Major Cardiovascular Advances: Highlights from the 2019 American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session

The 69th American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session and Expo was held in New Orleans, Louisiana on March 16–18, 2019. For many years this meeting has gathered together an enormous number of participants, abstracts, oral presentations, poster presentations, educational sessions, late-breaking clinical trial results, and clinical practice guidelines under one roof. The authors have selected and summarized the key points from a number of key landmark trials, featured clinical research results and clinical practice guidelines that were presented during this year’s meeting

Prevalence, patterns and predictors of depression treatment among community-dwelling older adults with stroke in the United States: a cross sectional study

Background: Depression is one of the most common psychiatric conditions among stroke survivors and is associated with several negative health outcomes. However, little is known about the depression treatment patterns among stroke survivors. The objective of this study was to examine national-level prevalence, patterns and predictors of depression treatment among community-dwelling stroke survivors. Methods: This study adopted a retrospective, cross sectional study design using multiple years of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (2002-2012) data. The study population consisted of older adults (age >= 50 years) who (i) were stroke survivors (ICD-9-CM codes of 430-438), (ii) did not die during the calendar year, and (iii) had co occurring depression (ICD-9-CM code of 296.xx, or 311.xx). Depression treatment, identified by antidepressant medication and/or psychotherapy use, was the dependent variable of this study. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association of individual level factors with depression treatment among stroke survivors with co occurring depression. Results: The final study sample consisted 370 (unweighted) community-dwelling older adults with self-reported stroke and depression. The prevalence of co-occurring depression among stroke survivors was 22.03% [95% Confidence Interval (Cl) 19.7-24.4%]. An overwhelming majority (87.6%) of stroke survivors with co occurring depression reported some form of depression treatment. Antidepressants only and combination therapy was reported by 74.8% (95% Cl, 71.6-78.0%] and 12.8% (95% CI, 10.5-15.1%) by stroke survivors with co-occurring depression respectively. Approximately, 61% of stroke survivors with co occurring depression reported using SSRIs, followed by SNRIs (15.2%), miscellaneous antidepressants (12.1%), TCAs (9.8%), phenylpiperazine antidepressants (5.2%), and tetracyclic antidepressants (4%). Sertraline (15.8, 95% Cl, 12.7-19.0%) had the highest reported use among individual antidepressants. Conclusions: Vast majority (nearly 90%) of the study sample received some form of depression treatment and several individual level factors (such as age, education) were associated with the report of depression treatment use. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to assess the comparative treatment benefits of antidepressants, psychotherapy and their combination. Healthcare providers should carefully assess the risks and benefits of antidepressant (such as SSRIs or TCAs) use in this vulnerable population prior to their use.Open access journal.This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

The impact of pharmacists providing direct patient care as members of interprofessional teams on diabetes management

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of pharmacist providing direct patient care as a member of interprofessional team on diabetes management. This study is a retrospective chart review of diabetes patients seen by a pharmacist in an endocrinology clinic affiliated with an academic medical center. The following patient outcomes were recorded pre and post the pharmacist intervention: glycemic control as measured by change in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), change in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), statin use, and use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). 144 charts were reviewed, 28 of which were included in the study. A statistically significant improvement in HbA1c was observed in patients following the pharmacist intervention. The mean pre-intervention HbA1c was 8.77% (±SD 2.48) while the post-intervention HbA1c was 7.59% (±SD 1.18), with a p-value of 0.040. A decrease in blood pressure was also observed; however, this decrease was not statistically significant. There was no statistically significant difference in use of ACEI/ARB and statins pre- and post-intervention. The results suggest that involvement of pharmacists in direct patient care as members of interprofessional team in our specialty ambulatory care clinic is associated with a positive impact on the glycemic control in patients with diabetes

Additional file 1: of Prevalence, patterns and predictors of depression treatment among community-dwelling older adults with stroke in the United States: a cross sectional study

Detailed Multum Lexicon codes used to identify sub-classes of antidepressants. Table S1. Multum Lexicon Therapeutic Class Code. (DOCX 12 kb

Influencing factors of vision-threatening disease among patients with diabetes in the central region of Saudi Arabia: A case-control study

