Recognition of incident diabetes mellitus during an acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is common in patients hospitalized with an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), representing in some cases the first opportunity to recognize and treat DM. We report the incidence of new DM and its recognition among patients with AMI.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients in a 24-site US AMI registry (2005-08) had glycosylated hemoglobin assessed at a core laboratory, with results blinded to clinicians and local clinical measurements left to the discretion of the treating providers. Among 2854 AMI patients without known DM on admission, 287 patients (10%) met criteria for previously unknown DM, defined by a core laboratory glycosylated hemoglobin of ≥6.5%. Among these, 186 (65%) were unrecognized by treating clinicians, receiving neither DM education, glucose-lowering medications at discharge, nor documentation of DM in the chart (median glycosylated hemoglobin of unrecognized patients, 6.7%; range, 6.5-12.3%). Six months after discharge, only 5% of those not recognized as having DM during hospitalization had been initiated on glucose-lowering medications versus 66% of those recognized (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Underlying DM that has not been previously diagnosed is common among AMI patients, affecting 1 in 10 patients, yet is recognized by the care team only one third of the time. Given its frequency and therapeutic implications, including but extending beyond the initiation of glucose-lowering treatment, consideration should be given to screening all AMI patients for DM during hospitalization. Inexpensive, ubiquitous, and endorsed as an acceptable screen for DM, glycosylated hemoglobin testing should be considered for this purpose.

Precision medicine to improve use of bleeding avoidance strategies and reduce bleeding in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: prospective cohort study before and after implementation of personalized bleeding risks

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether prospective bleeding risk estimates for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention could improve the use of bleeding avoidance strategies and reduce bleeding.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study comparing the use of bleeding avoidance strategies and bleeding rates before and after implementation of prospective risk stratification for peri-procedural bleeding.

SETTING

Nine hospitals in the United States.

PARTICIPANTS

All patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for indications other than primary reperfusion for ST elevation myocardial infarction.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Use of bleeding avoidance strategies, including bivalirudin, radial approach, and vascular closure devices, and peri-procedural bleeding rates, stratified by bleeding risk. Observed changes were adjusted for changes observed in a pool of 1135 hospitals without access to pre-procedural risk stratification. Hospital level and physician level variability in use of bleeding avoidance strategies was examined.

RESULTS

In a comparison of 7408 pre-intervention procedures with 3529 post-intervention procedures, use of bleeding avoidance strategies within intervention sites increased with pre-procedural risk stratification (odds ratio 1.81, 95% confidence interval 1.44 to 2.27), particularly among higher risk patients (2.03, 1.58 to 2.61; 1.41, 1.09 to 1.83 in low risk patients, after adjustment for control sites; P for interaction = 0.05). Bleeding rates within intervention sites were significantly lower after implementation of risk stratification (1.0% v 1.7%; odds ratio 0.56, 0.40 to 0.78; 0.62, 0.44 to 0.87, after adjustment); the reduction in bleeding was greatest in high risk patients. Marked variability in use of bleeding avoidance strategies was observed across sites and physicians, both before and after implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Prospective provision of individualized bleeding risk estimates was associated with increased use of bleeding avoidance strategies and lower bleeding rates. Marked variability between providers highlights an important opportunity to improve the consistency, safety, and quality of care. Study registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01383382.

Longitudinal persistence with secondary prevention therapies relative to patient risk after myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Prior studies have demonstrated that patients with high-risk acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are less likely to receive guideline-directed medications during hospitalisation. It is unknown if this paradox persists following discharge. We aimed to assess if persistence with guideline-directed medications post discharge varies by patients' risk following AMI.

METHODS

Data were analysed from two prospective, multicentre US AMI registries. The primary outcome was persistence with all prescribed guideline-directed medications (aspirin, β-blockers, statins, angiotensin-antagonists) at 1, 6 and 12 months post discharge. The association between risk and medication persistence post discharge was assessed using multivariable mixed-effect models.

RESULTS

Among 6434 patients with AMI discharged home, 2824 were considered low-risk, 2014 intermediate-risk and 1596 high-risk for death based upon their Global Registry of Acute Coronary Event (GRACE) 6-month risk score. High-risk was associated with a lower likelihood of receiving all appropriate therapies at discharge compared with low-risk patients (relative risk (RR) 0.90; 95% CI 0.87 to 0.94). At 12 months, the rate of persistence with all prescribed therapies was 61.5%, 57.9% and 45.9% among low-risk, intermediate-risk and high-risk patients, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, high-risk was associated with lower persistence with all prescribed medications (RR 0.87; 95% CI 0.82 to 0.92) over follow-up. Similar associations were seen for individual medications. Over the 5 years of the study, persistence with prescribed therapies post discharge improved modestly among high-risk patients (RR 1.05; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.08 per year).

CONCLUSIONS

High-risk patients with AMI have a lower likelihood of persistently taking prescribed medications post discharge as compared with low-risk patients. Continued efforts are needed to improve the use of guideline-directed medications in high-risk patients.

Risk factors for rehospitalization for acute coronary syndromes and unplanned revascularization following acute myocardial infarction

Background

Rehospitalizations for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and coronary revascularization after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are not only common and costly but can also impact patients’ quality of life. In contrast to mortality and all‐cause readmissions, little insight is available into risk factors associated with ACS and revascularization after AMI.

Methods and Results

In a multicenter AMI registry, we examined the rates and predictors of rehospitalizations for ACS and revascularization within the year after AMI among 3283 patients. Staged revascularization procedures were excluded. Kaplan–Meier estimated rates of rehospitalization due to ACS and revascularization were 6.8% and 4.1%, respectively. In hierarchical, multivariable models, the strongest predictors of rehospitalization for ACS were coronary artery bypass graft prior to AMI hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR] 2.12, 95% CI 1.45 to 3.10), female sex (HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.23 to 2.25), and in‐hospital PCI (HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.69). The strongest predictors of subsequent revascularization were multivessel disease (HR 2.89, 95% CI 1.90 to 4.39) and in‐hospital percutaneous coronary intervention with a bare metal stent (HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.19 to 3.63). The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events mortality risk score was not associated with the risk of rehospitalization for ACS or revascularization.

Conclusions

Unique characteristics are associated with admissions for ACS and revascularization, as compared with survival. These multivariable risk predictors may help identify patients at high risk for ACS and revascularization, in whom intensification of secondary prevention therapies or closer post‐AMI follow‐up may be warranted.

Improving the process of informed consent for percutaneous coronary intervention: patient outcomes from the Patient Risk Information Services Manager (ePRISM) study

BACKGROUND

While the process of informed consent is designed to transfer knowledge of the risks and benefits of treatment and to engage patients in shared medical decision-making, this is poorly done in routine clinical care. We assessed the impact of a novel informed consent form for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) that is more simply written, includes images of the procedure, and embeds individualized estimates of outcomes on multiple domains of successful informed consent and shared decision-making.

METHODS

We interviewed 590 PCI patients receiving traditional consent documents and 527 patients receiving novel ePRISM consents at 9 US centers and compared patients' perceptions, knowledge transfer, and engagement in medical decision-making. Heterogeneity across sites was assessed and adjusted for using hierarchical models.

RESULTS

Site-adjusted analyses revealed more frequent review (72% for ePRISM vs 45% for original consents) and better understanding of the ePRISM consents (ORs=1.8-3.0, depending upon the outcome) with marked heterogeneity across sites (median relative difference [MRD] in the ORs of ePRISM's effect =2-3.2). Patients receiving ePRISM consents better understood the purposes and risks of the procedure (ORs=1.9-3.9, MRDs=1.1-6.2), engaged more in shared decision-making (proportional OR=2.1 [95% CI=1.02-4.4], MRD=2.2) and discussed stent options with their physicians (58% vs. 31%; site-adjusted odds ratio=2.7 [95% CI=1.2, 6.3], MRD=2.6) more often.

