Cardiac Performance Measure Compliance in Outpatients The American College of Cardiology and National Cardiovascular Data Registry's PINNACLE (Practice Innovation And Clinical Excellence) Program

ObjectivesWe examined compliance with performance measures for 14,464 patients enrolled from July 2008 through June 2009 into the American College of Cardiology's PINNACLE (Practice Innovation And Clinical Excellence) program to provide initial insights into the quality of outpatient cardiac care.BackgroundLittle is known about the quality of care of outpatients with coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure, and atrial fibrillation, and whether sex and racial disparities exist in the treatment of outpatients.MethodsThe PINNACLE program is the first, national, prospective office-based quality improvement program of cardiac patients designed, in part, to capture, report, and improve outpatient performance measure compliance. We examined the proportion of patients whose care was compliant with established American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and American Medical Association-Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement (ACC/AHA/PCPI) performance measures for CAD, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation.ResultsThere were 14,464 unique patients enrolled from 27 U.S. practices, accounting for 18,021 clinical visits. Of these, 8,132 (56.4%) had CAD, 5,012 (34.7%) had heart failure, and 2,786 (19.3%) had nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Data from the PINNACLE program were feasibly collected for 24 of 25 ACC/AHA/PCPI performance measures. Compliance with performance measures ranged from being very low (e.g., 13.3% of CAD patients screened for diabetes mellitus) to very high (e.g., 96.7% of heart failure patients with blood pressure assessments), with moderate (70% to 90%) compliance observed for most performance measures. For 3 performance measures, there were small differences in compliance rates by race or sex.ConclusionsFor more than 14,000 patients enrolled from 27 practices in the outpatient PINNACLE program, we found that compliance with performance measures was variable, even after accounting for exclusion criteria, suggesting an important opportunity to improve the quality of outpatient care

Exercise and global well-being in community-dwelling adults with fibromyalgia: a systematic review with meta-analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Exercise has been recommended for improving global-well being in adults with fibromyalgia. However, no meta-analysis has determined the effects of exercise on global well-being using a single instrument and when analyzed separately according to intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses. The purpose of this study was to fill that gap.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Studies were derived from six electronic sources, cross-referencing from retrieved studies and expert review. Dual selection of randomized controlled exercise training studies published between January 1, 1980 and January 1, 2008 and in which global well-being was assessed using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) were included. Dual abstraction of data for study, subject and exercise program characteristics as well as assessment of changes in global well-being using the total score from the FIQ was conducted. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane bias assessment tool. Random-effects models and Hedge's standardized effect size (<it>g</it>) were used to pool results according to per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 1,025 studies screened, 7 representing 5 per-protocol and 5 intention-to-treat outcomes in 473 (280 exercise, 193 control) primarily female (99%) participants 18-73 years of age were included. Small, statistically significant improvements in global well-being were observed for per-protocol (<it>g </it>and 95% confidence interval, -0.39, -0.69 to -0.08) and intention-to-treat (-0.34, -0.53 to -0.14) analyses. No statistically significant within-group heterogeneity was found (per-protocol, Q_w= 6.04, <it>p </it>= 0.20, <it>I</it>²= 33.8%; intention-to-treat, Q_w= 3.19, <it>p </it>= 0.53, <it>I</it>²= 0%) and no between-group differences for per-protocol and intention-to-treat outcomes were observed (Q_b= 0.07, <it>p </it>= 0.80). Changes were equivalent to improvements of 8.2% for per-protocol analyses and 7.3% for intention-to-treat analyses.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results of this study suggest that exercise improves global well-being in community-dwelling women with fibromyalgia. However, additional research on this topic is needed, including research in men as well as optimal exercise programs for improving global well-being in adults.</p

The Clinical Outcome Study for dysferlinopathy: An international multicenter study

Objective: To describe the baseline clinical and functional characteristics of an international cohort of 193 patients with dysferlinopathy. Methods: The Clinical Outcome Study for dysferlinopathy (COS) is an international multicenter study of this disease, evaluating patients with genetically confirmed dysferlinopathy over 3 years. We present a cross-sectional analysis of 193 patients derived from their baseline clinical and functional assessments. Results: There is a high degree of variability in disease onset, pattern of weakness, and rate of progression. No factor, such as mutation class, protein expression, or age at onset, accounted for this variability. Among patients with clinical diagnoses of Miyoshi myopathy or limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, clinical presentation and examination was not strikingly different. Respiratory impairment and cardiac dysfunction were observed in a minority of patients. A substantial delay in diagnosis was previously common but has been steadily reducing, suggesting increasing awareness of dysferlinopathies. Conclusions: These findings highlight crucial issues to be addressed for both optimizing clinical care and planning therapeutic trials in dysferlinopathy. This ongoing longitudinal study will provide an opportunity to further understand patterns and variability in disease progression and form the basis for trial design

