2019 AHA/ACC Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Adults With High Blood Pressure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Performance Measures

Habitual food consumption, eating behavior and meal-timing among Jordanian adults with elevated Blood pressure: a cross-sectional population-based study

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of elevated blood pressure (BP) has been raised worldwide. Food consumption, eating habits, and nutritional lifestyle related to meal timing, skipping meals, and meal contents have recently received more attention in studies on BP and metabolic syndrome. Purpose: This study evaluated the association between habitual food consumption, eating behavior, and meal timing with BP among Jordanian adults.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study included 771 Jordanian adults. A food frequency questionnaire was completed. Data about eating habits, meal timing, and emotional eating were collected. BP was measured.

RESULTS

The prevalence of less than recommended intake of vegetables, milk, protein, and fruits was higher in participants with elevated BP (69.2%, 90.2%, 58.9%, and 25.5%, respectively) as compared to the normal BP group (p < 0.001). Consuming vegetables and milk less than the recommended was reported to significantly increase the likelihood of elevated BP by OR= (1.60, and 2.75 (95%CI: 1.06-2.40; 1.62-4.66). Hence, consuming more than recommended fruit reduced the risk of elevated BP by OR = 0.56 (95%CI: 0.38-0.82). A 63.2% of elevated BP participants have three meals daily, a higher percentage of intake of one (23.5%) and two (45.7%) snacks. However, they had a higher percentage of morning eaters (50.7%), had lunch between 1:00-6:00 PM (92.7%), and had dinner between 6:00 and 9:00 PM (68.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

Although Jordanian adults with elevated BP appear to have healthy eating habits and meal timing and frequency, their habitual food consumption falls short of the daily recommendations for milk, fruits, vegetables, and protein.

Rationale, Design and Baseline Characteristics of a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Cardiovascular Quality Improvement Strategy in India: The C-QIP Trial

BACKGROUND

Quality of chronic care for cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains suboptimal worldwide. The Collaborative Quality ImProvement (C-QIP) trial aims to develop and test the feasibility and clinical effect of a multicomponent strategy among patients with prevalent CVD in India.

METHODS

The C-QIP is a clinic-based, open randomized trial of a multicomponent intervention vs usual care that was locally developed and adapted for use in Indian settings through rigorous formative research guided by Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The C-QIP intervention consisted of 5 components: 1) electronic health records and decision support system for clinicians, 2) trained nonphysician health workers (NPHW), 3) text-message based lifestyle reminders, 4) patient education materials, 5) quarterly audit and feedback reports. Patients with CVD (ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke, or heart failure) attending outpatient CVD clinics were recruited from September 2022 to September 2023 and were randomized to the intervention or usual care arm for at least 12 months follow-up. The co-primary outcomes are implementation feasibility, fidelity (ie, dose delivered and dose received), acceptability, adoption and appropriateness, measured at multiple levels: patient, provider and clinic site-level, The secondary outcomes include prescription of guideline directed medical therapy (GDMT) (provider-level), and adherence to prescribed therapy, change in mean blood pressure (BP) and LDL-cholesterol between the intervention and control groups (patient-level). In addition, a trial-based process and economic evaluations will be performed using standard guidelines.

RESULTS

We recruited 410 socio-demographically diverse patients with CVD from 4 hospitals in India. Mean (SD) age was 57.5 (11.7) years, and 73.0% were males. Self-reported history of hypertension (48.5%) and diabetes (41.5%) was common. At baseline, mean (SD) BP was 127.9 (18.2) /76.2 (11.6) mm Hg, mean (SD) LDLc: 80.3 (37.3) mg/dl and mean (SD) HbA1c: 6.8% (1.6%). At baseline, the GDMT varied from 62.4% for patients with ischemic heart disease, 48.6% for ischemic stroke and 36.1% for heart failure.

CONCLUSION

This study will establish the feasibility of delivering contextually relevant, and evidence-based C-QIP strategy and assess whether it is acceptable to the target populations. The study results will inform a larger scale confirmatory trial of a comprehensive CVD care model in low-resource settings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinical Trials Registry India: CTRI/2022/04/041847; Clinicaltrials.gov number: NCT05196659.

Development of quality indicators for hypertension, extractable from the electronic health record of the general practitioner: a rand-modified Delphi method

BACKGROUND

Hypertension, a chronic medical condition affecting millions of people worldwide, is a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases. A multidisciplinary approach is needed to reduce the burden of the disease, with general practitioners playing a vital role. Therefore, it is crucial that GPs provide high-quality care that is standardized and based on the most recent European guidelines. Quality indicators (QIs) can be used to assess the performance, outcomes, or processes of healthcare delivery and are critical in helping healthcare professionals identify areas of improvement and measure progress towards achieving desired health outcomes. However, QIs to evaluate the care of patients with hypertension in general practice have been studied to a limited extent. The aim of our study is to define quality indicators for hypertension in general practice that are extractable from the electronic health record (EHR) and can be used to evaluate and improve the quality of care for hypertensive patients in the general practice setting.

METHODS

We used a Rand-modified Delphi procedure. We extracted recommendations from European guidelines and assembled them into an online questionnaire. An initial scoring based on the SMART principle and extractability from the EHR was performed by panel members, these results were analyzed using a Median Likert score, prioritization and degree of consensus. A consensus meeting was set up in which all the recommendations were discussed, followed by a final validation round.

RESULTS

Our study extracted 115 recommendations. After analysis of the online questionnaire round and a consensus meeting round, 37 recommendations were accepted and 75 were excluded. Of these 37 recommendations, 9 were slightly modified and 4 were combined into 2 recommendations, resulting in a list of 35 recommendations. All recommendations of the final set were translated to QIs, made up of 7 QIs on screening, 6 QIs on diagnosis, 11 QIs on treatment, 5 QIs on outcome and 6 QIs on follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study resulted in a set of 35 QIs for hypertension in general practice. These QIs, tailored to the Belgian EHR, provide a robust foundation for automated audit and feedback and could substantially benefit other countries if adapted to their systems.

What Constitutes Adequate Control of High Blood Pressure? Current Considerations

An estimated 45% of adult Americans currently have high blood pressure (HBP). Effective blood pressure (BP) control is essential for preventing major adverse events from cardiovascular and other vascular-related diseases, such as chronic kidney disease, stroke and dementia. A large and growing number of medical professional societies, health care organizations, and governmental agencies have now endorsed a clinical practice guideline-based target for adequate control of HBP to a systolic BP of less than 130 mm Hg. However, adequate BP control to this goal has been recently estimated to be as low as 30%. The first and most important steps to guide effective BP control include accurate, standardized BP measurement and formal assessment of overall atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk. In addition to appropriate pharmacologic treatment, optimal BP management must also include multifaceted guideline-directed lifestyle modifications. High-quality evidence now supports effective uniform HBP control that is consistently achievable for most of people from diverse backgrounds. This can be accomplished through identification and prioritization of social determinants of health enabled by shared decision making that is delivered via team-based care. Such integrated approaches can have a substantial impact for simultaneously reducing several major modifiable atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk factors. Hence, moving the "Big Needle" of improved overall cardiovascular, kidney, and brain health of the US population must no longer be solely relegated to primary care and will require a major and coordinated reprioritization of capital and evidence-based human resource allocations by all health care stakeholder organizations.

The Construction and Meaning of Race Within Hypertension Guidelines: A Systematic Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Professional society guidelines are evidence-based recommendations intended to promote standardized care and improve health outcomes. Amid increased recognition of the role racism plays in shaping inequitable healthcare delivery, many researchers and practitioners have critiqued existing guidelines, particularly those that include race-based recommendations. Critiques highlight how racism influences the evidence that guidelines are based on and its interpretation. However, few have used a systematic methodology to examine race-based recommendations. This review examines hypertension guidelines, a condition affecting nearly half of all adults in the United States (US), to understand how guidelines reference and develop recommendations related to race.

METHODS

A systematic scoping review of all professional guidelines on the management of essential hypertension published between 1977 and 2022 to examine the use and meaning of race categories.

RESULTS

Of the 37 guidelines that met the inclusion criteria, we identified a total of 990 mentions of race categories. Black and African/African American were the predominant race categories referred to in guidelines (n = 409). Guideline authors used race in five key domains: describing the prevalence or etiology of hypertension; characterizing prior hypertension studies; describing hypertension interventions; social risk and social determinants of health; the complexity of race. Guideline authors largely used race categories as biological rather than social constructions. None of the guidelines discussed racism and the role it plays in perpetuating hypertension inequities.

DISCUSSION

Hypertension guidelines largely refer to race as a distinct and natural category rather than confront the longstanding history of racism within and beyond the medical system. Normalizing race as a biological rather than social construct fails to address racism as a key determinant driving inequities in cardiovascular health. These changes are necessary to produce meaningful structural solutions that advance equity in hypertension education, research, and care delivery.

The correlation between liver fibrosis and the 10-year estimated risk of cardiovascular disease in adults with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease: A cross-sectional study in Vietnam

Background and Aims

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) emerged as a novel term replacing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in 2020. While most MAFLD patients are asymptomatic, long-term hepatic fat accumulation may lead to liver fibrosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Nevertheless, the relationship between MAFLD and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the 10-year estimated CVD risk in individuals diagnosed with MAFLD.

