Neighborhood Deprivation Predicts Heart Failure Risk in a Low-Income Population of Blacks and Whites in the Southeastern United States

The application of neighborhood area deprivation index to improve health equity across the spectrum of heart failure: a review

Neighborhood environments play a key role in the development of individual risk factors for heart failure (HF) and impact health outcomes across the spectrum of HF. The area deprivation index (ADI) is an important composite measure of neighborhood depravity that has been associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes. The objective of our review is to discuss how neighborhood deprivation, with an emphasis on ADI, influences the spectrum of HF among patients and to propose solutions for ADI applications to improve the implementation of equitable care across the HF spectrum. MEDLINE/Pubmed was systematically searched to identify observational studies published between 2016 and 2024, examining the impact of ADI on HF risk, management, and outcomes. The search involved crossing two sets of terms included in article titles and abstracts: (1) social deprivation, area deprivation index, and neighborhood deprivation; (2) cardiovascular disease risk, heart failure, heart failure medications, and heart failure outcomes. Additional references were identified through searching relevant author reference lists and review articles. Key findings suggest that (1) the prevalence of HF risk is increased in individuals residing in neighborhoods with higher ADI; (2) HF patients living in more deprived neighborhoods have increased odds of being hospitalized for HF; (3) after HF admission, the relationship between ADI and risk for readmissions varies by race; and (4) there is an excess 30-day mortality of HF associated with race and neighborhood deprivation. The ADI is an important value to consider in patients with HF, given its association with clinical outcomes. Therefore, we suggest practical ways to incorporate ADI into the management of patients with HF to improve equitable outcomes.

Influence of Neighborhood Disadvantage and Individual Sociodemographic Conditions on Heart Failure Self-care

BACKGROUND

Residence in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods and individual sociodemographic conditions contribute to worse heart failure (HF) outcomes and may influence HF self-care. However, associations between neighborhood disadvantage, socioeconomic conditions, and HF self-care are unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this secondary analysis was to investigate whether neighborhood disadvantage and individual socioeconomic conditions predicted worse HF self-care.

METHODS

This study was a secondary analysis of baseline data from a mixed-method study of 82 adults with HF. Participant zip codes were assigned a degree of neighborhood disadvantage using the Area Deprivation Index. Those in the top 20% most disadvantaged neighborhoods (Area Deprivation Index ≥ 80) were compared with those in the least disadvantaged neighborhoods. The Self-Care of Heart Failure Index was used to measure self-care maintenance and monitoring. Multiple linear regression was conducted.

RESULTS

Of all participants, 59.8% were male, 59.8% were persons of color, and the mean age was 64.87 years. Residing in a disadvantaged neighborhood and living alone predicted worse HF self-care maintenance and monitoring. Having no college education was also a predictor of worse HF self-care maintenance. Although persons of color were more likely to reside in disadvantaged neighborhoods, race was not associated with HF self-care.

CONCLUSION

Residing in a disadvantaged neighborhood and living alone may be important risk factors for worse HF self-care. Differences in self-care cannot be attributed solely to the individual sociodemographic determinants of race, gender, age, annual household income, or marital status. More research is needed to understand the connection between neighborhood disadvantage and HF self-care.

Socio-economic inequalities and heart failure morbidity and mortality: A systematic review and data synthesis

Socio-economic status (SES) has been associated with incident and prevalent heart failure (HF), as well as its morbidity and mortality. However, the precise nature of the relationship between SES and HF remains unclear due to inconsistent data. This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment and data synthesis of the relationship between SES and HF morbidity and mortality. We performed a systematic search and data synthesis using six databases following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Guidelines. The included studies comprised observational studies that reported on HF incidence and prevalence, HF hospitalizations, worsening HF (WHF) and all-cause mortality, as well as treatment options (medical, device and advanced HF therapies). SES was measured on both individual and area levels, encompassing single (e.g., income, education, employment, social risk score, living conditions and housing characteristics) and composite indicators. Among the 4124 studies screened, 79 were included, with an additional 5 identified through cross-referencing. In the majority of studies, a low SES was associated with an increased HF incidence (72%) and prevalence (75%). For mortality, we demonstrated that low SES was associated with increased mortality in 45% of the studies, with 18% of the studies showing mixed results (depending on the indicator, gender or follow-up) and 38% showing non-significant results. Similar patterns were observed for the association between SES, WHF, medical therapy prescriptions and the utilization of devices and advanced HF therapies. There was no clear pattern in the used SES indicators and HF outcomes. This systematic review, using contemporary data, shows that while socio-economic disparity may influence HF incidence, management and subsequent adverse events, these associations are not uniformly predictive. Our review highlights that the impact of SES varies depending on the specific indicators used, reflecting the complexity of its influence on health disparities. Assessment and recognition of SES as an important risk factor can assist clinicians in early detection and customizing HF treatment, while also aiding policymakers in optimizing resource allocation.

Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Cardiovascular Disease

An increasing number of studies have shown the impact of social determinants of health (SDoHs) on different cardiovascular outcomes. SDoHs influence the regional incidence of heart failure, heart failure outcomes, and heart failure readmission rates; can prevent use of advanced heart failure therapies in minorities with an indication for their use; can influence the incidence of coronary artery disease and peripheral artery disease outcomes; and can also prevent providing equal quality of care to all patients with myocardial infarction. In the setting of arrhythmias, specific SDoHs can increase the incidence of atrial fibrillation and adversely affect major outcomes in these patients. In congenital heart diseases, SDoHs can affect major outcomes, as well. In conclusion, SDoHs significantly impact cardiovascular morbidity and death and specific outcomes of patients with cardiovascular disease. Policy measures that aim to improve those SDoHs that negatively affect health outcomes hold promise for improving cardiovascular outcomes at individual and population levels.

Sex-Specific Risk Factors and Predictors of Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Events in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Nationwide Analysis

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a condition with limited large-scale data on the short- and long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) in HFpEF patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 and identify sex-specific risk factors and predictors of MACCEs in this population. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed HFpEF patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 from the 2020 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) using ICD-10 codes. Patients hospitalized with HFpEF and SARS-CoV-2 were categorized by age (18-44, 45-64, ≥65 years). Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders, with the statistical significance set at a two-tailed p-value < 0.05. Results: Among 109,750 HFpEF patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2, 31,960 (29.1%) experienced MACCEs. Males experienced a higher rate of MACCEs than females (31.1% vs. 27.5%, OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.12-1.28, p < 0.001). Adjusted analysis revealed that elderly patients (≥65 years, OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.33-1.62) compared with the 45-64 age group and males (OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.12-1.28, p < 0.001) had a higher risk of MACCEs. Key predictors included prior coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG; OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.02-1.30), cancer (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.08-1.42), and chronic kidney disease (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.08-1.23). Subgroup analysis identified additional sex-specific risk factors. In males, hyperlipidemia, obesity, tobacco use disorder, prior stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), prior venous thromboembolism (VTE), alcohol abuse, depression, and valvular disease were significant predictors of MACCEs. In females, hyperlipidemia, tobacco use disorder, prior stroke/TIA, prior VTE, and depression were significant predictors. Conclusions: HFpEF patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 have a high risk of MACCEs, with male sex, older age, prior CABG, cancer, and chronic kidney disease as key risk factors. This study provides the first large-scale analysis of sex-specific predictors of MACCEs in HFpEF patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2. These findings underscore the need for focused research and clinical gender-based strategies to mitigate cardiovascular risks in this unique and high-risk population.

Frailty, social deprivation, and mortality among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries

BACKGROUND

The geographic distribution of frailty and social deprivation, and their association with mortality in the United States, have not been well studied.

METHODS

We estimated claims-based frailty index (CFI) (range: 0-1) and area-level social deprivation index (SDI) (range: 0-100) in a 5% random sample of 1,207,323 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries 65 years and older. We examined the prevalence of frailty (defined as CFI ≥ 0.25) and the mean SDI and estimated their correlation by state and county. The association of frailty and social deprivation with one-year mortality was estimated using logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, and dual eligibility status.

RESULTS

The study population had the following characteristics: mean age of 76 years, 56% female, 10.3% with frailty, and 24.0% with high social deprivation (SDI ≥ 67). The correlation between frailty and social deprivation was weak (ρ = 0.39 by state and 0.28 by county). The risk of death for the total study population was 4.5%. The age, sex, dual eligibility, and SDI-adjusted risk of death for robust, pre-frail, and frail individuals was 1.8%, 4.4%, and 13.3%, respectively. The age, sex, dual eligibility-adjusted risk of death for low, medium, and high SDI regardless of frailty was 4.4%, 4.7%, and 4.6%, respectively. In robust beneficiaries, the adjusted risk of death for low, medium, and high social deprivation was 1.6%, 1.9% (odds ratio [OR]: 1.21 [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.15, 1.27]), and 2.0% (1.31 [1.24, 1.38]), respectively, whereas in beneficiaries with frailty, the corresponding risk by social deprivation was 13.4%, 13.7% (1.03 [0.99, 1.07]), and 12.9% (0.96 [0.92, 1.00]).

CONCLUSION

This study identifies regions of the United States that may be most vulnerable from frailty and social deprivation. These findings emphasize the significance of frailty and social deprivation on mortality and the need for community-based preventative health programs such as frailty screening to improve health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries living with frailty.

Higher neighborhood disadvantage is associated with weaker interactions among cardiometabolic drivers

Background

Adiposity, dysglycemia, and hypertension are metabolic drivers that have causal interactions with each other. However, the effect of neighborhood-level disadvantage on the intensity of interactions among these metabolic drivers has not been studied. The objective of this study is to determine whether the strength of the interplay between these drivers is affected by neighborhood-level disadvantage.

Methods

This cross-sectional study analyzed patients presenting to a multidisciplinary preventive cardiology center in New York City, from March 2017 to February 2021. Patients' home addresses were mapped to the Area Deprivation Index to determine neighborhood disadvantage. The outcomes of interest were correlation coefficients (range from -1 to +1) among the various stages (0 - normal, 1 - risk, 2 - predisease, 3 - disease, and 4 - complications) of abnormal adiposity, dysglycemia, and hypertension at presentation, stratified by neighborhood disadvantage.

