Graphical Abstract
During year 2020, we learned new options to better stratify patients with heart failure and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFpEF) (A), the clinical benefit of three ...new drugs to improve prognosis of patient with heart failure and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF): empagliflozin, vericiguat and omecamtiv mecarbil (B), the potential benefit of a broader utilization of recommended drugs for HFrEF in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction higher than 40% (C), and the potential added clinical benefit of a comprehensive use of recommended drugs for HFrEF (D) in a year marked by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic (central cartoon). Reprinted or adapted from: (A) Selvaraj et al.,23 (B) Packer et al.,115 Armstrong et al.,126 and Teerlink et al.,132 (C) Böhm et al.,100 (D) Vaduganathan et al.139
IMPORTANCE To better guide strategies intended to reduce high rates of 30-day readmission after hospitalization for heart failure (HF), acute myocardial infarction (MI), or pneumonia, further ...information is needed about readmission diagnoses, readmission timing, and the relationship of both to patient age, sex, and race. OBJECTIVE To examine readmission diagnoses and timing among Medicare beneficiaries readmitted within 30 days after hospitalization for HF, acute MI, or pneumonia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS We analyzed 2007-2009 Medicare fee-for-service claims data to identify patterns of 30-day readmission by patient demographic characteristics and time after hospitalization for HF, acute MI, or pneumonia. Readmission diagnoses were categorized using an aggregated version of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Condition Categories. Readmission timing was determined by day after discharge. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES We examined the percentage of 30-day readmissions occurring on each day (0-30) after discharge; the most common readmission diagnoses occurring during cumulative periods (days 0-3, 0-7, 0-15, and 0-30) and consecutive periods (days 0-3, 4-7, 8-15, and 16-30) after hospitalization; median time to readmission for common readmission diagnoses; and the relationship between patient demographic characteristics and readmission diagnoses and timing. RESULTS From 2007 through 2009, we identified 329 308 30-day readmissions after 1 330 157 HF hospitalizations (24.8% readmitted), 108 992 30-day readmissions after 548 834 acute MI hospitalizations (19.9% readmitted), and 214 239 30-day readmissions after 1 168 624 pneumonia hospitalizations (18.3% readmitted). The proportion of patients readmitted for the same condition was 35.2% after the index HF hospitalization, 10.0% after the index acute MI hospitalization, and 22.4% after the index pneumonia hospitalization. Of all readmissions within 30 days of hospitalization, the majority occurred within 15 days of hospitalization: 61.0%, HF cohort; 67.6%, acute MI cohort; and 62.6%, pneumonia cohort. The diverse spectrum of readmission diagnoses was largely similar in both cumulative and consecutive periods after discharge. Median time to 30-day readmission was 12 days for patients initially hospitalized for HF, 10 days for patients initially hospitalized for acute MI, and 12 days for patients initially hospitalized for pneumonia and was comparable across common readmission diagnoses. Neither readmission diagnoses nor timing substantively varied by age, sex, or race. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE Among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries hospitalized for HF, acute MI, or pneumonia, 30-day readmissions were frequent throughout the month after hospitalization and resulted from a similar spectrum of readmission diagnoses regardless of age, sex, race, or time after discharge.
We compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes of young patients with myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) versus obstructive disease (myocardial infarction due ...to coronary artery disease MI-CAD) and among patients with MINOCA by sex and subtype.
Between 2008 and 2012, VIRGO (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients) prospectively enrolled acute myocardial infarction patients aged 18 to 55 years in 103 hospitals at a 2:1 ratio of women to men. Using an angiographically driven taxonomy, we defined patients as having MI-CAD if there was revascularization or plaque ≥50% and as having MINOCA if there was <50% obstruction or a nonplaque mechanism. Patients who did not have an angiogram or who received thrombolytics before an angiogram were excluded. Outcomes included 1- and 12-month mortality and functional (Seattle Angina Questionnaire SAQ) and psychosocial status. Of 2690 patients undergoing angiography, 2374 (88.4%) had MI-CAD, 299 (11.1%) had MINOCA, and 17 (0.6%) remained unclassified. Women had 5 times higher odds of having MINOCA than men (14.9% versus 3.5%; odds ratio: 4.84; 95% confidence interval, 3.29-7.13). MINOCA patients were more likely to be without traditional cardiac risk factors (8.7% versus 1.3%;
<0.001) but more predisposed to hypercoaguable states than MI-CAD patients (3.0% versus 1.3%;
=0.036). Women with MI-CAD were more likely than those with MINOCA to be menopausal (55.2% versus 41.2%;
<0.001) or to have a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (16.8% versus 11.0%;
=0.028). The MINOCA mechanisms varied: a nonplaque mechanism was identified for 75 patients (25.1%), and their clinical profiles and management also varied. One- and 12-month mortality with MINOCA and MI-CAD was similar (1-month: 1.1% and 1.7%
=0.43; 12-month: 0.6% and 2.3%
=0.68, respectively), as was adjusted 12-month SAQ quality of life (76.5 versus 73.5, respectively;
=0.06).