Methods

Between January 2022 and August 2023, this cross-sectional study enrolled 139 MAFLD patients. We employed the systematic coronary risk evaluation 2 (SCORE2) and the systematic coronary risk evaluation 2-older persons (SCORE2-OP) scoring systems to evaluate and categorize the 10-year CV risk. Liver fibrosis was assessed using biochemical parameters (FIB-4, AST/ALT, and APRI), and their correlation with CV risk was examined.

Results

Most MAFLD patients were categorized as having high or very high CV risk based on the SCORE2 and SCORE2-OP. Liver fibrosis, measured by the FIB-4 score, significantly differed among the various CV risk groups. Moreover, FIB-4 correlated positively with SCORE2 and SCORE2-OP (r = 0.588, p < 0.001), indicating its substantial predictive ability for identifying individuals at very high CV risk (AUC = 0.765, 95% CI: 0.686-0.845, p < 0.001). A FIB-4 score of 1.275 demonstrated 81% sensitivity and 64% specificity in predicting very high CV risk among MAFLD patients.

Conclusion

Patients with MAFLD predominantly face high or very high CV risks, with elevated liver fibrosis associated with increased 10-year estimated CVD risk. The FIB-4 score exhibits promising predictive value for identifying MAFLD patients at very high risk of CV disease.

Air pollution, cardiorespiratory fitness and biomarkers of oxidative status and inflammation in the 4HAIE study

The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), long-term air pollution exposure and biochemical markers of oxidative status and inflammation. This is a cross-sectional investigation focusing on biochemical markers of oxidative status and inflammation. Participants were Caucasian (N = 1188; age 18-65 years) who lived for at least 5 years in a high air-polluted (Moravian-Silesian; MS) or low air-polluted (South Bohemia; SB) region of the Czech Republic. Healthy runners and inactive individuals were recruited. A multiple regression analysis was used to explain the relationship between multiple independent variables (CRF, trunk fat mass, sex, socioeconomic status, and region (MS region vs. SB region) and dependent variables (oxidative status, inflammation). CRF, trunk fat mass, age and sex significantly predicted almost all selected markers of oxidative status and inflammation (except GSSG, GSH/GSSG and BDNF). Participants living in the MS region presented significantly higher GPx (by 3.1%) and lower BDNF values (by 4.5%). All other investigated biochemical markers were not significantly influenced by region. We did not find meaningful interactions between long-term air-pollution exposure versus markers of oxidative status and inflammation. However, we showed various significant interactions with sex, age, CRF and body composition. The significant association of living in the high air polluted MS region with the BDNF level warrants further attention.

Evaluating left atrial function changes by speckle tracking echocardiography in type 2 diabetes patients in Central Vietnam: a cross-sectional comparative study

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder that detrimentally affects multiple systems in the body, with a particular emphasis on the vascular and nervous systems. Despite its significant impact, limited studies have explored the influence of this condition on the left atrial (LA) function. To address this gap, our study utilized speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) to assess LA function in patients with T2DM in Central Vietnam.

RESULTS

The cross-sectional comparative study enrolled 134 subjects involving 66 patients with T2DM and 68 healthy individuals meeting the selection and exclusion criteria of the study. In our study, healthy individuals demonstrated higher values for LA reservoir strain (LASr), LA conduit strain (LAScd), and LA contractile strain (LASct), measuring 38.75% ± 5.43%, 19.58% ± 5.91%, and 19.16% ± 4.98%, respectively. In contrast, the T2DM group exhibited lower values for LASr, LAScd, and LASct, which measured 31.2% ± 4.56%, 14.77% ± 6.3%, and 16.36% ± 4.82%, respectively (p < 0.05). T2DM patients with normal LA volume index (LAVI) and normal left ventricular mass index (LVMI), LASr, LAScd, and LASct results were 32.07% ± 5.28%, 16.28% ± 6.95%, and 15.64% ± 5.32%. respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

STE of the LA reveals a noteworthy reduction in reservoir, conduit, and contractile functions within the T2DM group when compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, these impaired functions persist in T2DM patients even in the absence of increased LAVI and LVMI.

Target: BP™: A National Initiative to Improve Blood Pressure Control

TARGET

BP™ is a national initiative launched by the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association in 2017 in response to the high prevalence of uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) in the United States.

TARGET

BP™ provides support to health care organizations and health care teams, with no user fees, to improve the quality of care for adults with hypertension by providing education and resources and recognizing organizations committed to prioritizing and reporting their rate of BP control. Through Target: BP™, the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association also collaborate to align policy with evidence through federal, state, and institutional policy advocacy and raise public awareness through media campaigns. In 2022, Target: BP™ recognized 1309 health care organizations serving 8.4 million patients with hypertension for prioritizing BP control, 675 of which affirmed performance of evidence-based BP measurement activities and 551 of which reported BP control rates ≥70%. With the proportion of US adults with controlled BP falling to 48.2% from 2017 to 2020, Target: BP™ remains focused on regaining lost ground in national BP control rates by emphasizing accurate BP measurement, rapid treatment intensification, healthful lifestyle changes, and evidence-based use of self-measured BP monitoring.

TARGET

BP™ also emphasizes adoption of team-based care models and prioritizing equitable health outcomes. More than 1.37 million unique users have visited https://targetbp.org/ and downloaded 98 341 Target: BP™ resources from 2017 to 2022.

A Multisite Electronic Health Record Integrated Remote Monitoring Intervention for Hypertension Improvement: Protocol for a Randomized Pragmatic Comparative Effectiveness Trial

BACKGROUND

Hypertension is a major contributor to various adverse health outcomes. Although previous studies have shown the benefits of home blood pressure (BP) monitoring over office-based measurements, there is limited evidence comparing the effectiveness of whether a BP monitor integrated into the electronic health record is superior to a nonintegrated BP monitor.

OBJECTIVE

In this paper, we describe the protocol for a pragmatic multisite implementation of a quality improvement initiative directly comparing integrated to nonintegrated BP monitors for hypertension improvement.

METHODS

We will conduct a randomized, comparative effectiveness trial at 3 large academic health centers across California. The 3 sites will enroll a total of 660 participants (approximately n=220 per site), with 330 in the integrated BP monitor arm and 330 in the nonintegrated BP control arm. The primary outcome of this study will be the absolute difference in systolic BP in mm Hg from enrollment to 6 months. Secondary outcome measures include binary measures of hypertension (controlled vs uncontrolled), hypertension-related health complications, hospitalizations, and death. The list of possible participants will be generated from a central data warehouse. Randomization will occur after enrollment in the study. Participants will use their assigned BP monitor and join site-specific hypertension interventions. Cross-site learning will occur at regular all-site meetings facilitated by the University of California, Los Angeles Value-Based Care Research Consortium. A pre- and poststudy questionnaire will be conducted to further evaluate participants' perspectives regarding their BP monitor. Linear mixed effects models will be used to compare the primary outcome measure between study arms. Mixed effects logistic regression models will be used to compare secondary outcome measures between study arms.

RESULTS

The study will start enrolling participants in the second quarter of 2023 and will be completed by the first half of 2024. Results will be published by the end of 2024.

CONCLUSIONS

This pragmatic trial will contribute to the growing field of chronic care management using remote monitoring by answering whether a hypertension intervention coupled with an electronic health record integrated home BP monitor improves patients' hypertension better than a hypertension intervention with a nonintegrated BP monitor. The outcomes of this study may help health system decision makers determine whether to invest in integrated BP monitors for vulnerable patient populations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05390502; clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05390502.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/45915.

Does Clinical Decision Support Increase Appropriate Medication Prescribing for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction?

PURPOSE

To assess the impact of a clinical decision support (CDS) system's recommendations on prescribing patterns targeting cardiovascular disease (CVD) when the recommendations are prioritized in order from greatest to least benefit toward overall CVD risk reduction.

METHODS

Secondary analysis of trial data from September 20, 2018, to March 15, 2020, where 70 community health center clinics were cluster-randomized to the CDS intervention (42 clinics; 8 organizations) or control group (28 clinics; 7 organizations). Included patients were medication-naïve and aged 40 to 75 years with ≥1 uncontrolled cardiovascular disease risk factor, with known diabetes or cardiovascular disease, or ≥10% 10-year reversible CVD risk.

RESULTS

Among eligible encounters with 29,771 patients, the probability of prescribing a medication targeting hypertension was greater at intervention clinic encounters when CDS was used (34.9% [95% CI, 31.5 to 38.3]) versus dismissed (29.6% [95% CI, 26.7 to 32.6]; P < .001), but not when compared with control clinic encounters (34.9% [95% CI, 31.1 to 38.7]; P = .998). Prescribing for dyslipidemia was significantly higher at intervention encounters where the CDS system was used (11.3% [95% CI, 9.3 to 13.3]) compared with dismissed (7.7% [95% CI, 6.1 to 9.3]; P = .003) and to control encounters (8.7% [95% CI, 7.0 to 10.4]; P = .044); smoking cessation medication showed a similar pattern. Except for dyslipidemia, prescribing rates increased according to their prioritization.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of this CDS system was associated with significantly higher prescribing targeting most cardiovascular risk factors. These results highlight how displaying prioritized actions to reduce reversible CVD risk could improve risk management.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03001713, https://clinicaltrials.gov/.

Associations between blood pressure control and clinical events suggestive of nutrition care documented in electronic health records of patients with hypertension

BACKGROUND

Clinical events suggestive of nutrition care found in electronic health records (EHRs) are rarely explored for their associations with hypertension outcomes.