Results

The cohort consisted of 963 patients (age, median [IQR] 63.8 [49.7-72.5] years; 624 [65.1 %] female). The correlation among the various stages of adiposity, dysglycemia, and hypertension was weaker with increasing neighborhood disadvantage (P for trend <0.001). Specifically, the correlation describing adiposity, dysglycemia, and hypertension interaction was weaker in the high neighborhood disadvantage group compared to the intermediate neighborhood disadvantage group (median [IQR]: 0.34 [0.27, 0.44] vs. median [IQR]: 0.39 [0.34, 0.45]; P < 0.001) and compared to the low neighborhood disadvantage group (median [IQR]: 0.34 [0.27, 0.44] vs. median [IQR]: 0.54 [0.52, 0.57]; P < 0.001), as well as weaker in the intermediate neighborhood disadvantage group compared to the low neighborhood disadvantage group (median [IQR]: 0.39 [0.34, 0.45] vs. 0.54 median [IQR]: 0.54 [0.52, 0.57]; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Interactions among the various stages of abnormal adiposity, dysglycemia, and hypertension with each other are weaker with increasing neighborhood disadvantage. Factors related to neighborhood-level disadvantage, other than abnormal adiposity, might play a crucial role in the development of dysglycemia and hypertension.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Cardiovascular Events in Adults With CKD: The CRIC Study

Rationale & Objective

In the general population, neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) has been found to be associated with cardiovascular risk, but this relationship has not been well studied among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study seeked to evaluate the association between neighborhood SES and cardiovascular outcomes in a CKD cohort.

Study Design

Multicenter prospective cohort.

Setting & Participants

In total, 3,197 participants in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study without cardiovascular disease at baseline.

Exposure

Neighborhood SES quartiles using a validated neighborhood-level SES summary measure for 6 census-derived variables.

Outcome

Incident heart failure, myocardial infarction, and all-cause death.

Analytical Approach

Cox proportional hazards.

Results

During median follow-up of 8.8 years, there were 465 incident heart failure events, 297 myocardial infarctions, and 891 deaths. In a fully adjusted model, among individuals with estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥45 mL/min/1.73 m2, lowest neighborhood SES quartile was associated with higher risk of heart failure (HR, 1.96 [95% CI, 1.04-3.67]) compared with the highest quartile. This association was not significant among those with estimated glomerular filtration rate <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 (P for interaction < 0.1). There was no association between neighborhood SES and myocardial infarction; however, in the same multivariable-adjusted model, less than high school education was associated with higher risk of myocardial infarction (HR, 1.52 [95% CI, 1.06-2.17]). Among those aged greater than 60 years, there was a significant association between the lowest neighborhood SES quartile and death (HR, 1.72 [95% CI, 1.06-2.78]), but this association was not significant among those aged 60 years and younger (P for interaction < 0.05).

Limitations

Findings are subject to residual confounding and bias.

Conclusions

In a CKD cohort, neighborhood-level SES was associated with incident heart failure among individuals with more preserved kidney function and death in those younger than 60 years. Policies and public health and health system interventions are needed to address individual- and neighborhood-level SES factors to improve outcomes for patients with CKD residing in disadvantaged communities.

Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction and COVID-19, when the Sick Get Sicker: Unmasking Racial and Ethnic Inequities During a Pandemic

Minoritized racial and ethnic groups have the highest incidence, prevalence, and hospitalization rate for heart failure. Despite improvement in medical therapies and overall survival, the morbidity and mortality of these groups remain elevated. The reasons for this disparity are multifactorial, including social determinant of health (SDOH) such as access to care, bias, and structural racism. These same factors contributed to higher rates of COVID-19 infection among minoritized racial and ethnic groups. In this review, we aim to explore the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and its interconnection between heart failure and SDOH. The pandemic presents a window of opportunity for achieving greater equity in the health care of all vulnerable populations.

Identifying Potential Factors Associated With Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Outcomes: Retrospective Cohort Study Using Machine Learning on Real-World Data

BACKGROUND

Racial disparities in COVID-19 incidence and outcomes have been widely reported. Non-Hispanic Black patients endured worse outcomes disproportionately compared with non-Hispanic White patients, but the epidemiological basis for these observations was complex and multifaceted.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to elucidate the potential reasons behind the worse outcomes of COVID-19 experienced by non-Hispanic Black patients compared with non-Hispanic White patients and how these variables interact using an explainable machine learning approach.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, we examined 28,943 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases from the OneFlorida Research Consortium's data trust of health care recipients in Florida through April 28, 2021. We assessed the prevalence of pre-existing comorbid conditions, geo-socioeconomic factors, and health outcomes in the structured electronic health records of COVID-19 cases. The primary outcome was a composite of hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and mortality at index admission. We developed and validated a machine learning model using Extreme Gradient Boosting to evaluate predictors of worse outcomes of COVID-19 and rank them by importance.

RESULTS

Compared to non-Hispanic White patients, non-Hispanic Blacks patients were younger, more likely to be uninsured, had a higher prevalence of emergency department and inpatient visits, and were in regions with higher area deprivation index rankings and pollutant concentrations. Non-Hispanic Black patients had the highest burden of comorbidities and rates of the primary outcome. Age was a key predictor in all models, ranking highest in non-Hispanic White patients. However, for non-Hispanic Black patients, congestive heart failure was a primary predictor. Other variables, such as food environment measures and air pollution indicators, also ranked high. By consolidating comorbidities into the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index, this became the top predictor, providing a comprehensive risk measure.

CONCLUSIONS

The study reveals that individual and geo-socioeconomic factors significantly influence the outcomes of COVID-19. It also highlights varying risk profiles among different racial groups. While these findings suggest potential disparities, further causal inference and statistical testing are needed to fully substantiate these observations. Recognizing these relationships is vital for creating effective, tailored interventions that reduce disparities and enhance health outcomes across all racial and socioeconomic groups.

2024 Update to the 2020 ACC/AHA Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Adults With Heart Failure: A Report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Performance Measures

This document describes performance measures for heart failure that are appropriate for public reporting or pay-for-performance programs and is meant to serve as a focused update of the "2020 ACC/AHA Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Adults With Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Performance Measures." The new performance measures are taken from the "2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines" and are selected from the strongest recommendations (Class 1 or Class 3). In contrast, quality measures may not have as much evidence base and generally comprise metrics that might be useful for clinicians and health care organizations for quality improvement but are not yet appropriate for public reporting or pay-for-performance programs. New performance measures include optimal blood pressure control in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and the use of guideline-directed medical therapy in hospitalized patients. New quality measures include the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced and preserved ejection fraction, the optimization of guideline-directed medical therapy prior to intervention for chronic secondary severe mitral regurgitation, continuation of guideline-directed medical therapy for patients with heart failure with improved ejection fraction, identifying both known risks for cardiovascular disease and social determinants of health, patient-centered counseling regarding contraception and pregnancy risks for individuals with cardiomyopathy, and the need for a monoclonal protein screen to exclude light chain amyloidosis when interpreting a bone scintigraphy scan assessing for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.

2024 Update to the 2020 ACC/AHA Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Adults With Heart Failure: A Report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Performance Measures

This document describes performance measures for heart failure that are appropriate for public reporting or pay-for-performance programs and is meant to serve as a focused update of the "2020 ACC/AHA Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Adults With Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Performance Measures." The new performance measures are taken from the "2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines" and are selected from the strongest recommendations (Class 1 or Class 3). In contrast, quality measures may not have as much evidence base and generally comprise metrics that might be useful for clinicians and health care organizations for quality improvement but are not yet appropriate for public reporting or pay-for-performance programs. New performance measures include optimal blood pressure control in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and the use of guideline-directed medical therapy in hospitalized patients. New quality measures include the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced and preserved ejection fraction, the optimization of guideline-directed medical therapy prior to intervention for chronic secondary severe mitral regurgitation, continuation of guideline-directed medical therapy for patients with heart failure with improved ejection fraction, identifying both known risks for cardiovascular disease and social determinants of health, patient-centered counseling regarding contraception and pregnancy risks for individuals with cardiomyopathy, and the need for a monoclonal protein screen to exclude light chain amyloidosis when interpreting a bone scintigraphy scan assessing for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.

Role of Impulsivity in Explaining Social Gradient in Youth Tobacco Use Initiation: Does Race Matter?

Background

Socioeconomic status (SES) is traditionally viewed as a protective factor against impulsivity and subsequent tobacco use in youth. The prevailing model suggests that higher SES is associated with lower impulsivity, which in turn reduces the likelihood of future tobacco use. However, this pathway may not hold uniformly across racial groups due to differences in impulsivity and the phenomenon of Minorities' Diminished Returns (MDRs), where the protective effects of SES, such as educational attainment, tend to be weaker or even reversed for Black youth compared to their White counterparts.

Objectives

This study aims to examine the racial heterogeneity in the pathway from childhood SES to impulsivity and subsequent tobacco use initiation during adolescence, focusing on differences between Black and White youth.

Methods

Data were drawn from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which includes a diverse sample of youth aged 9 to 16 years. The analysis examined the relationship between baseline family SES (age 9), impulsivity (age 9), and subsequent tobacco use (ages 9 to 16). Impulsivity was measured using the Urgency, Premeditation (lack of), Perseverance (lack of), Sensation Seeking, and Positive Urgency Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed, with analyses stratified by race to explore potential differences in these associations.

Results

Overall, 6,161 non-Latino White and 1,775 non-Latino Black adolescents entered our analysis. In the full sample, higher family SES was linked to lower childhood impulsivity and, consequently, less tobacco uses in adolescence. However, racial differences emerged upon stratification. Among White youth, higher SES was associated with lower impulsivity, leading to reduced tobacco use, consistent with the expected model. In contrast, among Black youth, higher SES was not associated with lower impulsivity, thereby disrupting the protective effect of SES on tobacco use through this pathway. These findings suggest that racial heterogeneity exists in the SES-impulsivity-tobacco use pathway, aligning with the MDRs framework, which highlights how structural factors may weaken the protective effects of high SES among Black youth.

