bayas, Meza-Chico, Cabrera-Andrade and Zambrano.
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    Spectrum and Clinical Interpretation of TTN Variants in Ecuadorian Patients with Heart Disease: Insights into VUS and Likely Pathogenic Variants
    This study described TTN gene variants in Ecuadorian patients with hereditary cardiac diseases, integrating genetic ancestry to improve variant interpretation in an underrepresented population. Sixty patients with confirmed hereditary cardiac conditions were analyzed using the TruSight Cardio NGS panel (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA), which targets 174 cardiac-associated genes. Bioinformatic analyses and classification were performed in accordance with ACMG/AMP guidelines, and ancestry inference was conducted using 46 Ancestry Informative Markers (AIM-InDels). From 4008 detected TTN variants, 29 variants of interest remained after filtering: 27 classified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS) and two as likely pathogenic. All variants were heterozygous and distributed across exons 3–358, primarily in the A-band region, commonly associated with cardiomyopathies and arrhythmic phenotypes. Two truncating variants (exons 267 and 272) met PVS1 criteria, while several missense variants (p.Ser91Gly, p.Pro12140Ser, p.Arg34653Cys) showed possible modulatory effects on hypertrophic or arrhythmic outcomes. Genetic ancestry revealed a predominant Native American background, followed by European and African components. These findings expand the understanding of TTN-related cardiac disease in Latin America, suggesting that TTN functions as a genetic modifier influencing disease expression. Incorporating ancestry information enhances genomic interpretation and supports precision medicine in diverse populations.
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    Secondary Prevention Medications in 17 Countries Grouped by Income Level - PURE : A Prospective Cohort Study
    (Elsevier BV, 2025-02)
    Philip Joseph
    ;
    Alvaro Avezum
    ;
    Chinthanie Ramasundarahettige
    ;
    Prem K. Mony
    ;
    Rita Yusuf
    Background: It is unclear whether global use of medications for secondary cardiovascular (CVD) prevention is improving over time. Objectives: This study across 17 high-, middle- and low-income countries described variations in secondary CVD prevention medication use over a median follow-up of 12 years. Methods: In the multinational PURE (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology) cohort study, we conducted a repeated cross-sectional analysis to examine temporal variations in the use of secondary prevention medications in participants with CVD. In participants with coronary artery disease, we focused on antiplatelet agents, statins, renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors, and β-blockers. In participants with stroke, we focused on antiplatelet agents, statins, RAS inhibitors, and other blood pressure–lowering drugs. Medications were collected at baseline and on 4 subsequent follow-up visits. Results: The analysis included 7,409 participants with a diagnosis of CVD at the baseline visit, 8,792 at the second visit, 9,236 at the third visit, 11,082 at the fourth visit, and 11,677 at the last visit. The median age at baseline was 58.0 years, and 52.9% of the participants were female. The median follow-up was 12 years, with the median year of the baseline visit in 2007 and the fifth visit in 2019. Over this period, use of 1 or more classes of medications for secondary CVD prevention was 41.3% (95% CI: 40.2%-42.4%) at baseline, peaked at 43.1% (95% CI: 42.0%-44.1%), and then decreased to 31.3% (95% CI: 30.4%-32.1%) by the last study visit. In high-income countries, this use decreased from 88.8% (95% CI: 86.6%-91.0%) to 77.3% (95% CI: 74.9%-79.6%). In upper-middle-income countries, this use increased from 55.0% (95% CI: 52.8%-57.3%) to 61.1% (95% CI: 59.1%-63.1%). In lower-middle-income countries, use of at least 1 class of medications was 29.5% (95% CI: 28.1%-30.9%) at baseline, peaked at 31.7% (95% CI: 30.4%-33.1%), and then decreased to 13.4% (95% CI: 12.5%-14.2%) by the last visit. In low-income countries, use of at least 1 class of medications was 20.8% (95% CI: 18.1%-23.5%) at baseline, peaked at 47.3% (95% CI: 44.8%-49.9%), and then decreased to 27.5% (95% CI: 25.2%-29.9%) by the last study visit. Conclusions: Globally and in most country income-level groups, the use of medications for secondary CVD prevention has been low, with little improvement over time.
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    Identification of a novel NKX2-5 variant in a young Ecuadorian patient with atrioventricular block and bradycardia: a case report
    Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading global cause of mortality, with South America reflecting similar trends. Among congenital heart diseases (CHDs), atrioventricular (AV) block is included. AV block is a condition defined by abnormal electrical signal transmission between the atria and ventricles. Advances in Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) have facilitated the identification of genetic variants associated with cardiac disorders, such as AV block. Notably, the transcription factor NKX2-5 plays a crucial role in heart development and function, and mutations in this gene have been linked to bradycardia and AV block. This article describes the case report of a young Ecuadorian child diagnosed with AV block and bradycardia. Furthermore, by performing NGS, a missense variant, p.(Tyr274Ser) substitution, in the NKX2-5 gene has been identified and classified as a variant of uncertain significance (VUS). Ancestral analysis has shown a genetic background of 16.5% African, 45.9% European, and 37.6% Native American. These findings suggest a potential association between the identified NKX2-5 variant and the patient's phenotype, highlighting the importance of integrating genomic and ancestral analyses to advance personalized diagnostics and therapeutics in diverse populations, such as the mestizo population. 2025 Ruiz-Pozo, Cadena-Ullauri, Paz-Cruz, Tamayo-Trujillo, Guevara-Ramirez, Onofre-Ruiz and Zambrano.
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    2024 Latin American Society of Hypertension guidelines on the management of arterial hypertension and related comorbidities in Latin America
    (Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2025-01-03)
    Ramiro Sánchez
    ;
    Antonio Coca
    ;
    Dora I. Molina de Salazar
    ;
    Luis Alcocer
    ;
    Dagnovar Aristizabal
    Hypertension is responsible for more than two million deaths due to cardiovascular disease annually in Latin America (LATAM), of which one million occurs before 70 years of age. Hypertension is the main risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, affecting between 20 and 40% of LATAM adults. Since the publication of the 2017 LASH hypertension guidelines, reports from different LATAM countries have confirmed the burden of hypertension on cardiovascular disease events and mortality in the region. Many studies in the region have reported and emphasized the dramatically insufficient blood pressure control. The extremely low rates of awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension, particularly in patients with metabolic disorders, is a recognized severe problem in LATAM. Earlier implementation of antihypertensive interventions and management of all cardiovascular risk factors is the recognized best strategy to improve the natural history of cardiovascular disease in LATAM. The 2024 LASH guidelines have been developed by a large group of experts from internal medicine, cardiology, nephrology, endocrinology, general medicine, geriatrics, pharmacology, and epidemiology of different countries of LATAM and Europe. A careful search for novel studies on hypertension and related diseases in LATAM, together with the new evidence that emerged since the 2017 LASH guidelines, support all statements and recommendations. This update aims to provide clear, concise, accessible, and useful recommendations for health professionals to improve awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension and associated cardiovascular risk factors in the region.