Documentation of body mass index and control of associated risk factors in a large primary care network

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Body mass index (BMI) will be a reportable health measure in the United States (US) through implementation of Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) guidelines. We evaluated current documentation of BMI, and documentation and control of associated risk factors by BMI category, based on electronic health records from a 12-clinic primary care network.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 79,947 active network patients greater than 18 years of age seen between 7/05 - 12/06. We defined BMI category as normal weight (NW, 18-24.9 kg/m²), overweight (OW, 25-29.9), and obese (OB, ≥ 30). We measured documentation (yes/no) and control (above/below) of the following three risk factors: blood pressure (BP) ≤130/≤85 mmHg, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) ≤130 mg/dL (3.367 mmol/L), and fasting glucose <100 mg/dL (5.55 mmol/L) or casual glucose <200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>BMI was documented in 48,376 patients (61%, range 34-94%), distributed as 30% OB, 34% OW, and 36% NW. Documentation of all three risk factors was higher in obesity (OB = 58%, OW = 54%, NW = 41%, p for trend <0.0001), but control of all three was lower (OB = 44%, OW = 49%, NW = 62%, p = 0.0001). The presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or diabetes modified some associations with obesity, and OB patients with CVD or diabetes had low rates of control of all three risk factors (CVD: OB = 49%, OW = 50%, NW = 56%; diabetes: OB = 42%, OW = 47%, NW = 48%, p < 0.0001 for adiposity-CVD or diabetes interaction).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In a large primary care network BMI documentation has been incomplete and for patients with BMI measured, risk factor control has been poorer in obese patients compared with NW, even in those with obesity and CVD or diabetes. Better knowledge of BMI could provide an opportunity for improved quality in obesity care.</p

Iron Behaving Badly: Inappropriate Iron Chelation as a Major Contributor to the Aetiology of Vascular and Other Progressive Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases

The production of peroxide and superoxide is an inevitable consequence of aerobic metabolism, and while these particular "reactive oxygen species" (ROSs) can exhibit a number of biological effects, they are not of themselves excessively reactive and thus they are not especially damaging at physiological concentrations. However, their reactions with poorly liganded iron species can lead to the catalytic production of the very reactive and dangerous hydroxyl radical, which is exceptionally damaging, and a major cause of chronic inflammation. We review the considerable and wide-ranging evidence for the involvement of this combination of (su)peroxide and poorly liganded iron in a large number of physiological and indeed pathological processes and inflammatory disorders, especially those involving the progressive degradation of cellular and organismal performance. These diseases share a great many similarities and thus might be considered to have a common cause (i.e. iron-catalysed free radical and especially hydroxyl radical generation). The studies reviewed include those focused on a series of cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological diseases, where iron can be found at the sites of plaques and lesions, as well as studies showing the significance of iron to aging and longevity. The effective chelation of iron by natural or synthetic ligands is thus of major physiological (and potentially therapeutic) importance. As systems properties, we need to recognise that physiological observables have multiple molecular causes, and studying them in isolation leads to inconsistent patterns of apparent causality when it is the simultaneous combination of multiple factors that is responsible. This explains, for instance, the decidedly mixed effects of antioxidants that have been observed, etc...Comment: 159 pages, including 9 Figs and 2184 reference

Anesthesia for cesarean delivery in a patient with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries: A case report

Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) is a rare form of congenital heart disease often associated with other cardiac defects. The adaptations and physiologic changes in pregnancy can present maternal challenges and complications; multidisciplinary care allows for the safest management of pregnancy and delivery in these patients. We present a case of the anesthetic management of cesarean delivery in a woman with CCTGA with her pregnancy complicated by recurrent volume overload, pulmonary hypertension, and dysrhythmias

Left main coronary artery compression in pulmonary hypertension

Extrinsic compression of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) by a dilated pulmonary artery (PA) in the setting of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is an increasingly recognized disease entity. LMCA compression has been associated with angina, arrhythmia, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death in patients with PAH. Recent studies suggest that at least 6% of patients with PAH have significant LMCA compression. Screening for LMCA compression can be achieved with computed coronary tomography angiography, with a particular emphasis on assessment of PA size and any associated downward displacement and reduced takeoff angle of the LMCA. Indeed, evidence of a dilated PA (&gt;40 mm), a reduced LMCA takeoff angle (&lt;60°), and/or LMCA stenosis on CCTA imaging should prompt further diagnostic evaluation. Coronary angiography in conjunction with intravascular imaging has proven effective in diagnosing LMCA compression and guiding subsequent treatment. While optimal medical therapy and surgical correction remain in the clinician's arsenal, percutaneous coronary intervention has emerged as an effective treatment for LMCA compression. Given the prevalence of LMCA compression, its associated morbidity, and mortality, and the wide array of successful treatment strategies, maintaining a high degree of suspicion for this condition, and understanding the potential treatment strategies is critical

Identifying primary care patients at risk for future diabetes and cardiovascular disease using electronic health records

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prevention of diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD) is possible but identification of at-risk patients for targeting interventions is a challenge in primary care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed electronic health record (EHR) data for 122,715 patients from 12 primary care practices. We defined patients with risk factor clustering using metabolic syndrome (MetS) characteristics defined by NCEP-ATPIII criteria; if missing, we used surrogate characteristics, and validated this approach by directly measuring risk factors in a subset of 154 patients. For subjects with at least 3 of 5 MetS criteria measured at baseline (2003-2004), we defined 3 categories: <it>No MetS </it>(0 criteria); <it>At-risk-for MetS </it>(1-2 criteria); and <it>MetS </it>(≥ 3 criteria). We examined new diabetes and CHD incidence, and resource utilization over the subsequent 3-year period (2005-2007) using age-sex-adjusted regression models to compare outcomes by MetS category.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After excluding patients with diabetes/CHD at baseline, 78,293 patients were eligible for analysis. EHR-defined MetS had 73% sensitivity and 91% specificity for directly measured MetS. Diabetes incidence was 1.4% in <it>No MetS</it>; 4.0% in <it>At-risk-for MetS; </it>and 11.0% in <it>MetS </it>(p < 0.0001 for trend; adjusted OR <it>MetS </it>vs <it>No MetS </it>= 6.86 [6.06-7.76]); CHD incidence was 3.2%, 5.3%, and 6.4% respectively (p < 0.0001 for trend; adjusted OR = 1.42 [1.25-1.62]). Costs and resource utilization increased across categories (p < 0.0001 for trends). Results were similar analyzing individuals with all five criteria not missing, or defining MetS as ≥ 2 criteria present.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Risk factor clustering in EHR data identifies primary care patients at increased risk for new diabetes, CHD and higher resource utilization.</p