Conclusions

These findings underscore the importance of considering racial heterogeneity in the relationships between SES, impulsivity, and tobacco use. The observed disparities suggest a need for targeted interventions that address the unique challenges faced by Black youth, who may not experience the same protective benefits of high SES as their White peers. These results carry significant implications for public health strategies aimed at reducing tobacco use in racially diverse populations.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage and 30-Day Outcomes for Common Cardiovascular Conditions

BACKGROUND

Understanding the relationship between neighborhood environment and cardiovascular outcomes is important to achieve health equity and implement effective quality strategies. We conducted a population-based cohort study to determine the association of neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and 30-day mortality and readmission rate for patients admitted with common cardiovascular conditions.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We examined claims data from fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years between 2017 and 2019 admitted for heart failure, valvular heart disease, ischemic heart disease, or cardiac arrhythmias. The primary exposure was the Area Deprivation Index; outcomes were 30-day all-cause death and unplanned readmission. More than 2 million admissions were included. After sequential adjustment for patient characteristics (demographics, dual eligibility, comorbidities), area health care resources (primary care clinicians, specialists, and hospital beds per capita), and admitting hospital characteristics (ownership, size, teaching status), there was a dose-dependent association between neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and 30-day mortality rate for all conditions. In the fully adjusted model for death, estimated effect sizes of residence in the most disadvantaged versus least disadvantaged neighborhoods ranged from adjusted odds ratio 1.29 (95% CI, 1.22-1.36) for the heart failure group to adjusted odds ratio 1.63 (95% CI, 1.36-1.95) for the valvular heart disease group. Neighborhood deprivation was associated with increased adjusted 30-day readmission rates, with estimated effect sizes from adjusted odds ratio 1.09 (95% CI, 1.05-1.14) for heart failure to adjusted odds ratio 1.19 (95% CI, 1.13-1.26) for arrhythmia.

CONCLUSIONS

Neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with 30-day mortality rate and readmission for patients admitted with common cardiovascular conditions independent of individual demographics, socioeconomic status, medical risk, care access, or admitting hospital characteristics.

County-Level Variation in Triple Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy in Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction

Background

Current guidelines recommend simultaneous initiation of multidrug guideline-directed medical therapy classes for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to evaluate county-level variation in use of triple guideline-directed medical therapy, defined as simultaneous prescription fills for beta-blockers, renin-angiotensin system inhibitors or angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Methods

We conducted a cohort study using Medicare Fee-for-Service claims data (parts A, B, and D between 2013 and 2019). Features of counties including area-level indicators of poverty, employment, and educational attainment and aggregated patient-level sociodemographic and medical history variables were compared by quintiles of triple therapy use. A multilevel logistic regression model was constructed to estimate the contextual effect of clustering by counties, which was expressed as a median OR.

Results

304,857 patients from 2,600 counties (83% of all U.S. counties) were included. The median for triple therapy use was 14.3% (IQR: 10.3%-18.8%) across included counties with a wide variation (range: 0%-54.5%). Compared to counties in the highest use quintile, counties in lowest triple therapy use quintile had worse area-level indicators of socioeconomic status (% unemployment 6.8% vs 6.2%). Counties in lowest quintile had higher proportion of Black patients (13.3% vs 5.7% in highest quintile) and patients with low-income subsidy (29.3% vs 25.8% in highest quintile). The median OR was 1.30 (95% CI: 1.28-1.33).

Conclusions

We observed variation in triple therapy use across counties in the United States with suboptimal local use patterns correlating with indicators of socioeconomic disadvantage.

Components of Residential Neighborhood Deprivation and Their Impact on the Likelihood of Live-Donor and Preemptive Kidney Transplantation

INTRODUCTION

Adults residing in deprived neighborhoods face various socioeconomic stressors, hindering their likelihood of receiving live-donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) and preemptive kidney transplantation (KT). We quantified the association between residential neighborhood deprivation index (NDI) and the likelihood of LDKT/preemptive KT, testing for a differential impact by race and ethnicity.

METHODS

We studied 403 937 adults (age ≥ 18) KT candidates (national transplant registry; 2006-2021). NDI and its 10 components were averaged at the ZIP-code level. Cause-specific hazards models were used to quantify the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of LDKT and preemptive KT across tertiles of NDI and its 10 components.

RESULTS

Candidates residing in high-deprivation neighborhoods were more likely to be female (40.1% vs. 36.2%) and Black (41.9% vs. 17.7%), and were less likely to receive both LDKT (aHR = 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64-0.67) and preemptive KT (aHR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.59-0.62) than those in low-deprivation neighborhoods. These associations differedby race and ethnicity (Black: aHRLDKT = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.55-0.62; aHRpreemptive KT = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.63-0.73; Pinteractions: LDKT < 0.001; Preemptive KT = 0.002). All deprivation components were associated with the likelihood of both LDKT and preemptive KT (except median home value): for example, higher median household income (LDKT: aHR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.07-1.09; Preemptive KT: aHR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.08-1.11) and educational attainments (≥high school [LDKT: aHR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.15-1.18; Preemptive KT: aHR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.21-1.25]).

CONCLUSION

Residence in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods is associated with a lower likelihood of LDKT and preemptive KT, differentially impacting minority candidates. Identifying and understanding which neighborhood-level socioeconomic status contributes to these racial disparities can be instrumental in tailoring interventions to achieve health equity in LDKT and preemptive KT.

Neighborhood Racial and Ethnic Segregation and the Risk of Dementia in Older Adults Living with Kidney Failure

Key Points

Background

Dementia disproportionately affects older minoritized adults with kidney failure. To better understand the mechanism of this disparity, we studied the role of racial and ethnic segregation (segregation hereafter), i.e., a form of structural racism recently identified as a mechanism in numerous other health disparities.

Methods

We identified 901,065 older adults (aged ≥55 years) with kidney failure from 2003 to 2019 using the United States Renal Data System. We quantified dementia risk across tertiles of residential neighborhood segregation score using cause-specific hazard models, adjusting for individual- and neighborhood-level factors. We included an interaction term to quantify the differential effect of segregation on dementia diagnosis by race and ethnicity.

Results

We identified 79,851 older adults with kidney failure diagnosed with dementia between 2003 and 2019 (median follow-up: 2.2 years). Compared with those in low-segregation neighborhoods, older adults with kidney failure in high-segregation neighborhoods had a 1.63-fold (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.60 to 1.66) higher risk of dementia diagnosis, an association that differed by race and ethnicity (Asian: adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.26, 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.38; Black: aHR = 1.66, 95% CI, 1.61 to 1.71; Hispanic: aHR = 2.05, 95% CI, 1.93 to 2.18; White: aHR = 1.59, 95% CI, 1.55 to 1.64; P interaction < 0.001). Notably, older Asian (aHR = 1.76; 95% CI, 1.64 to 1.89), Black (aHR = 2.65; 95% CI, 2.54 to 2.77), Hispanic (aHR = 2.15; 95% CI, 2.04 to 2.26), and White (aHR = 2.20; 95% CI, 2.09 to 2.31) adults with kidney failure residing in minority-predominant high-segregation neighborhoods had a higher risk of dementia diagnosis compared with older White adults with kidney failure in White-predominant high-segregation neighborhoods. Moreover, older adults with kidney failure receiving care at dialysis facilities located in high-segregation neighborhoods also experienced a higher risk of dementia diagnosis (aHR = 1.53; 95% CI, 1.50 to 1.56); this association differed by race and ethnicity (P interaction < 0.001).

Conclusions

Residing in or receiving care at dialysis facilities located in high-segregation neighborhoods was associated with a higher risk of dementia diagnosis among older individuals with kidney failure, particularly minoritized individuals.

Associations of neighborhood sociodemographic environment with mortality and circulating metabolites among low-income black and white adults living in the southeastern United States

BACKGROUND

Residing in a disadvantaged neighborhood has been linked to increased mortality. However, the impact of residential segregation and social vulnerability on cause-specific mortality is understudied. Additionally, the circulating metabolic correlates of neighborhood sociodemographic environment remain unexplored. Therefore, we examined multiple neighborhood sociodemographic metrics, i.e., neighborhood deprivation index (NDI), residential segregation index (RSI), and social vulnerability index (SVI), with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer-specific mortality and circulating metabolites in the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS).

METHODS

The SCCS is a prospective cohort of primarily low-income adults aged 40-79, enrolled from the southeastern United States during 2002-2009. This analysis included self-reported Black/African American or non-Hispanic White participants and excluded those who died or were lost to follow-up ≤ 1 year. Untargeted metabolite profiling was performed using baseline plasma samples in a subset of SCCS participants.

RESULTS

Among 79,631 participants, 23,356 deaths (7214 from CVD and 5394 from cancer) were documented over a median 15-year follow-up. Higher NDI, RSI, and SVI were associated with increased all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality, independent of standard clinical and sociodemographic risk factors and consistent between racial groups (standardized HRs among all participants were 1.07 to 1.20 in age/sex/race-adjusted model and 1.04 to 1.08 after comprehensive adjustment; all P < 0.05/3 except for cancer mortality after comprehensive adjustment). The standard risk factors explained < 40% of the variations in NDI/RSI/SVI and mediated < 70% of their associations with mortality. Among 1110 circulating metabolites measured in 1688 participants, 134 and 27 metabolites were associated with NDI and RSI (all FDR < 0.05) and mediated 61.7% and 21.2% of the NDI/RSI-mortality association, respectively. Adding those metabolites to standard risk factors increased the mediation proportion from 38.4 to 87.9% and 25.8 to 42.6% for the NDI/RSI-mortality association, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Among low-income Black/African American adults and non-Hispanic White adults living in the southeastern United States, a disadvantaged neighborhood sociodemographic environment was associated with increased all-cause and CVD and cancer-specific mortality beyond standard risk factors. Circulating metabolites may unveil biological pathways underlying the health effect of neighborhood sociodemographic environment. More public health efforts should be devoted to reducing neighborhood environment-related health disparities, especially for low-income individuals.