METHODS

Longitudinal analysis using structured EHR data from primary care visits at a health system in the US from December 2017-December 2020 of adult patients with hypertension (n = 4,237) tested for associations between last visit blood pressure (BP) control (≤ 140 Systolic BP and ≤ 90 Diastolic BP) and ≥ 1 nutrition care clinical event operationalized as (overweight or obesity (BMI > 25 or 30, respectively) diagnoses, preventive care visits, or provision of patient education materials (PEM)). Descriptive statistics and longitudinal targeted maximum likelihood estimation (LTMLE) models were conducted to explore average treatment effects (ATE) of timing and dose response from these clinical events on blood pressure control overall and by race.

RESULTS

The median age was 62 years, 29% were male, 52% were Black, 25% were from rural areas and 50% had controlled BP at baseline. Annual documentation of overweight/obesity diagnoses ranged 3.0-7.8%, preventive care visits ranged 6.2-15.7%, and PEM with dietary and hypertension content were distributed to 8.5-28.8% patients. LTMLE models stratified by race showed differences in timing, dose, and type of nutrition care. Black patients who had nutrition care in Year 3 only compared to none had lower odds for BP control (ATE -0.23, 95% CI: -0.38,-0.08, p = 0.003), preventive visits in the last 2 years high higher odds for BP control (ATE 0.31, 95% CI: 0.07,0.54, p = 0.01), and early or late PEMs had lower odds for BP control (ATE -0.08, 95% CI: -0.15,-0.01, p = 0.03 and ATE -0.23, 95% CI: -0.41,-0.05, p = 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, clinical events suggestive of nutrition care are significantly associated with BP control, but are infrequent and effects differ by type, timing, and patient race. Preventive visits appear to have the most effect; additional research should include examining clinical notes for evidence of nutrition care among different populations, which may uncover areas for improving nutrition care for patients with chronic disease.

Translating Scientific Discovery Into Health Policy Impact: Innovative Bibliometrics Bridge Translational Research Publications to Policy Literature

To understand how translational science efforts lead to outcomes, it is common to examine publications as a key step in the translational process. The National Institutes of Health's Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program aims to accelerate that process by providing support to investigators. Although it is challenging to measure the impact of such support on translational outcomes, CTSA-supported research that arises in research publications can advance translation through use of these publications in public policy and guideline documents from government health agencies, intergovernmental organizations, and other outlets. Using cutting-edge bibliometric tools, the authors evaluated how CTSA-supported research has extended its impact beyond academic silos to influence public policy literature. The authors identified approximately 118,490 publications that acknowledged receiving support from a CTSA hub, from the inception of the program in 2006 through 2021. Articles were queried in the Overton policy database, which indexes references to publications in global policy literature. The search revealed 13% of CTSA-supported articles were referenced in policy documents, significantly more than the expected proportion (10%) calculated by Overton. References came from 576 policy source outlets across 87 countries, predominantly the United States and Europe. The most frequent sources included guidelines in PubMed Central, the World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The authors illustrate the bridge from translational research to public policy with case studies of 6 articles based on CTSA-supported research and having notable policy impact. They found articles with greater clinical relevance, altmetric attention (i.e., nonacademic community/public attention), and academic citation influence were more likely to be referenced in policy literature. Study findings help to characterize the kinds of research that have influenced and may be expected to influence health policy in the future.

Association of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors with Exclusive Smokeless Tobacco Use among US Males: Cross-Sectional Analysis of NHANES Data 2003-2018

PURPOSE

To evaluate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among smokeless tobacco (ST) users. Exclusive ST users were compared to exclusive cigarette smokers and non-tobacco users.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SAMPLE

Data were used from 16,336 adult males who participated in one of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) from 2003 to 2018.

MEASURES

Biochemically verified tobacco use, CVD risk factors (hypertension, cholesterol levels, BMI categories), physical activity, cotinine concentration, and sociodemographic variables.

ANALYSIS

Weighted analysis of the aggregate data was performed. ST users were compared with cigarette smokers and nontobacco users for their association with CVD risk factors. Associations were examined using univariate and multiple logistic regression with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) reported.

RESULTS

Prevalence of exclusive ST use was 4.4% whereas, exclusive smoking was 22.2%. Among ST users, 36.2% were hypertensive, 24.5% had high cholesterol levels, and most of them were overweight (31.1%) or obese (52.6%). ST users were more likely to have hypertension compared to smokers (aOR = 1.48, 95%CI: 1.12, 1.95) and nontobacco users (aOR = 1.41, 95%CI: 1.09, 1.83) adjusted for other covariates. ST users were twice more likely to be obese than nontobacco users (aOR = 2.18, 95%CI: 1.52, 3.11). ST users had significantly higher cotinine concentration than smokers.

CONCLUSION

Study findings indicate substantial association of ST use among males with hypertension and obesity which are independent risk factors of CVD.

Seasonal variation in blood pressure control across US health systems

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to characterize seasonal variation in US population-based blood pressure (BP) control and BP-related metrics and evaluate the association between outdoor temperature and BP control variation.

METHODS

We queried electronic health records (EHRs) from 26 health systems, representing 21 states, to summarize BP metrics by quarters of 12-month periods from January 2017 to March 2020. Patients with at least one ambulatory visit during the measurement period and a hypertension diagnosis during the first 6 months or prior to the measurement period were included. Changes in BP control, BP improvement, medication intensification, average SBP reduction after medication intensification across quarters and association with outdoor temperature were analyzed using weighted generalized linear models with repeated measures.

RESULTS

Among 1 818 041 people with hypertension, the majority were more than 65 years of age (52.2%), female (52.1%), white non-Hispanic (69.8%) and had stage 1/2 hypertension (64.8%). Overall, BP control and process metrics were highest in quarters 2 and 3, and lowest in quarters 1 and 4. Quarter 2 had the highest percentage of improved BP (31.95 ± 0.90%) and average SBP reduction after medication intensification (16 ± 0.23 mmHg). Quarter 3 had the highest percentage of BP controlled (62.25 ± 2.55%) and lowest with medication intensification (9.73 ± 0.60%). Results were largely consistent in adjusted models. Average temperature was associated with BP control metrics in unadjusted models, but associations were attenuated following adjustment.

CONCLUSION

In this large, national, EHR-based study, BP control and BP-related process metrics improved during spring/summer months, but outdoor temperature was not associated with performance following adjustment for potential confounders.

Associations between Blood Pressure Control and Documented Nutrition Care Using Structured Data from Electronic Health Records of Patients with Hypertension

Background

Documentation in Electronic Health Records (EHRs) of nutrition care events (overweight or obesity (BMI > 25 or 30, respectively) diagnoses, preventive care visits, or provision of patient education materials (PEM)) for chronic diseases is unclear.

Methods

Cross-sectional analysis using structured EHR data from primary care visits at a health system in the US from January 2018 - December 2020 of adult patients with hypertension (n = 6,419) tested for associations between last visit blood pressure (BP) control (≤ 140 Systolic BP and ≤ 90 Diastolic BP) and aggregate nutrition care events. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression models were constructed to examine the predictive power of nutrition care events for blood pressure control.

Results

The median age was 62 years, 32% were male, 48% were Black, 26% were from rural areas and 35.9% had controlled BP at last visit. For the 62% of patients with documented nutrition care, 14.6% had an overweight/obesity diagnosis, 26.2% had a preventive care visit, and 42% received PEM with dietary and hypertension content. The models showed patients who had more preventive care visits (aOR 1.12; CL 1.06, 1.18) had higher odds for BP control. Whereas Black patients compared with white patients (aOR 0.84; CL 0.74, 0.95), those with more hypertension medications (aOR 0.97; CL 0.96, 0.99) and more primary care visits over the study period (aOR 0.98; CL 0.97, 0.99) had lower odds for BP control.

Conclusions

In this study, documented nutrition care in preventive care visits is significantly associated with BP control, but documentation is infrequent. Additional research should include examining clinical notes for evidence of nutrition care, which may uncover areas that show promise for improving nutrition care for patients with chronic disease.

Adoption of shared decision-making and clinical decision support for reducing cardiovascular disease risk in community health centers

Objective

Electronic health record (EHR)-based shared decision-making (SDM) and clinical decision support (CDS) systems can improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) care quality and risk factor management. Use of the CV Wizard system showed a beneficial effect on high-risk community health center (CHC) patients' CVD risk within an effectiveness trial, but system adoption was low overall. We assessed which multi-level characteristics were associated with system use.

Materials and Methods

Analyses included 80 195 encounters with 17 931 patients with high CVD risk and/or uncontrolled risk factors at 42 clinics in September 2018-March 2020. Data came from the CV Wizard repository and EHR data, and a survey of 44 clinic providers. Adjusted, mixed-effects multivariate Poisson regression analyses assessed factors associated with system use. We included clinic- and provider-level clustering as random effects to account for nested data.

Results

Likelihood of system use was significantly higher in encounters with patients with higher CVD risk and at longer encounters, and lower when providers were >10 minutes behind schedule, among other factors. Survey participants reported generally high satisfaction with the system but were less likely to use it when there were time constraints or when rooming staff did not print the system output for the provider.

Discussion

CHC providers prioritize using this system for patients with the greatest CVD risk, when time permits, and when rooming staff make the information readily available. CHCs' financial constraints create substantial challenges to addressing barriers to improved system use, with health equity implications.

Conclusion

Research is needed on improving SDM and CDS adoption in CHCs.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03001713, https://clinicaltrials.gov/.