CONCLUSIONS

A personalized consent document improved the process of informed consent and shared decision-making. Marked heterogeneity across hospitals highlights that consent documents are but one aspect of engaging patients in understanding and participating in treatment.

Abstract W MP74: Development And Validation Of A Modified Stroke Thrombolytic Predictive Instrument To Improve Implementation And Ease Of Use

Introduction: The Stroke Thombolytic Predictive Instrument (Stroke TPI), derived on data from the first 5 randomized clinical trials of standard dose rtPA, predicts the probability of good and bad outcomes with and without rtPA. We sought to rebuild and externally validate a simpler Stroke TPI to support implementation in routine clinical care. Methods: Using a derivation cohort of 1,983 patients from a combined database of randomized clinical trials (NINDS 1 and 2; ATLANTIS A and B; ECASS 2), we simplified the Stroke TPI by: 1) removing lower credibility interaction terms; and 2) exploring reduced stroke severity scores, including previously developed 8-item and 3-item measures. Additionally, we included alternative thresholds of a good 90-day functional outcome (i.e. prediction of both modified Rankin Score [mRS] ≤ 1 and mRS ≤ 2). Bootstrapping methods were used for internal validation. External validation was performed on the ECASS 3 trial (n=821). Results: The following 6 variables were included to predict good outcomes: age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diabetes, stroke severity, symptom onset to treatment time (OTT) and rtPA therapy. Treatment effect modifiers (interaction terms) included OTT and SBP. For the models predicting a bad outcome (mRS ≥ 5), significant variables included: age, stroke severity, and serum glucose. rtPA therapy did not change the risk of a poor outcome. As compared to models using the full NIHSS, models employing the 3-item severity score showed similar discrimination, with c-statistics on bootstrap (internal) validation of: 0.76 (mRS ≤ 1); 0.78 (mRS ≤ 2); and 0.76 (mRS ≥ 5), and with excellent calibration. External validation on ECASS 3 showed similar performance (c-statistics 0.75 [mRS ≤ 1] and 0.80 [mRS ≤ 2]), with good calibration. Conclusion: A simpler prediction model using a 3-item, instead of the 15-item NIHSS stroke severity score, has similar prognostic value and may be easier to use in routine care. Future studies are needed to test whether the reduced model can improve treatment rates, time to treatment, and outcomes.

Abstract 62: GRASPS Score to Predict Risk of Clinically Relevant Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage after Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator

Background: The NINDS Study definition of symptomatic hemorrhage (sICH) after intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), requiring only minimal early worsening and minimal petechial hemorrhage, is now widely recognized as overly inclusive. Clinically relevant sICH is better defined by at least moderate worsening and parenchymal hematoma. The 6-item GRASPS scale for predicting sICH was derived from the national US Get with the Guidelines - Stroke registry based on the NINDS Study definition. For use in clinical practice, it is desirable to recalibrate the GRASPS scale to predict more stringently defined symptomatic hemorrhage.

Methods: We merged prospectively collected data of patients with consecutive ischemic stroke who received tPA in 7 stroke centers. We applied the GRASPS (glucose at presentation, race [Asian], age, sex [male], systolic blood pressure at presentation, and severity of stroke at presentation [NIH Stroke Scale]) to predict Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke (SITS)-defined sICH. To derive a monotonic predictive model, we used a generalized additive model framework and fit 6 different transformations of the GRASPS score: linear scale, log scale, without and with splines, and without and with local smoothing (“loess”) to identify any non-parametric patterns.

Results: The final cohort comprised 5274 eligible patients, of whom 143 (2.7%) had symptomatic ICH per SITS criteria. Based on favorable residual deviance scores and Akaike's information criterion scores, the linear transformation of raw GRASPS scores provided the best fit. With this model, the area under the curve for predicting SITS sICH was 0.68 (95% CI 0.63-0.72). Risk score values for cardinal GRASPS scale points included 0.6% for GRASPS 50, 2.4% for GRASPS 70, and 9.5% for GRASPS 90.

Conclusions: The GRASPS scale showed moderate performance in predicting SITS-defined symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage after IV tPA. With the predictive values available from this study, the GRASPS score can be used to assess risk of clinically relevant symptomatic hemorrhage following thrombolytic therapy.

Exclusive J/ψ photoproduction off protons in ultraperipheral p-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=5.02 TeV

We present the first measurement at the LHC of exclusive J/ψ photoproduction off protons, in ultraperipheral proton-lead collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV. Events are selected with a dimuon pair produced either in the rapidity interval, in the laboratory frame, 2.5<y<4 (p-Pb) or -3.6<y<-2.6 (Pb-p), and no other particles observed in the ALICE acceptance. The measured cross sections σ(γ+p→J/ψ+p) are 33.2±2.2(stat)±3.2(syst)±0.7(theor)  nb in p-Pb and 284±36(stat)_{-32}^{+27}(syst)±26(theor)  nb in Pb-p collisions. We measure this process up to about 700 GeV in the γp center of mass, which is a factor of two larger than the highest energy studied at HERA. The data are consistent with a power law dependence of the J/ψ photoproduction cross section in γp energies from about 20 to 700 GeV, or equivalently, from Bjorken x scaling variable between ∼2×10^{-2} and ∼2×10^{-5}, thus indicating no significant change in the gluon density behavior of the proton between HERA and LHC energies.

Measurement of prompt D-meson production in p-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=5.02 TeV

The p_{T}-differential production cross sections of the prompt charmed mesons D^{0}, D^{+}, D^{*+}, and D_{s}^{+} and their charge conjugate in the rapidity interval -0.96<y_{cms}<0.04 were measured in p-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The nuclear modification factor R_{pPb}, quantifying the D-meson yield in p-Pb collisions relative to the yield in pp collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions, is compatible within the 15%-20% uncertainties with unity in the transverse momentum interval 1<p_{T}<24  GeV/c. No significant difference among the R_{pPb} of the four D-meson species is observed. The results are described within uncertainties by theoretical calculations that include initial-state effects. The measurement adds experimental evidence that the modification of the momentum spectrum of D mesons observed in Pb-Pb collisions with respect to pp collisions is due to strong final-state effects induced by hot partonic matter.

Hospital-level variation in angina and mortality at 1 year after myocardial infarction: insights from the Translational Research Investigating Underlying Disparities in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients' Health Status (TRIUMPH) Registry

BACKGROUND

Despite calls to expand measurement of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) outcomes to include symptom burden, little has been done to describe hospital-level variation in this patient-centered outcome, or its association with mortality. Understanding the relationship between symptoms and longer-term mortality could inform the importance of these outcomes for monitoring quality of care.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Among 4316 patients with AMI treated at 24 hospitals participating in the Translational Research Investigating Underlying Disparities in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients' Health Status (TRIUMPH) study, we assessed risk-standardized 1-year symptom burden as measured by the Seattle Angina Questionnaire Angina Frequency Score and mortality attributed to the hospital that provided AMI care. Median odds ratios were used to assess outcome variation and reflect the relative odds of an outcome for 2 patients with identical covariates at different, randomly selected, hospitals. We then evaluated the correlation between hospital-level mortality and angina. Finally, we determined the extent to which variation in mortality and angina was explained by achievement of AMI performance measures. We observed hospital variation in risk-adjusted 1-year mortality (range, 4.9%-8.6%; median odds ratio, 1.30; P=0.01) and angina (range, 17.7%-29.4%; median odds ratio, 1.34; P<0.001). At the hospital level, mortality and angina at 1 year were weakly correlated (r=0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.00-0.68; P=0.05). Accounting for the quality of AMI care did not attenuate variation in risk-adjusted 1-year mortality or angina.

