Association of Outpatient Practice-Level Socioeconomic Disadvantage With Quality of Care and Outcomes Among Older Adults With Coronary Artery Disease: Implications for Value-Based Payment

Regional variations in primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction patients: A trajectory analysis using the national claims database in Japan

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have demonstrated geographical disparities regarding the quality of care for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aim of this study was two-fold: first, to calculate the proportion of patients with AMI who received primary percutaneous coronary interventions (pPCIs) by secondary medical areas (SMAs), which provide general inpatient care, as a quality indicator (QI) of the process of AMI practice. Second, to identify patterns in their trajectories and to investigate the factors related to regional differences in their trajectories.

METHODS

We included patients hospitalized with AMI between April 2014 and March 2020 from the national health insurance claims database in Japan and calculated the proportion of pPCIs across 335 SMAs and fiscal years. Using these proportions, we conducted group-based trajectory modeling to identify groups that shared similar trajectories of the proportions. In addition, we investigated area-level factors that were associated with the different trajectories.

RESULTS

The median (interquartile range) proportions of pPCIs by SMAs were 63.5% (52.9% to 70.5%) in FY 2014 and 69.6% (63.3% to 74.2%) in FY 2020. Four groups, named low to low (LL; n = 48), low to middle (LM; n = 16), middle to middle (MM; n = 68), and high to high (HH; n = 208), were identified from our trajectory analysis. The HH and MM groups had higher population densities and higher numbers of physicians and cardiologists per capita than the LL and LM groups. The LL and LM groups had similar numbers of physicians per capita, but the number of cardiologists per capita in the LM group increased over the years of the study compared with the LL group.

CONCLUSION

The trajectory of the proportion of pPCIs for AMI patients identified groups of SMAs. Among the four groups, the LM group showed an increasing trend in the proportions of pPCIs, whereas the three other groups showed relatively stable trends.

The Intersection of Socioeconomic Differences and Sex in the Management and Outcomes of Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Patients with lower socioeconomic status (SES) have poorer outcomes following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) than patients with higher SES; however, how sex modifies socioeconomic differences is unclear. Using the United Kingdom (UK) Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP) registry, alongside Office of National Statistics (ONS) mortality data, we analyzed 736,420 AMI patients between 2005 and 2018, stratified by Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) score Quintiles (most affluent [Q1] to most deprived [Q5]). There was no significant difference in probability of in-hospital mortality in our adjusted model according to sex. The probability of 30-day mortality in our adjusted model was similar between men and women throughout Quintiles, ((Q5; Men 7.6%; 95% CI 7.3-7.8% (P < .001), Women; 7.0%; 95% CI 6.8-7.3%, P < .001)) ((Q1; Men 7.1%; 95% CI 6.8-7.4%, P < .001, Women; 6.9%; 95% CI 6.6-7.1%, P < .001)). The probability of one-year mortality in our adjusted model was higher in men throughout all Quintiles (Q1; Men 15.0%; 95% CI 14.8-15.6%), P < .001, Women; 14.5%; 95% CI 14.2-14.9%, P < .001) (Q5; Men 16.9%; 95% CI 16.5-17.3%, P < .001, Women; 15.5%; 95% CI 15.1-15.9 by %, P < .001). Overall, female sex did not significantly influence the effect of deprivation on AMI processes of care and outcomes.

Ethnic Disparities in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Outcomes and Processes of Care in Patients With and Without Standard Modifiable Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Trials suggest patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) without 'standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors' (SMuRFs) have poorer outcomes, but the role of ethnicity has not been investigated. We analyzed 118,177 STEMI patients using the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP) registry. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were analyzed using hierarchical logistic regression models; patients with ≥1 SMuRF (n = 88,055) were compared with 'SMuRFless' patients (n = 30,122), with subgroup analysis comparing outcomes of White and Ethnic minority patients. SMuRFless patients had higher incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (odds ratio, OR: 1.09, 95% CI 1.02-1.16) and in-hospital mortality (OR: 1.09, 95% CI 1.01-1.18) after adjusting for demographics, Killip classification, cardiac arrest, and comorbidities. When additionally adjusting for invasive coronary angiography (ICA) and revascularisation (percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafts surgery (CABG)), results for in-hospital mortality were no longer significant (OR 1.05, 95% CI .97-1.13). There were no significant differences in outcomes according to ethnicity. Ethnic minority patients were more likely to undergo revascularisation with ≥1 SMuRF (88 vs 80%, P < .001) or SMuRFless (87 vs 77%, P < .001. Ethnic minority patients were more likely undergo ICA and revascularisation regardless of SMuRF status.

Provision of Stroke Care Services by Community Disadvantage Status in the US, 2009-2022

Importance

Stroke center certification is granted to facilities that demonstrate distinct capabilities for treating patients with stroke. A thorough understanding of structural discrimination in the provision of stroke centers is critical for identifying and implementing effective interventions to improve health inequities for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.