Disparities by Social Determinants of Health: Links Between Long COVID and Cardiovascular Disease

Long COVID has been defined by the World Health Organisation as "continuation or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least 2 months with no other explanation." Cardiovascular disease is implicated as a risk factor, concomitant condition, and consequence of long COVID. As well as heterogeneity in definition, presentation, and likely underlying pathophysiology of long COVID, disparities by social determinants of health, extensively studied and described in cardiovascular disease, have been observed in 3 ways. First, underlying long-term conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and its risk factors, are associated with incidence and severity of long COVID, and previously described socioeconomic disparities in these factors are important in exacerbating disparities in long COVID. Second, socioeconomic disparities in management of COVID-19 may themselves lead to distal disparities in long COVID. Third, there are socioeconomic disparities in the way that long COVID is diagnosed, managed, and prevented. Together, factors such as age, sex, deprivation, and ethnicity have far-reaching implications in this new postviral syndrome across its management spectrum. There are similarities and differences compared with disparities for cardiovascular disease. Some of these disparities are in fact, inequalities, that is, rather than simply observed variations, they represent injustices with costs to individuals, communities, and economies. This review of current literature considers opportunities to prevent or at least attenuate these socioeconomic disparities in long COVID and cardiovascular disease, with special challenges for research, clinical practice, public health, and policy in a new disease which is evolving.

Neighborhood Segregation and Access to Live Donor Kidney Transplantation

Importance

Identifying the mechanisms of structural racism, such as racial and ethnic segregation, is a crucial first step in addressing the persistent disparities in access to live donor kidney transplantation (LDKT).

Objective

To assess whether segregation at the candidate's residential neighborhood and transplant center neighborhood is associated with access to LDKT.

Design, Setting, and Participants

In this cohort study spanning January 1995 to December 2021, participants included non-Hispanic Black or White adult candidates for first-time LDKT reported in the US national transplant registry. The median (IQR) follow-up time for each participant was 1.9 (0.6-3.0) years.

Main Outcome and Measures

Segregation, measured using the Theil H method to calculate segregation tertiles in zip code tabulation areas based on the American Community Survey 5-year estimates, reflects the heterogeneity in neighborhood racial and ethnic composition. To quantify the likelihood of LDKT by neighborhood segregation, cause-specific hazard models were adjusted for individual-level and neighborhood-level factors and included an interaction between segregation tertiles and race.

Results

Among 162 587 candidates for kidney transplant, the mean (SD) age was 51.6 (13.2) years, 65 141 (40.1%) were female, 80 023 (49.2%) were Black, and 82 564 (50.8%) were White. Among Black candidates, living in a high-segregation neighborhood was associated with 10% (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 0.90 [95% CI, 0.84-0.97]) lower access to LDKT relative to residence in low-segregation neighborhoods; no such association was observed among White candidates (P for interaction = .01). Both Black candidates (AHR, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.89-1.00]) and White candidates (AHR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.88-0.97]) listed at transplant centers in high-segregation neighborhoods had lower access to LDKT relative to their counterparts listed at centers in low-segregation neighborhoods (P for interaction = .64). Within high-segregation transplant center neighborhoods, candidates listed at predominantly minority neighborhoods had 17% lower access to LDKT relative to candidates listed at predominantly White neighborhoods (AHR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.75-0.92]). Black candidates residing in or listed at transplant centers in predominantly minority neighborhoods had significantly lower likelihood of LDKT relative to White candidates residing in or listed at transplant centers located in predominantly White neighborhoods (65% and 64%, respectively).

Conclusions

Segregated residential and transplant center neighborhoods likely serve as a mechanism of structural racism, contributing to persistent racial disparities in access to LDKT. To promote equitable access, studies should assess targeted interventions (eg, community outreach clinics) to improve support for potential candidates and donors and ultimately mitigate the effects of segregation.

Socio-economic factors determine maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with peripartum cardiomyopathy: A study of the ESC EORP PPCM registry

BACKGROUND

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a global disease with substantial morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to analyze to what extent socioeconomic factors were associated with maternal and neonatal outcomes.

METHODS

In 2011, >100 national and affiliated member cardiac societies of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) were contacted to contribute to a global PPCM registry, under the auspices of the ESC EORP Programme. We investigated the characteristics and outcomes of women with PPCM and their babies according to individual and country-level sociodemographic factors (Gini index coefficient [GINI index], health expenditure [HE] and human developmental index [HDI]).

RESULTS

739 women from 49 countries (Europe [33%], Africa [29%], Asia-Pacific [15%], Middle East [22%]) were enrolled. Low HDI was associated with greater left ventricular (LV) dilatation at time of diagnosis. However, baseline LV ejection fraction did not differ according to sociodemographic factors. Countries with low HE prescribed guideline-directed heart failure therapy less frequently. Six-month mortality was higher in countries with low HE; and LV non-recovery in those with low HDI, low HE and lower levels of education. Maternal outcome (death, re-hospitalization, or persistent LV dysfunction) was independently associated with income. Neonatal death was significantly more common in countries with low HE and low HDI, but was not influenced by maternal income or education attainment.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal and neonatal outcomes depend on country-specific socioeconomic characteristics. Attempts should therefore be made to allocate adequate resources to health and education, to improve maternal and fetal outcomes in PPCM.

Impact of Residential Social Deprivation on Prediction of Heart Failure in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: External Validation and Recalibration of the WATCH-DM Score Using Real World Data

BACKGROUND

Patients with type 2 diabetes are at risk of heart failure hospitalization. As social determinants of health are rarely included in risk models, we validated and recalibrated the WATCH-DM score in a diverse patient-group using their social deprivation index (SDI).

METHODS

We identified US Veterans with type 2 diabetes without heart failure that received outpatient care during 2010 at Veterans Affairs medical centers nationwide, linked them to their SDI using residential ZIP codes and grouped them as SDI <20%, 21% to 40%, 41% to 60%, 61% to 80%, and >80% (higher values represent increased deprivation). Accounting for all-cause mortality, we obtained the incidence for heart failure hospitalization at 5 years follow-up; overall and in each SDI group. We evaluated the WATCH-DM score using the C statistic, the Greenwood Nam D'Agostino test χ2 test and calibration plots and further recalibrated the WATCH-DM score for each SDI group using a statistical correction factor.

RESULTS

In 1 065 691 studied patients (mean age 67 years, 25% Black and 6% Hispanic patients), the 5-year incidence of heart failure hospitalization was 5.39%. In SDI group 1 (least deprived) and 5 (most deprived), the 5-year heart failure hospitalization was 3.18% and 11%, respectively. The score C statistic was 0.62; WATCH-DM systematically overestimated heart failure risk in SDI groups 1 to 2 (expected/observed ratios, 1.38 and 1.36, respectively) and underestimated the heart failure risk in groups 4 to 5 (expected/observed ratios, 0.95 and 0.80, respectively). Graphical evaluation demonstrated that the recalibration of WATCH-DM using an SDI group-based correction factor improved predictive capabilities as supported by reduction in the χ2 test results (801-27 in SDI groups I; 623-23 in SDI group V).

CONCLUSIONS

Including social determinants of health to recalibrate the WATCH-DM score improved risk prediction highlighting the importance of including social determinants in future clinical risk prediction models.

Neighborhood Disadvantage and Risk of Heart Failure: The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) affects >6 million US adults, with recent increases in HF hospitalizations. We aimed to investigate the association between neighborhood disadvantage and incident HF events and potential differences by diabetes status.

METHODS

We included 23 645 participants from the REGARDS study (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke), a prospective cohort of Black and White adults aged ≥45 years living in the continental United States (baseline 2005-2007). Neighborhood disadvantage was assessed using a Z score of 6 census tract variables (2000 US Census) and categorized as quartiles. Incident HF hospitalizations or HF-related deaths through 2017 were adjudicated. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression was used to examine the association between neighborhood disadvantage and incident HF. Heterogeneity by diabetes was assessed using an interaction term.

RESULTS

The mean age was 64.4 years, 39.5% were Black adults, 54.9% females, and 18.8% had diabetes. During a median follow-up of 10.7 years, there were 1125 incident HF events with an incidence rate of 3.3 (quartile 1), 4.7 (quartile 2), 5.2 (quartile 3), and 6.0 (quartile 4) per 1000 person-years. Compared to adults living in the most advantaged neighborhoods (quartile 1), those living in neighborhoods in quartiles 2, 3, and 4 (most disadvantaged) had 1.30 (95% CI, 1.06-1.60), 1.36 (95% CI, 1.11-1.66), and 1.45 (95% CI, 1.18-1.79) times greater hazard of incident HF even after accounting for known confounders. This association did not significantly differ by diabetes status (interaction P=0.59). For adults with diabetes, the adjusted incident HF hazards comparing those in quartile 4 versus quartile 1 was 1.34 (95% CI, 0.92-1.96), and it was 1.50 (95% CI, 1.16-1.94) for adults without diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large contemporaneous prospective cohort, neighborhood disadvantage was associated with an increased risk of incident HF events. This increase in HF risk did not differ by diabetes status. Addressing social, economic, and structural factors at the neighborhood level may impact HF prevention.

Scoping Review of Screening and Assessment Tools for Social Determinants of Health in the Field of Cardiovascular Disease

BACKGROUND

Despite the importance of implementing the concept of social determinants of health (SDOH) in the clinical practice of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the tools available to assess SDOH have not been systematically investigated. We conducted a scoping review for tools to assess SDOH and comprehensively evaluated how these tools could be applied in the field of CVD.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We conducted a systematic literature search of PubMed and Embase databases on July 25, 2023. Studies that evaluated an SDOH screening tool with CVD as an outcome or those that explicitly sampled or included participants based on their having CVD were eligible for inclusion. In addition, studies had to have focused on at least one SDOH domain defined by Healthy People 2030. After screening 1984 articles, 58 articles that evaluated 41 distinct screening tools were selected. Of the 58 articles, 39 (67.2%) targeted populations with CVD, whereas 16 (27.6%) evaluated CVD outcome in non-CVD populations. Three (5.2%) compared SDOH differences between CVD and non-CVD populations. Of 41 screening tools, 24 evaluated multiple SDOH domains and 17 evaluated only 1 domain.

CONCLUSIONS

Our review revealed recent interest in SDOH in the field of CVD, with many useful screening tools that can evaluate SDOH. Future studies are needed to clarify the importance of the intervention in SDOH regarding CVD.