Aims: Diabetic retinopathy is called as vision threatening disease. It affects retina very severely. DR is a common public health problem in Worldwide. Our main objective was to identify significant risk factors for diabetic retinopathy among diabetes mellitus patients. Materials and Methods: The present retrospective Case-Control study was conducted with 404 DM patients' records were collected from King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Statistical analysis used: Data were presented as descriptive statistics, multivariate logistic regression, association between variables was using odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. Results: Among 404 diabetes patients, 192 (47.5%) were Cases and 212 (52.5%) Controls. In multivariate regression analysis showed that male gender also had a higher likelihood in the development of DR, OR: 1.68 [95% CI: (1.04 – 2.71); p<0.05]. Patients with poor glycaemic control, OR: 4.86 [95% CI: (2.21-10.66); p<0.001]. Similarly, HbA1C, Low LDL was prominent risk factor in the progression of DR except age, hypocholesterolaemia, nephropathy wasn't significant. Conclusions: From our study findings, male gender, tobacco habit, poor glycaemic control, and Low HDL were appeared independently associated with the development of vision-threatening disease. By regular check-up, reducing risk factors or retain their stages in the same stage or to prolong the DR incidents among DM patients

Thrombolytic therapy in cardiac arrest caused by cardiac etiologies or presumed pulmonary embolism: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract Background Many cardiac arrest cases are encountered annually worldwide, with poor survival. The use of systemic thrombolysis during cardiopulmonary resuscitation for the treatment of cardiac arrest remains controversial. Objectives Evaluate the safety and efficacy of systemic thrombolysis in patients with cardiac arrest due to presumed or confirmed pulmonary embolism or cardiac etiology. Methods We searched the PubMed and Cochrane databases from inception through April 2021 to identify relevant randomized controlled trials and observational studies. The primary efficacy and safety outcomes were survival to hospital discharge and reported bleeding, respectively. Sensitivity analysis was performed on the basis of study design and etiology of cardiac arrest. Results Eleven studies were included, with 4696 patients (1178 patients received systemic thrombolysis, and 3518 patients received traditional therapy). There was a higher rate of survival to hospital discharge in patients who received systemic thrombolysis versus no systemic thrombolysis (risk ratio [RR], 1.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95‐1.91). There were also higher rates of survival at 24 hours (RR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.97‐1.59) and hospital admission (RR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.04‐2.24), and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (RR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.05‐1.71) with the use of systemic thrombolysis. Impacts on survival to discharge and survival at 24 hours were not statistically significant. Patients receiving systemic thrombolysis had a 65% increase in bleeding events compared with no systemic thrombolysis (RR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.20‐2.27). Conclusion Systemic thrombolysis in cardiac arrest did not improve survival to hospital discharge and led to more bleeding events. However, it increased the rates of hospital admission and ROSC achievement

Direct oral anticoagulants for the treatment of venous thromboembolism : an umbrella review of meta-analysis and economic studies

Q2Q1Artículo original145–153Low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) are considered the standard of care for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) associated with cancer. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with cancer. We systematically searched Medline for potential randomized-control clinical trials (RCTs) and post-hoc analyses. For each study, data on recurrent VTE, major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding (CRNMB), and major bleeding (MB) were extracted. Initially, a total of 1395 citations were identified. Eight studies met our eligibility criteria. The utilization of DOACs in patients with cancer showed a statistically significant reduction in the risk of VTE recurrence compared to LMWH or warfarin (RR=0.64; 95% CI 0.46–0.88). Similar rates of major or CRNMB were observed between DOACs and LMWH or warfarin (RR=1.00; 95% CI 0.75–1.33). There was no significant difference in the rate of MB between DOACs and LMWH or warfarin (RR=1.31; 95% CI 0.71–2.44). Our results suggest that DOACs might reduce the incidence of VTE recurrence in patients with cancer without putting them at high risk for MB/CRNMB or MB. Our findings were mainly driven by the results of the Hokusai VTE Cancer trial. Given the level of investigated evidence, our findings should be interpreted with caution since the majority of the data were originated from sub-group analyses of large (RCTs). Future studies that are adequately powered are warranted to assess efficacy and safety data of DOACs for the treatment of VTE in patients with different types of cancer