Assessing Dysferlinopathy Patients Over Three Years With a New Motor Scale

The Jain COS Consortium.[Objective] Dysferlinopathy is a muscular dystrophy with a highly variable clinical presentation and currently unpredictable progression. This variability and unpredictability presents difficulties for prognostication and clinical trial design. The Jain Clinical Outcomes Study of Dysferlinopathy aims to establish the validity of the North Star Assessment for Limb Girdle Type Muscular Dystrophies (NSAD) scale and identify factors that influence the rate of disease progression using NSAD.[Methods] We collected a longitudinal series of functional assessments from 187 patients with dysferlinopathy over 3 years. Rasch analysis was used to develop the NSAD, a motor performance scale suitable for ambulant and nonambulant patients. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the impact of patient factors on outcome trajectories.[Results] The NSAD detected significant change in clinical progression over 1 year. The steepest functional decline occurred during the first 10 years after symptom onset, with more rapid decline noted in patients who developed symptoms at a younger age (p = 0.04). The most rapidly deteriorating group over the study was patients 3 to 8 years post symptom onset at baseline.[Interpretation] The NSAD is the first validated limb girdle specific scale of motor performance, suitable for use in clinical practice and clinical trials. Longitudinal analysis showed it may be possible to identify patient factors associated with greater functional decline both across the disease course and in the short-term for clinical trial preparation. Through further work and validation in this cohort, we anticipate that a disease model incorporating functional performance will allow for more accurate prognosis for patients with dysferlinopathy. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:967–978The estimated US $4 million needed to fund this study was provided by the Jain Foundation. (www.jain-foundation.org) The Jain COS consortium would like to thank the study participants and their families for their invaluable contribution. The John Walton Centre Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre is part of the MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases (Grant number MR/K000608/1).Peer reviewe

Efficacy of aerobic exercise and a prudent diet for improving selected lipids and lipoproteins in adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background Studies addressing the effects of aerobic exercise and a prudent diet on lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in adults have reached conflicting conclusions. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of aerobic exercise combined with a prudent diet on lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in adults. Methods Studies were located by searching nine electronic databases, cross-referencing, and expert review. Two independent reviewers selected studies that met the following criteria: (1) randomized controlled trials, (2) aerobic exercise combined with diet recommendations (saturated/trans fat intake less than 10% of total calories and cholesterol less than 300 mg/day and/or fiber intake ≥25 g/day in women and ≥35 grams per day in men), (3) intervention ≥4 weeks, (4) humans ≥18 years of age, (5) published studies, including dissertations and Master\u27s theses, (6) studies published in any language, (7) studies published between January 1, 1955 and May 1, 2009, (8) assessment of one or more of the following lipid and lipoprotein concentrations: total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), ratio of TC to HDL-C, non-HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG). Two reviewers independently extracted all data. Random-effects models that account for heterogeneity and 95% confidence intervals were used to pool findings. Results Of the 1,401 citations reviewed, six studies representing 16 groups (8 intervention, 8 control) and up to 559 men and women (282 intervention, 277 control) met the criteria for analysis. Statistically significant intervention minus control reductions were found for TC (-15.5 mg/dl, 95% CI, -20.3 to -10.7), TC:HDL-C (-0.4 mg/dl, 95% CI, -0.7 to -0.2), LDL-C (-9.2 mg/dl, 95% CI, -12.7 to -5.8) and TG (-10.6 mg/dl, 95% CI, -17.2 to -4.0) but not HDL-C (-0.5 mg/dl, 95% CI, -4.0 to 3.1). Changes were equivalent to reductions of 7.5%, 6.6%, 7.2% and 18.2% respectively, for TC, TC:HDL-C, LDL-C and TG. Because of missing variance statistics, non-HDL-C was excluded. Conclusions Aerobic exercise combined with a prudent diet is highly efficacious for improving TC, TC:HDL-C, LDL-C and TG, but not HDL-C concentrations, in adults. However, additional studies are needed, including effectiveness studies using intention-to-treat analysis

Correction: Expanding the clinical phenotype of individuals with a 3-bp in-frame deletion of the NF1 gene (c.2970_2972del): an update of genotype–phenotype correlation

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Genotype-Phenotype Correlation in NF1: Evidence for a More Severe Phenotype Associated with Missense Mutations Affecting NF1 Codons 844–848

