Disappearing and reappearing differences in drug-eluting stent use by race

Stent selection among patients with chronic kidney disease: Results from the NCDR CathPCI Registry

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to define contemporary rates of drug eluting stent (DES) usage in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

BACKGROUND

Among patients with CKD undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), outcomes are superior for those who receive DES compared to those who receive bare metal stents (BMSs). However, perceived barriers may limit the use of DES in this population.

METHODS

All adult PCI cases from the NCDR CathPCI Registry involving coronary stent placement between July 1, 2009 and December 31, 2015 were analyzed. The rate of DES usage was then compared among four groups, stratified by CKD stage (I/II, III, IV, and V). Subgroup analysis was conducted based on PCI status and indication. Cases were linked to Medicare claims data to assess 1-year mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 3,650,333 PCI cases met criteria for analysis. DES usage significantly declined as renal function worsened (83.0%, 79.9%, 75.6%, and 75.6%, respectively, in the four CKD stages; p < .001). DES usage was universally lower across the four groups in the setting of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) (70.6%, 66.5%, 58.7%, 58.0%; p < .001) and higher in the setting of elective PCI (87.6%, 84.9%, 82.3%, 77.9%; p < .0001). DES was associated with improved 1-year survival, and usage increased over time across each group.

CONCLUSIONS

DESs are underutilized in patients with advanced renal dysfunction. Although DES usage has increased over time, variation still exists between patients with normal renal function and those with CKD.

Racial Differences in Quality of Care and Outcomes After Acute Coronary Syndrome

Guideline adherence and variation in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) outcomes by race in the modern era of drug-eluting stents (DES) are not well understood. Previous studies also fail to capture rapidly growing minority populations, such as Asians. A retrospective analysis of 689,238 hospitalizations for ACS across all insurance types from 2008 to 2011 from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database was performed to determine whether quality of ACS care and mortality differ by race (white, black, Asian, Hispanic, or Native American), with adjustment for patient clinical and demographic characteristics and clustering by hospital. We found that black patients had the lowest in-hospital mortality rates (5% vs 6% to 7% for other races, p <0.0001, odds ratio [OR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97 to 1.07), despite low rates of timely angiography in ST-elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction, and lower use of DES (30% vs 38% to 40% for other races, p <0.0001). In contrast, Asian patients had the highest in-hospital mortality rates (7% vs 5% to 7% for other races, p <0.0001, odds ratio 1.13, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.20, relative to white patients), despite higher rates of timely angiography in ST-elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction, and the highest use of DES (74% vs 63% to 68% for other races, p <0.0001). Asian patients had the worst in-hospital mortality outcomes after ACS, despite high use of early invasive treatments. Black patients had better in-hospital outcomes despite receiving less guideline-driven care.

Comparison of drug eluting stents (DESs) and bare metal stents (BMSs) with STEMI: who received BMS in the era of 2nd generation DES?

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to analyze the indications for using bare metal stents (BMSs) in hospitalizations with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

The study cohorts were identified from the National Inpatient Sample database from 2010-2014 using appropriate, International Classification of Diseases, 9^th Revision, Clinical Modification, diagnostic and procedural codes.

RESULTS

A total of 123,487 hospitalizations were identified for this study. Drug eluting stent (DES) use demonstrated lower in-hospital mortality (5.8% vs. 3.3%, P = < 0.01) and other in-hospital outcomes, thus resulting in lower hospitalization stay. Higher age, black race, greater comorbidity burden, inferior wall myocardial infarction, and the use of mechanical circulatory devices were all associated with BMS use.

CONCLUSION

DES was the preferred standard of care in the era of 2nd generation DES; however, BMSs were used in hospitalizations with high-risk procedures and multiple risk factors.

Comparing Auditory Noise Treatment with Stimulant Medication on Cognitive Task Performance in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Results from a Pilot Study

Background: Recent research has shown that acoustic white noise (80 dB) can improve task performance in people with attention deficits and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This is attributed to the phenomenon of stochastic resonance in which a certain amount of noise can improve performance in a brain that is not working at its optimum. We compare here the effect of noise exposure with the effect of stimulant medication on cognitive task performance in ADHD. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of auditory noise exposure with stimulant medication for ADHD children on a cognitive test battery. A group of typically developed children (TDC) took the same tests as a comparison.

Methods: Twenty children with ADHD of combined or inattentive subtypes and twenty TDC matched for age and gender performed three different tests (word recall, spanboard and n-back task) during exposure to white noise (80 dB) and in a silent condition. The ADHD children were tested with and without central stimulant medication.

Results: In the spanboard- and the word recall tasks, but not in the 2-back task, white noise exposure led to significant improvements for both non-medicated and medicated ADHD children. No significant effects of medication were found on any of the three tasks.