Objective

To determine whether (1) hospitals in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities (defined using the Area Deprivation Index) are less likely to adopt any stroke certification and (2) adoption rates differ between entry-level (acute stroke-ready hospitals) and higher-level certifications (primary, thrombectomy capable, and comprehensive) by community disadvantage status.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study used newly collected stroke center data merged with data from the American Hospital Association, Healthcare Cost Report Information datasets, and the US Census. All general acute hospitals in the continental US between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2022, were included. Data analysis was conducted from July 2023 to May 2024.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the likelihood of hospitals adopting stroke care certification. Cox proportional hazard and competing risk models were used to estimate the likelihood of a hospital becoming stroke certified based on the socioeconomic disadvantage status of the community.

Results

Among the 5055 hospitals studied from 2009 to 2022, 2415 (47.8%) never achieved stroke certification, 602 (11.9%) were certified as acute stroke-ready hospitals, and 2038 (40.3%) were certified as primary stroke centers or higher. When compared with mixed-advantage communities, adoption of any stroke certification was most likely to occur near the most advantaged communities (hazard ratio [HR], 1.24; 95% CI, 1.07-1.44) and least likely near the most disadvantaged communities (HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.34-0.55). Adoption of acute stroke-ready certification was most likely in mixed-advantage communities, while adoption of higher-level certification was more likely in the most advantaged communities (HR,1.41; 95% CI, 1.22-1.62) and less likely for the most disadvantaged communities (HR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.21-0.45). After adjusting for population size and hospital capacity, compared with mixed-advantage communities, stroke certification adoption hazard was still 20% lower for relatively disadvantaged communities (adjusted HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.73-0.87) and 42% lower for the most disadvantaged communities (adjusted HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.45-0.74).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study examining hospital adoption of stroke services, when compared with mixed-advantage communities, hospitals located in the most disadvantaged communities had a 42% lower hazard of adopting any stroke certification and relatively disadvantaged communities had a 20% lower hazard of adopting any stroke certification. These findings suggest that there is a need to support hospitals in disadvantaged communities to obtain stroke certification as a way to reduce stroke disparities.

Race, neighborhood disadvantage, and survival of Medicare beneficiaries after aortic valve replacement and concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting

BACKGROUND

Race, neighborhood disadvantage, and the interaction between these 2 social determinants of health remain poorly understood with regards to survival after aortic valve replacement with concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (AVR+CABG).

METHODS

Weighted Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional hazards modeling were used to evaluate the association between race, neighborhood disadvantage, and long-term survival in 205,408 Medicare beneficiaries undergoing AVR+CABG from 1999 to 2015. Neighborhood disadvantage was measured using the Area Deprivation Index, a broadly validated ranking of socioeconomic contextual disadvantage.

RESULTS

Self-identified race was 93.9% White and 3.2% Black. Residents of the most disadvantaged quintile of neighborhoods included 12.6% of all White beneficiaries and 40.0% of all Black beneficiaries. Black beneficiaries and residents of the most disadvantaged quintile of neighborhoods had more comorbidities compared with White beneficiaries and residents of the least disadvantaged quintile of neighborhoods, respectively. Increasing neighborhood disadvantage linearly increased the hazard for mortality for Medicare beneficiaries of White but not Black race. Residents of the most and least disadvantaged neighborhood quintiles had weighted median overall survival of 93.0 and 82.1 months, respectively, a significant difference (P < .001 by Cox test for equality of survival curves). Black and White beneficiaries had weighted median overall survival of 93.4 and 90.6 months, respectively, a nonsignificant difference (P = .29 by Cox test for equality of survival curves). A statistically significant interaction between race and neighborhood disadvantage was noted (likelihood ratio test P = .0215) and had implications on whether Black race was associated with survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing neighborhood disadvantage was linearly associated with worse survival after combined AVR+CABG in White but not Black Medicare beneficiaries; race, however, was not independently associated with postoperative survival.

Sustainable Approach to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Through Better Quality Measurement

The US health care industry has broadly adopted performance and quality measures that are extracted from electronic health records and connected to payment incentives that hope to improve declining life expectancy and health status and reduce costs. While the development of a quality measurement infrastructure based on electronic health record data was an important first step in addressing US health outcomes, these metrics, reflecting the average performance across diverse populations, do not adequately adjust for population demographic differences, social determinants of health, or ecosystem vulnerability. Like society as a whole, health care must confront the powerful impact that social determinants of health, race, ethnicity, and other demographic variations have on key health care performance indicators and quality metrics. Tools that are currently available to capture and report the health status of Americans lack the granularity, complexity, and standardization needed to improve health and address disparities at the local level. In this article, we discuss the current and future state of electronic clinical quality measures through a lens of equity.

Race-ethnicity and sex differences in 1-year survival following percutaneous coronary intervention among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries

RATIONALE

Existing literature describing differences in survival following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) by patient sex, race-ethnicity and the role of socioeconomic characteristics (SEC) is limited.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Evaluate differences in 1-year survival after PCI by sex and race-ethnicity, and explore the contribution of SEC to observed differences.

METHODS

Using a 20% sample of Medicare claims data for beneficiaries aged 65+, we identified fee-for-service patients who received PCI from 2007 to 2015. We performed logistic regression to assess how sex and race-ethnicity relate to procedural indication, inpatient versus outpatient setting, and 1-year mortality. We evaluated whether these relationships are moderated by sequentially controlling for factors including age, comorbidities, presence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), county SEC, medical resource availability and inpatient versus outpatient procedural status.