Centrally supported clinical pharmacist intervention to reduce clinical inertia in hypertension

PURPOSE

To assess the impact of a one-time hypertension (HTN)-focused clinical pharmacist intervention on the occurrence of clinical inertia and change in blood pressure (BP).

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients 18 to 89 years of age with a current diagnosis of HTN and average systolic BP of ≥150 mm Hg. Centralized outreach coordinators performed telephone outreach to patients to schedule an HTN-focused visit with their primary care provider (PCP) and forwarded outreach notes for half of these patients to clinical pharmacists embedded in an internal medicine clinic. The clinical pharmacists performed a one-time focused medication review and provided evidence-based recommendations to a patient's PCP prior to the scheduled appointment. The primary outcome was therapy intensification (medication adjustment or adherence discussion) as a measure of overcoming clinical inertia. Secondary outcomes were the mean changes in systolic and diastolic BP from preintervention values to 6-month follow-up in the intervention group versus the control group.

RESULTS

A total of 91 patients were included, and 34 of 47 intervention patients (72%) had therapy intensification at the HTN-focused PCP appointment, compared to 20 of 44 control patients (46%) (P =0.017). The mean (SD) systolic BP reductions from baseline were 12.26 (29.04) mm Hg and 6.97 (27.05) mm Hg for the intervention and control groups, respectively (P =0.427), with diastolic BP reductions of 3.83 (13.14) mm Hg and 1.35 (10.60) mm Hg, respectively (P =0.380).

CONCLUSION

A collaborative model involving centralized outreach coordinators and embedded clinical pharmacists led to a significant reduction in clinical inertia. This was a small-scale pilot study, and further research is needed to determine the effect of this intervention on BP reduction.

Acceptability of patient-centered, multi-disciplinary medication therapy management recommendations: results from the INCREASE randomized study

BACKGROUND

Polypharmacy and inappropriate medications may be a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). Medication therapy management (MTM) interventions may mitigate medication-induced cognitive dysfunction and delay onset of symptomatic impairment. The objective of the current study is to describe an MTM protocol for a patient-centered team intervention (pharmacist and non-pharmacist clinician) in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) directed at delaying the symptomatic onset of ADRD.

METHODS

Community dwelling adults 65 + years, non-demented, using ≥ 1 potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) were enrolled in an RCT to evaluate the effect of an MTM intervention on improving medication appropriateness and cognition (NCT02849639). The MTM intervention involved a three-step process: (1) pharmacist identified potential medication-related problems (MRPs) and made initial recommendations for prescribed and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements; (2) study team reviewed all initial recommendations together with the participants, allowing for revisions prior to the finalized recommendations; (3) participant responses to final recommendations were recorded. Here, we describe initial recommendations, changes during team engagement, and participant responses to final recommendations.

RESULTS

Among the 90 participants, a mean 6.7 ± 3.6 MRPs per participant were reported. Of the 259 initial MTM recommendations made for the treatment group participants (N = 46), 40% percent underwent revisions in the second step. Participants reported willingness to adopt 46% of final recommendations and expressed need for additional primary care input in response to 38% of final recommendations. Willingness to adopt final recommendations was highest when therapeutic switches were offered and/or with anticholinergic medications.

CONCLUSION

The evaluation of modifications to MTM recommendations demonstrated that pharmacists' initial MTM recommendations often changed following the participation in the multidisciplinary decision-making process that incorporated patient preferences. The team was encouraged to see a correlation between engaging patients and a positive overall response towards participant acceptance of final MTM recommendations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Study registration number: clinicaltrial.gov NCT02849639 registered on 29/07/2016.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the Ethiopian cohort of adult hypertensive people's adherence to healthy behaviors

Background

Adherence to healthy behavior has become increasingly important in recent years for better blood pressure management. For the management and prevention of hypertension, it is a strong recommendation. But there have been a number of observational studies conducted in Ethiopia on hypertensive people's healthy lifestyle choices. An extensive review, however, that would have provided even a sliver of supporting data for developing an intervention, is missing. The purpose of this review and meta-analysis was to fill in this gap.

Methods

The meta-analysis of an observational study was followed by a systematic review. Searches and extracts from the databases CINAHL (EBSCO), MEDLINE (via Ovid), PubMed, EmCare, and Google Scholar have been conducted by three reviewers. Only studies with low and moderate risk were included in the analysis after the quality of the articles was evaluated by two independent reviewers using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. After accounting for heterogeneity and publication bias, this study presented the estimated overall and six major domains of adherence to healthy behaviors among hypertensive adult individuals. The PROSPERO database had this systematic review registered under protocol number CRD 42020206150.

Results

The overall estimated adherence to healthy lifestyle habits among Ethiopian hypertensive adult individuals was 42.45% (95% CI: 33.51-51.38, I2 = 95.2%). We also investigate the adherence of major domains of healthy behaviors, such as the estimated healthy dietary adherence: 50.86% (95% CI: 39.61-62.11%), the estimated adherence to physical activity: 48.74% (95% CI: 36.60-60.96), and the estimated adherence to sodium intake: 51.79% (95% CI: 36.77-66.8). The following variables were statistically significant predictors of adherence to the overall health behavior: education level (Pooled Odds Ratio (POR): 2.8; 95% CI: 1.98-3.63, I2 = 0.0%), duration of hypertension (POR: 3.1; 95% CI: 1.80-4.32, I2 = 0.0%), and hypertensive people who was knowledgeable of hypertension (POR: 6.8; 95% CI: 1.05-12.58, I2 = 89.3%).

Conclusions

Less than half of the hypertension population in Ethiopia had healthy lifestyle behaviors. A low percentage of hypertensive adults also had adhered to salt (sodium) intake, physical activity, and weight management. So, intervention programs should focus on the health faithfulness of the specific section of adherence to healthy lifestyle practice according to recommended lifestyle practice guidelines.

Platelet-derived extracellular vesicles correlate with therapy-induced nocturnal blood pressure changes

INTRODUCTION

Elevated nocturnal blood pressure (BP) is closely associated with increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events. Circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been proposed as a potential CV risk biomarker and shown to correlate with BP. The present study aimed to assess whether a reduction in BP is paralleled by respective changes in EVs.

METHODS

Fifty-five hypertensive patients (age: 57.7 ± 14.1 years) were included in the study. EVs and BP were assessed at baseline and at 12 weeks follow-up. Interventions to lower BP included advice on life-style modification only or life-style advice combined with additional pharmacotherapy. EVs were evaluated by flow cytometry (CD41+/Annexin V+) and BP by unobserved automated office BP and ambulatory BP monitoring.

RESULTS

Nocturnal systolic BP correlated with EV levels at baseline ( P  = 0.01). Multivariable regression models showed that changes in nocturnal systolic BP (adjusted R2  = 0.23; P  = 0.01) and diastolic BP (adjusted R2  = 0.18; P  = 0.02) were associated with respective changes in EV levels. Furthermore, intervention-induced improvement of systolic dipping was associated with a reduction in EVs in the univariate analysis (adjusted R2  = 0.06; P  = 0.03). In contrast, systolic office, 24 h- and daytime-BP did not show significant associations with EVs. Patients whose medication was up-titrated at baseline showed a trend towards lower EV levels at follow-up (absolute change of -1.7 ± 1.3 EV/μl; P  = 0.057).

CONCLUSIONS

Circulating platelet-derived EVs were positively associated with nocturnal BP and therapy-induced changes over a 12-week treatment period. EVs may provide an integrated measure of BP changes achieved with pharmacotherapy.

Adjusting for Patient Economic/Access Issues in a Hypertension Quality Measure

INTRODUCTION

The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology have proposed adjusting hypertension-related care quality measures by excluding patients with economic/access issues from the denominator of rate calculations. No research to date has explored the methods to operationalize this recommendation or how to measure economic/access issues. This study applied and compared different approaches to populating these denominator exceptions.

METHODS

Electronic health record data from 2019 were used in 2021 to calculate hypertension control rates in 84 community health centers. A total of 10 different indicators of patient economic/access barriers to care were used as denominator exclusions to calculate and then compare adjusted quality measure performance. Data came from a nonprofit health center‒controlled network that hosts a shared electronic health record for community health centers located in 22 states.

RESULTS

A total of 5 of 10 measures yielded an increase in adjusted hypertension control rates in ≥50% of clinics (average rate increases of 0.7-3.71 percentage points). A total of 3 of 10 measures yielded a decrease in adjusted hypertension control rates in >50% of clinics (average rate decreases of 1.33-13.82 percentage points). A total of 5 measures resulted in excluding >50% of the clinic's patient population from quality measure assessments.

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in clinic-level hypertension control rates after adjustment differed depending on the measure of economic/access issue. Regardless of the exclusion method, changes between baseline and adjusted rates were small. Removing community health center patients experiencing economic/access barriers from a hypertension control quality measure resulted in excluding a large proportion of patients, raising concerns about whether this calculation can be a meaningful measure of clinical performance.

Are primary care providers' nutrition care and food insecurity screening practices associated with their perceptions of team-based care?

BACKGROUND

Screening for food insecurity (FI) and providing nutrition care are important management strategies for chronic diseases, but rates are low. Aspects of team-based care and providers' nutrition competence may help inform interventions to improve these services. The objectives of this study were to describe US primary care providers' FI screening and nutrition care practices (counselling, referrals, and time spent counselling) and test for associations with scored measures of their perceptions of team-based care (care continuity, patient-centredness, coordination with external providers and resources) and nutrition competence (confidence counselling and attitudes towards nutrition).