A Comparison of Three Area-Level Indices of Neighborhood Deprivation and Socioeconomic Status and their Applicability to Breast Cancer Mortality

Neighborhood deprivation indices are widely used in research, but the performance of these indices has rarely been directly compared in the same analysis. We examined the Area Deprivation Index, Neighborhood Deprivation Index, and Yost index, and compared their associations with breast cancer mortality. Indices were constructed for Georgia census block groups using 2011-2015 American Community Survey data. Pearson correlation coefficients and percent agreement were calculated. Associations between each index and breast cancer mortality were estimated among 36,795 women diagnosed with breast cancer using Cox proportional hazards regression. The indices were strongly correlated (absolute value of correlation coefficients > 0.77), exhibited moderate (41.4%) agreement, and were similarly associated with a 36% increase in breast cancer mortality. The similar associations with breast cancer mortality suggest the indices measure the same underlying construct, despite only moderate agreement. By understanding their correlations, agreement, and associations with health outcomes, researchers can choose the most appropriate index for analysis.

Rurality and race in heart failure risk: Insights from the Southern Community Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION

Rural-urban health disparities are apparent in the burden of disease and health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), specifically heart failure (HF). However, the factors influencing these disparities are not fully understood. Study and results: Among 27,115 participants in the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS) (mean age: 54 years (47-65)), 18,647 (68.8%) were black, 8,468 (32.3%) were white, and 20% resided in rural areas. Over a median 13-year follow-up period, 7,542 HF events occurred (rural = 1,865 vs. urban = 5,677). The age-adjusted HF incidence was 29.6 (95% CI, 28.9-30.5) and 36.5 (95% CI, 34.9-38.3) per 1,000 person-years for urban and rural participants, respectively (P < .001). The risk of HF associated with rurality varied by race and sex. Rural black men had the highest risk across all groups (HR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.19-1.51) (age-adjusted incidence rate: 40.4/1000 person-years (95% CI, 36.8-44.3)) followed by black women (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.08-1.28) and white women (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.07-1.39). Rurality was not associated with HF risk among white men (HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.81-1.16).

LESSONS LEARNED

This large study shows that rural populations have an increased incidence of HF, which is particularly striking among women and black men, independent of individual-level biological, behavioral, and sociocultural risk factors. It also shows the need for further investigation into the rurality-associated risk of HF, the impact of preventive care utilization on the risk of HF and interpersonal, community, or societal factors that could contribute to rural-urban disparities. This will help to guide public health efforts aimed at HF prevention among rural populations.

Investigation of predictors of severity of diabetes complications among hospitalized patients with diabetes in Florida, 2016-2019

BACKGROUND

Severe diabetes complications impact the quality of life of patients and may lead to premature deaths. However, these complications are preventable through proper glycemic control and management of risk factors. Understanding the risk factors of complications is important in guiding efforts to manage diabetes and reduce risks of its complications. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify risk factors of severe diabetes complications among adult hospitalized patients with diabetes in Florida.

METHODS

Hospital discharge data from 2016 to 2019 were obtained from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration through a Data Use Agreement with the Florida Department of Health. Adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index (aDCSI) scores were computed for 1,061,140 unique adult patients with a diagnosis of diabetes. Severe complications were defined as those with an aDCSI ≥ 4. Population average models, estimated using generalized estimating equations, were used to identify individual- and area-level predictors of severe diabetes complications.

RESULTS

Non-Hispanic Black patients had the highest odds of severe diabetes complications compared to non-Hispanic White patients among both males (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.20, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.17, 1.23) and females (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.23, 1.31). Comorbidities associated with higher odds of severe complications included hypertension (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 2.23, 2.37), hyperlipidemia (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.27, 1.31), obesity (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.21, 1.26) and depression (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.11), while the odds were lower for patients with a diagnosis of arthritis (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.79, 0.82). Type of health insurance coverage was associated with the severity of diabetes complications, with significantly higher odds of severe complications among Medicare (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.80, 1.90) and Medicaid (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.77, 1.90) patients compared to those with private insurance. Residing within the least socioeconomically deprived ZIP code tabulation areas (ZCTAs) in the state had a protective effect compared to residing outside of these areas.

CONCLUSIONS

Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in the severity of diabetes complications exist among hospitalized patients in Florida. The observed disparities likely reflect challenges to maintaining glycemic control and managing cardiovascular risk factors, particularly for patients with multiple chronic conditions. Interventions to improve diabetes management should focus on populations with disproportionately high burdens of severe complications to improve quality of life and decrease premature mortality among adult patients with diabetes in Florida.

Preventing new-onset heart failure: Intervening at stage A

Heart failure (HF) prevention is an urgent public health need with national and global implications. Stage A HF patients do not show HF symptoms or structural heart disease but are at risk of HF development. There are no unique recommendations on detecting Stage A patients. Patients in Stage A are heterogeneous; many patients have different combinations of risk factors and, therefore, have markedly different absolute risks for HF. Comprehensive strategies to prevent HF at Stage A include intensive blood pressure lowering, adequate glycemic and lipid management, and heart-healthy behaviors (adopting Life's Essential 8). First and foremost, it is imperative to improve public awareness of HF risk factors and implement healthy lifestyle choices very early. In addition, recognize the HF risk-enhancing factors, which are nontraditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors that identify individuals at high risk for HF (genetic susceptibility for HF, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, chronic inflammatory disease, sleep-disordered breathing, adverse pregnancy outcomes, radiation therapy, a history of cardiotoxic chemotherapy exposure, and COVID-19). Early use of biomarkers, imaging markers, and echocardiography (noninvasive measures of subclinical systolic and diastolic dysfunction) may enhance risk prediction among individuals without established CV disease and prevent chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy. Efforts are needed to address social determinants of HF risk for primordial HF prevention.Central illustrationPolicies developed by organizations such as the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and the American Diabetes Association to reduce CV disease events must go beyond secondary prevention and encompass primordial and primary prevention.

Relationship of Race With Functional and Clinical Outcomes With the REHAB-HF Multidomain Physical Rehabilitation Intervention for Older Patients With Acute Heart Failure

Background The REHAB-HF (Rehabilitation Therapy in Older Acute Heart Failure Patients) randomized trial demonstrated that a 3-month transitional, tailored, progressive, multidomain physical rehabilitation intervention improves physical function, frailty, depression, and health-related quality of life among older adults with acute decompensated heart failure. Whether there is differential intervention efficacy by race is unknown. Methods and Results In this prespecified analysis, differential intervention effects by race were explored at 3 months for physical function (Short Physical Performance Battery [primary outcome], 6-Minute Walk Distance), cognition, depression, frailty, health-related quality of life (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, EuroQoL 5-Dimension-5-Level Questionnaire) and at 6 months for hospitalizations and death. Significance level for interactions was P≤0.1. Participants (N=337, 97% of trial population) self-identified in near equal proportions as either Black (48%) or White (52%). The Short Physical Performance Battery intervention effect size was large, with values of 1.3 (95% CI, 0.4-2.1; P=0.003]) and 1.6 (95% CI, 0.8-2.4; P<0.001) in Black and White participants, respectively, and without significant interaction by race (P=0.56). Beneficial effects were also demonstrated in 6-Minute Walk Distance, gait speed, and health-related quality of life scores without significant interactions by race. There was an association between intervention and reduced all-cause rehospitalizations in White participants (rate ratio, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.55-0.98]; P=0.034) that appears attenuated in Black participants (rate ratio, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.81-1.41]; P=0.66; interaction P=0.067). Conclusions The intervention produced similarly large improvements in physical function and health-related quality of life in both older Black and White patients with acute decompensated heart failure. A future study powered to determine how the intervention impacts clinical events is required. REGISTRATION URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Identifier: NCT02196038.

Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction and COVID-19, when the Sick Get Sicker: Unmasking Racial and Ethnic Inequities During a Pandemic

Minoritized racial and ethnic groups have the highest incidence, prevalence, and hospitalization rate for heart failure. Despite improvement in medical therapies and overall survival, the morbidity and mortality of these groups remain elevated. The reasons for this disparity are multifactorial, including social determinant of health (SDOH) such as access to care, bias, and structural racism. These same factors contributed to higher rates of COVID-19 infection among minoritized racial and ethnic groups. In this review, we aim to explore the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and its interconnection between heart failure and SDOH. The pandemic presents a window of opportunity for achieving greater equity in the health care of all vulnerable populations.

Neighbourhood-level social deprivation and the risk of recurrent heart failure hospitalizations in type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND

The importance of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) in heart failure hospitalizations (HFH) is acknowledged. As information on the prevalence and influence of social deprivation on HFH is limited, we studied this issue in a racially diverse cohort.

METHODS

Linking data from US Veterans with stable T2D (without prevalent HF) with a zip-code derived population-level social deprivation index (SDI), we grouped them according to increasing SDI as follows: SDI: group I: ≤20; II: 21-40; III: 41-60; IV: 61-80; and V (most deprived) 81-100. Over a 10-year follow-up period, we identified the total (first and recurrent) number of HFH episodes for each patient and calculated the age-adjusted HFH rate [per 1000 patient-years (PY)]. We analysed the incident rate ratio between SDI groups and HFH using adjusted analyses.

RESULTS

In 1 012 351 patients with T2D (mean age 67.5 years, 75.7% White), the cumulative incidence of first HFH was 9.4% and 14.2% in SDI groups I and V respectively. The 10-year total HFH rate was 54.8 (95% CI: 54.5, 55.2)/1000 PY. Total HFH increased incrementally from SDI group I [43.3 (95% CI: 42.4, 44.2)/1000 PY] to group V [68.6 (95% CI: 67.8, 69.9)/1000 PY]. Compared with group I, group V patients had a 53% higher relative risk of HFH. The negative association between SDI and HFH was stronger in Black patients (SDI × Race pinteraction  < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Social deprivation is associated with increased HFH in T2D with a disproportionate influence in Black patients. Strategies to reduce social disparity and equalize racial differences may help to bridge this gap.

Social Risk Factors That Increase Cardiovascular and Breast Cancer Risk

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and breast cancer (BC) are significant causes of mortality globally, imposing a substantial health burden. This review article aims to examine the shared risk factors and social determinants that contribute to the high prevalence of both diseases, with a focus on social risk factors.