Conclusion: This pilot study shows that exposure to white noise resulted in a task improvement that was larger than the one with stimulant medication thus opening up the possibility of using auditory noise as an alternative, non-pharmacological treatment of cognitive ADHD symptoms.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes after unplanned intraaortic balloon counterpulsation in the Counterpulsation to Reduce Infarct Size Pre-PCI Acute Myocardial Infarction trial

BACKGROUND

Despite advances in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) and regional systems of care, the development of cardiogenic shock is associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We sought to better characterize the baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients who underwent crossover to intraaortic balloon counterpulsation (IABC) in the CRISP AMI trial.

METHODS

Patients with anterior STEMI were randomized to IABC before pPCI or pPCI alone. Infarct size and 6-month clinical outcomes were evaluated in patients both in the pPCI-alone group who did undergo crossover to IABC and those who did not undergo crossover to IABC.

RESULTS

Among 176 patients randomized to pPCI alone, 161 patients did not later receive IABC during the index hospitalization, and 15 patients (8.5%) underwent crossover and did receive unplanned IABC. Hypotension and/or cardiogenic shock precipitated crossover to IABC in 12 patients (80%). Patients who underwent crossover to IABC demonstrated lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures on admission. At 6 months, rates of death (26.7% vs 3.1%, P = .003), readmission for severe hypotension (53.3% vs 3.7%, P < .001), resuscitated cardiac arrest, and ventricular arrhythmia were higher in the group that did crossover to IABC. Crossover to IABC was not associated with increased infarct size.

CONCLUSIONS

The most significant predictor of crossover to IABC in the setting of anterior STEMI was relative hypotension at the time of hospital admission, and crossover to IABC in CRISP AMI was associated with significantly worse clinical outcomes.

Socioeconomic inequalities in quality of care and outcomes among patients with acute coronary syndrome in the modern era of drug eluting stents

BACKGROUND

The rapidly changing landscape of percutaneous coronary intervention provides a unique model for examining disparities over time. Previous studies have not examined socioeconomic inequalities in the current era of drug eluting stents (DES).

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analyzed 835 070 hospitalizations for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project across all insurance types from 2008 to 2011, examining whether quality of care and outcomes for patients with ACS differed by income (based on zip code of residence) with adjustment for patient characteristics and clustering by hospital. We found that lower-income patients were less likely to receive an angiogram within 24 hours of a ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (69.5% for IQ1 versus 73.7% for IQ4, P<0.0001, OR 0.79 [0.68 to 0.91]) or within 48 hours of a Non-STEMI (47.6% for IQ1 versus 51.8% for IQ4, P<0.0001, OR 0.86 [0.75 to 0.99]). Lower income was associated with less use of a DES (64.7% for IQ1 versus 71.2% for IQ4, P<0.0001, OR 0.83 [0.74 to 0.93]). However, no differences were found for coronary artery bypass surgery. Among STEMI patients, lower-income patients also had slightly increased adjusted mortality rates (10.8% for IQ1 versus 9.4% for IQ4, P<0.0001, OR 1.17 [1.11 to 1.25]). After further adjusting for time to reperfusion among STEMI patients, mortality differences across income groups decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

For the most well accepted procedural treatments for ACS, income inequalities have faded. However, such inequalities have persisted for DES use, a relatively expensive and until recently, controversial revascularization procedure. Differences in mortality are significantly associated with differences in time to primary PCI, suggesting an important target for understanding why these inequalities persist.

The association between patient race, treatment, and outcomes of patients undergoing contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention: insights from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium (BMC2)

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to examine if racial disparities exist in the treatment and outcomes of patients undergoing contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

We examined the association between race, process of care, and outcomes of patients undergoing PCI between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2011, and enrolled in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium. We used propensity matching to compare the outcome of black and white patients.

RESULTS

The study cohort comprised 65,175 patients, of whom 6,873 (10.5%) were black and 55,789 (85.6%) were white. Black patients were more likely to be younger, be female, have more comorbidities, and be uninsured. Overall, black patients were less likely to receive prasugrel (10.0% vs 14.5%, P < .001) and drug-eluting stents (62.5% vs 67.7%, P < .001), largely related to lower use of these therapies in hospitals treating a higher proportion of black patients. No differences were seen between white and black patients with regard to inhospital mortality (odds ratio 1.34, 95% CI 0.82-2.2, P = .24), contrast-induced nephropathy (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.81-1.40, P = .67), and need for transfusion (OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.98-1.64, P = .06). White race was associated with increased odds of heart failure (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.05-2.08, P = .024) and vascular complications (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.03-1.90, P = .032).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with white patients, black patients undergoing PCI have a greater burden of comorbidities but, after adjusting for these differences, have similar inhospital survival and lower odds of vascular complications and heart failure after PCI.