CONCLUSIONS

Symptom burden and mortality vary at the hospital level after AMI and are only weakly correlated. These findings suggest that symptom burden should be considered a separate quality domain that is not well captured by current quality metrics.

Effectiveness of ranolazine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic stable angina according to baseline hemoglobin A1c

BACKGROUND

Ranolazine reduces the frequency of angina and use of sublingual nitroglycerin (SL NTG) in stable angina patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Because pre-clinical data suggest that myocardial late sodium current (INaL), the target of ranolazine, is increased by hyperglycemia, we investigated whether the efficacy of ranolazine was influenced by glycemic control.

METHODS

TERISA was a multinational, randomized, double-blind trial of ranolazine vs. placebo in patients with T2DM and stable angina. Anginal episodes and SL NTG use were recorded daily in an electronic diary. Health status was evaluated at baseline and 8weeks post-randomization using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ). The interaction between baseline HbA1c and treatment effect was tested across endpoints using analysis of covariance models, with HbA1c as a continuous variable with restricted cubic splines.

RESULTS

The study included 913 patients, with mean age 63.6years, 39% women, mean T2DM duration 7.4years, and mean HbA1c of 7.3%. Heterogeneity of efficacy by HbA1c was observed for the primary endpoint of angina frequency (Pinteraction = .027), the key secondary endpoint of SL NTG use (Pinteraction = .030), SAQ angina frequency (Pinteraction = .001), and SAQ treatment satisfaction (Pinteraction = .025) with greater efficacy of ranolazine in those with higher HbA1c values, increasing continuously from HbA1c levels >6.5%.

CONCLUSION

Among patients with T2DM and stable angina, the therapeutic benefits of ranolazine were greater in those with higher HbA1c values. These data suggest that ranolazine is particularly beneficial in patients with stable angina who have suboptimally controlled T2DM.

Quality of life benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic occlusions

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to compare quality of life benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusions (CTO) with non-CTO PCI.

BACKGROUND

Data quantifying the benefits of PCI of CTO are inconsistent.

METHODS

We leveraged a 10-center prospective PCI registry including Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) assessment at the time of PCI and in follow-up. We propensity matched attempted CTO PCIs with up to 10 non-CTO PCIs. The primary analysis compared changes between baseline and 6 months in SAQ Physical Limitation (PL), Quality of Life (QoL); Angina Frequency (AF) scores as well as the Rose Dyspnea scores (RDS) and the EQ5D Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Noninferiority was assessed for quality of life changes between CTO and non-CTO PCI.

RESULTS

In 3,303 patients enrolled, 167 single-vessel CTOs were attempted; 147 (88%) were matched with 1,616 non-CTO PCI. Baseline PL (73.0 vs. 77.4, P = 0.039) and VAS (66.4 vs. 70.8, P = 0.005) scores were lower for CTO. There was no difference in AF, QoL, or RDS scores. At 6-month follow-up, all SAQ scores improved (P < 0.05 vs. baseline for all) and were equivalent for CTO and Non-CTO (P = NS for all). VAS scores remained lower for CTO, but improved in both groups (P < 0.05 vs. baseline for both). Formal noninferiority testing demonstrated that CTO PCI was not inferior to non-CTO PCI (P ≤ 0.02 for all).

CONCLUSIONS

Symptoms, function, QoL, and dyspnea improve to the same degree following CTO PCI as compared with non-CTO PCI. Symptom relief supports CTO PCI to improve patients' quality of life.

Comparison of the Seattle Angina Questionnaire With Daily Angina Diary in the TERISA Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

As new techniques emerge to quantify patients' health status, new opportunities are created to validate patient-reported outcome questionnaires. The Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ), a widely used coronary artery disease-specific health status tool, has not been validated against daily records of angina frequency and sublingual nitroglycerin (SL NTG) use. Additional evidence supporting the validity of the SAQ could justify its broader use as an outcome for clinical studies designed to evaluate treatments that may improve patients' symptoms, function, and quality of life.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We used data from 917 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and stable angina from the multinational Type 2 Diabetes Evaluation of Ranolazine in Subjects With Chronic Stable Angina (TERISA) trial. The number of angina episodes and SL NTG used were recorded and transmitted daily using an electronic diary. In cross-sectional analyses, there was a strong relationship between the 2 SAQ angina frequency questions (ie, frequency of angina and SL NTG use) and the corresponding diary responses, with correlation coefficients of -0.64 for angina frequency (95% confidence interval,-0.68 to -0.60) and -0.69 for SL NTG use (95% confidence interval, -0.73 to -0.66). Longitudinally, changes in SAQ angina frequency scores from day 1 to week 8 also correlated with changes in angina frequency (-0.42; 95% confidence interval, -0.48 to -0.30) and SL NTG use by diary (-0.38; 95% confidence interval, -0.43 to -0.32) over the corresponding time period. Correlations were similar when stratified by age, sex, or geography.

CONCLUSIONS

In a multinational cohort of patients with stable angina, the SAQ angina frequency domain was significantly correlated, both cross sectionally and longitudinally, with daily diary entries of angina frequency and SL NTG use. These data further support the validity of the SAQ angina frequency domain across a broad spectrum of patients with stable angina.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01425359.

Variation in patients' perceptions of elective percutaneous coronary intervention in stable coronary artery disease: cross sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To assess the perceptions of patients with stable coronary artery disease of the urgency and benefits of elective percutaneous coronary intervention and to examine how they vary across centers and by providers.

DESIGN

Cross sectional study.

SETTING

10 US academic and community hospitals performing percutaneous coronary interventions between 2009 and 2011.

PARTICIPANTS

991 patients with stable coronary artery disease undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Patients' perceptions of the urgency and benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention, assessed by interview. Multilevel hierarchical logistic regression models examined the variation in patients' understanding across centers and operators after adjusting for patient characteristics, using median odds ratios.

RESULTS

The most common reported benefits from percutaneous coronary intervention were to extend life (90%, n=892; site range 80-97%) and to prevent future heart attacks (88%, n=872; site range 79-97%). Although nearly two thirds of patients (n=661) reported improvement of symptoms as a benefit of percutaneous coronary intervention (site range 52-87%), only 1% (n=9) identified this as the only benefit. Substantial variability was noted in the ways informed consent was obtained at each site. After adjusting for patient and operator characteristics, the median odds ratios showed significant variation in patients' perceptions of percutaneous coronary intervention across sites (range 1.4-3.1) but not across operators within a site.

CONCLUSION

Patients have a poor understanding of the benefits of elective percutaneous coronary intervention, with significant variation across sites. No sites had a high proportion of patients accurately understanding the benefits. Coupled with the wide variability in the ways in which hospitals obtain informed consent, these findings suggest that hospital level interventions into the structure and processes of obtaining informed consent for percutaneous coronary intervention might improve patient comprehension and understanding.