Young patients with MINOCA were more likely women, had a heterogeneous mechanistic profile, and had clinical outcomes that were comparable to those of MI-CAD patients.
URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00597922.
Background Although frailty has been associated with increased risks for hospitalization and mortality in chronic heart failure, the precise average effect remains uncertain. We performed a ...systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the hazards for mortality and incident hospitalization in patients with heart failure and frailty compared with those without frailty and explored the heterogeneity underlying the effect size estimates. Methods and Results MEDLINE , EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were queried for articles published between January 1966 and March 2018. Predefined selection criteria were used. Hazard ratios ( HRs ) were pooled for meta-analyses, and where odds ratios were used previously, original data were recalculated for HR . Overlapping data were consolidated, and only unique data points were used. Study quality and bias were assessed. Eight studies were included for mortality (2645 patients), and 6 studies were included for incident hospitalization (2541 patients) during a median follow-up of 1.82 and 1.12 years, respectively. Frailty was significantly associated with an increased hazard for mortality ( HR , 1.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-1.75; P<0.001) and incident hospitalization ( HR , 1.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.36-1.78; P<0.001) in chronic heart failure. The Fried phenotype estimated a 16.9% larger effect size than the combined Fried/non-Fried frailty assessment for the end point of mortality ( HR , 1.80; 95% confidence interval, 1.41-2.28; P<0.001), but not for hospitalization ( HR , 1.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.30-1.89; P<0.001). Study heterogeneity was found to be low (I
=0%), and high quality of studies was verified by the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Conclusions Overall, the presence of frailty in chronic heart failure is associated with an increased hazard for death and hospitalization by ≈1.5-fold.
Reperfusion therapy led to an important decline in mortality after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Because the rate of cardiogenic shock has not changed dramatically, the authors ...speculated that a reduction in the incidence or fatality rate of mechanical complications (MCs), the second cause of death in these patients, could explain this decrease.
This study sought to assess time trends in the incidence, management, and fatality rates of MC, and its influence on short-term mortality in old patients with STEMI.
Trends in the incidence and outcomes of MC between 1988 and 2008 were analyzed by Mantel-Haenszel linear association test in 1,393 consecutive patients ≥75 years of age with first STEMI.
Overall in-hospital mortality decreased from 34.3% to 13.4% (relative risk reduction, 61%; p < 0.001). Although the absolute mortality due to MC decreased from 9.6% to 3.3% (p < 0.001), the proportion of deaths due to MC among all deaths did not change (28.1% to 24.5%; p = 0.53). The incidence of MC decreased from 11.1% to 4.3% (relative risk reduction 61%) with no change in their hospital fatality rate over time (from 87.1% to 82.4%; p = 0.66). The proportion of patients undergoing surgical repair decreased from 45.2% to 17.6% (p = 0.04), with no differences in post-operative survival (from 28.6% to 33.3%; p = 0.74).
Although the incidence of MC has decreased substantially since the initiation of reperfusion therapy in elderly STEMI patients, this reduction was proportional to other causes of death and was not accompanied by an improvement in fatality rates, with or without surgery. MCs are less frequent but remain catastrophic complications of STEMI in these patients.