RESULTS

We identified 300,491 PCI procedures, of which 94,863 (31.6%) were outpatient. There was a significant transition to outpatient PCI during the study period, especially for men compared with women and White patients compared with Black patients. Black patients were 3.50 percentage points (p < 0.001) and women were 3.41 percentage points (p < 0.001) more likely than White and male patients to undergo PCI at the time of AMI, which typically occurs in the inpatient setting. Controlling for age and calendar year, Black patients were 2.87 percentage points more likely than non-Hispanic White patients to die within 1 year after PCI. After controlling for Black-White differences in comorbidities, the differences in 1-year mortality decreased to 0.95 percentage points, which then became nonsignificant when further controlling for county resources and state of residence.

CONCLUSION

Women were more likely to experience PCI in the setting of AMI and had less transition to outpatient care during the period. Black patients experienced higher 1-year mortality following PCI, which is explained by differences in baseline comorbidities, county medical resources, and state of residence.

Community Socioeconomic Status, Acute Cardiovascular Hospitalizations, and Mortality in Medicare, 2003 to 2019

BACKGROUND

Socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in the United States disproportionately experience poor cardiovascular outcomes. Little is known about how hospitalizations and mortality for acute cardiovascular conditions have changed among Medicare beneficiaries in socioeconomically disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged communities over the past 2 decades.

METHODS

Medicare files were linked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's social vulnerability index to examine age-sex standardized hospitalizations for myocardial infarction, heart failure, ischemic stroke, and pulmonary embolism among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries ≥65 years of age residing in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities (highest social vulnerability index quintile nationally) and nondisadvantaged communities (all other quintiles) from 2003 to 2019, as well as risk-adjusted 30-day mortality among hospitalized beneficiaries.

RESULTS

A total of 10 942 483 Medicare beneficiaries ≥65 years of age were hospitalized for myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, or pulmonary embolism (mean age, 79.2 [SD, 8.7] years; 53.9% female). Although age-sex standardized myocardial infarction hospitalizations declined in socioeconomically disadvantaged (990-650 per 100 000) and nondisadvantaged communities (950-570 per 100 000) from 2003 to 2019, the gap in hospitalizations between these groups significantly widened (adjusted odds ratio 2003, 1.03 [95% CI, 1.02-1.04]; adjusted odds ratio 2019, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.13-1.16]). There was a similar decline in hospitalizations for heart failure in socioeconomically disadvantaged (2063-1559 per 100 000) and nondisadvantaged communities (1767-1385 per 100 000), as well as for ischemic stroke, but the relative gap did not change for both conditions. In contrast, pulmonary embolism hospitalizations increased in both disadvantaged (146-184 per 100 000) and nondisadvantaged communities (153-184 per 100 000). By 2019, risk-adjusted 30-day mortality was similar between hospitalized beneficiaries from socioeconomically disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged communities for myocardial infarction, heart failure, and ischemic stroke but was higher for pulmonary embolism (odds ratio, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.01-1.20]).

CONCLUSIONS

Over the past 2 decades, hospitalizations for most acute cardiovascular conditions decreased in both socioeconomically disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged communities, although significant disparities remain, while 30-day mortality is now similar across most conditions.

2024 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of US and Global Data From the American Heart Association

BACKGROUND

The American Heart Association (AHA), in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and obesity) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose control, and metabolic syndrome) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The AHA Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, brain health, complications of pregnancy, kidney disease, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, sudden cardiac arrest, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, valvular disease, venous thromboembolism, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs).

METHODS

The AHA, through its Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States and globally to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update with review of published literature through the year before writing. The 2024 AHA Statistical Update is the product of a full year's worth of effort in 2023 by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and AHA staff members. The AHA strives to further understand and help heal health problems inflicted by structural racism, a public health crisis that can significantly damage physical and mental health and perpetuate disparities in access to health care, education, income, housing, and several other factors vital to healthy lives. This year's edition includes additional global data, as well as data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population, with an enhanced focus on health equity across several key domains.

RESULTS

Each of the chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics.

CONCLUSIONS

The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policymakers, media professionals, clinicians, health care administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.

A Patient-Centered Intervention Reduces Disparities in Remote Monitoring in Patients With Implanted Cardiac Devices

BACKGROUND

Remote monitoring (RM) is recommended for patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices, yet many individuals, especially those living in underserved communities, fail to receive this guideline-directed care. Multilevel interventions that target patient and clinic-level barriers to RM care may be beneficial.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to evaluate a remotely delivered, patient-centered intervention to improve RM activation and adherence and reduce disparities in RM care.

METHODS

The intervention provides home delivery of remote monitor, phone-based education, monitor setup, and facilitation of first transmission. A retrospective cohort analysis was performed using RM data from 190,643 patients (71.6 ± 12.7 years of age, 40.5% female) implanted with a pacemaker or defibrillator at 4,195 U.S. clinics between October 2015 and October 2019. Outcomes included RM activation (12 weeks and 1-year postimplantation) and adherence to clinic-scheduled transmissions. Patients receiving a cardiovascular implantable electronic deviceimplant 0 to 730 days before (control group, n = 95,861) and after (intervention group, n = 94,782) intervention launch were compared using logistic regression and generalized estimating equations. Multivariable models included patient, clinic, and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics.