METHODS

Cross-sectional online survey data of primary care providers were described and analysed for associations using Wilcoxon rank sum tests.

RESULTS

Of provider respondents (N = 92), 35% (n = 32) worked in clinics that screen for FI and had higher team perceptions (P = 0.006) versus those who do not. Those who reported counselling >30% patients about nutrition (57%, n = 52) and referring >10% patients to nutrition professionals (24%, n = 22) had significantly better attitudes towards nutrition (P = 0.013 and P = 0.04, respectively) compared with those with lower counselling and referral rates. Half (n = 46) of the providers reported spending >3-min counselling each patient about nutrition and had higher patient-centred care (P = 0.004) and nutrition competence (P < 0.001) compared with those who spent less time counselling.

CONCLUSION

Providers in clinics that screen for FI had higher overall perceptions of team-based care, but their nutrition competence was not significantly different. Meanwhile, reported more time counselling was associated with a culture of patient-centredness. Promoting team-based care may be a mechanism for improving FI screening and nutrition care.

Pathophysiology and genetics of salt-sensitive hypertension

Most hypertensive cases are primary and heavily associated with modifiable risk factors like salt intake. Evidence suggests that even small reductions in salt consumption reduce blood pressure in all age groups. In that regard, the ACC/AHA described a distinct set of individuals who exhibit salt-sensitivity, regardless of their hypertensive status. Data has shown that salt-sensitivity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events and mortality. However, despite extensive research, the pathogenesis of salt-sensitive hypertension is still unclear and tremendously challenged by its multifactorial etiology, complicated genetic influences, and the unavailability of a diagnostic tool. So far, the important roles of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, sympathetic nervous system, and immune system in the pathogenesis of salt-sensitive hypertension have been studied. In the first part of this review, we focus on how the systems mentioned above are aberrantly regulated in salt-sensitive hypertension. We follow this with an emphasis on genetic variants in those systems that are associated with and/or increase predisposition to salt-sensitivity in humans.

Control and complications of diabetes in urban primary care units in Thailand: a cross-sectional study

Background

Primary health care system plays a central role in caring for persons with diabetes. Thai National Health Examination Survey (NHES) reports that only 40% of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) achieve optimal glycemic control. We sought to evaluate the quality of diabetic care (QOC), prevalence of microvascular complications, and associated risk factors among T2DM patients treated at primary care units in urban areas in Thailand.

Methods

A population-based, cross-sectional study of 488 T2DM patients aged over 35 years from 25 primary care units in Samutsakhon, Thailand was conducted during February 2018 to March 2019. Clinical targets of care (TOC) and processes of care (POC) were measured to evaluate QOC. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to explore the association between risk factors and glycemic control.

Results

41.2% of women and 44.4% of men achieved hemoglobin A1C (A1C) < 53 mmol/mol, while 31.3% of women and 29.7% of men had poor glycemic control (A1C > 63 mmol/mol). 39 participants (8%) achieved all TOC and 318 participants (65.2%) achieved all POC. Significant risk factors for poor glycemic control included diabetes duration > 6 years (AOR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.20–2.79), being overweight (AOR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.58–4.08), obesity (AOR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.05–2.89), triglycerides > 1.7 mmol/l (AOR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.25–2.78), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥ 2.6 mmol/l (AOR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.04–2.28). On the other hand, participants aged > 65 years (AOR = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.14–0.55) or achieved TOC indicators (AOR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.43–0.89) were significantly associated with glycemic control. Diabetic retinopathy was significantly related to obesity (AOR = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.00–4.86), over waist circumference (AOR = 2.23, 95% CI = 0.77–2.31), and diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg (AOR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.48–1.96).

Conclusion

Access to essential diabetic screening in primary care units is crucial to determine status of disease control and guide disease management. Duration of T2DM, high body mass index, triglyceride and LDL-C were independently associated with poor glycemic control. Obesity was highly associated with diabetes retinopathy. Effort should be taken seriously toward monitoring these factors and providing effective care.

European Society of Cardiology Quality Indicators for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: developed by the Working Group for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Quality Indicators in collaboration with the European Association for Preventive Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology

AIMS

To develop a set of quality indicators (QIs) for the evaluation of the care and outcomes for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) prevention.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The Quality Indicator Committee of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) formed the Working Group for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Quality Indicators in collaboration with Task Force members of the 2021 ESC Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice and the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC). We followed the ESC methodology for QI development, which involved (i) the identification of the key domains of care for ASCVD prevention by constructing a conceptual framework of care, (ii) the development of candidate QIs by conducting a systematic review of the literature, (iii) the selection of the final set of QIs using a modified Delphi method, and (iv) the evaluation of the feasibility of the developed QIs. In total, 17 main and 14 secondary QIs were selected across six domains of care for ASCVD prevention: (i) structural framework, (ii) risk assessment, (iii) care for people at risk for ASCVD, (iv) care for patients with established ASCVD, (v) patient education and experience, and (vi) outcomes.

CONCLUSION

We present the 2021 ESC QIs for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, which have been co-constructed with EAPC using the ESC methodology for QI development. These indicators are supported by evidence from the literature, underpinned by expert consensus and aligned with the 2021 ESC Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice to offer a mechanism for the evaluation of ASCVD prevention care and outcomes.

Very Low-Carbohydrate High-Fat Diet Improves Risk Markers for Cardiometabolic Health More Than Exercise in Men and Women With Overfat Constitution: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Purpose

This randomized controlled parallel-group study examined the effects of a very low-carbohydrate high-fat (VLCHF) diet and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program over 12-weeks on cardiometabolic risk factors in individuals with overfat constitution.

Methods

Ninety-one participants out of 109 completed the study. The participants were randomly allocated to the HIIT (N = 22), VLCHF (N = 25), VLCHF+HIIT (N = 25), or control (N = 19) groups for 12 weeks. Fasting plasma samples were collected before the intervention and after 4 and 12 weeks. The analyzed outcomes included complete blood count, glucose, insulin, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides (TG), cholesterol, high- and low-density lipoprotein (HDL-C and LDL-C), lipoprotein(a), adiponectin (Adpn), leptin (Lep), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), other interleukins (hs-IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-10), and IL-1RA. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), Adpn/Lep ratio, TG/HDL-C ratio, and TyG index were calculated and analyzed. Blood pressure was measured before the intervention, after 4, 8, and 12 weeks (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03934476).

Results

Absolute changes in HOMA-IR, Adpn/Lep ratio, LDL-C, and diastolic blood pressure after 12 weeks differed by study groups (p < 0.05). The most pronounced changes were revealed in the VLCHF (ΔM [95% CI]; HOMA-IR: -0.75 [-1.13; -0.55]; Adpn/Lep: 9.34 [6.33; 37.39]; LDL-C: 0.06 [-0.12; 0.50] mmol/l) and VLCHF+HIIT (HOMA-IR: -0.44 [-1.14; 0.12]; Adpn/Lep: 4.26 [2.24; 13.16]; LDL-C: 0.25 [-0.04; 0.50] mmol/l) groups.

Conclusions

A 12-week VLCHF diet intervention in individuals with overfat constitution is effective for favorable changes in HOMA-IR (compared to HIIT), Adpn/Lep ratio, and diastolic blood pressure. HIIT, or HIIT combined with the VLCHF diet, had no additional benefits for the analyzed variables. No adverse side effects were observed.

Proceedings From a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Workshop to Control Hypertension

Hypertension treatment and control prevent more cardiovascular events than management of other modifiable risk factors. Although the age-adjusted proportion of US adults with controlled blood pressure (BP) defined as <140/90 mm Hg, improved from 31.8% in 1999-2000 to 48.5% in 2007-2008, it remained stable through 2013-2014 and declined to 43.7% in 2017-2018. To address the rapid decline in hypertension control, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened a virtual workshop with multidisciplinary national experts. Also, the group sought to identify opportunities to reverse the adverse trend and further improve hypertension control. The workshop immediately preceded the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Control Hypertension, which recognized a stagnation in progress with hypertension control. The presentations and discussions included potential reasons for the decline and challenges in hypertension control, possible "big ideas," and multisector approaches that could reverse the current trend while addressing knowledge gaps and research priorities. The broad set of "big ideas" was comprised of various activities that may improve hypertension control, including: interventions to engage patients, promotion of self-measured BP monitoring with clinical support, supporting team-based care, implementing telehealth, enhancing community-clinical linkages, advancing precision population health, developing tailored public health messaging, simplifying hypertension treatment, using process and outcomes quality metrics to foster accountability and efficiency, improving access to high-quality health care, addressing social determinants of health, supporting cardiovascular public health and research, and lowering financial barriers to hypertension control.

Achievement and quality measure attainment in patients hospitalized with atrial fibrillation: Results from The Get With The Guidelines - Atrial Fibrillation (GWTG-AFIB) registry

BACKGROUND

The Get With The Guidelines - Atrial Fibrillation (GWTG-AFIB) Registry uses achievement and quality measures to improve the care of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We sought to evaluate overall and site-level variation in attainment of these measures among sites participating in the GWTG-AFIB Registry.

METHODS

From the GWTG-AFIB registry, we included patients with AF admitted between 1/3/2013 and 6/30/2019. We described patient-level attainment and variation in attainment across sites of 6 achievement measures with 1) defect-free scores (percent of patients with all eligible measures attained), and 2) composite opportunity scores (percent of all eligible patient measures attained). We also described attainment of 11 quality measures at the patient-level.