RECENT FINDINGS

The common risk factors for CVD and BC, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, aging, and physical inactivity, are discussed, emphasizing their modifiability. Adhering to ideal cardiovascular health behaviors has shown a trend toward lower BC incidence. Increased risk of CVD-related mortality is significantly impacted by age and race in BC patients, especially those over 45 years old. Additionally, racial disparities in both diseases highlight the need for targeted interventions. Social determinants of health, including socioeconomic status, education, employment, and neighborhood context, significantly impact outcomes for both CVD and BC. Addressing social factors is vital in reducing the burden of both CVD and BC and improving overall health equity.

Epigenetic age acceleration mediates the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and pain severity in adults with or at risk for knee osteoarthritis pain

An estimated 250 million people worldwide suffer from knee osteoarthritis (KOA), with older adults having greater risk. Like other age-related diseases, residents of high-deprivation neighborhoods experience worse KOA pain outcomes compared to their more affluent neighbors. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and pain severity in KOA and the influence of epigenetic age acceleration (EpAA) on that relationship. The sample of 128 participants was mostly female (60.9%), approximately half non-Hispanic Black (49.2%), and had a mean age of 58 years. Spearman bivariate correlations revealed that pain severity positively correlated with EpAA (ρ = 0.47, p ≤ 0.001) and neighborhood deprivation (ρ = 0.25, p = 0.004). We found a positive significant relationship between neighborhood deprivation and EpAA (ρ = 0.47, p ≤ 0.001). Results indicate a mediating relationship between neighborhood deprivation (predictor), EpAA (mediator), and pain severity (outcome variable). There was a significant indirect effect of neighborhood deprivation on pain severity through EpAA, as the mediator accounted for a moderate portion of the total effect, PM = 0.44. Epigenetic age acceleration may act as a mechanism through which neighborhood deprivation leads to worse KOA pain outcomes and may play a role in the well-documented relationship between the neighborhood of residence and age-related diseases.

Racial Differences in Quality of Life in Patients With Heart Failure Treated With Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors: A Patient-Level Meta-Analysis of the CHIEF-HF, DEFINE-HF, and PRESERVED-HF Trials

BACKGROUND

Health status outcomes, including symptoms, function, and quality of life, are worse for Black compared with White patients with heart failure. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) reduce cardiovascular mortality and improve health status in patients with heart failure, but whether the health status benefit of SGLT2is is similar across races is not established. The objective of this study was to compare the treatment effect of SGLT2is (versus placebo) on health status for Black compared with White patients with heart failure.

METHODS

We combined patient-level data from 3 randomized clinical trials of SGLT2is: DEFINE-HF (Dapagliflozin Effect on Symptoms and Biomarkers in Patients With Heart Failure; n=263), PRESERVED-HF (Dapagliflozin in Preserved Ejection Fraction Heart Failure; n=324), and CHIEF-HF (A Study on Impact of Canagliflozin on Health Status, Quality of Life, and Functional Status in Heart Failure; n=448). These 3 United States-based trials enrolled a substantial proportion of Black patients, and each used the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) to measure health status at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. Among 1035 total participants, selecting self-identified Black and White patients with complete information yielded a final analytic cohort of 935 patients. The primary endpoint was KCCQ Clinical Summary score. Twelve-week change in KCCQ with SGLT2is versus placebo was compared between Black and White patients by testing the interaction between race and treatment using multivariable linear regression models adjusted for trial, baseline KCCQ (as a restricted cubic spline), race, and treatment. The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

RESULTS

Among 935 participants, 236 (25%) self-identified as Black, and 469 (50.2%) were treated with an SGLT2i. Treatment with an SGLT2i, compared with placebo, resulted in KCCQ Clinical Summary score improvements at 12 weeks of +4.0 points (95% CI, 1.7-6.3; P=0.0007) in White patients and +4.7 points (95% CI, 0.7-8.7; P=0.02) in Black patients, with no significant interaction by race and treatment (P=0.76). Other KCCQ scales showed similar results.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with an SGLT2i resulted in consistent and significant improvements in health status for both Black and White patients with heart failure.

Neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and individual-level socioeconomic status are associated with dopamine-mediated changes to monocyte subset CCR2 expression via a cAMP-dependent pathway

Social determinants of health (SDoH) include socioeconomic, environmental, and psychological factors that impact health. Neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation (NSD) and low individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) are SDoH that associate with incident heart failure, stroke, and cardiovascular mortality, but the underlying biological mechanisms are not well understood. Previous research has demonstrated an association between NSD, in particular, and key components of the neural-hematopoietic-axis including amygdala activity as a marker of chronic stress, bone marrow activity, and arterial inflammation. Our study further characterizes the role of NSD and SES as potential sources of chronic stress related to downstream immunological factors in this stress-associated biologic pathway. We investigated how NSD, SES, and catecholamine levels (as proxy for sympathetic nervous system activation) may influence monocytes which are known to play a significant role in atherogenesis. First, in an ex vivo approach, we treated healthy donor monocytes with biobanked serum from a community cohort of African Americans at risk for CVD. Subsequently, the treated monocytes were subjected to flow cytometry for characterization of monocyte subsets and receptor expression. We determined that NSD and serum catecholamines (namely dopamine [DA] and norepinephrine [NE]) associated with monocyte C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) expression (p < 0.05), a receptor known to facilitate recruitment of monocytes towards arterial plaques. Additionally, NSD associated with catecholamine levels, especially DA in individuals of low SES. To further explore the potential role of NSD and the effects of catecholamines on monocytes, monocytes were treated in vitro with epinephrine [EPI], NE, or DA. Only DA increased CCR2 expression in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.01), especially on non-classical monocytes (NCM). Furthermore, linear regression analysis between D2-like receptor surface expression and surface CCR2 expression suggested D2-like receptor signaling in NCM. Indicative of D2-signaling, cAMP levels were found to be lower in DA-treated monocytes compared to untreated controls (control 29.78 pmol/ml vs DA 22.97 pmol/ml; p = 0.038) and the impact of DA on NCM CCR2 expression was abrogated by co-treatment with 8-CPT, a cAMP analog. Furthermore, Filamin A (FLNA), a prominent actin-crosslinking protein, that is known to regulate CCR2 recycling, significantly decreased in DA-treated NCM (p < 0.05), indicating a reduction of CCR2 recycling. Overall, we provide a novel immunological mechanism, driven by DA signaling and CCR2, for how NSD may contribute to atherogenesis. Future studies should investigate the importance of DA in CVD development and progression in populations disproportionately experiencing chronic stress due to SDoH.

Disparities in Postdischarge Ambulatory Care Follow-Up Among Medicaid Beneficiaries With Diabetes, Hospitalized for Heart Failure

Background Ambulatory follow-up for all patients with heart failure (HF) is recommended within 7 to 14 days after hospital discharge to improve HF outcomes. We examined postdischarge ambulatory follow-up of patients with comorbid diabetes and HF from a low-income population in primary and specialty care. Methods and Results Adults with diabetes and first hospitalizations for HF, covered by Alabama Medicaid in 2010 to 2019, were included and the claims analyzed for ambulatory care use (any, primary care, cardiology, or endocrinology) within 60 days after discharge using restricted mean survival time regression and negative binomial regression. Among 9859 Medicaid-covered adults with diabetes and first hospitalization for HF (mean age, 53.7 years; SD, 9.2 years; 47.3% Black; 41.8% non-Hispanic White; 10.9% Hispanic/Other [Other included non-White Hispanic, American Indian, Pacific Islander and Asian adults]; 65.4% women, 34.6% men), 26.7% had an ambulatory visit within 0 to 7 days, 15.2% within 8 to 14 days, 31.3% within 15 to 60 days, and 26.8% had no visit; 71% saw a primary care physician and 12% a cardiology physician. Black and Hispanic/Other adults were less likely to have any postdischarge ambulatory visit (P<0.0001) or the visit was delayed (by 1.8 days, P=0.0006 and by 2.8 days, P=0.0016, respectively) and were less likely to see a primary care physician than non-Hispanic White adults (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.91-1.00] and 0.91 [95% CI, 0.89-0.98]; respectively). Conclusions More than half of Medicaid-covered adults with diabetes and HF in Alabama did not receive guideline-concordant postdischarge care. Black and Hispanic/Other adults were less likely to receive recommended postdischarge care for comorbid diabetes and HF.

Association between vehicle ownership and disparities in mortality after myocardial infarction

Background

Access to reliable transportation is fundamental in the management of chronic disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between vehicle ownership at the neighborhood-level and long-term mortality after myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods

This is a retrospective observational study evaluating adult patients admitted for MI between January 1st, 2006, and December 31st, 2016. Neighborhoods were defined by census tract and household vehicle ownership data was obtained from the American Community Survey courtesy of the University of California, Los Angeles Center for Neighborhood Knowledge. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those living in neighborhoods with higher vehicle ownership, and those living in neighborhoods with lower vehicle ownership. The cutoff of 4.34% of households reporting not owning a vehicle was used to define a neighborhood as one with "higher" vs "lower" vehicle ownership as this was the median value for the cohort. The association between vehicle ownership and all-cause mortality after MI was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Results

A total of 30,126 patients were included (age 68.1 +/- 13.5 years, 63.2% male). After adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and medical comorbidities, lower vehicle ownership was associated with increased all-cause mortality after MI (hazard ratio [HR] 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.14; p<0.001). This finding remained significant after adjusting for median household income (HR 1.06; 95% CI 1.02-1.10; p = 0.007). Upon comparison of White and Black patients living in neighborhoods with lower vehicle ownership; Black patients were found to have an increased all-cause mortality after MI (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.13-1.30, p<0.001), a difference which remained significant after adjusting for income (HR 1.20; 95% CI 1.12-1.29; p<0.001). There was no significant difference in mortality between White and Black patients living in neighborhoods with higher vehicle ownership.

Conclusion

Lower vehicle ownership was associated with increased mortality after MI. Black patients living in neighborhoods with lower vehicle ownership had a higher mortality after MI than White patients living in similar neighborhoods but Black patients living in neighborhoods with higher vehicle ownership had no worse mortality than their White counterparts. This study highlights the importance of transportation in determining health status after MI.