RESULTS

The odds of achieving guideline-recommended activation were significantly higher in the intervention group at 12 weeks (OR: 2.99; 76.7% vs 60.9%; P < 0.001) and 1 year (OR: 3.05; 88.2% vs 79.3%; P < 0.001). Adherence to scheduled transmissions was also higher in the intervention group compared with the control group (OR: 2.18; 89.1% vs 81.9%; P < 0.001). Preintervention disparities in RM activation and adherence were reduced in underserved groups following the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

A remotely delivered patient-centered intervention was associated with earlier activation and improved adherence to RM while reducing disparities in RM care.

Medicare's Value-Based Purchasing And 30-Day Mortality At Hospitals Caring For High Proportions Of Black Adults

The care of Black adults is highly concentrated at a limited set of US hospitals that often have limited resources. In 2011, the Medicare Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program began financially penalizing or rewarding hospitals based on thirty-day mortality rates for target conditions (myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia). Because the VBP Program has disproportionately penalized resource-constrained hospitals caring for high proportions of Black adults since its implementation in 2011, clinicians, health system leaders, and policy makers have worried that the program may unintentionally be widening racial disparities in health outcomes. Using Medicare claims for beneficiaries ages sixty-five and older who were hospitalized for three target conditions at 2,908 US hospitals participating in the VBP Program, we found that thirty-day mortality rates were consistently higher for two of three conditions at hospitals with high proportions of Black adults compared with other hospitals. There was no evidence of a differential change in thirty-day mortality among all Medicare beneficiaries with targeted conditions at high-proportion Black hospitals versus other hospitals seven years after the implementation of the VBP Program. However, gaps in mortality between these sites did widen in the subgroup of Black adults with pneumonia. These findings highlight that important concerns remain about the regressive nature and equity implications of national pay-for-performance programs.

A pragmatic clinical trial assessing the effect of a targeted notification and clinical support pathway on the diagnostic evaluation and treatment of individuals with left ventricular hypertrophy (NOTIFY-LVH)

BACKGROUND

Electronic health records contain vast amounts of cardiovascular data, including potential clues suggesting unrecognized conditions. One important example is the identification of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) on echocardiography. If the underlying causes are untreated, individuals are at increased risk of developing clinically significant pathology. As the most common cause of LVH, hypertension accounts for more cardiovascular deaths than any other modifiable risk factor. Contemporary healthcare systems have suboptimal mechanisms for detecting and effectively implementing hypertension treatment before downstream consequences develop. Thus, there is an urgent need to validate alternative intervention strategies for individuals with preexisting-but potentially unrecognized-LVH.

METHODS

Through a randomized pragmatic trial within a large integrated healthcare system, we will study the impact of a centralized clinical support pathway on the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension and other LVH-associated diseases in individuals with echocardiographic evidence of concentric LVH. Approximately 600 individuals who are not treated for hypertension and who do not have a known cardiomyopathy will be randomized. The intervention will be directed by population health coordinators who will notify longitudinal clinicians and offer to assist with the diagnostic evaluation of LVH. Our hypothesis is that an intervention that alerts clinicians to the presence of LVH will increase the detection and treatment of hypertension and the diagnosis of alternative causes of thickened myocardium. The primary outcome is the initiation of an antihypertensive medication. Secondary outcomes include new hypertension diagnoses and new cardiomyopathy diagnoses. The trial began in March 2023 and outcomes will be assessed 12 months from the start of follow-up.

CONCLUSION

The NOTIFY-LVH trial will assess the efficacy of a centralized intervention to improve the detection and treatment of hypertension and LVH-associated diseases. Additionally, it will serve as a proof-of-concept for how to effectively utilize previously collected electronic health data to improve the recognition and management of a broad range of chronic cardiovascular conditions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT05713916.

Differential Treatment and Outcomes for Patients With Heart Attacks in Advantaged and Disadvantaged Communities

Background Racially and ethnically minoritized groups, people with lower income, and rural communities have worse access to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) than their counterparts, but PCI hospitals have preferentially opened in wealthier areas. Our study analyzed disparities in PCI access, treatment, and outcomes for patients with acute myocardial infarction based on the census-derived Area Deprivation Index. Methods and Results We obtained patient-level data on 629 419 patients with acute myocardial infarction in California between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2020. We linked patient data with population characteristics and geographic coordinates, and categorized communities into 5 groups based on the share of the population in low or high Area Deprivation Index neighborhoods to identify differences in PCI access, treatment, and outcomes based on community status. Risk-adjusted models showed that patients in the most advantaged communities had 20% and 15% greater likelihoods of receiving same-day PCI and PCI during the hospitalization, respectively, compared with patients in the most disadvantaged communities. Patients in the most advantaged communities also had 19% and 16% lower 30-day and 1-year mortality rates, respectively, compared with the most disadvantaged, and a 15% lower 30-day readmission rate. No statistically significant differences in admission to a PCI hospital were observed between communities. Conclusions Patients in disadvantaged communities had lower chances of receiving timely PCI and a greater risk of mortality and readmission compared with those in more advantaged communities. These findings suggest a need for targeted interventions to influence where cardiac services exist and who has access to them.

