Statins and new-onset atrial fibrillation in a cohort of patients with hypertension: analysis of electronic health records, 2006-2015

Atrial Fibrillation; Electronic Health Records; HypertensionFibrilación atrial; Registros Electrónicos de Salud; HipertensiónFibril·lació atrial ; Registres Electrònics de Salut; HipertensióHypertension is the most prevalent risk factor for new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). But few studies have addressed the effect of statins on the incidence of this arrhythmia in patients with hypertension. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of statins on new-onset of this arrhythmia in a hypertensive population, accounting for AF risk. Data from the Information System for the Development of Research in Primary Care was used to recruit a retrospective cohort of ≥55-year-old hypertensive individuals with no ischemic vascular disease, in 2006-2007, followed up through 2015. The effect of initiating statin treatment on new-onset atrial fibrillation was assessed with Cox proportional hazards models adjusted by the propensity score of receiving statin treatment, in the overall study population and stratified by AF risk. Of 100 276 included participants, 9814 initiated statin treatment. The AF incidence per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval) was 12.5 (12.3-12.8). Statin use associated with a significant (9%) reduction in AF incidence. Differences in absolute AF incidence were higher in the highest AF risk subgroup, and the estimated number needed to treat to avoid one case was 720. The relative effect was poor, similar across groups, and non-significant, as was the association of statins with adverse effects. We found a limited protective effect of statins over new-onset AF in this hypertensive population with no ischemic vascular disease. If there is no further indication, hypertensive patients would not benefit from statin use solely for AF primary prevention

Improving interMediAte Risk management. MARK study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cardiovascular risk functions fail to identify more than 50% of patients who develop cardiovascular disease. This is especially evident in the intermediate-risk patients in which clinical management becomes difficult. Our purpose is to analyze if ankle-brachial index (ABI), measures of arterial stiffness, postprandial glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, self-measured blood pressure and presence of comorbidity are independently associated to incidence of vascular events and whether they can improve the predictive capacity of current risk equations in the intermediate-risk population.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This project involves 3 groups belonging to REDIAPP (RETICS RD06/0018) from 3 Spanish regions. We will recruit a multicenter cohort of 2688 patients at intermediate risk (coronary risk between 5 and 15% or vascular death risk between 3-5% over 10 years) and no history of atherosclerotic disease, selected at random. We will record socio-demographic data, information on diet, physical activity, comorbidity and intermittent claudication. We will measure ABI, pulse wave velocity and cardio ankle vascular index at rest and after a light intensity exercise. Blood pressure and anthropometric data will be also recorded. We will also quantify lipids, glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin in a fasting blood sample and postprandial capillary glucose. Eighteen months after the recruitment, patients will be followed up to determine the incidence of vascular events (later follow-ups are planned at 5 and 10 years). We will analyze whether the new proposed risk factors contribute to improve the risk functions based on classic risk factors.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases is a priority in public health policy of developed and developing countries. The fundamental strategy consists in identifying people in a high risk situation in which preventive measures are effective and efficient. Improvement of these predictions in our country will have an immediate, clinical and welfare impact and a short term public health effect.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01428934">NCT01428934</a></p

Avaluació de la funció renal en la millora de la predicció del risc vascular. Anàlisi del rol de les estatines en la prevenció primària d’esdeveniments cardiovasculars en la població amb malaltia renal crònica inicial