RESULTS

Among 80,951 patients hospitalized for AF (age 70±13 years, 47.0% female; CHA₂DS₂-VASc 3.6±1.8) at 132 sites. Site-level defect-free scores ranged from 4.7% to 85.8% (25^th, 50^th, 75^th percentile: 32.7%, 52.1%, 64.4%). Composite opportunity scores ranged from 39.4% to 97.5% (25^th, 50^th, 75^th: 68.1%, 80.3%, 87.1%). Attainment was notably low for the following quality measures: 1) aldosterone antagonist prescription when ejection fraction ≤35% (29% of those eligible); and 2) avoidance of antiplatelet therapy with OAC in patients without coronary/peripheral artery disease (81% of those eligible).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite high overall attainment of care measures across GWTG-AFIB registry sites, large site variation was present with meaningful opportunities to improve AF care beyond OAC prescription, including but not limited to prescription of aldosterone antagonists in those with AF and systolic dysfunction and avoidance of non-indicated adjunctive antiplatelet therapy.

Improving hypertension control and cardiovascular health: An urgent call to action for nursing

BACKGROUND

Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and affects nearly one in two adults in the United States when defined as a blood pressure of at least 130/80 mm Hg or on antihypertensive medication (Virani et al., 2021, Circulation, 143, e254). Long-standing disparities in hypertension awareness, treatment, and control among racial and ethnic populations exist in the United States. High-quality evidence exists for how to prevent and control hypertension and for the role nurses can play in this effort. In response to the 2020 Surgeon General's Call to Action to Control Hypertension, nursing leaders from 11 national organizations identified the critical roles and actions of nursing in improving hypertension control and cardiovascular health, focusing on evidence-based nursing interventions and available resources.

AIMS

To develop a unified "Call to Action for Nurses" to improve control of hypertension and cardiovascular health and provide information and resources to execute this call.

METHODS

This paper outlines roles that registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, schools of nursing, professional nursing organizations, quality improvement nurses, and nursing researchers can play to control hypertension and prevent CVD in the United States. It describes evidence-based interventions to improve cardiovascular health and outlines actions to bring hypertension and CVD to the forefront as a national priority for nursing.

LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION

Evidence-based interventions exist for nurses to lead efforts to prevent and control hypertension, thus preventing much CVD. Nurses can take actions in their communities, their healthcare setting, and their organization to translate these interventions into real-world practice settings.

Effect of Clinical Decision Support at Community Health Centers on the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in socioeconomically vulnerable patients is suboptimal; better risk factor control could improve CVD outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of a clinical decision support system (CDSS) targeting CVD risk in community health centers (CHCs).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cluster randomized clinical trial included 70 CHC clinics randomized to an intervention group (42 clinics; 8 organizations) or a control group that received no intervention (28 clinics; 7 organizations) from September 20, 2018, to March 15, 2020. Randomization was by CHC organization accounting for organization size. Patients aged 40 to 75 years with (1) diabetes or atherosclerotic CVD and at least 1 uncontrolled major risk factor for CVD or (2) total reversible CVD risk of at least 10% were the population targeted by the CDSS intervention.

INTERVENTIONS

A point-of-care CDSS displaying real-time CVD risk factor control data and personalized, prioritized evidence-based care recommendations.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

One-year change in total CVD risk and reversible CVD risk (ie, the reduction in 10-year CVD risk that was considered achievable if 6 key risk factors reached evidence-based levels of control).

RESULTS

Among the 18 578 eligible patients (9490 [51.1%] women; mean [SD] age, 58.7 [8.8] years), patients seen in control clinics (n = 7419) had higher mean (SD) baseline CVD risk (16.6% [12.8%]) than patients seen in intervention clinics (n = 11 159) (15.6% [12.3%]; P < .001); baseline reversible CVD risk was similarly higher among patients seen in control clinics. The CDSS was used at 19.8% of 91 988 eligible intervention clinic encounters. No population-level reduction in CVD risk was seen in patients in control or intervention clinics; mean reversible risk improved significantly more among patients in control (-0.1% [95% CI, -0.3% to -0.02%]) than intervention clinics (0.4% [95% CI, 0.3% to 0.5%]; P < .001). However, when the CDSS was used, both risk measures decreased more among patients with high baseline risk in intervention than control clinics; notably, mean reversible risk decreased by an absolute 4.4% (95% CI, -5.2% to -3.7%) among patients in intervention clinics compared with 2.7% (95% CI, -3.4% to -1.9%) among patients in control clinics (P = .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The CDSS had low use rates and failed to improve CVD risk in the overall population but appeared to have a benefit on CVD risk when it was consistently used for patients with high baseline risk treated in CHCs. Despite some limitations, these results provide preliminary evidence that this technology has the potential to improve clinical care in socioeconomically vulnerable patients with high CVD risk.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03001713.

Inflammation and the Link to Vascular Brain Health: Timing Is Brain

Inflammation and its myriad pathways are now recognized to play both causal and consequential roles in vascular brain health. From acting as a trigger for vascular brain injury, as evidenced by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, to steadily increasing the risk for chronic cerebrovascular disease, distinct inflammatory cascades play differential roles in varying states of cerebrovascular injury. New evidence is regularly emerging that characterizes the role of specific inflammatory pathways in these varying states including those at risk for stroke and chronic cerebrovascular injury as well as during the acute, subacute, and repair phases of stroke. Here, we aim to highlight recent basic science and clinical evidence for many distinct inflammatory cascades active in these varying states of cerebrovascular injury. The role of cerebrovascular infections, spotlighted by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic, and its association with increased stroke risk is also reviewed. Rather than converging on a shared mechanism, these emerging studies implicate varied and distinct inflammatory processes in vascular brain injury and repair. Recognition of the phasic nature of inflammatory cascades on varying states of cerebrovascular disease is likely essential to the development and implementation of an anti-inflammatory strategy in the prevention, treatment, and repair of vascular brain injury. Although advances in revascularization have taught us that time is brain, targeting inflammation for the treatment of cerebrovascular disease will undoubtedly show us that timing is brain.

Comorbidities and mortality risk among extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer patients in mainland China: impacts of hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and chronic hepatitis B virus infection

The present study investigated the impact of major comorbidities, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, on the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) patients in China. Patients having a pathologic diagnosis of ES-SCLC between 2009 and 2017 were enrolled and grouped according to their specific comorbidities. The PFS and OS for each group were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard models. In total, 632 patients were analyzed. The median PFS (mPFS) of these patients was 9 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 6-12 months]. The mPFS of patients without hypertension or T2DM was 9 months; conversely, it was significantly reduced for patients with hypertension [7 months (P < 0.0001)] or T2DM [5 months (P < 0.0001)]. However, mPFS was not significantly different between patients with and without HBV infection (P = 0.2936). A similar trend was observed for OS as well. Further multivariate analyses showed that the OS of patients with hypertension [hazard ratio (HR), 1.344; 95% CI, 1.073-1.683; P = 0.010] or T2DM (HR, 1.455; 95% CI, 1.134-1.868; P = 0.003) was significantly shorter than that of patients without these comorbidities. Accordingly, mortality risk was the highest in patients with concurrent hypertension and T2DM (HR, 1.665; 95% CI, 1.037-2.672; P = 0.00058). Our study found that hypertension and T2DM may be associated with a worse prognosis in ES-SCLC patients. Considerable attention should be paid to the accompanying anti-comorbidity therapies available for patients with ES-SCLC.

How Hypertension Guidelines Address Social Determinants of Health: A Systematic Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Patient-level and community-level social and economic conditions impact hypertension risk and control. We examined adult hypertension management guidelines to explore whether and how existing guidelines refer to social care activities.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to explore how hypertension guidelines reference social care activities.

RESEARCH DESIGN

A systematic scoping review of clinical guidelines for adult hypertension management. We employed a PubMed search strategy to identify all hypertension guidelines published in the United States between 1977 and 2019. We reviewed all titles to identify the most updated versions focused on nonpregnant adults with hypertension. We extracted instances where guidelines referred to social determinants of health (SDH) or social care activities. The primary outcome was how guidelines covered social care activities, defined using a framework adapted from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).

RESULTS

Search terms yielded 126 guidelines. Thirty-six guidelines met the inclusion criteria. Of those, 72% (26/36) recommended social care activities as part of hypertension management; 58% recommended clinicians change clinical practice based on social risk information. These recommendations often lacked specific guidance around how to directly address social risk factors or reduce the impact of these risks on hypertension management. When guidelines referred to specific social factors, patient financial security was the most common. Over time, hypertension guidelines have included more references to SDH.

CONCLUSION

Information about SDH is included in many hypertension guidelines, but few guidelines provide clear guidance for clinicians or health systems on how to identify and address social risk factors in the context of care delivery.