Rethinking composite end points in clinical trials: insights from patients and trialists

BACKGROUND

Many clinical trials use composite end points to reduce sample size, but the relative importance of each individual end point within the composite may differ between patients and researchers.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We asked 785 cardiovascular patients and 164 clinical trial authors to assign 25 "spending weights" across 5 common adverse events comprising composite end points in cardiovascular trials: death, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, and hospitalization for angina. We then calculated end point ratios for each participant's ratings of each nonfatal end point relative to death. Whereas patients assigned an average weight of 5 to death, equal or greater weight was assigned to myocardial infarction (mean ratio, 1.12) and stroke (ratio, 1.08). In contrast, clinical trialists were much more concerned about death (average weight, 8) than myocardial infarction (ratio, 0.63) or stroke (ratio, 0.53). Both patients and trialists considered revascularization (ratio, 0.48 and 0.20, respectively) and hospitalization (ratio, 0.28 and 0.13, respectively) as substantially less severe than death. Differences between patient and trialist end point weights persisted after adjustment for demographic and clinical characteristics (P<0.001 for all comparisons).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients and clinical trialists did not weigh individual components of a composite end point equally. Whereas trialists are most concerned about avoiding death, patients place equal or greater importance on reducing myocardial infarction or stroke. Both groups considered revascularization and hospitalization as substantially less severe. These findings suggest that equal weights in a composite clinical end point do not accurately reflect the preferences of either patients or trialists.

Development and validation of a short version of the Seattle angina questionnaire

BACKGROUND

Clinical trials and national performance measures increasingly mandate reporting patients' perspectives of their health status: their symptoms, function, and quality of life. Although the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) is a validated disease-specific health status instrument for coronary artery disease (CAD) with high test-retest reliability, predictive power, and responsiveness, its use in routine clinical practice has been limited, in part, by its length (19 items).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Using data from 10 408 patients with CAD from 5 multicenter registries, we derived and validated a shortened version of the SAQ (SAQ-7) among patients presenting with stable CAD, undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, and after acute myocardial infarction. We examined the psychometric properties of the SAQ-7 as compared with the full SAQ. Seven items from the Physical Limitation, Angina Frequency, and Quality of Life domains were identified for the SAQ-7, with high levels of concordance (0.88-1.00) with each original SAQ domain. The SAQ-7 demonstrated good construct validity (compared with Canadian Cardiovascular Society class for angina), with a correlation of 0.62 and 0.38 for patients with stable CAD and undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, respectively. It was highly reproducible in patients with stable CAD (intraclass correlation, ≥0.78) and exhibited excellent responsiveness in patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (≥18 points in each SAQ domain). Finally, the SAQ-7 was predictive of 1-year mortality and readmission.

CONCLUSIONS

To increase the feasibility of measuring patient-reported outcomes in patients with CAD, we developed and validated a shortened 7-item SAQ instrument for use in clinical trials and routine care.

Abstract 283: Health Status Outcomes in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients Following Rehospitalization for Unplanned Revascularization or Unstable Angina

Background: Rehospitalizations for unplanned coronary revascularization and unstable angina (UA) among patients after myocardial infarction (MI) are common. The association of these events with health status is unknown.

Methods: Patients with MI were enrolled between 2005 and 2008 in the TRIUMPH registry-a prospective, 24 center U.S. study. Follow-up was attempted on all survivors at 1, 6 and 12 months after index MI admission. Data on all reported re-hospitalizations were adjudicated. Staged revascularizations and elective coronary artery bypass grafts performed within the first month after the index MI were excluded. Health status was assessed using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) and Euroqol-5D Visual Analog Scale (EQ-5D VAS). One-year health status was compared between those who did and did not experience a rehospitalization due to a coronary revascularization or UA using hierarchical, repeated measures analyses in 2 propensity-matched cohorts created for each of these events.

Results: A total of 3,283 MI patients were analyzed; mean age was 59 years, 33% were female and 70% were Caucasian. In the year following the MI there were 144 (4.4%) re-hospitalizations for unplanned coronary revascularization and 140 (4.3%) for UA. Baseline health status was comparable between patients with and without re-hospitalizations. In contrast, SAQ summary scores at 1 year post-MI were lower in patients with re-hospitalizations for unplanned revascularization (-10.1; 95% CI -12.4, -7.9) and UA readmissions (mean difference -6.9; 95% CI -9.1, -4.7) vs. those without. Similarly, EQ-5D VAS scores were lower among patients with readmissions for unplanned revascularization and UA readmissions (Table). Individual domains of the SAQ score indicated higher angina frequency, worse quality of life, and more physical limitations over the year following the index MI among patients re-hospitalized for UA and revascularization.

Conclusions: Rehospitalizations within the first year following a MI for unplanned coronary revascularization and UA are associated with more angina and worse health status. Whether more aggressive treatment of patients’ health status can prevent these events, or if preventing these events can improve patients’ health status, requires further study.

Abstract 27: Association Between Cardiac Rehabilitation Participation and Health Status Outcomes After Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a class Ia recommendation and endorsed performance measure for the quality of care in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) survivors. While participation in CR after AMI is associated with reduced mortality, conflicting data exists on its association with health status outcomes.

Methods: Using data from 2 prospective AMI registries (TRIUMPH and PREMIER), we identified patients for whom baseline and follow-up health status scores and documentation of CR participation (attendance of 1 or more sessions within 6 months post-AMI) were available. Health status was assessed by four Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) domain scores (quality of life [QoL], angina frequency [AF], treatment satisfaction [TS], and physical limitation [PL]), as well as SF-12 physical and mental health composite scores ( PCS & MCS ). We created propensity matched cohorts of CR participants and non-participants to examine the association between CR participation with health status (6 and 12 months) and all-cause mortality (up to 7 years), using conditional repeated measures and proportional hazards models, respectively.

Results: Among 3,957 AMI patients from 31 sites, 2,015 patients (51%) participated in CR after discharge. Compared to non-participants, CR participants were more often Caucasian (83.6% vs. 65.4%), had higher rates of health insurance (90.6% vs. 79.3%), but clinically similar baseline SAQ and SF-12 scores in all domains. After propensity matching, all covariates were well-balanced (Standardized Difference <10 for all patient characteristics) between CR participants and non-participants. In the repeated measures analysis, the mean SAQ and SF-12 domain scores were clinically similar for both groups at 6 and 12 months after hospital discharge (Table). Using a conditional proportional hazards model, a decrease in all-cause mortality was noted in the CR participant group (HR 0.59, 95% CI [0.46, 0.75]).

Conclusion: In a large, multi-center AMI cohort, we found that although CR participation seemed to improve survival, CR participants had similar health status improvements after AMI as non-participants. Further investigation is required to identify how CR programs can further maximize the health status benefits to post-AMI participants.

Abstract 121: Testing Frequency Of Guideline-recommended Diabetes Performance Measures In A Cohort Of Post-acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) Diabetics

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is common among patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Although guideline-supported performance measures exist to improve care for each condition, prior work assessing the quality of care for diabetic patients after AMI has focused only on adherence to CAD performance measures. The quality of diabetic care these patients’ receive is unknown.

Methods: Using data from a prospective AMI registry (TRIUMPH), we identified patients with known DM and examined whether DM-focused performance measures had been applied over the 12 months after discharge. We focused upon 3 DM guideline-supported performance measures: a dilated eye exam, detailed foot exam, and HgbA1C testing. For this analysis, we conducted univariate statistics to describe the frequencies with which diabetics reported receiving these DM performance measures and 4 CAD performance measures at their 12-month interview.

Results: Among 1,343 patients with a known diagnosis of diabetes presenting with an AMI, a total of 791 (58.9%) completed the 12-month follow up interview. The mean age (SD) of the analytic cohort was 6111 years, with 60% being males and 63% Caucasian. The frequencies of reported receipt among the examined DM and CAD performance measures ranged from 57.3%- 82.2%, with ASA being the most common and a dilated eye exam being the least (Figure). Only 47% of patients reported receiving all three DM performance measures over the past 12 months, while 41.1% reported receiving either one or two, and 12% reported receiving none.