2023 AHA/ACC/ACCP/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline for the Management of Patients With Chronic Coronary Disease: A Report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines

AIM

The "2023 AHA/ACC/ACCP/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline for the Management of Patients With Chronic Coronary Disease" provides an update to and consolidates new evidence since the "2012 ACCF/AHA/ACP/AATS/PCNA/SCAI/STS Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Patients With Stable Ischemic Heart Disease" and the corresponding "2014 ACC/AHA/AATS/PCNA/SCAI/STS Focused Update of the Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Patients With Stable Ischemic Heart Disease."

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted from September 2021 to May 2022. Clinical studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and other evidence conducted on human participants were identified that were published in English from MEDLINE (through PubMed), EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and other selected databases relevant to this guideline.

STRUCTURE

This guideline provides an evidenced-based and patient-centered approach to management of patients with chronic coronary disease, considering social determinants of health and incorporating the principles of shared decision-making and team-based care. Relevant topics include general approaches to treatment decisions, guideline-directed management and therapy to reduce symptoms and future cardiovascular events, decision-making pertaining to revascularization in patients with chronic coronary disease, recommendations for management in special populations, patient follow-up and monitoring, evidence gaps, and areas in need of future research. Where applicable, and based on availability of cost-effectiveness data, cost-value recommendations are also provided for clinicians. Many recommendations from previously published guidelines have been updated with new evidence, and new recommendations have been created when supported by published data.

2023 AHA/ACC/ACCP/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline for the Management of Patients With Chronic Coronary Disease: A Report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines

AIM

The "2023 AHA/ACC/ACCP/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline for the Management of Patients With Chronic Coronary Disease" provides an update to and consolidates new evidence since the "2012 ACCF/AHA/ACP/AATS/PCNA/SCAI/STS Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Patients With Stable Ischemic Heart Disease" and the corresponding "2014 ACC/AHA/AATS/PCNA/SCAI/STS Focused Update of the Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Patients With Stable Ischemic Heart Disease."

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted from September 2021 to May 2022. Clinical studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and other evidence conducted on human participants were identified that were published in English from MEDLINE (through PubMed), EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and other selected databases relevant to this guideline.

STRUCTURE

This guideline provides an evidenced-based and patient-centered approach to management of patients with chronic coronary disease, considering social determinants of health and incorporating the principles of shared decision-making and team-based care. Relevant topics include general approaches to treatment decisions, guideline-directed management and therapy to reduce symptoms and future cardiovascular events, decision-making pertaining to revascularization in patients with chronic coronary disease, recommendations for management in special populations, patient follow-up and monitoring, evidence gaps, and areas in need of future research. Where applicable, and based on availability of cost-effectiveness data, cost-value recommendations are also provided for clinicians. Many recommendations from previously published guidelines have been updated with new evidence, and new recommendations have been created when supported by published data.

Value-Based Payment for Clinicians Treating Cardiovascular Disease: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association

Clinician payment is transitioning from fee-for-service to value-based payment, with reimbursement tied to health care quality and cost. However, the overarching goals of value-based payment-to improve health care quality, lower costs, or both-have been largely unmet. This policy statement reviews the current state of value-based payment and provides recommended best practices for future design and implementation. The policy statement is divided into sections that detail different aspects of value-based payment: (1) key program design features (patient population, quality measurement, cost measurement, and risk adjustment), (2) the role of equity during design and evaluation, (3) adjustment of payment, and (4) program implementation and evaluation. Each section introduces the topic, describes important considerations, and lists examples from existing programs. Each section includes recommended best practices for future program design. The policy statement highlights 4 key themes for successful value-based payment. First, programs should carefully weigh the incentives between lowering cost and improving quality of care and ensure that there is adequate focus on quality of care. Second, the expansion of value-based payment should be a tool for improving equity, which is central to quality of care and should be a focal point of program design and evaluation. Third, value-based payment should continue to move away from fee for service toward more flexible funding that allows clinicians to focus resources on the interventions that best help patients. Last, successful programs should find ways to channel clinicians' intrinsic motivation to improve their performance and the care for their patients. These principles should guide the future development of clinician value-based payment models.

Locking the Revolving Door: Racial Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease

Racial disparities in cardiovascular disease are unjust, systematic, and preventable. Social determinants are a primary cause of health disparities, and these include factors such as structural and overt racism. Despite a number of efforts implemented over the past several decades, disparities in cardiovascular disease care and outcomes persist, pervading more the outpatient rather than the inpatient setting, thus putting racial and ethnic minority groups at risk for hospital readmissions. In this article, we discuss differences in care and outcomes of racial and ethnic minority groups in both of these settings through a review of registries. Furthermore, we explore potential factors that connote a revolving door phenomenon for those whose adverse outpatient environment puts them at risk for hospital readmissions. Additionally, we review promising strategies, as well as actionable items at the policy, clinical, and educational levels aimed at locking this revolving door.

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2023 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association

BACKGROUND

The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs).