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a common genetic disorder with a birth incidence of 1:2,000–3,000, is characterized by a highly variable clinical presentation. To date, only two clinically relevant intragenic genotype-phenotype correlations have been reported for NF1 missense mutations affecting p.Arg1809 and a single amino acid deletion p.Met922del. Both variants predispose to a distinct mild NF1 phenotype with neither externally visible cutaneous/plexiform neurofibromas nor other tumors. Here, we report 162 individuals (129 unrelated probands and 33 affected relatives) heterozygous for a constitutional missense mutation affecting one of five neighboring NF1 codons—Leu844, Cys845, Ala846, Leu847, and Gly848—located in the cysteine-serine-rich domain (CSRD). Collectively, these recurrent missense mutations affect ∼0.8% of unrelated NF1 mutation-positive probands in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) cohort. Major superficial plexiform neurofibromas and symptomatic spinal neurofibromas were more prevalent in these individuals compared with classic NF1-affected cohorts (both p < 0.0001). Nearly half of the individuals had symptomatic or asymptomatic optic pathway gliomas and/or skeletal abnormalities. Additionally, variants in this region seem to confer a high predisposition to develop malignancies compared with the general NF1-affected population (p = 0.0061). Our results demonstrate that these NF1 missense mutations, although located outside the GAP-related domain, may be an important risk factor for a severe presentation. A genotype-phenotype correlation at the NF1 region 844–848 exists and will be valuable in the management and genetic counseling of a significant number of individuals

Molecular Determinants and Dynamics of Hepatitis C Virus Secretion

The current model of hepatitis C virus (HCV) production involves the assembly of virions on or near the surface of lipid droplets, envelopment at the ER in association with components of VLDL synthesis, and egress via the secretory pathway. However, the cellular requirements for and a mechanistic understanding of HCV secretion are incomplete at best. We combined an RNA interference (RNAi) analysis of host factors for infectious HCV secretion with the development of live cell imaging of HCV core trafficking to gain a detailed understanding of HCV egress. RNAi studies identified multiple components of the secretory pathway, including ER to Golgi trafficking, lipid and protein kinases that regulate budding from the trans-Golgi network (TGN), VAMP1 vesicles and adaptor proteins, and the recycling endosome. Our results support a model wherein HCV is infectious upon envelopment at the ER and exits the cell via the secretory pathway. We next constructed infectious HCV with a tetracysteine (TC) tag insertion in core (TC-core) to monitor the dynamics of HCV core trafficking in association with its cellular cofactors. In order to isolate core protein movements associated with infectious HCV secretion, only trafficking events that required the essential HCV assembly factor NS2 were quantified. TC-core traffics to the cell periphery along microtubules and this movement can be inhibited by nocodazole. Sub-populations of TC-core localize to the Golgi and co-traffic with components of the recycling endosome. Silencing of the recycling endosome component Rab11a results in the accumulation of HCV core at the Golgi. The majority of dynamic core traffics in association with apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and VAMP1 vesicles. This study identifies many new host cofactors of HCV egress, while presenting dynamic studies of HCV core trafficking in infected cells

Expanding the muscle imaging spectrum in dysferlinopathy: description of an outlier population from the classical MRI pattern

© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)Dysferlinopathy is a muscle disease characterized by a variable clinical presentation and is caused by mutations in the DYSF gene. The Jain Clinical Outcome Study for Dysferlinopathy (COS) followed the largest cohort of patients (n=187) with genetically confirmed dysferlinopathy throughout a three-year natural history study, in which the patients underwent muscle function tests and muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We previously described the pattern of muscle pathology in this population and established a series of imaging criteria for diagnosis. In this paper, we describe the muscle imaging and clinical features of a subgroup of COS participants whose muscle imaging results did not completely meet the diagnostic criteria. We reviewed 184 T1-weighted (T1w) muscle MRI scans obtained at the baseline visit of the COS study, of which 106 were pelvic and lower limb only and 78 were whole-body scans. We identified 116 of the 184 patients (63%) who did not meet at least one of the established imaging criteria. The highest number found of unmet criteria was four per patient. We identified 24 patients (13%) who did not meet three or more of the nine established criteria and considered them as “outliers”. The most common unmet criterion (27.3% of cases) was the adductor magnus being equally or more affected than the adductor longus. We compared the genetic, demographic, clinical and muscle function data of the outlier patients with those who met the established criteria and observed that the outlier patients had an age of disease onset that was significantly older than the whole group (29.3 vs 20.5 years, p=0.0001). This study expands the phenotypic muscle imaging spectrum of patients with dysferlinopathy and can help to guide the diagnostic process in patients with limb girdle weakness of unknown origin.The Jain Foundation provided an estimated $4 million USD to fund the COS study.Peer reviewe