Conclusion: In a large, multi-center cohort of diabetic AMI survivors we found that patient-reported receipt of 3 DM and 4 CAD performance measures is sub-optimal and there is significant room for improvement. Novel strategies and approaches for assessing the quality of care delivered to post-AMI diabetics in a multidimensional fashion remains vital for improving care and outcomes in this high-risk group of patients.

Characters: 1,683 + figure 500. Limit 2,500

Hospital variation in survival trends for in-hospital cardiac arrest

Background

During the past decade, survival after in‐hospital cardiac arrest has improved markedly. It remains unknown whether the improvement in survival has occurred uniformly at all hospitals or was driven by large improvements at only a few hospitals.

Methods and Results

We identified 93 342 adults with an in‐hospital cardiac arrest at 231 hospitals in the Get With The Guidelines^®‐Resuscitation registry during 2000–2010. Using hierarchical regression models, we evaluated hospital‐level trends in survival to discharge. Mean age was 66 years, 59% were men, and 21% were black. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a significant decrease in age, prevalence of heart failure and myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrests due to shockable rhythms (P<0.001 for all) and an increase in prevalence of sepsis, respiratory insufficiency, renal insufficiency, intensive care unit location, and mechanical ventilation before arrest (P<0.001 for all). After adjustment for temporal trends in baseline characteristics, hospital rates of in‐hospital cardiac arrest survival improved by 7% per year (odds ratio [OR] 1.07, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.08, P<0.001). Improvement in survival varied markedly and ranged from 3% in the bottom hospital quartile to 11% in the top hospital quartile. Compared with minor teaching hospitals (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.06), hospital rate of survival improvement was greater at major teaching (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.10) and nonteaching hospitals (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.09, P value for interaction=0.03).

Conclusion

Although in‐hospital cardiac arrest survival has improved during the past decade, the magnitude of improvement varied across hospitals. Future studies are needed to identify hospital processes that have led to the largest improvement in survival.

The reliability of in-hospital diagnoses of diabetes mellitus in the setting of an acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE

Incident diabetes mellitus (DM) is important to recognize in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). To develop an efficient screening strategy, we explored the use of random plasma glucose (RPG) at admission and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) to select patients with AMI for glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) testing.

DESIGN SETTING ANDPARTICIPANTS

Prospective registry of 1574 patients with AMI not taking glucose-lowering medication from 24 US hospitals. All patients had HbA1c measured at a core laboratory and admission RPG and ≥2 FPGs recorded during hospitalization. We examined potential combinations of RPG and FPG and compared these with HbA1c≥6.5%-considered the gold standard for DM diagnosis in these analyses.

RESULTS

An RPG>140 mg/dL or FPG≥126 mg/dL had high sensitivity for DM diagnosis. Combining these into a screening protocol (if admission RPG>140, check HbA1c; or if FPG≥126 on a subsequent day, check HbA1c) led to HbA1c testing in 50% of patients and identified 86% with incident DM (number needed to screen (NNS)=3.3 to identify 1 case of DM; vs NNS=5.6 with universal HbA1c screening). Alternatively, using an RPG>180 led to HbA1c testing in 40% of patients with AMI and identified 82% of DM (NNS=2.7).

CONCLUSIONS

We have established two potential selective screening methods for DM in the setting of AMI that could identify the vast majority of incident DM by targeted screening of 40-50% of patients with AMI with HbA1c testing. Using these methods may efficiently identify patients with AMI with DM so that appropriate education and treatment can be promptly initiated.

Directed flow of charged particles at midrapidity relative to the spectator plane in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV

The directed flow of charged particles at midrapidity is measured in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV relative to the collision symmetry plane defined by the spectator nucleons. A negative slope of the rapidity-odd directed flow component with approximately 3 times smaller magnitude than found at the highest RHIC energy is observed. This suggests a smaller longitudinal tilt of the initial system and disfavors the strong fireball rotation predicted for the LHC energies. The rapidity-even directed flow component is measured for the first time with spectators and found to be independent of pseudorapidity with a sign change at transverse momenta p(T) between 1.2 and 1.7  GeV/c. Combined with the observation of a vanishing rapidity-even p(T) shift along the spectator deflection this is strong evidence for dipolelike initial density fluctuations in the overlap zone of the nuclei. Similar trends in the rapidity-even directed flow and the estimate from two-particle correlations at midrapidity, which is larger by about a factor of 40, indicate a weak correlation between fluctuating participant and spectator symmetry planes. These observations open new possibilities for investigation of the initial conditions in heavy-ion collisions with spectator nucleons.

K(S)0 and Λ production in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV

The ALICE measurement of K(S)(0) and Λ production at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV is presented. The transverse momentum (p(T)) spectra are shown for several collision centrality intervals and in the p(T) range from 0.4 GeV/c (0.6 GeV/c for Λ) to 12 GeV/c. The p(T) dependence of the Λ/K(S)(0) ratios exhibits maxima in the vicinity of 3 GeV/c, and the positions of the maxima shift towards higher p(T) with increasing collision centrality. The magnitude of these maxima increases by almost a factor of three between most peripheral and most central Pb-Pb collisions. This baryon excess at intermediate p(T) is not observed in pp interactions at √s=0.9 TeV and at √s=7 TeV. Qualitatively, the baryon enhancement in heavy-ion collisions is expected from radial flow. However, the measured p(T) spectra above 2 GeV/c progressively decouple from hydrodynamical-model calculations. For higher values of p(T), models that incorporate the influence of the medium on the fragmentation and hadronization processes describe qualitatively the p(T) dependence of the Λ/K(S)(0) ratio.

Presence or absence of intestinal metaplasia but not its burden is associated with prevalent high-grade dysplasia and cancer in Barrett's esophagus

Universal agreement on the inclusion of intestinal metaplasia to diagnose Barrett's esophagus (BE) is lacking. Our aim was to determine the association of intestinal metaplasia and its density with the prevalence of dysplasia/cancer in columnar lined esophagus (CLE). Patients with CLE but no intestinal metaplasia (CLE-no IM) were identified by querying the clinical pathology database using SNOMED codes for distal esophageal biopsies. CLE-IM patients were identified from a prospectively maintained database of BE patients. Subsequently, relative risks for prevalent dysplasia and cancer were calculated. Since patients with CLE-no IM are not usually enrolled in surveillance, only prevalent dysplasia/cancer on index endoscopy was analyzed. Goblet cell density and percent intestinal metaplasia were estimated. All biopsy slides were reviewed for dysplasia by two experienced gastrointestinal pathologists. Two hundred sixty-two CLE-IM and 260 CLE-no IM patients were included (age 64±12 vs. 60±11 years, P=0.001; whites 92% vs. 82%, P=0.001; males 99.7% vs. 99.3%, P=NS; CLE length 3.4±3.2 vears 1.4±0.4 cm, P=0.001 and hiatus hernia 64% vs. 56%, P=0.013). The odds of finding low-grade dysplasia and of high-grade dysplasia (HGD)/cancer were 12.5-fold (2.9-53.8, P=0.007) and 4.2-fold (95% CI 1.4-13, P=0.01) higher, respectively, in the CLE-IM group. Reanalysis after controlling for important variables of age, race, and length did not significantly alter the overall results. In CLE-IM group, when patients with high (>50/LPF) versus low goblet cell density (<50/LPF) and <10% versus >10% intestinal metaplasia were compared, the odds of HGD/cancer, OR 1.5 (0.5-4.9, P=0.5) and 1.97 (0.54-7.22), respectively, were not significantly higher. Demonstration of intestinal metaplasia continues to be an essential element in the definition of BE, but its quantification may not be useful for risk stratification of HGD/cancer in BE.