Achieving Equity in Hospital Performance Assessments Using Composite Race-Specific Measures of Risk-Standardized Readmission and Mortality Rates for Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

The contemporary measures of hospital performance for heart failure hospitalization and 30-day risk-standardized readmission rate (RSRR) and risk-standardized mortality rate (RSMR) are estimated using the same risk adjustment model and overall event rate for all patients. Thus, these measures are mainly driven by the care quality and outcomes for the majority racial and ethnic group, and may not adequately represent the hospital performance for patients of Black and other races.

METHODS

Fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries from January 2014 to December 2019 hospitalized with heart failure were identified. Hospital-level 30-day RSRR and RSMR were estimated using the traditional race-agnostic models and the race-specific approach. The composite race-specific performance metric was calculated as the average of the RSRR/RMSR measures derived separately for each race and ethnicity group. Correlation and concordance in hospital performance for all patients and patients of Black and other races were assessed using the composite race-specific and race-agnostic metrics.

RESULTS

The study included 1 903 232 patients (75.7% White [n=1 439 958]; 14.5% Black [n=276 684]; and 9.8% other races [n=186 590]) with heart failure from 1860 hospitals. There was a modest correlation between hospital-level 30-day performance metrics for patients of White versus Black race (Pearson correlation coefficient: RSRR=0.42; RSMR=0.26). Compared with the race-agnostic RSRR and RSMR, composite race-specific metrics for all patients demonstrated stronger correlation with RSRR (correlation coefficient: 0.60 versus 0.74) and RSMR (correlation coefficient: 0.44 versus 0.51) for Black patients. Concordance in hospital performance for all patients and patients of Black race was also higher with race-specific (versus race-agnostic) metrics (RSRR=64% versus 53% concordantly high-performing; 61% versus 51% concordantly low-performing). Race-specific RSRR and RSMR metrics (versus race-agnostic) led to reclassification in performance ranking of 35.8% and 39.2% of hospitals, respectively, with better 30-day and 1-year outcomes for patients of all race groups at hospitals reclassified as high-performing.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients hospitalized with heart failure, race-specific 30-day RSMR and RSRR are more equitable in representing hospital performance for patients of Black and other races.

Association of Rurality With Risk of Heart Failure

Importance

Rural populations experience an increased burden of heart failure (HF) mortality compared with urban populations. Whether HF incidence is greater among rural individuals is less known. Additionally, the intersection between racial and rural health inequities is understudied.

Objective

To determine whether rurality is associated with increased risk of HF, independent of cardiovascular (CV) disease and socioeconomic status (SES), and whether rurality-associated HF risk varies by race and sex.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This prospective cohort study analyzed data for Black and White participants of the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS) without HF at enrollment who receive care via Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The SCCS is a population-based cohort of low-income, underserved participants from 12 states across the southeastern United States. Participants were enrolled between 2002 and 2009 and followed up until December 31, 2016. Data were analyzed from October 2021 to November 2022.

Exposures

Rurality as defined by Rural-Urban Commuting Area codes at the census-tract level.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Heart failure was defined using diagnosis codes via CMS linkage through 2016. Incidence of HF was calculated by person-years of follow-up and age-standardized. Sequentially adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models tested the association between rurality and incident HF.

Results

Among 27 115 participants, the median (IQR) age was 54 years (47-65), 18 647 (68.8%) were Black, and 8468 (32.3%) were White; 5556 participants (20%) resided in rural areas. Over a median 13-year follow-up, age-adjusted HF incidence was 29.6 (95% CI, 28.9-30.5) per 1000 person-years for urban participants and 36.5 (95% CI, 34.9-38.3) per 1000 person-years for rural participants (P < .001). After adjustment for demographic information, CV risk factors, health behaviors, and SES, rural participants had a 19% greater risk of incident HF (hazard ratio [HR], 1.19; 95% CI, 1.13-1.26) compared with their urban counterparts. The rurality-associated risk of HF varied across race and sex and was greatest among Black men (HR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.19-1.51), followed by White women (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.07-1.39) and Black women (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.08-1.28). Among White men, rurality was not associated with greater risk of incident HF (HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.81-1.16).

Conclusions and Relevance

Among predominantly low-income individuals in the southeastern United States, rurality was associated with an increased risk of HF among women and Black men, which persisted after adjustment for CV risk factors and SES. This inequity points to a need for additional emphasis on primary prevention of HF among rural populations.

Differential Associations Between the Area Deprivation Index and Measures of Physical Health for Older Black Adults

OBJECTIVES

This study explored the association between place-based characteristics (e.g., neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation) and physical health within older Black adults, a critical gap in the literature as identified by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

METHODS

The sample was from Wave 1 data of Baltimore Study of Black Aging: Patterns of Cognitive Aging (N = 450; Mage = 68.34). Variables included the area deprivation index (ADI), objective (e.g., average blood pressure) and subjective (e.g., self-rated health) measures of physical health. Multiple linear regression models were conducted controlling for key sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS

Participants reporting better self-rated health and less likely to need help with activities of daily living were significantly more likely to be living in more disadvantaged neighborhoods based on national and state ADI, respectively, even after adjusting for covariates. A significant age and ADI interaction revealed better self-rated health was associated with a more disadvantaged neighborhood particularly for individuals ≤66 years. There was no significant association between ADI and objective physical health measures.

DISCUSSION

The findings suggest that national- and state-level place-based characteristics should be considered along with individual-level factors, which can enrich the scientific understanding of how neighborhood characteristics relate to varying health indicators among older Black adults.

Relationships between neighborhood disadvantage and cardiovascular findings at autopsy in subjects with sudden death

BACKGROUND

Neighborhood disadvantage is associated with a higher risk of sudden cardiac death. However, autopsy findings have never been investigated in this context. Here, we sought to explore associations between neighborhood disadvantage and cardiovascular findings at autopsy in cases of sudden death in the State of Maryland.

METHODS

State of Maryland investigation reports from 2,278 subjects within the CVPath Sudden Death Registry were screened for street addresses and 9-digit zip codes. Area deprivation index (ADI), used as metric for neighborhood disadvantage, was available for 1,464 subjects; 650 of whom self-identified as Black and 814 as White. The primary study outcome measurements were causes of death and gross and histopathologic findings of the heart.

RESULTS

Subjects from most disadvantaged neighborhoods (i.e., ADI ≥ 8; n = 607) died at younger age compared with subjects from less disadvantaged neighborhoods (i.e., ADI ≤ 7; n = 857; 46.07 ± 14.10 vs 47.78 ± 13.86 years; P = 0.02) and were more likely Black or women. They were less likely to die from cardiac causes of death (61.8% vs 67.7%; P = 0.02) and had less severe atherosclerotic plaque features, including plaque burden, calcification, intraplaque hemorrhage, and thin-cap fibroatheromas. In addition, subjects from most disadvantaged neighborhoods had lower frequencies of plaque rupture (18.8% vs 25.1%, P = 0.004). However, these associations were omitted after adjustment for traditional risk factors and race.

CONCLUSION

Neighborhood disadvantage did not associate with cause of death or coronary histopathology after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and race, implying that social determinants of health other than neighborhood disadvantage play a more prominent role in sudden cardiac death.

Are Neighborhood Characteristics Associated With Outcomes After THA and TKA? Findings From a Large Healthcare System Database

BACKGROUND

Non-White patients have higher rates of discharge to an extended care facility, hospital readmission, and emergency department use after primary THA and TKA. The reasons for this are unknown. Place of residence, which can vary by race, has been linked to poorer healthcare outcomes for people with many health conditions. However, the potential relationship between place of residence and disparities in these joint arthroplasty outcomes is unclear.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES

(1) Are neighborhood-level characteristics, including racial composition, marital proportions, residential vacancy, educational attainment, employment proportions, overall deprivation, access to medical care, and rurality associated with an increased risk of discharge to a facility, readmission, and emergency department use after elective THA and TKA? (2) Are the associations between neighborhood-level characteristics and discharge to a facility, readmission, and emergency department use the same among White and Black patients undergoing elective THA and TKA?

METHODS

Between 2007 and 2018, 34,008 records of elective primary THA or TKA for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or avascular necrosis in a regional healthcare system were identified. After exclusions for unicompartmental arthroplasty, bilateral surgery, concomitant procedures, inability to geocode a residential address, duplicate records, and deaths, 21,689 patients remained. Ninety-seven percent of patients in this cohort self-identified as either White or Black, so the remaining 659 patients were excluded due to small sample size. This left 21,030 total patients for analysis. Discharge destination, readmissions within 90 days of surgery, and emergency department visits within 90 days were identified. Each patient's street address was linked to neighborhood characteristics from the American Community Survey and Area Deprivation Index. A multilevel, multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to model each outcome of interest, controlling for clinical and individual sociodemographic factors and allowing for clustering at the neighborhood level. The models were then duplicated with the addition of neighborhood characteristics to determine the association between neighborhood-level factors and each outcome. The linear predictors from each of these models were used to determine the predicted risk of each outcome, with and without neighborhood characteristics, and divided into tenths. The change in predicted risk tenths based on the model containing neighborhood characteristics was compared to that without neighborhood characteristics.The change in predicted risk tenth for each outcome was stratified by race.