Practical Guide for Anticoagulant and Antiplatelet Reversal in Clinical Practice

In recent years, anticoagulant and antiplatelet use have increased over the past years for the prevention and treatment of several cardiovascular conditions. Due to the rising use of antithrombotic medications and the complexity of specific clinical cases requiring such therapies, bleeding remains the primary concern among patients using antithrombotics. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) include rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban, and betrixaban. Direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs) include argatroban, bivalirudin, and dabigatran. DOACs are associated with lower rates of fatal, life-threatening, and significant bleeding risks compared to those of warfarin. The immediate reversal of these agents can be indicated in an emergency setting. Antithrombotic reversal recommendations are still in development. Vitamin K and prothrombin complex concentrate (PCCs) can be used for warfarin reversal. Andexanet alfa and idarucizumab are specific reversal agents for DOACs and DTIs, respectively. Protamine sulfate is the solely approved reversal agent for unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH). However, there are no specific reversal agents for antiplatelets. This article aims to provide a practical guide for clinicians regarding the reversal of anticoagulants and antiplatelets in clinical practice based on the most recent studies

Safety and efficacy of dual versus triple antithrombotic therapy (DAT vs TAT) in patients with atrial fibrillation following a PCI: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Objective Creating an appropriate antithrombotic therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains a dilemma. Several clinical trials compared the use of a dual antithrombotic therapy (DAT) regimen with a direct oral anticoagulants including (apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban or rivaroxaban) and a P2Y12 inhibitor versus a triple antithrombotic therapy (TAT) that includes a vitamin K antagonist plus aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor in patients with AF who have undergone PCI. However, there are no head-to-head trials comparing the DAT regimens to each other. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of DAT regimens using a network meta-analysis (NMA) approach.Design A systematic review and NMA of randomised clinical trials.Methods We conducted a systematic literature review to identify relevant randomised clinical trials and performed a Bayesian NMA for International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) major or clinically relevant non-major (CRNM) bleeding, all-cause mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI) and stent thrombosis outcomes. We used NetMetaXL V.1.6.1 and WinBUGS V.1.4.3 for the NMA and estimated the probability of ranking the treatments based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve.Results The comparison between DAT regimens showed no significant difference in the safety or efficacy outcomes. Apixaban regimen was ranked first as the preferred therapy in terms of ISTH major or CRNM bleeding and stroke, with a probability of 52% and 54%, respectively. Rivaroxaban regimen was the preferred therapy in terms of MI and stent thrombosis, with a probability of 34% and 27%, respectively. Dabigatran regimen was ranked first in terms of all-cause mortality, with a probability of 28%.Conclusion The DAT regimens are as safe and effective as TAT regimens. However, ranking probabilities for the best option in the selected outcomes can be used to guide the selection among these agents based on different patients’ conditions

Appropriateness of anticoagulation level in older adult patients on Warfarin: A multicenter retrospective study

Warfarin is favored over newer direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for many older adults. However, its use necessitates rigorous monitoring due to the fine line between toxic and therapeutic doses. Few studies have evaluated the anticoagulation quality of warfarin among elderly patients in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to assess and identify factors affecting the anticoagulation quality of warfarin using the time in the therapeutic range (TTR) among older adults attending two hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, we aimed to evaluate differences in the anticoagulation quality of warfarin when managed by pharmacists or physicians. This cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAAUH) and King Fahad Medical City (KFMC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After calculating the TTR of each patient, the anticoagulation control level was determined using these values: a) good control: >70 %; b) intermediate control: 50–70 %; c) poor control: <50 %. A total of 132 patients prescribed warfarin therapy for different indications were included. Most patients (45.5 %) had poor control with TTRs < 50 %, while 18.2 % had intermediate control, and 36.4 % had good control.Our exploratory findings suggest that having three or more comorbidities was a significant factor associated with a poor TTR [odds ratio (OR) = 3.36; (95 % confidence interval 1.28–8.81); P = 0.014]. Thus, the anticoagulation quality of warfarin among older adult patients was poor in two Saudi Arabian tertiary hospitals, and the number of comorbidities was a potentially poor TTR predictor