METHODS

The American Heart Association, through its Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update with review of published literature through the year before writing. The 2023 Statistical Update is the product of a full year's worth of effort in 2022 by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and American Heart Association staff members. The American Heart Association strives to further understand and help heal health problems inflicted by structural racism, a public health crisis that can significantly damage physical and mental health and perpetuate disparities in access to health care, education, income, housing, and several other factors vital to healthy lives. This year's edition includes additional COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) publications, as well as data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population, with an enhanced focus on health equity across several key domains.

RESULTS

Each of the chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics.

CONCLUSIONS

The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policymakers, media professionals, clinicians, health care administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Mortality Among Medicare Beneficiaries Hospitalized for Acute Myocardial Infarction, Heart Failure, and Pneumonia

BACKGROUND

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program uses 30-day mortality rates for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia to evaluate US hospitals, but does not account for neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage when comparing their performance.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with worse 30-day mortality rates after a hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure (HF), or pneumonia in the USA, as well as within the subset of counties with a high proportion of Black individuals.

DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS

This retrospective, population-based study included all Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years or older hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia between 2012 and 2015.

EXPOSURE

Residence in most socioeconomically disadvantaged vs. less socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods as measured by the area deprivation index (ADI).

MAIN MEASURE(S)

All-cause mortality within 30 days of admission.

KEY RESULTS

The study included 3,471,592 Medicare patients. Of these patients, 333,472 resided in most disadvantaged neighborhoods and 3,138,120 in less disadvantaged neighborhoods. Patients living in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods were younger (78.4 vs. 80.0 years) and more likely to be Black adults (24.6% vs. 7.5%) and dually enrolled in Medicaid (39.4% vs. 21.8%). After adjustment for demographics (age, sex, race/ethnicity), poverty, and clinical comorbidities, 30-day mortality was higher among beneficiaries residing in most disadvantaged neighborhoods for AMI (adjusted odds ratio 1.08, 95% CI 1.06-1.11) and pneumonia (aOR 1.05, 1.03-1.07), but not for HF (aOR 1.02, 1.00-1.04). These patterns were similar within the subset of US counties with a high proportion of Black adults (AMI, aOR 1.07, 1.03-1.11; HF 1.02, 0.99-1.05; pneumonia 1.03, 1.00-1.07).

CONCLUSIONS

Neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with higher 30-day mortality for some conditions targeted by value-based programs, even after accounting for individual-level demographics, clinical comorbidities, and poverty. These findings may have implications as policymakers weigh strategies to advance health equity under value-based programs.

Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation Is Markedly Underutilized by Medicare Beneficiaries: RESULTS FROM A 2012-2016 NATIONAL SAMPLE

PURPOSE

Intensive cardiac rehabilitation (ICR) was developed to enhance traditional cardiac rehabilitation (CR) by adding sessions focused on nutrition, lifestyle behaviors, and stress management. Intensive CR has been Medicare-approved since 2010, yet little is known about national utilization rates of ICR in the Medicare population or characteristics associated with its use.

METHODS

A 5% sample of Medicare claims data from 2012 to 2016 was used to identify beneficiaries with a qualifying indication for ICR/CR and to quantify utilization of ICR or CR within 1 yr of the qualifying diagnosis.

RESULTS

From 2012 to 2015, there were 107 246 patients with a qualifying indication. Overall, only 0.1% of qualifying patients participated in ICR and 16.2% in CR from 2012 to 2016, though utilization rates of both ICR and CR increased during this period (ICR 0.06 to 0.17%, CR 14.3 to 18.2%). The number of ICR centers increased from 15 to 50 over the same period. There were no differences between ICR and CR enrollees with respect to age, sex, race, discharge location, median income, dual enrollment, or number of comorbidities. Compared with eligible beneficiaries who did not attend ICR or CR, those who attended either program were younger, more likely to be male and White, and had higher median income.

CONCLUSIONS

Although ICR and CR have a class 1 indication for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and the number of ICR centers has increased, ICR is not widely available and remains markedly underutilized. Continued research is needed to understand the barriers to program development and patient participation.

Adipose Tissue Compartments, Inflammation, and Cardiovascular Risk in the Context of Depression

The neurobiological and behavioral underpinnings linking mental disorders, in particular, major depressive disorder (MDD), with cardiovascular disorders are a matter of debate. Recent research focuses on visceral (intra-abdominal and epicardial) adipose tissue and inflammation and their impact on the development of cardiometabolic disorders. Intra-abdominal adipose tissue is defined as an endocrine active fat compartment surrounding inner organs and is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, a risk factor for the later development of cardiovascular disorders. Epicardial (pericardial) adipose tissue is a fat compartment surrounding the heart with close proximity to the arteries supporting the heart. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is an important source of inflammatory mediators that, in concert with other risk factors, plays a leading role in cardiovascular diseases. In conjunction with the behavioral (physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyle), psychological (adherence problems), and hormonal (dysfunction of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis with subsequent hypercortisolism) alterations frequently accompanying MDD, an enhanced risk for cardiovascular disorders results.