RESULTS

After controlling for age, sex, insurance type, surgery type, and comorbidities, we found that an increase of one SD of neighborhood unemployment (odds ratio 1.26 [95% confidence interval 1.17 to 1.36]; p < 0.001) was associated with an increased likelihood of discharge to a facility, whereas an increase of one SD in proportions of residents receiving public assistance (OR 0.92 [95% CI 0.86 to 0.98]; p = 0.008), living below the poverty level (OR 0.82 [95% CI 0.74 to 0.91]; p < 0.001), and being married (OR 0.80 [95% CI 0.71 to 0.89]; p < 0.001) was associated with a decreased likelihood of discharge to a facility. Residence in areas one SD above mean neighborhood unemployment (OR 1.12 [95% CI [1.04 to 1.21]; p = 0.002) was associated with increased rates of readmission. An increase of one SD in residents receiving food stamps (OR 0.83 [95% CI 0.75 to 093]; p = 0.001), being married (OR 0.89 [95% CI 0.80 to 0.99]; p = 0.03), and being older than 65 years (OR 0.93 [95% CI 0.88 to 0.98]; p = 0.01) was associated with a decreased likelihood of readmission. A one SD increase in the percentage of Black residents (OR 1.11 [95% CI 1.00 to 1.22]; p = 0.04) and unemployed residents (OR 1.15 [95% CI 1.05 to 1.26]; p = 0.003) was associated with a higher likelihood of emergency department use. Living in a medically underserved area (OR 0.82 [95% CI 0.68 to 0.97]; p = 0.02), a neighborhood one SD above the mean of individuals using food stamps (OR 0.81 [95% CI 0.70 to 0.93]; p = 0.004), and a neighborhood with an increasing percentage of individuals older than 65 years (OR 0.90 [95% CI 0.83 to 0.96]; p = 0.002) were associated with a lower likelihood of emergency department use. With the addition of neighborhood characteristics, the risk prediction tenths of the overall cohort remained the same in more than 50% of patients for all three outcomes of interest. When stratified by race, neighborhood characteristics increased the predicted risk for 55% of Black patients for readmission compared with 17% of White patients (p < 0.001). The predicted risk tenth increased for 60% of Black patients for emergency department use compared with 21% for White patients (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

These results can be used to identify high-risk patients who might benefit from preemptive interventions to avoid these particular outcomes and to create more realistic, comprehensive risk adjustment models for value-based care programs. Additionally, this study demonstrates that neighborhood characteristics are associated with greater risk for these outcomes among Black patients compared with White patients. Further studies should consider that race/ethnicity and neighborhood characteristics may not function independently from each other. Understanding this link between race and place of residence is essential for future racial disparities research.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, therapeutic study.

Remote Patient Monitoring for Patients with Heart Failure: Sex- and Race-based Disparities and Opportunities

Remote patient monitoring (RPM), within the larger context of telehealth expansion, has been established as an effective and safe means of care for patients with heart failure (HF) during the recent pandemic. Of the demographic groups, female patients and black patients are underenrolled relative to disease distribution in clinical trials and are under-referred for RPM, including remote haemodynamic monitoring, cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), wearables and telehealth interventions. The sex- and race-based disparities are multifactorial: stringent clinical trial inclusion criteria, distrust of the medical establishment, poor access to healthcare, socioeconomic inequities, and lack of diversity in clinical trial leadership. Notwithstanding addressing the above factors, RPM has the unique potential to reduce disparities through a combination of implicit bias mitigation and earlier detection and intervention for HF disease progression in disadvantaged groups. This review describes the uptake of remote haemodynamic monitoring, CIEDs and telehealth in female patients and black patients with HF, and discusses aetiologies that may contribute to inequities and strategies to promote health equity.

The Relationship Between Peripheral Arterial Disease Severity and Socioeconomic Status

BACKGROUND

Although socioeconomic disparities in outcomes of peripheral artery disease (PAD) have been well studied, little is known about relationship between severity of PAD and socioeconomic status. The objective of this study was to examine this relationship.

METHODS

Patients who had operations for severe PAD (rest pain or tissue loss) were identified in the National Inpatient Sample, 2005-2014. They were stratified by the median household income (MHI) quartiles of their residential ZIP codes. Other characteristics such as race/ethnicity and insurance type were extracted. Factors associated with more severe disease (tissue loss) were evaluated using multivariable regression analyses.

RESULTS

There were 765,175 patients identified; 34% in the first MHI quartile and 18% in the fourth MHI quartile. Compared to patients in the first quartile, those in the fourth quartile were more likely White (69% vs. 42%, P < 0.001), more likely ≥65 years old (75% vs. 62%, P < 0.001), and were less likely to undergo amputations (25% vs. 34%, P < 0.001). After adjusting for patient characteristics, the fourth quartile was associated with more severe disease [Odds ratio: 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-1.27] compared to the first quartile.

CONCLUSIONS

While higher MHI was associated with higher PAD severity, patients with high MHI were less likely to undergo amputations indicating a disparity in the choice of treatment for PAD. Increased efforts are necessary to reduce socioeconomic disparities in the treatment of severe PAD.

Severity of functional impairments by race and sex in older patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure

BACKGROUND

Older patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) have marked functional impairments, which may contribute to their delayed and incomplete recovery and persistently poor outcomes. However, whether impairment severity differs by race and sex is unknown.

METHODS

REHAB-HF trial participants (≥60 years) were assessed just before discharge home from ADHF hospitalization. Physical function [Short Physical Performance Battery; 6-min walk distance (6MWD)], frailty (Fried criteria), cognition [Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)], quality-of-life [Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, Short-Form-12, EuroQol-5D-5L], and depression [Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)] were examined by race and sex.

RESULTS

This prespecified subgroup cross-sectional analysis included 337 older adults (52% female, 50% Black). Black participants were on average younger than White participants (70.3 ± 7.2 vs. 74.7 ± 8.3 years). After age, body mass index, ejection fraction, comorbidity, and education adjustment, and impairments were similarly common and severe across groups except: Black male and Black and White female participants had more severely impaired walking function compared with White male participants [6MWD (m) 187 ± 12, 168 ± 9170 ± 11 vs. 239 ± 9, p < 0.001]; gait speed (m/s) (0.61 ± 0.03, 0.56 ± 0.02, 0.55 ± 0.02 vs. 0.69 ± 0.02, p < 0.001); White female participants had the highest frailty prevalence (72% vs. 47%-51%, p = 0.007); and Black participants had lower MoCA scores compared with White participants (20.9 ± 4.5 vs. 22.8 ± 3.9, p < 0.001). Depressive symptoms were common overall (43% GDS ≥5), yet underrecognized clinically (18%), especially in Black male participants compared with White male participants (7% vs. 20%).

CONCLUSION

Among older patients hospitalized for ADHF, frailty and functional impairments with high potential to jeopardize patient HF self-management, safety, and independence were common and severe across all race and sex groups. Impairment severity was often worse in Black participant and female participant groups. Formal screening across frailty and functional domains may identify those who may require greater support and more tailored care to reduce the risk of adverse events and excess hospitalizations and death.

Specific metabolites drive the deterministic assembly of diseased rhizosphere microbiome through weakening microbial degradation of autotoxin

BACKGROUND

Process and function that underlie the assembly of a rhizosphere microbial community may be strongly linked to the maintenance of plant health. However, their assembly processes and functional changes in the deterioration of soilborne disease remain unclear. Here, we investigated features of rhizosphere microbiomes related to Fusarium wilt disease and assessed their assembly by comparison pair of diseased/healthy sequencing data. The untargeted metabolomics was employed to explore potential community assembly drivers, and shotgun metagenome sequencing was used to reveal the mechanisms of metabolite-mediated process after soil conditioning.

RESULTS

Results showed the deterministic assembly process associated with diseased rhizosphere microbiomes, and this process was significantly correlated to five metabolites (tocopherol acetate, citrulline, galactitol, octadecylglycerol, and behenic acid). Application of the metabolites resulted in a deterministic assembly of microbiome with the high morbidity of watermelon. Furthermore, metabolite conditioning was found to weaken the function of autotoxin degradation undertaken by specific bacterial group (Bradyrhizobium, Streptomyces, Variovorax, Pseudomonas, and Sphingomonas) while promoting the metabolism of small-molecule sugars and acids initiated from another bacterial group (Anaeromyxobacter, Bdellovibrio, Conexibacter, Flavobacterium, and Gemmatimonas). Video Abstract CONCLUSION: These findings strongly suggest that shifts in a metabolite-mediated microbial community assembly process underpin the deterministic establishment of soilborne Fusarium wilt disease and reveal avenues for future research focusing on ameliorating crop loss due to this pathogen.

Neighborhood deprivation and coronary heart disease in patients with bipolar disorder

The aim was to study the potential effect of neighborhood deprivation on incident and fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with bipolar disorder. This was a nationwide cohort study which included all adults aged 30 years or older with bipolar disorder (n = 61,114) in Sweden (1997–2017). The association between neighborhood deprivation and the outcomes was explored using Cox regression analysis, with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Patients with bipolar disorder living in neighborhoods with high or moderate levels of deprivation were compared with those living in neighborhoods with low deprivation scores. There was an association between level of neighborhood deprivation and incident and fatal CHD among patients with bipolar disorder. The HRs were 1.24 (95% CI 1.07–1.44) for men and 1.31 (1.13–1.51) for women for incident CHD among patients with bipolar disorder living in high deprivation neighborhoods compared to those from low deprivation neighborhoods, after adjustments for potential confounders. The corresponding HR for fatal CHD were 1.35 (1.22–1.49) in men and 1.30 (1.19–1.41) in women living in high deprivation neighborhoods. Increased incident and fatal CHD among patients with bipolar disorder living in deprived neighborhoods raises important clinical and public health concerns.

How do environmental characteristics jointly contribute to cardiometabolic health? A quantile g-computation mixture analysis

Accumulating evidence links cardiometabolic health with social and environmental neighborhood exposures, which may contribute to health inequities. We examined whether environmental characteristics were individually or jointly associated with insulin resistance, hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome in San Diego County, CA. As part of the Community of Mine Study, cardiometabolic outcomes of insulin resistance, hypertension, BMI, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome were collected in 570 participants. Seven census tract level characteristics of participants' residential environment were assessed and grouped as follows: economic, education, health care access, neighborhood conditions, social environment, transportation, and clean environment. Generalized estimating equation models were performed, to take into account the clustered nature of the data and to estimate β or relative risk (RR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) between each of the seven environmental characteristics and cardiometabolic outcomes. Quantile g-computation was used to examine the association between the joint effect of a simultaneous increase in all environmental characteristics and cardiometabolic outcomes. Among 570 participants (mean age 58.8 ± 11 years), environmental economic, educational and health characteristics were individually associated with insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. In the mixture analyses, a joint quartile increase in all environmental characteristics (i.e., improvement) was associated with decreasing insulin resistance (β, 95 %CI: -0.09, -0.18-0.01)), risk of diabetes (RR, 95 %CI: 0.59, 0.36-0.98) and obesity (RR, 95 %CI: 0.81, 0.64-1.02). Environmental characteristics synergistically contribute to cardiometabolic health and independent analysis of these determinants may not fully capture the potential health impact of social and environmental determinants of health.