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide as well as in our population. One of the main cardiovascular prevention strategies is to identify healthy patients who are at risk of cardiovascular disease and prescribe preventive measures. Cardiovascular risk functions help us to identify these patients, but they still do not perform well enough, especially at identifying patients at intermediate risk. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with cardiovascular disease. Therefore, markers of renal function such as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) could be a useful cardiovascular risk marker to improve cardiovascular risk functions. Our study shows that in the general population without previous cardiovascular disease and low incidence of coronary heart disease, decreased GFR is associated with a clinically significant increased risk of cardiovascular events and all cause mortality from the earliest CKD stages: CKD category G3a. However, GFR doesn’t improve the performance of cardiovascular risk functionsLes malalties cardiovasculars representen la principal causa de mortalitat i morbiditat tant en el mon com en el nostre àmbit. Una de les estratègies de prevenció cardiovascular principals, és identificar els pacients sans que tenen risc de patir una malaltia cardiovascular per poder aplicar-los mesures preventives. Les funcions de risc cardiovascular ens ajuden a identificar aquests pacients, però encara no tenen un rendiment suficientment acurat, sobretot alhora d’identificar pacients amb un risc mig. La malaltia renal crònica (MRC) està associada a la malaltia cardiovascular i per tant, els marcadors de funció renal com el filtrat glomerular (FG) podria ser un marcador de risc cardiovascular útil per millorar les funcions de risc cardiovascular. En el nostre estudi podem observar que en la població general sense malaltia cardiovascular prèvia i amb baixa incidència de malaltia coronària, el FG disminuït s’associa a un increment clínicament significatiu del risc d’esdeveniments cardiovascular i de mortalitat per totes les causes a partir de la fase més inicial de la MRC, la categoria G3a. Tot i això, el FG no va demostrar que millorés el rendiment de les funcions de risc cardiovascula

Associació entre la malaltia renal crònica i la malaltia cardiovascular a la població general mediterrània

La malaltia renal crònica (MRC) inicial s’ha definit com un marcador de risc cardiovascular susceptible d’intervenció terapèutica preventiva. Aquesta relació ha estat poc estudiada al nostre entorn. Objectius: Determinar si la MRC s’associa a un increment de risc de morbiditat i mortalitat al nostre entorn. Disseny: Estudi observacional prospectiu d’una cohort poblacional de Girona de 31.612 individus de 35-74 anys. Resultats: La MRC estadi 3 sense albuminúria no incrementa el risc de malaltia cardiovascular en població general de baix risc cardiovascular. L’albuminúria&20mg/L i els estadis 4-5 de MRC s’associen a un increment de risc de morbiditat cardiovascular i mortalitat global

How well can electronic health records from primary care identify Alzheimer's disease cases?

Background: Electronic health records (EHR) from primary care are emerging in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research, but their accuracy is a concern. We aimed to validate AD diagnoses from primary care using additional information provided by general practitioners (GPs), and a register of dementias. Patients and methods: This retrospective observational study obtained data from the System for the Development of Research in Primary Care (SIDIAP). Three algorithms combined International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical codes to identify AD cases in SIDIAP. GPs evaluated dementia diagnoses by means of an online survey. We linked data from the Register of Dementias of Girona and from SIDIAP. We estimated the positive predictive value (PPV) and sensitivity and provided results stratified by age, sex and severity. Results: Using survey data from the GPs, PPV of AD diagnosis was 89.8% (95% CI: 84.7-94.9). Using the dataset linkage, PPV was 74.8 (95% CI: 73.1-76.4) for algorithm A1 (AD diagnoses), and 72.3 (95% CI: 70.7-73.9) for algorithm A3 (diagnosed or treated patients without previous conditions); sensitivity was 71.4 (95% CI: 69.6-73.0) and 83.3 (95% CI: 81.8-84.6) for algorithms A1 (AD diagnoses) and A3, respectively. Stratified results did not differ by age, but PPV and sensitivity estimates decreased amongst men and severe patients, respectively. Conclusions: PPV estimates differed depending on the gold standard. The development of algorithms integrating diagnoses and treatment of dementia improved the AD case ascertainment. PPV and sensitivity estimates were high and indicated that AD codes recorded in a large primary care database were sufficiently accurate for research purposes

Effects of extreme temperatures on cardiovascular emergency hospitalizations in a Mediterranean region: a self-controlled case series study