Derivation and validation of a risk standardization model for benchmarking hospital performance for health-related quality of life outcomes after acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Before outcomes-based measures of quality can be used to compare and improve care, they must be risk-standardized to account for variations in patient characteristics. Despite the importance of health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), no risk-standardized models have been developed.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We assessed disease-specific HRQL using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire at baseline and 1 year later in 2693 unselected AMI patients from 24 hospitals enrolled in the Translational Research Investigating Underlying disparities in acute Myocardial infarction Patients' Health status (TRIUMPH) registry. Using 57 candidate sociodemographic, economic, and clinical variables present on admission, we developed a parsimonious, hierarchical linear regression model to predict HRQL. Eleven variables were independently associated with poor HRQL after AMI, including younger age, previous coronary artery bypass graft surgery, depressive symptoms, and financial difficulties (R(2)=20%). The model demonstrated excellent internal calibration and reasonable calibration in an independent sample of 1890 AMI patients in a separate registry, although the model slightly overpredicted HRQL scores in the higher deciles. Among the 24 TRIUMPH hospitals, 1-year unadjusted HRQL scores ranged from 67-89. After risk-standardization, HRQL score variability narrowed substantially (range=79-83), and the group of hospital performance (bottom 20%/middle 60%/top 20%) changed in 14 of the 24 hospitals (58% reclassification with risk-standardization).

CONCLUSIONS

In this predictive model for HRQL after AMI, we identified risk factors, including economic and psychological characteristics, associated with HRQL outcomes. Adjusting for these factors substantially altered the rankings of hospitals as compared with unadjusted comparisons. Using this model to compare risk-standardized HRQL outcomes across hospitals may identify processes of care that maximize this important patient-centered outcome.

J/ψ elliptic flow in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV

We report on the first measurement of inclusive J/ψ elliptic flow v2 in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC. The measurement is performed with the ALICE detector in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV in the rapidity range 2.5<y<4.0. The dependence of the J/ψ v2 on the collision centrality and on the J/ψ transverse momentum is studied in the range 0≤p(T)<10 GeV/c. For semicentral Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV, an indication of nonzero v2 is observed with a largest measured value of v2=0.116±0.046(stat)±0.029(syst) for J/ψ in the transverse momentum range 2≤p(T)<4 GeV/c. The elliptic flow measurement complements the previously reported ALICE results on the inclusive J/ψ nuclear modification factor and favors the scenario of a significant fraction of J/ψ production from charm quarks in a deconfined partonic phase.

Comparable performance of the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire in patients with heart failure with preserved and reduced ejection fraction

BACKGROUND

Despite the growing epidemic of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), no valid measure of patients' health status (symptoms, function, and quality of life) exists. We evaluated the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), a validated measure of HF with reduced EF, in patients with HFpEF.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Using a prospective HF registry, we dichotomized patients into HF with reduced EF (EF≤ 40) and HFpEF (EF≥50). The associations between New York Heart Association class, a commonly used criterion standard, and KCCQ Overall Summary and Total Symptom domains were evaluated using Spearman correlations and 2-way ANOVA with differences between patients with HF with reduced EF and HFpEF tested with interaction terms. Predictive validity of the KCCQ Overall Summary scores was assessed with Kaplan-Meier curves for death and all-cause hospitalization. Covariate adjustment was made using Cox proportional hazards models. Internal reliability was assessed with Cronbach's α. Among 849 patients, 200 (24%) had HFpEF. KCCQ summary scores were strongly associated with New York Heart Association class in both patients with HFpEF (r=-0.62; P<0.001) and HF with reduced EF (r=-0.55; P=0.27 for interaction). One-year event-free rates by KCCQ category among patients with HFpEF were 0 to 25=13.8%, 26 to 50=59.1%, 51 to 75=73.8%, and 76 to 100=77.8% (log rank P<0.001), with no significant interaction by EF (P=0.37). The KCCQ domains demonstrated high internal consistency among patients with HFpEF (Cronbach's α=0.96 for overall summary and ≥0.69 in all subdomains).

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with HFpEF, the KCCQ seems to be a valid and reliable measure of health status and offers excellent prognostic ability. Future studies should extend and replicate our findings, including the establishment of its responsiveness to clinical change.

Practice-level variation in use of recommended medications among outpatients with heart failure: Insights from the NCDR PINNACLE program

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study is to examine practice-level variation in rates of guideline-recommended treatment for outpatients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, and to examine the association between treatment variation and practice site, independent of patient factors.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Cardiology practices participating in the National Cardiovascular Disease Registry Practice Innovation and Clinical Excellence registry from July 2008 to December 2010 were evaluated. Practice rates of treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers and β-blockers and an optimal combined treatment measure were determined for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction and no documented contraindications. Multivariable hierarchical regression models were adjusted for demographics, insurance status, and comorbidities. A median rate ratio was calculated for each therapy, which describes the likelihood that the treatment of a patient with given comorbidities would differ at 2 randomly selected practices. We identified 12 556 patients from 45 practices. The unadjusted practice-level prescription rates ranged from 44% to 100% for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (median, 85%; interquartile range, 75%-89%), from 49% to 100% for β-blockers (median, 92%; interquartile range, 83%-95%), and from 37% to 100% for optimal combined treatment (median, 79%; interquartile range, 66%-85%). The adjusted median rate ratio was 1.11 (95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.18) for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers therapy, 1.08 (95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.15) for β-blockers therapy, and 1.17 (1.13-1.26) for optimal combined treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Variation in the use of guideline-recommended medications for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction exists in the outpatient setting. Addressing practice-level differences may be an important component of improving quality of care for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction.

D meson elliptic flow in noncentral Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[sNN]=2.76 Tev

Azimuthally anisotropic distributions of D0, D+, and D*+ mesons were studied in the central rapidity region (|y|<0.8) in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[sNN]=2.76  TeV per nucleon-nucleon collision, with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The second Fourier coefficient v2 (commonly denoted elliptic flow) was measured in the centrality class 30%-50% as a function of the D meson transverse momentum pT, in the range 2-16  GeV/c. The measured v2 of D mesons is comparable in magnitude to that of light-flavor hadrons. It is positive in the range 2<pT<6  GeV/c with 5.7σ significance, based on the combination of statistical and systematic uncertainties.

Temporal trends and hospital variation in the management of severe hyperglycemia among patients with acute myocardial infarction in the United States

BACKGROUND

Elevated blood glucose is associated with higher mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Although clinical guidelines recommend targeted glucose control in this group, clinical trials have yielded inconclusive results. Our objective was to understand how this lack of evidence impacts the management of severe hyperglycemia in routine practice.

METHODS

We examined insulin use among 4,297 AMI admissions with a mean hospitalization blood glucose of ≥200 mg/dL across 55 US hospitals from 2000 to 2008. Temporal trends and interhospital variation in 2 measures of insulin use during hospitalization-any (subcutaneous, intravenous [IV], short acting, long acting) and IV insulin-were examined using hierarchical Poisson regression models.

RESULTS

Of the 4,297 admissions, 2,618 (61%) received any insulin and 538 (13%) received IV insulin. After multivariable adjustment, a slight increase in insulin use was observed per admission year (relative risk [RR] 1.06, 95% CI 1.01-1.11). There was a modest (albeit nonsignificant) increase in IV insulin use seen before May 2004 (RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.96-1.47), with no significant change thereafter (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.92-1.09). Marked variability in insulin use was observed across hospitals (median rate ratio 1.5 [any insulin] and 1.8 [IV insulin]), which did not change over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Insulin use among patients with AMI and severe hyperglycemia has remained low over the past decade, with substantial and persistent interhospital variation. These observations reflect marked clinical uncertainty with regard to glucose management in AMI, underscoring the imperative for a definitive clinical trial in this field.

