Data from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California health care system were used to compare rates of hospitalization for acute MI from March 4 through April 14, 2020 (the Covid-19 period) with rates ...from the same period in 2019 and rates from an earlier period in 2020. Rates of hospitalization for acute MI decreased by up to 48% during the Covid-19 period.
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is an uncommon entity that presents diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic dilemmas despite being a well-recognized entity for over 150 years. This is because of ...significant differences in the rates of hemolysis and associated diseases and because there is considerable clinical heterogeneity. In addition, there is a lack of clinical trials required to refine and update standardized and evidence-based therapeutic approaches. To aid the clinician in AIHA management, we present four vignettes that represent and highlight distinct clinical presentations with separate diagnostic and therapeutic pathways that we use in our clinical practice setting. We also review the parameters present in diagnostic testing that allow for prognostic insight and present algorithms for both diagnosis and treatment of the AIHA patient in diverse situations. This is done in the hope that this review may offer guidance in regard to personalized therapy recommendations. A section is included for the diagnosis of suspected AIHA with negative test results, a relatively infrequent but challenging situation, in order to assist in the overall evaluation spectrum for these patients.
Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is, in many ways, a unique hematologic entity. Unlike most hematologic conditions in which the diagnosis is intentional and credited to ...hematologists, the discovery of MGUS is most often incidental and made by nonhematologists. MGUS is considered an obligate precursor to several lymphoplasmacytic malignancies, including immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis, multiple myeloma, and Waldenström macroglobulinemia. Therefore, long-term follow-up is generally recommended. Despite its high prevalence, there is surprisingly limited evidence to inform best clinical practice both at the time of diagnosis and during follow-up. We present 7 vignettes to illustrate common clinical management questions that arise during the course of MGUS. Where evidence is present, we provide a concise summary of the literature and clear recommendations on management. Where evidence is lacking, we describe how we practice and provide a rationale for our approach. We also discuss the potential harms associated with MGUS diagnosis, a topic that is rarely, if ever, broached between patients and providers, or even considered in academic debate.
Abstract Background The accuracy of the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) Pooled Cohort Risk Equation for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events ...in contemporary and ethnically diverse populations is not well understood. Objectives The goal of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the 2013 ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Risk Equation within a large, multiethnic population in clinical care. Methods The target population for consideration of cholesterol-lowering therapy in a large, integrated health care delivery system population was identified in 2008 and followed up through 2013. The main analyses excluded those with known ASCVD, diabetes mellitus, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels <70 or ≥190 mg/dl, prior lipid-lowering therapy use, or incomplete 5-year follow-up. Patient characteristics were obtained from electronic medical records, and ASCVD events were ascertained by using validated algorithms for hospitalization databases and death certificates. We compared predicted versus observed 5-year ASCVD risk, overall and according to sex and race/ethnicity. We additionally examined predicted versus observed risk in patients with diabetes mellitus. Results Among 307,591 eligible adults without diabetes between 40 and 75 years of age, 22,283 were black, 52,917 were Asian/Pacific Islander, and 18,745 were Hispanic. We observed 2,061 ASCVD events during 1,515,142 person-years. In each 5-year predicted ASCVD risk category, observed 5-year ASCVD risk was substantially lower: 0.20% for predicted risk <2.50%; 0.65% for predicted risk 2.50% to <3.75%; 0.90% for predicted risk 3.75% to <5.00%; and 1.85% for predicted risk ≥5.00% (C statistic: 0.74). Similar ASCVD risk overestimation and poor calibration with moderate discrimination (C statistic: 0.68 to 0.74) were observed in sex, racial/ethnic, and socioeconomic status subgroups, and in sensitivity analyses among patients receiving statins for primary prevention. Calibration among 4,242 eligible adults with diabetes was improved, but discrimination was worse (C statistic: 0.64). Conclusions In a large, contemporary “real-world” population, the ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Risk Equation substantially overestimated actual 5-year risk in adults without diabetes, overall and across sociodemographic subgroups.
In this large community-based study, the incidence of acute myocardial infarction decreased significantly after the year 2000, with an especially marked decrease in ST-segment elevation myocardial ...infarction. A reduction in the case fatality rate was attributed both to the reduction in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions and a decrease in the rate of death from non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
In this large community-based study, the incidence of acute myocardial infarction decreased significantly after the year 2000, with an especially marked decrease in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
Many primary and secondary prevention strategies for acute myocardial infarction that have been shown to be efficacious in randomized trials
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have been implemented by physicians and health systems, resulting in improved control of cardiovascular risk factors in several populations.
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However, although better management of risk factors is an important quality benchmark, reductions in the incidence of myocardial infarction and adjusted case fatality rates are better measures of quality.
Previous studies of the incidence of myocardial infarction and case fatality rates have often focused on selected subgroups (e.g., the elderly) in populations with limited diversity with respect to race . . .
Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare histiocytosis that was recently recognized as a neoplastic disorder owing to the discovery of recurrent activating MAPK (RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK) pathway mutations. ...Typical findings of ECD include central diabetes insipidus, restrictive pericarditis, perinephric fibrosis, and sclerotic bone lesions. The histopathologic diagnosis of ECD is often challenging due to nonspecific inflammatory and fibrotic findings on histopathologic review of tissue specimens. Additionally, the association of ECD with unusual tissue tropism and an insidious onset often results in diagnostic errors and delays. Most patients with ECD require treatment, except for a minority of patients with minimally symptomatic single-organ disease. The first ECD consensus guidelines were published in 2014 on behalf of the physicians and researchers within the Erdheim-Chester Disease Global Alliance. With the recent molecular discoveries and the approval of the first targeted therapy (vemurafenib) for BRAF-V600–mutant ECD, there is a need for updated clinical practice guidelines to optimize the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. This document presents consensus recommendations that resulted from the International Medical Symposia on ECD in 2017 and 2019. Herein, we include the guidelines for the clinical, laboratory, histologic, and radiographic evaluation of ECD patients along with treatment recommendations based on our clinical experience and review of literature in the molecular era.
Purpose Data that guide selection of optimal local ablative therapy for the management localized hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are lacking. Because there are limited prospective comparative data for ...these treatment modalities, we aimed to compare the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) versus stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) by using the National Cancer Database. Methods We conducted an observational study to compare the effectiveness of RFA versus SBRT in nonsurgically managed patients with stage I or II HCC. Overall survival was compared by using propensity score-weighted and propensity score-matched analyses based on patient-, facility-, and tumor-level characteristics. A sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of severe fibrosis/cirrhosis. In addition, we performed exploratory analyses to determine the effectiveness of RFA and SBRT in clinically relevant patient subsets. Results Overall, 3,684 (92.6%) and 296 (7.4%) nonsurgically managed patients with stage I or II HCC received RFA or SBRT, respectively. After propensity matching, 5-year overall survival was 29.8% (95% CI, 24.5% to 35.3%) in the RFA group versus 19.3% (95% CI, 13.5% to 25.9%) in the SBRT group ( P < .001). Inverse probability-weighted analysis yielded similar results. The benefit of RFA was consistent across all subgroups examined and was robust to the effects of severe fibrosis/cirrhosis. Conclusion Our study suggests that treatment with RFA yields superior survival compared with SBRT for nonsurgically managed patients with stage I or II HCC. Even though our results are limited by the biases related to the retrospective study design, we believe that, in the absence of a randomized clinical trial, our findings should be considered when recommending local ablative therapy for localized unresectable HCC.
Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) can affect children and adults with a wide variety of clinical manifestations, including unifocal, single-system multifocal, single-system pulmonary ...(smoking-associated), or multisystem disease. The existing paradigms in the management of LCH in adults are mostly derived from the pediatric literature. Over the last decade, the discovery of clonality and MAPK-ERK pathway mutations in most cases led to the recognition of LCH as a hematopoietic neoplasm, opening the doors for treatment with targeted therapies. These advances have necessitated an update of the existing recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of LCH in adults. This document presents consensus recommendations that resulted from the discussions at the annual Histiocyte Society meeting in 2019, encompassing clinical features, classification, diagnostic criteria, treatment algorithm, and response assessment for adults with LCH. The recommendations favor the use of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-based imaging for staging and response assessment in the majority of cases. Most adults with unifocal disease may be cured by local therapies, while the first-line treatment for single-system pulmonary LCH remains smoking cessation. Among patients not amenable or unresponsive to these treatments and/or have multifocal and multisystem disease, systemic treatments are recommended. Preferred systemic treatments in adults with LCH include cladribine or cytarabine, with the emerging role of targeted (BRAF and MEK inhibitor) therapies. Despite documented responses to treatments, many patients struggle with a high symptom burden from pain, fatigue, and mood disorders that should be acknowledged and managed appropriately.
Inflammation and Progression of CKD: The CRIC Study Amdur, Richard L; Feldman, Harold I; Gupta, Jayanta ...
Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology,
09/2016, Letnik:
11, Številka:
9
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
CKD is a global public health problem with significant mortality and morbidity.
We examined the multivariable association of plasma levels of IL-1, IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-6, TNF-α, TGF-β, ...high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and serum albumin with progression of CKD in 3430 Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort study participants.
Over a median follow-up time of 6.3 years, 899 participants reached the composite end point of ≥50% decline in eGFR from baseline or onset of ESRD. Elevated plasma levels of fibrinogen, IL-6, and TNF-α and lower serum albumin were associated with a greater decline in eGFR over time. After adjusting for demographics, BP, laboratory variables, medication use, and baseline eGFR, hazard ratios for the composite outcome were greater for the patients in the highest quartile of fibrinogen (hazard ratio, 2.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.64 to 2.55; P<0.001), IL-6 (hazard ratio, 1.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.17 to 1.77; P<0.01), and TNF-α (hazard ratio, 1.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.52 to 2.47; P<0.001) compared with those in the respective lowest quartiles. The hazard ratio was 3.48 (95% confidence interval, 2.88 to 4.21; P<0.001) for patients in the lowest serum albumin quartile relative to those in the highest quartile. When also adjusted for albuminuria, the associations of fibrinogen (hazard ratio, 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.20 to 1.86; P<0.001), serum albumin (hazard ratio, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.24 to 1.87; P<0.001), and TNF-α (hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.11 to 1.81; P<0.001) with outcome were attenuated but remained significant.
Elevated plasma levels of fibrinogen and TNF-α and decreased serum albumin are associated with rapid loss of kidney function in patients with CKD.
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