Abstract Background Cold spells and heatwaves increase mortality. However little is known about the effect of heatwaves or cold spells on cardiovascular morbidity. This study aims to assess the effect of cold spells and heatwaves on cardiovascular diseases in a Mediterranean region (Catalonia, Southern Europe). Methods We conducted a population-based retrospective study. Data were obtained from the System for the Development of Research in Primary Care and from the Catalan Meteorological Service. The outcome was first emergency hospitalizations due to coronary heart disease, stroke, or heart failure. Exposures were: cold spells; cold spells and 3 or 7 subsequent days; and heatwaves. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using the self-controlled case series method. We accounted for age, time trends, and air pollutants; results were shown by age groups, gender or cardiovascular event type. Results There were 22,611 cardiovascular hospitalizations in winter and 17,017 in summer between 2006 and 2013. The overall incidence of cardiovascular hospitalizations significantly increased during cold spells (IRR = 1.120; CI 95%: 1.10–1.30) and the effect was even stronger in the 7 days subsequent to the cold spell (IRR = 1.29; CI 95%: 1.22–1.36). Conversely, cardiovascular hospitalizations did not increase during heatwaves, neither in the overall nor in the stratified analysis. Conclusions Cold spells but not heatwaves, increased the incidence of emergency cardiovascular hospitalizations in Catalonia. The effect of cold spells was greater when including the 7 subsequent days. Such knowledge might be useful to develop strategies to reduce the impact of extreme temperature episodes on human health

Statins and new-onset atrial fibrillation in a cohort of patients with hypertension: analysis of electronic health records, 2006-2015

Atrial Fibrillation; Electronic Health Records; HypertensionFibrilación atrial; Registros Electrónicos de Salud; HipertensiónFibril·lació atrial ; Registres Electrònics de Salut; HipertensióHypertension is the most prevalent risk factor for new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). But few studies have addressed the effect of statins on the incidence of this arrhythmia in patients with hypertension. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of statins on new-onset of this arrhythmia in a hypertensive population, accounting for AF risk. Data from the Information System for the Development of Research in Primary Care was used to recruit a retrospective cohort of ≥55-year-old hypertensive individuals with no ischemic vascular disease, in 2006-2007, followed up through 2015. The effect of initiating statin treatment on new-onset atrial fibrillation was assessed with Cox proportional hazards models adjusted by the propensity score of receiving statin treatment, in the overall study population and stratified by AF risk. Of 100 276 included participants, 9814 initiated statin treatment. The AF incidence per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval) was 12.5 (12.3-12.8). Statin use associated with a significant (9%) reduction in AF incidence. Differences in absolute AF incidence were higher in the highest AF risk subgroup, and the estimated number needed to treat to avoid one case was 720. The relative effect was poor, similar across groups, and non-significant, as was the association of statins with adverse effects. We found a limited protective effect of statins over new-onset AF in this hypertensive population with no ischemic vascular disease. If there is no further indication, hypertensive patients would not benefit from statin use solely for AF primary prevention

Epidemiology of dementia : prevalence and incidence estimates using validated electronic health records from primary care

Updated estimates of incidence and prevalence of dementia are crucial to ensure adequate public health policy. However, most of the epidemiological studies in the population in Spain were conducted before 2010. This study assessed the validity of dementia diagnoses recorded in electronic health records contained in a large primary-care database to determine if they could be used for research purposes. Then, to update the epidemiology of dementia in Catalonia (Spain), we estimated crude and standardized prevalence and incidence rates of dementia in Catalonia in 2016. The System for the Development of Research in Primary Care (SIDIAP) database contains anonymized information for >80% of the Catalan population. Validity of dementia codes in SIDIAP was assessed in patients at least 40 years old by asking general practitioners for additional evidence to support the diagnosis. Crude and standardized incidence and prevalence (95% CI) in people aged ≥65 years were estimated assuming a Poisson distribution. The positive predictive value of dementia diagnoses recorded in SIDIAP was estimated as 91.0% (95% CI 87.5%-94.5%). Age-and sex-standardized incidence and prevalence of dementia were 8.6/1,000 person-years (95% CI 8.0-9.3) and 5.1% (95% CI 4.5%-5.7%), respectively. SIDIAP contains valid dementia records. We observed incidence and prevalence estimations similar to recent face-to-face studies conducted in Spain and higher than studies using electronic health data from other European populations