Tracking Blood Pressure Control Performance and Process Metrics in 25 US Health Systems: The PCORnet Blood Pressure Control Laboratory

Background The National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network Blood Pressure Control Laboratory Surveillance System was established to identify opportunities for blood pressure (BP) control improvement and to provide a mechanism for tracking improvement longitudinally. Methods and Results We conducted a serial cross-sectional study with queries against standardized electronic health record data in the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet) common data model returned by 25 participating US health systems. Queries produced BP control metrics for adults with well-documented hypertension and a recent encounter at the health system for a series of 1-year measurement periods for each quarter of available data from January 2017 to March 2020. Aggregate weighted results are presented overall and by race and ethnicity. The most recent measurement period includes data from 1 737 995 patients, and 11 956 509 patient-years were included in the trend analysis. Overall, 15% were Black, 52% women, and 28% had diabetes. BP control (<140/90 mm Hg) was observed in 62% (range, 44%-74%) but varied by race and ethnicity, with the lowest BP control among Black patients at 57% (odds ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66-0.94). A new class of antihypertensive medication (medication intensification) was prescribed in just 12% (range, 0.6%-25%) of patient visits where BP was uncontrolled. However, when medication intensification occurred, there was a large decrease in systolic BP (≈15 mm Hg; range, 5-18 mm Hg). Conclusions Major opportunities exist for improving BP control and reducing disparities, especially through consistent medication intensification when BP is uncontrolled. These data demonstrate substantial room for improvement and opportunities to close health equity gaps.

Hypertension and Associated Inflammatory Markers Among HIV-Infected Patients in Tanzania

There remains a dearth of data regarding the association between chronic inflammation and hypertension (HTN) in sub-Saharan Africa, a region that accounts for >70% of the global burden of HIV infection. Therefore, we assessed the levels of biomarkers among HIV+ individuals and its associations with HTN in Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted at one of the largest clinics in Tanzania and data from 261 HIV+ patients were analyzed. Standardized tools were used to collect data. Blood pressure was measured using Omron^® M2 blood pressure monitor. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to test for inflammatory markers [C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-18, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type I (sTNFRI), sTNFRII]. Bivariate and multivariable analysis was conducted to examine association between the biomarkers and HTN. We further conducted age-sex-alcohol-adjusted models to control for any confounders. The prevalence of HTN was 43% with a high prevalence reported in female (70%) participants and those older than 55 years of age (77%). Being women, older than 55 years of age, married, and being overweight was associated with HTN. The highest correlations were observed between TNR2 and CRP (ɤ = 0.13, P = 0.044), and TNR2 and IL-18 (ɤ = 0.13, P = 0.034). Participants who had elevated CRP levels were 2 times more likely to experience HTN in the age-adjusted model [odds ratio (OR) = 3.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-11.3], age-sex-adjusted model (OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.0-10.9), and the full model (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 0.8-10.0). Our study shows that high CRP levels are significantly associated with the higher prevalence of HTN notwithstanding all other markers, which showed a positive association with HTN despite not being significant. These findings point to the importance of creating awareness, education, and screening for HTN among HIV patients in high epidemic countries. More rigorous studies are needed to know the exact pathway mechanisms of inflammation in HIV patients.

Validation of the Microlife BP B3 AFIB upper arm blood pressure monitor in adults and adolescents according to the ANSI/AAMI/ISO 81060-2:2019 protocol

OBJECTIVE

Aim of this study was to validate the Microlife BP B3 AFIB/enterprise resource planning (ERP) No: BP3KT1-3 N blood pressure (BP) monitor according to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)/International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 81060-2:2019 in adolescents and adults from a general population.

METHODS

BP measurements on the upper arm were performed in 85 subjects (age range 12-88 years), using the Microlife BP B3 AFIB and a standard mercury reference sphygmomanometer.

RESULTS

A total of 255 valid BP comparisons were performed for the present validation analysis. The mean ± SD difference between the test and the reference device was 0.70 ± 7.05 mmHg for SBP (pass criterion ≤5 mmHg) and -0.85 ± 4.70 mmHg for DBP (pass criterion ≤5 mmHg) with the SD below the required value of ≤8 mmHg. The mean ± SD of the intraindividual differences between the test and the reference device was 0.70 ± 5.87 mmHg for SBP (pass criterion for the SD ≤6.90 mmHg) and -0.85 ± 4.19 mmHg for DBP (pass criterion for the SD ≤6.88 mmHg).

CONCLUSION

The Microlife BP B3 AFIB/ERP No: BP3KT1-3 N has passed the criteria of the ANSI/AAMI/ISO 81060-2:2019 protocol and can be recommended for home BP measurements in adolescents and adults.

Lipid Monitoring After Initiation of Lipid-Lowering Therapies: Return of Performance Measures?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The 2015 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) Focused Update of Secondary Prevention Lipid Performance Measures removed low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) assessment as a performance measure. This review discusses the evidence supporting the importance of lipid monitoring in the secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

RECENT FINDINGS

The 2018 AHA/ACC Multisociety cholesterol guideline (as did the 2013 guideline) recommends a lipid panel after initiating lipid-lowering therapy to monitor adherence and medication efficacy. The 2018 guideline also recommends adding nonstatin therapy in very-high-risk ASCVD patients with LDL-C ≥70 mg/dL despite maximally tolerated statin therapy. The removal of LDL-C monitoring as a performance measure is not consistent with the 2018 cholesterol guidelines. Given the importance of monitoring lipid-lowering medication efficacy and adherence and optimally reducing LDL-C in very-high-risk patients with additional evidence-based nonstatin therapy, LDL-C assessment after initiating lipid-lowering therapy should be reinstated as a performance measure for patients with ASCVD.

A composite sleep and pulmonary phenotype predicting hypertension

BACKGROUND

Multiple aspects of sleep and Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) have been linked to hypertension. However, the standard measure of SDB, the Apnoea Hypopnea Index (AHI), has not identified patients likely to experience large improvements in blood pressure with SDB treatment.

METHODS

To use machine learning to select sleep and pulmonary measures associated with hypertension development when considered jointly, we applied feature screening followed by Elastic Net penalized regression in association with incident hypertension using a wide array of polysomnography measures, and lung function, derived for the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS).

FINDINGS

At baseline, n=860 SHHS individuals with complete data were age 61 years, on average. Of these, 291 developed hypertension ~5 years later. A combination of pulmonary function and 18 sleep phenotypes predicted incident hypertension (OR=1.43, 95% confidence interval [1.14, 1.80] per 1 standard deviation (SD) of the phenotype), while the apnoea-hypopnea index (AHI) had low evidence of association with incident hypertension (OR =1.13, 95% confidence interval [0.97, 1.33] per 1 SD). In a generalization analysis in 923 individuals from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, aged 65 on average with 615 individuals with hypertension, the new phenotype was cross-sectionally associated with hypertension (OR=1.26, 95% CI [1.10, 1.45]).

INTERPRETATION

A unique combination of sleep and pulmonary function measures better predicts hypertension compared to the AHI. The composite measure included indices capturing apnoea and hypopnea event durations, with shorter event lengths associated with increased risk of hypertension.

FUNDING

This research was supported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) contracts HHSN268201500003I, N01-HC-95159, N01-HC-95160, N01-HC-95161, N01-HC-95162, N01-HC-95163, N01-HC-95164, N01-HC-95165, N01-HC-95166, N01-HC-95167, N01-HC-95168, and N01-HC-95169 and by National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences grants UL1-TR- 000040, UL1-TR-001079, and UL1-TR-001420. The MESA Sleep ancillary study was supported by NHLBI grant HL-56984. Pulmonary phenotyping in MESA was funded by NHLBI grants R01-HL077612 and R01-HL093081. This work was supported by NHLBI grant R35HL135818 to Susan Redline.

Controlling High Blood Pressure: An Evidence-Based Blueprint for Change

Recently published national data demonstrate inadequate and worsening control of high blood pressure (HBP) in the United States, outcomes that likely have been made even worse by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This major public health crisis exposes shortcomings of the US health care delivery system and creates an urgent opportunity to reduce mortality, major cardiovascular events, and costs for 115 million Americans. Ending this crisis will require a more coherent and systemic change to traditional patterns of care. The authors present an evidence-based Blueprint for Change for comprehensive health delivery system redesign based on current national clinical practice guidelines and quality measures. This innovative model includes a systems-based approach to ensuring proper BP measurement, assessment of cardiovascular risk, effective patient-centered team-based care, addressing social determinants of health, and shared decision-making. The authors also propose building on current national quality improvement initiatives designed to better control HBP.

Excess epicardial fat volume in women is a novel risk marker for microvascular dysfunction, which may be a contributing factor in the atypical chest pain syndrome

Background

Excess epicardial fat volume (EFV) has been recently implicated in cardiovascular structural and functional abnormalities. It has been associated with abnormal microvascular stiffness (as reflected by radial artery waveform; C2), which may result in microvascular dysfunction and contribute to the atypical chest pain syndrome without obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Women have been statistically shown to present with atypical chest pain more often than men and specifically without obstructive CAD. The aim of this study is to assess whether excess EFV in female subjects is associated with significant microvascular dysfunction (i.e., C2), in subjects without obstructive CAD.

Results

We screened 596 asymptomatic subjects, ages 20–79, using the Early Cardiovascular Health Risk Scoring System (ECVHRS), which has been reported. Out of the 596 total subjects, 230 subjects had a CACS. Out of these 230 subjects, 77 subjects (45 females; 32 males) had a 0 CACS. The 45 females from this cohort were the subjects of this study, and they were further categorized into 3 groups: group 1 (normal EFV, non-obese female subjects; n=16), females with ECVHRS < 3 and ACC/AHA risk score < 5%; group 2 (n = 9), females with elevated EFV and no abdominal visceral obesity; and group 3 (n=20), females with elevated EFV and abdominal visceral obesity. The average EFV was determined to be 72±20 cm³ among group 1, which indicates the values for normal EFV. The results in group 2 indicate that excess EFV is contributing to the development of microvascular dysfunction, resulting in abnormal micro-arterial (C2) elasticity (p< 0.00001), increase in resting blood pressure (p =0.0001), an abnormal rise in blood pressure (BP) at rest and post-mild protocol exercise (PME) (p = < 0.00001), and abnormal increase in carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) (p = 0.000164).