Insulin resistance is associated with significant clinical atherosclerosis in nondiabetic patients with acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE

The prevalence of insulin resistance (IR) is increasing worldwide because of increasing age, obesity, and physical inactivity. Emerging evidence supports a direct proatherogenic effect of IR on the coronary vasculature, but the relation between IR and angiographic atherosclerosis in a real-world clinical setting is uncertain. In this work, we assessed whether IR is independently associated with clinically significant angiographic atherosclerosis in nondiabetic individuals.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

We examined the association between IR and the extent of coronary atherosclerosis determined by angiography in 1073 nondiabetic patients surviving acute myocardial infarction. Patients were divided into quartiles on the basis of the homeostasis model assessment grading of IR, and associations between IR and multivessel coronary artery disease, defined as ≥ 2 arteries with ≥ 70% stenosis (or ≥ 50% left main stenosis), were analyzed in bivariate and multivariable modeling. Overall, the cohort had a median age of 56 years; 28.9% women and 21.8% nonwhite. The crude prevalence of multivessel coronary artery disease was 37.8%, 42.3%, 47.2%, and 48.0% for homeostasis model assessment grading of IR quartiles 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively (P(trend) = 0.009). In multivariable modeling, compared with quartile 1, both quartile 3 (relative risk [95% confidence interval], 1.31 [1.07-1.60]) and quartile 4 (1.29 [1.03-1.60]) were independently associated with multivessel coronary artery disease. Covariates in the model included patient demographic and clinical characteristics and metabolic factors (low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride, glycosylated hemoglobin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein).

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate an independent association between IR and multivessel coronary artery disease in nondiabetic postmyocardial infarction patients. Our findings strengthen the experimental evidence for a direct atherogenic effect of IR independent of glucose control and other components of the metabolic syndrome.

Measurement of inelastic, single- and double-diffraction cross sections in proton-proton collisions at the LHC with ALICE

Measurements of cross sections of inelastic and diffractive processes in proton-proton collisions at LHC energies were carried out with the ALICE detector. The fractions of diffractive processes in inelastic collisions were determined from a study of gaps in charged particle pseudorapidity distributions: for single diffraction (diffractive mass MX <200 GeV/c2) [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], respectively at centre-of-mass energies [Formula: see text]; for double diffraction (for a pseudorapidity gap Δη>3) σDD/σINEL=0.11±0.03,0.12±0.05, and [Formula: see text], respectively at [Formula: see text]. To measure the inelastic cross section, beam properties were determined with van der Meer scans, and, using a simulation of diffraction adjusted to data, the following values were obtained: [Formula: see text] mb at [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] at [Formula: see text]. The single- and double-diffractive cross sections were calculated combining relative rates of diffraction with inelastic cross sections. The results are compared to previous measurements at proton-antiproton and proton-proton colliders at lower energies, to measurements by other experiments at the LHC, and to theoretical models.

Abstract 134: Hospital-Level Variability in the Use of Anticoagulant Strategies in a Real-World Population of Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: Anti-coagulants (AC) are a key treatment for reducing morbidity and mortality during an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Each AC agent has risks and benefits and may be optimal in certain patient subgroups, but the extent to which the choice of AC therapy is dependent on the hospital site, as opposed to patient characteristics alone, is unknown.

Methods: We examined the use of unfractionated heparin (UFH), low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH), and bivalirudin within the first 24 hours of hospitalization for AMI among patients from 24 US hospitals (83% academic; mean #beds=598 [range 66-1000]; all with PCI capability) in the TRIUMPH registry from 4/05-12/08. Only patients who underwent coronary angiography during hospitalization and were treated with an AC were included in the analyses. Hierarchical multinomial regression was used to examine the predicted probabilities of receiving UFH, LMWH, or bivalirudin across the 24 sites, adjusting for patient characteristics (including estimated risk of bleeding). Site level variation was further explored with a median odds ratio (MOR), which estimates the average difference in odds ratios of 2 hypothetically identical patients treated at 2 random sites within TRIUMPH, using UFH as the reference treatment.

Results: Of the 3682 AMI patients (47% STEMI/53% NSTEMI) who underwent angiography and were treated with an AC, 77.1% were treated with UFH during the first 24 hours of their AMI, 18.2% with LMWH, and 4.8% with bivalirudin. The predicted probabilities of AC use by site for a hypothetically identical patient ranged across hospitals from 45-98% for UFH, 1-51% for LMWH, and 1-11% for bivalirudin (Figure). The MORs (95% CI) were 2.97 (95% CI 2.25-5.21) for LMWH vs. UFH and 2.52 (95% CI 1.92-4.80) for bivalirudin vs. UFH, indicating substantial variability of the use of different ACs across hospitals even after accounting for patient-level differences.

Conclusion: In a large, multicenter AMI registry, we found that the use of different AC strategies is highly dependent on the site to which a patient presents, even after accounting for differences in patients’ presenting characteristics and treatment strategies.

Abstract 326: Low Rates Of Utilization Of Aldosterone Antagonists In Eligible Patients Post Myocardial Infarction: Insights From The Triumph And Premier Registries

Background: Current guidelines recommend initiation of an aldosterone antagonist post myocardial infarction (MI) for those with an ejection fraction (EF) <40% with heart failure (HF) or diabetes mellitus (DM) prior to hospital discharge in the absence of contraindications. We assessed rates of guideline concordant and discordant use of aldosterone antagonists at discharge and 1 month post-MI.

Method: Data was analyzed from combined PREMIER and TRIUMPH registries: a prospective, 31-center U.S. study of AMI outcomes from 2003 to 2008. We assessed rates of guideline concordant and discordant utilization of aldosterone antagonists among 6,329 therapy-naïve patients surviving their hospitalization with data available on EF, creatinine and potassium at discharge. Medication utilization at 1 month post discharge was assessed through interviews.

Results: In the entire cohort, 678 patients were eligible for aldosterone antagonists; however, only 15.2% (n=103) received it. Among eligible patients (n=55) discharged on an aldosterone antagonist who completed 1month interviews, 27% (n=15) had discontinued it. Furthermore, among those who were eligible but were not discharged on an aldosterone antagonist (n=322), only 7.5% (n=24) were initiated on them post discharge at 1 month. Guideline discordant use of aldosterone antagonists was observed in only 2.0% (n= 113 of 5,651) patients: ~1% had EF ≥40%, others either did not have HF and DM or had potassium ≥5 mEq/L at discharge.

Conclusion: We found that less than 1 in 6 eligible patients were prescribed aldosterone antagonists at discharge and of those prescribed them, 1 in 4 stopped within 1 month. These results extend our knowledge on under utilization of aldosterone antagonist therapy at discharge as well as on follow up. Future work is needed to assess reasons for this underutilization in eligible patients despite a proven benefit in randomized trials and a class I recommendation in guidelines.

Abstract 330: Hospital-Level Variation in One-Year Mortality and Angina Following Myocardial Infarction is Not Explained by In-Hospital Quality of Care in the TRIUMPH Registry

Background: Studies demonstrating variation in hospital quality of care using longitudinal outcomes have been limited in the amount of clinical data used to stratify patients’ risks and have not examined health status outcomes. We sought to describe hospital-level variation in risk-adjusted health status and mortality in the year following myocardial infarction (MI) and describe the extent to which hospital quality of care explains this variation.