Strategies to Reduce Low-Value Cardiovascular Care: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Low-value health care services that provide little or no benefit to patients are common, potentially harmful, and costly. Nearly half of the patients in the United States will receive at least 1 low-value test or procedure annually, creating risk of avoidable complications from subsequent cascades of care and excess costs to patients and society. Reducing low-value care is of particular importance to cardiovascular health given the high prevalence and costs of cardiovascular disease in the United States. This scientific statement describes the current scope and impact of low-value cardiovascular care; reviews existing literature on patient-, clinician-, health system-, payer-, and policy-level interventions to reduce low-value care; proposes solutions to achieve meaningful and equitable reductions in low-value care; and suggests areas for future research priorities.

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2022 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association

BACKGROUND

The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs).

METHODS

The American Heart Association, through its Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update. The 2022 Statistical Update is the product of a full year's worth of effort by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and American Heart Association staff members. This year's edition includes data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population and an enhanced focus on social determinants of health, adverse pregnancy outcomes, vascular contributions to brain health, and the global burden of cardiovascular disease and healthy life expectancy.

RESULTS

Each of the chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics.

CONCLUSIONS

The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policymakers, media professionals, clinicians, health care administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.

Psychological and Psychopharmacological Interventions in Psychocardiology

Patients with mental disorders have an increased risk to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD), and CVD are frequently comorbid with especially adjustment, anxiety and depressive disorders. Therefore, clinicians need to be aware of effective and safe psychological and pharmacological treatment strategies for patients with comorbid CVD and mental disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy and third-wave of cognitive-behavioral therapy are effective for patients with CVD and mental disorders. Internet-based psychological treatments may also be considered. In more severe cases, psychopharmacological drugs are frequently used. Although generally well tolerated and efficacious, drug- and dose-dependent side effects require consideration. Among antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, selective serotonin and noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors, and newer antidepressants, such as mirtazapine, bupropion, agomelatine, and vortioxetine, can be considered, while tricyclic antidepressants should be avoided due to their cardiac side effects. Mood stabilizers have been associated with arrhythmias, and some first- and second-generation antipsychotics can increase QTc and metabolic side effects, although substantial differences exist between drugs. Benzodiazepines are generally safe in patients with CVD when administered short-term, and may mitigate symptoms of acute coronary syndrome. Laboratory and ECG monitoring is always recommended in psychopharmacological drug-treated patients with CVD. Presence of a heart disease should not exclude patients from necessary interventions, but may require careful risk-benefit evaluations. Effectively and safely addressing mental disorders in patients with CVD helps to improve both conditions. Since CVD increase the risk for mental disorders and vice versa, care providers need to screen for these common comorbidities to comprehensively address the patients' needs.

Distressed Communities Index in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in an Affluent County in New York

Background

The clinical impact of the distressed communities index (DCI), a composite measure of economic well-being based on the U.S. zip code, is becoming increasingly recognized. Ranging from 0 (prosperous) to 100 (distressed), DCI's association with cardiovascular outcomes remains unknown. We aimed to study the association of the DCI with presentation and outcomes in adults with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve intervention (TAVR) in an affluent county in New York.

Methods

The study population included 286 patients with severe symptomatic AS or degeneration of a bioprosthetic valve who underwent TAVR with a newer generation transcatheter heart valve (THV) from December 2015 to June 2018 at an academic tertiary medical center. DCI for each patient was derived from their primary residence zip code. Patients were classified into DCI deciles and then categorized into 4 groups. The primary and secondary outcomes of interest were 30-day, 1-year, and 3-year mortality, respectively.

Results

Among 286 patients studied, 26%, 28%, 28%, and 18% were categorized into DCI groups 1–4, respectively (DCI <10: n = 73; DCI 10–20: n = 81; DCI 20–30: n = 80; DCI >30: n = 52). Patients in group 4 were younger with worse kidney function compared to patients in groups 1 and 2. They also had smaller aortic annuli and were more likely to receive a smaller THV. No significant difference in hospital length of stay or distribution of in-hospital, 30-day, 1-year, and 3-year mortality was demonstrated.

Conclusions

While the DCI was associated with differences in the clinical and anatomic profile, it was not associated with differences in clinical outcomes in this prospective observational study of adults undergoing TAVR suggesting that access to care is the likely discriminator.

Innovative Managed Care May Be Related to Improved Prognosis for Acute Myocardial Infarction Survivors

BACKGROUND

Mortality following discharge in myocardial infarction survivors remains high. Therefore, we compared outcomes in myocardial infarction survivors participating and not participating in a novel, nationwide managed care program for myocardial infarction survivors in Poland.

METHODS

We used public databases. We included all patients hospitalized due to acute myocardial infarction in Poland between October 1, 2017 and December 31, 2018. We excluded from the analysis all patients aged <18 years as well as those who died during hospitalization or within 10 days following discharge from hospital. All patients were prospectively followed. The primary end point was defined as death from any cause.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up was 324.8±140.5 days (78 034.1 patient-years; 340.0±131.7 days in those who did not die during the observation). Participation in the managed care program was related to higher odds ratio of participating in cardiac rehabilitation (4.67 [95% CI, 4.44-4.88]), consultation with a cardiologist (7.32 [6.83-7.84]), implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (1.40 [1.22-1.61]), and cardiac resynchronization therapy with cardioverter-defibrillator implantation (1.57 [1.22-2.03]) but lower odds of emergency (0.88 [0.79-0.98]) and nonemergency percutaneous coronary intervention (0.88 [0.83-0.93]) and coronary artery bypass grafting (0.82 [0.71-0.94]) during the follow-up. One-year all-cause mortality was 4.4% among the program participants and 6.0% in matched nonparticipants. The end point consisting of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or stroke occurred in 10.6% and 12.0% (P<0.01) of participants and nonparticipants respectively, whereas all-cause death or hospitalization for cardiovascular reasons in 42.2% and 47.9% (P<0.001) among participants and nonparticipants, respectively. The difference in outcomes between patients participating and not participating in the managed care program could be explained by improved access to cardiac rehabilitation, cardiac care, and cardiac procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