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CONTEXT Whether decreases in the length of stay during the past decade for patients with heart failure (HF) may be associated with changes in outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVE To describe the temporal ...changes in length of stay, discharge disposition, and short-term outcomes among older patients hospitalized for HF. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS An observational study of 6 955 461 Medicare fee-for-service hospitalizations for HF between 1993 and 2006, with a 30-day follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Length of hospital stay, in-patient and 30-day mortality, and 30-day readmission rates. RESULTS Between 1993 and 2006, mean length of stay decreased from 8.81 days (95% confidence interval CI, 8.79-8.83 days) to 6.33 days (95% CI, 6.32-6.34 days). In-hospital mortality decreased from 8.5% (95% CI, 8.4%-8.6%) in 1993 to 4.3% (95% CI, 4.2%-4.4%) in 2006, whereas 30-day mortality decreased from 12.8% (95% CI, 12.8%-12.9%) to 10.7% (95% CI, 10.7%-10.8%). Discharges to home or under home care service decreased from 74.0% to 66.9% and discharges to skilled nursing facilities increased from 13.0% to 19.9%. Thirty-day readmission rates increased from 17.2% (95% CI, 17.1%-17.3%) to 20.1% (95% CI, 20.0%-20.2%; all P < .001). Consistent with the unadjusted analyses, the 2005-2006 risk-adjusted 30-day mortality risk ratio was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.91-0.93) compared with 1993-1994, and the 30-day readmission risk ratio was 1.11 (95% CI, 1.10-1.11). CONCLUSION For patients admitted with HF during the past 14 years, reductions in length of stay and in-hospital mortality, less marked reductions in 30-day mortality, and changes in discharge disposition accompanied by increases in 30-day readmission rates were observed.
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, but data on arterial inflammation at early stages is limited.
The purpose of this study was to characterize vascular inflammation by hybrid ...18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI).
Carotid, aortic, and ilio-femoral 18F-FDG PET/MRI was performed in 755 individuals (age 40 to 54 years; 83.7% men) with known plaques detected by 2-/3-dimensional vascular ultrasound and/or coronary calcification in the PESA (Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis) study. The authors evaluated the presence, distribution, and number of arterial inflammatory foci (increased 18F-FDG uptake) and plaques with or without inflammation (coincident 18F-FDG uptake).
Arterial inflammation was present in 48.2% of individuals (24.4% femorals, 19.3% aorta, 15.8% carotids, and 9.3% iliacs) and plaques in 90.1% (73.9% femorals, 55.8% iliacs, and 53.1% carotids). 18F-FDG arterial uptakes and plaques significantly increased with cardiovascular risk factors (p < 0.01). Coincident 18F-FDG uptakes were present in 287 of 2,605 (11%) plaques, and most uptakes were detected in plaque-free arterial segments (459 of 746; 61.5%). Plaque burden, defined by plaque presence, number, and volume, was significantly higher in individuals with arterial inflammation than in those without (p < 0.01). The number of plaques and 18F-FDG uptakes showed a positive albeit weak correlation (r = 0.25; p < 0.001).
Arterial inflammation is highly prevalent in middle-aged individuals with known subclinical atherosclerosis. Large-scale multiterritorial PET/MRI allows characterization of atherosclerosis-related arterial inflammation and demonstrates 18F-FDG uptake in plaque-free arterial segments and, less frequently, within plaques. These findings suggest an arterial inflammatory state at early stages of atherosclerosis. (Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis PESA; NCT01410318)
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The metabolic injury caused by protein glycation, monitored as the level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), is not represented in most risk scores (i.e., Systematic Coronary Risk Estimation or ...atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk scale).
The purpose of this study was to assess the association between HbA1c and the extent of subclinical atherosclerosis (SA) and to better identify individuals at higher risk of extensive SA using HbA1c on top of key cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs).
A cohort of 3,973 middle-aged individuals from the PESA (Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis) study, with no history of cardiovascular disease and with HbA1c in the nondiabetic range, were assessed for the presence and extent of SA by 2-dimensional vascular ultrasound and noncontrast cardiac computed tomography.
After adjusting for established CVRFs, HbA1c showed an association with the multiterritorial extent of SA (odds ratio: 1.05, 1.27, 1.27, 1.36, 1.80, 1.87, and 2.47 for HbA1c 4.9% to 5.0%, 5.1% to 5.2%, 5.3% to 5.4%, 5.5% to 5.6%, 5.7% to 5.8%, 5.9% to 6.0%, and 6.1% to 6.4%, respectively; reference HbA1c ≤4.8%; p < 0.001). The association was significant in all pre-diabetes groups and even below the pre-diabetes cut-off (HbA1c 5.5% to 5.6% odds ratio: 1.36 95% confidence interval: 1.03 to 1.80; p = 0.033). High HbA1c was associated with an increased risk of SA in low-risk individuals (p < 0.001), but not in moderate-risk individuals (p = 0.335). Relative risk estimations using Systematic Coronary Risk Estimation or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease predictors confirmed that inclusion of HbA1c modified the risk of multiterritorial SA in most risk categories.
Routine use of HbA1c can identify asymptomatic individuals at higher risk of SA on top of traditional CVRFs. Lifestyle interventions and novel antidiabetic medications might be considered to reduce both HbA1c levels and SA in individuals without diabetes.
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