Conclusion

Excess EFV appears to be not only a novel cardiovascular risk marker, but also the culprit for other cardiovascular risk markers. Based on these findings, elevated EFV may contribute to the development of the atypical chest pain syndrome in females without obstructive CAD. Additionally, EFV is emerging as a potential clinically relevant significant cardiovascular risk biomarker and may become a target to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Achieving Optimal Population Cardiovascular Health Requires an Interdisciplinary Team and a Learning Healthcare System: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Population cardiovascular health, or improving cardiovascular health among patients and the population at large, requires a redoubling of primordial and primary prevention efforts as declines in cardiovascular disease mortality have decelerated over the past decade. Great potential exists for healthcare systems-based approaches to aid in reversing these trends. A learning healthcare system, in which population cardiovascular health metrics are measured, evaluated, intervened on, and re-evaluated, can serve as a model for developing the evidence base for developing, deploying, and disseminating interventions. This scientific statement on optimizing population cardiovascular health summarizes the current evidence for such an approach; reviews contemporary sources for relevant performance and clinical metrics; highlights the role of implementation science strategies; and advocates for an interdisciplinary team approach to enhance the impact of this work.

Regular running in an air-polluted environment: physiological and anthropometric protocol for a prospective cohort study (Healthy Aging in Industrial Environment Study - Program 4)

INTRODUCTION

Ambient air pollution is a global environmental problem, which causes adverse health effects and premature deaths worldwide. Although regular exercise and physical activity have evident health benefits, the influence of long-term air pollution exposure during regular outdoor running has not been definitively clarified.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study protocol describes the physiological and anthropometric perspectives of the 'Healthy Aging in Industrial Environment' Study - Programme 4 (4HAIE). The 4HAIE research project is intended to be a single-centre, prospective, longitudinal and multidisciplinary cohort study. The presented study protocol describes the cross-sectional measurements and analyses. Overall, 1500 adult participants (age 18-65 years), runners and inactive individuals, living in a high or low air-polluted area of the Czech Republic will be recruited. We will measure and analyse biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in the blood, exercise capacity (graded exercise test and spiroergometry), blood pressure, lung function (spirometry), cardiac autonomic regulation and anthropometry (body composition).

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The 4HAIE study protocol has already been approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Ostrava (3/2018). A detailed participant information sheet will be provided to each individual prior to obtaining their written informed consent. The study poses little to no risk to participants. The findings of this study will be disseminated at regional and international conferences, in peer-reviewed journals and via social and broadcast media.

Nutritional Intervention Reduces Dyslipidemia, Fasting Glucose and Blood Pressure in People Living with HIV/AIDS in Antiretroviral Therapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Two Nutritional Interventions

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) increases the risk of cardiometabolic diseases in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effectiveness of a nutritional intervention on several cardiometabolic parameters in this population. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of two nutritional interventions on several cardiometabolic parameters in PLWHA treated with ART. A parallel randomized clinical trial was performed with PLWHA treated with ART. The participants (n = 88) were divided into two intervention groups: (1) nutritional counseling (n = 44) and (2) individualized dietary prescription (n = 44). The follow-up period was 30 weeks. A reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was the primary outcome. Secondary outcome variables were reductions in total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP, respectively), waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and increases in high-density lipoproteins (HDL). A multiple linear regression was used to analyze the effectiveness of the interventions, adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics. Sixty-two PLWHA completed the trial (nutritional counseling, n = 32; individualized dietary prescription, n = 30). At follow-up, we observed in the nutritional counseling group significant reductions in SBP (p = 0.036) and DBP (p = 0.001). Significant reductions in FPG (p = 0.008) and DBP (p = 0.023) were found in the individualized dietary prescription group. In the fully adjusted models, significant reductions in LDL, SBP, DBP, and BMI were found in the individualized dietary prescription group. In conclusion, the two investigated nutritional interventions were effective in reducing some cardiometabolic risk factors in PLWHA. However, after adjustments for covariates, the individualized dietary prescription showed significant reductions in the primary outcome and, also, in more cardiometabolic risk factors than the nutritional counseling.

Early blood pressure assessment after acute myocardial infarction: Insights using digital health technology

Objective

There is rising interest in digital health in preventive cardiology, particularly for blood pressure (BP) management. In a digital health study of early BP assessment following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), we sought to examine feasibility and the (1) proportion of post-AMI patients with controlled BP and hypotension, and (2) association between prior cardiovascular disease (CVD) and BP post-AMI.

Methods

In this substudy of the parent Myocardial infarction, COmbined-device, Recovery Enhancement (MiCORE) study, type 1 AMI patients were enrolled between October 2017 and April 2019. Participants self-monitored their BP through 30 days after hospital discharge using an FDA-approved wireless BP monitor connected with a smartphone application. Linear mixed-effects models assessed the association between prior CVD and BP trajectory post-discharge, adjusting for antihypertensive medications and a propensity score inclusive of CVD risk factors.

Results

Sixty-eight AMI patients (mean age 58 ​± ​10 years, 75% male, 68% white race, 68% history of hypertension, 24% prior CVD) provided 2638 measurements over 30 days. The percentage of BP control <130/80 ​mmHg was 59.6% (95% CI: 54.3–64.9%) and <140/90 ​mmHg was 83.7% (95% CI: 80.3–87.2%). The percentage of systolic BP ​<90 ​mmHg was 1.1% (95% CI: 0.17–2.0%) and the percentage of diastolic BP ​<60 ​mmHg was 3.9% (95% CI: 2.6–5.2%). Prior CVD was associated with 12.2 ​mmHg higher mean daily systolic BP during admission (95% CI: 3.5–20.9 ​mmHg), which persisted over follow-up. There was no association between prior CVD and diastolic BP.

Conclusion

The digital health program was feasible and ~40% of post-AMI patients who engaged in it had uncontrolled BP according to recent guideline cutpoints, while hypotension occurred rarely. The gap in BP control was especially large in patients in whom AMI represented recurrent CVD. These data suggest an opportunity for more aggressive secondary prevention early after MI as care models integrate digital health.

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Digital health reveals home blood pressure trends during early recovery after an event.

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~40% of early MI patients had mean daily blood pressure exceeding the guideline goal of <130/80 ​mmHg.

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Hypotension occurred rarely over 30 days post-MI.

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The gap in BP control was especially large in patients in whom MI represented recurrent CVD.

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There is opportunity for more aggressive secondary prevention early after MI as care models integrate digital health.

Telehealth, Telemedicine, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) telehealth management may improve initial and chronic care access, time to diagnosis and treatment, between-visit care, e-communications and e-education, workflows, costs, and therapy outcomes. OSA telehealth options may be used to replace or supplement none, some, or all steps in the evaluation, testing, treatments, and management of OSA. All telehealth steps must adhere to OSA guidelines. OSA telehealth may be adapted for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and non-CPAP treatments. E-data collection enhances uses for individual and group analytics, phenotyping, testing and treatment selections, high-risk identification and targeted support, and comparative and multispecialty therapy studies.

The effect of caloric restriction on blood pressure and cardiovascular function: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Preclinical evidence suggests that caloric restriction is an effective therapy for a number of cardiovascular insults. Whether caloric restriction has cardio-protective effects in humans is not well understood. The aim was to systematically review and meta-analyze human randomized control trials (RCTs) testing the effect of caloric restriction on blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular function.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed using Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL (up to June 2017) to search for RCTs of adults receiving a calorie-restricted intervention versus a control/standard diet. Random-effect meta-analyses were performed to calculate weighted mean difference and 95% CI.

RESULTS

Thirty-two RCTs with 1722 participants assessing BP (n = 29 studies), heart rate (n = 10), VO₂peak (n = 8), muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA, n = 4), and endothelial function (n = 4) were included. Calorie-restricted interventions lasting 1-4 weeks had the largest effect on systolic (-5.5 mmHg, p < 0.001, 95% CI: -3.8, -7.1) and diastolic (-2.9 mmHg, p = 0.005, 95% CI: -5.0, -0.9) BP, but no effect on HR. Interventions lasting 1.5-6 months had similar effects on BP, and reduced HR (-4.4 beats/minute, p < 0.001, 95% CI: -6.1,-2.8). Relative VO₂peak improved (1.8 mL/kg/min, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.3, 2.2). There were also potential positive effects on MSNA and endothelial function.

CONCLUSIONS

The effect of 1-4 weeks of calorie restriction on BP was similar to that expected with medications, and larger than that reported for other lifestyle interventions or supplements. Cardiovascular risk could be further reduced by caloric restriction lasting up to six months to lower heart rate and improve VO₂peak.

Translating research evidence into clinical practice: a reminder of important clinical lessons in management of resistant hypertension through a case study in general practice

A case of a 59-year-old man with resistant hypertension, despite 8 months of non-pharmacological and pharmacological management up to maximal doses of triple antihypertensive therapy. Review of the literature found a study that reported improved blood pressure control with bedtime dosing of antihypertensive treatment. Changing to bedtime dosage of antihypertensives resulted in significant improvement in blood pressure control to below target levels. This highlights the importance of the clinicians' awareness and implementation of research findings and hence delivery of best evidence-based care.