Methods: 4,316 patients from the TRIUMPH registry, a prospective cohort study of MI patients at 24 hospitals, were included for analysis. Using hierarchical models, we described the hospital-level variation in angina (yes/no) and 1-year mortality rates. We then added hospital quality of care measures for MI applicable to the time period studied (ASA and beta blockers within 24 hours of arrival and at discharge, ACE/ARB at discharge, thrombolytics within 30 minutes, PCI within 90 minutes, and smoking cessation instructions at discharge) to these models to determine if hospital variation in one-year mortality and angina were explained by index MI quality of care.

Results: The mortality rate at one year was 6.2% and the incidence of angina at one year was 23.0%. Unadjusted hospital-level 1-year mortality ranged from 0% to 10.8% and unadjusted presence of angina ranged from 9.3% to 66.7%. Statistically significant hospital-level variation in one-year mortality and angina was observed, with risk-adjusted mortality rates ranging from 5% to 8.3% (p<0.0001) and risk-adjusted angina rates ranging from 17.6% to 31.9% (p<0.0001). In-hospital quality of care measures did not attenuate hospital-level variation in mortality or angina (Figure 1).

Conclusions: Hospital-level variation in 1-year mortality and angina was observed among the 24 hospitals participating in this MI registry. However, this variation was not explained by in-hospital MI performance measures. Future studies should assess care delivery factors that impact longitudinal outcomes following MI.

Net-charge fluctuations in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[sNN]=2.76 TeV

We report the first measurement of the net-charge fluctuations in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[sNN]=2.76  TeV, measured with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The dynamical fluctuations per unit entropy are observed to decrease when going from peripheral to central collisions. An additional reduction in the amount of fluctuations is seen in comparison to the results from lower energies. We examine the dependence of fluctuations on the pseudorapidity interval, which may account for the dilution of fluctuations during the evolution of the system. We find that the fluctuations at the LHC are smaller compared to the measurements at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, and as such, closer to what has been theoretically predicted for the formation of a quark-gluon plasma.

Comparison of clinical interpretation with visual assessment and quantitative coronary angiography in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in contemporary practice: the Assessing Angiography (A2) project

BACKGROUND

Studies conducted decades ago described substantial disagreement and errors in physicians' angiographic interpretation of coronary stenosis severity. Despite the potential implications of such findings, no large-scale efforts to measure or improve clinical interpretation were subsequently undertaken.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We compared clinical interpretation of stenosis severity in coronary lesions with an independent assessment using quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) in 175 randomly selected patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention at 7 US hospitals in 2011. To assess agreement, we calculated mean difference in percent diameter stenosis between clinical interpretation and QCA and a Cohen weighted κ statistic. Of 216 treated lesions, median percent diameter stenosis was 80.0% (quartiles 1 and 3, 80.0% and 90.0%), with 213 (98.6%) assessed as ≥70%. Mean difference in percent diameter stenosis between clinical interpretation and QCA was 8.2±8.4%, reflecting an average higher percent diameter stenosis by clinical interpretation (P<0.001). A weighted κ of 0.27 (95% confidence interval, 0.18-0.36) was found between the 2 measurements. Of 213 lesions considered ≥70% by clinical interpretation, 56 (26.3%) were <70% by QCA, although none were <50%. Differences between the 2 measurements were largest for intermediate lesions by QCA (50% to <70%), with variation existing across sites.

CONCLUSIONS

Physicians tended to assess coronary lesions treated with percutaneous coronary intervention as more severe than measurements by QCA. Almost all treated lesions were ≥70% by clinical interpretation, whereas approximately one quarter were <70% by QCA. These findings suggest opportunities to improve clinical interpretation of coronary angiography.

Detection of emamectin benzoate tolerance emergence in different life stages of sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, on farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L

Emamectin benzoate has been used to treat sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, infestations on farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar. Recent evidence suggests a reduction in effectiveness in some locations. A major challenge in the detection of tolerance emergence can be the typically low proportion of resistant individuals in a population during the early phases. The objectives of this study were to develop a method for determining differences in temporal development of tolerance between sea lice life stages and to explore how these differences might be used to improve the monitoring of treatment effectiveness in a clinical setting. This study examined two data sets based on records of sea lice abundance following emamectin benzoate treatments from the west coast of Scotland (2002-2006) and from New Brunswick, Canada (2004-2008). Life stages were categorized into two groups (adult females and the remaining mobile stages) to examine the trends in mean abundance and treatment effectiveness. Differences in emamectin benzoate effectiveness were found between the two groups by year and location, suggesting that an important part of monitoring drug resistance development in aquatic ectoparasites may be the need to focus on key life stages.

Transverse momentum distribution and nuclear modification factor of charged particles in p+Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 5.02 TeV

The transverse momentum (p(T)) distribution of primary charged particles is measured in minimum bias (non-single-diffractive) p+Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The p(T) spectra measured near central rapidity in the range 0.5<p(T) <20 GeV/c exhibit a weak pseudorapidity dependence. The nuclear modification factor R(pPb) is consistent with unity for p(T) above 2 GeV/c. This measurement indicates that the strong suppression of hadron production at high p(T) observed in Pb+Pb collisions at the LHC is not due to an initial-state effect. The measurement is compared to theoretical calculations.

Pseudorapidity density of charged particles in p+Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=5.02 TeV

The charged-particle pseudorapidity density measured over four units of pseudorapidity in nonsingle-diffractive p+Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair √(s(NN))=5.02 TeV is presented. The average value at midrapidity is measured to be 16.81±0.71 (syst), which corresponds to 2.14±0.17 (syst) per participating nucleon, calculated with the Glauber model. This is 16% lower than in nonsingle-diffractive pp collisions interpolated to the same collision energy and 84% higher than in d+Au collisions at s√(s(NN))=0.2 TeV. The measured pseudorapidity density in p+Pb collisions is compared to model predictions and provides new constraints on the description of particle production in high-energy nuclear collisions.

Charge separation relative to the reaction plane in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV

Measurements of charge-dependent azimuthal correlations with the ALICE detector at the LHC are reported for Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV. Two- and three-particle charge-dependent azimuthal correlations in the pseudorapidity range |η| < 0.8 are presented as a function of the collision centrality, particle separation in pseudorapidity, and transverse momentum. A clear signal compatible with a charge-dependent separation relative to the reaction plane is observed, which shows little or no collision energy dependence when compared to measurements at RHIC energies. This provides a new insight for understanding the nature of the charge-dependent azimuthal correlations observed at RHIC and LHC energies.

Pion, kaon, and proton production in central Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV

In this Letter we report the first results on π(±), K(±), p, and p production at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in central Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV, measured by the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The p(T) distributions and yields are compared to previous results at sqrt[s(NN)] = 200 GeV and expectations from hydrodynamic and thermal models. The spectral shapes indicate a strong increase of the radial flow velocity with sqrt[s(NN)], which in hydrodynamic models is expected as a consequence of the increasing particle density. While the K/π ratio is in line with predictions from the thermal model, the p/π ratio is found to be lower by a factor of about 1.5. This deviation from thermal model expectations is still to be understood.

Measurement of the cross section for electromagnetic dissociation with neutron emission in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV

The first measurement of neutron emission in electromagnetic dissociation of ^{208}Pb nuclei at the LHC is presented. The measurement is performed using the neutron zero degree calorimeters of the ALICE experiment, which detect neutral particles close to beam rapidity. The measured cross sections of single and mutual electromagnetic dissociation of Pb nuclei at sqrt[s(NN)]=2.76 TeV with neutron emission are σ(singleEMD)=187.4 ± 0.2(stat)(-11.2)(+13.2) (syst) b and σ(mutualEMD) = 5.7 ± 0.1(stat) ± 0.4(syst) b, respectively. The experimental results are compared to the predictions from a relativistic electromagnetic dissociation model.