Managed care following myocardial infarction may be related to improved prognosis as it may facilitate access to cardiac rehabilitation and may provide a higher standard of outpatient cardiac care.

Association of Socioeconomic Disadvantage With Long-term Mortality After Myocardial Infarction: The Mass General Brigham YOUNG-MI Registry

Importance

Socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with poor health outcomes. However, whether socioeconomic factors are associated with post-myocardial infarction (MI) outcomes in younger patient populations is unknown.

Objective

To evaluate the association of neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage with long-term outcomes among patients who experienced an MI at a young age.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study analyzed patients in the Mass General Brigham YOUNG-MI Registry (at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts) who experienced an MI at or before 50 years of age between January 1, 2000, and April 30, 2016. Each patient's home address was mapped to the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) to capture higher rates of socioeconomic disadvantage. The median follow-up duration was 11.3 years. The dates of analysis were May 1, 2020, to June 30, 2020.

Exposures

Patients were assigned an ADI ranking according to their home address and then stratified into 3 groups (least disadvantaged group, middle group, and most disadvantaged group).

Main Outcomes and Measures

The outcomes of interest were all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Cause of death was adjudicated from national registries and electronic medical records. Cox proportional hazards regression modeling was used to evaluate the association of ADI with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Results

The cohort consisted of 2097 patients, of whom 2002 (95.5%) with an ADI ranking were included (median [interquartile range] age, 45 [42-48] years; 1607 male individuals [80.3%]). Patients in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods were more likely to be Black or Hispanic, have public insurance or no insurance, and have higher rates of traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes. Among the 1964 patients who survived to hospital discharge, 74 (13.6%) in the most disadvantaged group compared with 88 (12.6%) in the middle group and 41 (5.7%) in the least disadvantaged group died. Even after adjusting for a comprehensive set of clinical covariates, higher neighborhood disadvantage was associated with a 32% higher all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.10-1.60; P = .004) and a 57% higher cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.17-2.10; P = .003).

Conclusions and Relevance

This study found that, among patients who experienced an MI at or before age 50 years, socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality even after adjusting for clinical comorbidities. These findings suggest that neighborhood and socioeconomic factors have an important role in long-term post-MI survival.

Study of lipoprotein(a) and its impact on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: Design and rationale of the Mass General Brigham Lp(a) Registry

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is independently associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and calcific aortic valve stenosis. Elevated Lp(a) affects approximately one in five individuals and meaningfully contributes to the residual cardiovascular risk in individuals with otherwise well-controlled risk factors. With targeted therapies in the therapeutic pipeline, there is a need to further characterize the clinical phenotypes and outcomes of individuals with elevated levels of this unique biomarker. The Mass General Brigham Lp(a) Registry will be built from the longitudinal electronic health record of two large academic medical centers in Boston, Massachusetts, to develop a detailed cohort of patients who have had their Lp(a) measured. In combination with structured data sources, clinical documentation will be analyzed using natural language processing techniques to accurately characterize baseline characteristics. Important outcome measures including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cardiovascular events will be available for analysis. Approximately 30 000 patients who have had their Lp(a) tested within the Mass General Brigham system from January 2000 to July 2019 will be included in the registry. This large Lp(a) cohort will provide meaningful observational data regarding the differential risk associated with Lp(a) values and cardiovascular disease. With a new frontier of targeted Lp(a) therapies on the horizon, the Mass General Brigham Lp(a) Registry will help provide a deeper understanding of Lp(a)'s role in long term cardiovascular outcomes.

Cardiovascular disease in patients with severe mental illness

Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder have a life expectancy 15-20 years shorter than that in the general population. The rate of unnatural deaths, such as suicide and accidents, is high for these patients. Despite this increased proportion of unnatural deaths, physical conditions account for approximately 70% of deaths in patients with either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, with cardiovascular disease contributing 17.4% and 22.0% to the reduction in overall life expectancy in men and women, respectively. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as smoking, unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, are common in these patients, and lifestyle interventions have been shown to have small effects. Pharmacological interventions to reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease have been proven to be effective. Treatment with antipsychotic drugs is associated with reduced mortality but also with an increased risk of weight gain, dyslipidaemia and diabetes mellitus. These patients have higher risks of both myocardial infarction and stroke but a lower risk of undergoing interventional procedures compared with the general population. Data indicate a negative attitude from clinicians working outside the mental health fields towards patients with severe mental illness. Education might be a possible method to decrease the negative attitudes towards these patients, thereby improving their rates of diagnosis and treatment.