Vitamin D Status and Long-Term Mortality in Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Secondary Data Analysis from a Prospective Cohort.

Low vitamin D status has been associated with short-term (30-day) mortality in hospitalized adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Data on its prevalence in these patients are scarce, and impact on long-term prognosis is unknown. We examined the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and inadequacy and their effect on long-term mortality in hospitalized adults with CAP.Secondary follow-up analysis of data from a prospectively recruited (January 2008-January 2011) well-defined cohort of 241 hospital survivors of CAP (Norway, latitude 60°N). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were measured within 48 hours of admission. The etiology of CAP was established in 63% of patients through extensive microbiological investigations. Mortality data were obtained from the national Cause of Death Registry. Explanatory strategy and Cox regression models were used to explore the association between vitamin D status and all-cause mortality.Median age was 66 years. Eighty-seven (36%) patients were vitamin D deficient (<30 nmol/L), 81 (34%) were inadequate (30-49 nmol/L), and 73 (30%) were sufficient (≥50 nmol/L). Seventy-two patients died over a median of 1839 days (range 1-2520 days), corresponding to cumulative 5-year survival rates of 66.2% (95% CI 56.2-76.2%), 77.0% (67.6-86.4%), and 77.8% (67.8-87.8%) for vitamin D deficient, inadequate, and sufficient patients, respectively. After adjusting for confounders (age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromization and season), vitamin D deficiency, but not inadequacy, was significantly associated with higher mortality compared to patients with sufficiency (HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.06-3.45; P = .031).There is a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and inadequacy among hospitalized adults with CAP. The results of this study also suggest that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of mortality way beyond the short-term in these patients

Diagnostic Thresholds for Pre-Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetes Mellitus and Subclinical Cardiac Disease in the General Population: Data From the ACE 1950 Study

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with left ventricular remodeling and incident heart failure, but the association between glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and subclinical cardiac disease is not established. We aimed to determine the associations between HbA1c and (1) echocardiographic measures of left ventricular structure and function, and (2) cardiovascular biomarkers: cardiac troponin T, NT‐proBNP (N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide), and CRP (C‐reactive protein). Methods and Results Participants (n=3688) born in 1950 from the population‐based ACE (Akershus Cardiac Examination) 1950 Study were classified as DM (HbA1c≥6.5% or self‐reported DM), pre‐DM (HbA1c 5.7%–6.5%), and no‐DM (HbA1c<5.7%). DM, pre‐DM, and no‐DM were classified in 380 (10%), 1630 (44%), and 1678 (46%) participants, respectively. Mean age was 63.9±0.7 years, mean body mass index was 27.2±4.4 kg/m2, and 49% were women. Higher HbA1c was associated with worse left ventricular systolic (ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain) and diastolic (E/e'‐ratio) function, myocardial injury (cardiac troponin T), inflammation (CRP), and impaired neurohormonal homeostasis (NT‐proBNP) (P<0.001 in unadjusted and P<0.01 in adjusted analysis for all). The associations between HbA1c and cardiovascular biomarkers were independent of the echocardiographic variables, and vice versa. Associations were nonlinear (P<0.05 for nonlinearity) and appeared stronger in the pre‐DM range of HbA1c than the no‐DM and DM range. Conclusions HbA1c was associated with indexes of subclinical cardiovascular disease, and this was more pronounced in pre‐DM. Our results suggest that cardiovascular preventive measures should be considered also in subjects with hyperglycemia and HbA1c below the established DM cutoff. Registration clinicaltrials.gov. Identifier: NCT01555411

Neurohormonal blockade and circulating cardiovascular biomarkers during anthracycline therapy in breast cancer patients: Results from the PRADA (Prevention of Cardiac Dysfunction During Adjuvant Breast Cancer Therapy) study

Background Anthracyclines are associated with cardiotoxic effects. Cardiovascular biomarkers may reflect myocardial injury, dysfunction, inflammation, and fibrosis and may precede and predict the development of left ventricular impairment. The aim of this study was to assess: (1) longitudinal change in circulating cardiovascular biomarkers, (2) the effect of metoprolol succinate and candesartan cilexetil on the biomarker response, and (3) the associations between on‐treatment changes in biomarker concentrations and subsequent left ventricular dysfunction in patients with early breast cancer receiving anthracyclines. Methods and Results This report encompasses 121 women included in the 2×2 factorial, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind PRADA (Prevention of Cardiac Dysfunction During Adjuvant Breast Cancer Therapy) trial with metoprolol and candesartan given concomitantly with anticancer therapy containing the anthracycline, epirubicin (total cumulative dose, 240–400 mg/m2). Cardiovascular magnetic resonance, echocardiography images, and circulating levels of biomarkers were obtained before and after anthracycline treatment. Cardiac troponins I and T, B‐type natriuretic peptide, N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide, C‐reactive protein, and galectin‐3 increased during anthracycline therapy (all P<0.05). The troponin response was attenuated by metoprolol (P<0.05), but not candesartan. There was no association between change in biomarker concentrations and change in cardiac function during anthracycline therapy. Conclusions Treatment with contemporary anthracycline doses for early breast cancer is associated with increase in circulating cardiovascular biomarkers. This increase is, however, not associated with early decline in ventricular function. Beta‐blockade may attenuate early myocardial injury, but whether this attenuation translates into reduced risk of developing ventricular dysfunction in the long term remains unclear. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrial.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01434134

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D <30 nmol/L) and inadequacy (30–49 nmol) throughout the meteorological seasons.

<p>The numbers above the bars indicate the number of patients within the related vitamin D category (<i>P</i> = .021).</p

Hazard ratios for the association between vitamin D status and long-term all-cause mortality before and after adjusting for confounders.

<p>Hazard ratios for the association between vitamin D status and long-term all-cause mortality before and after adjusting for confounders.</p