Prognosis for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction with and without diabetes: A 7 year nationwide veteran administration analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence suggests diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events in patients with heart failure. As a result, we sought to compare mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) with and without diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The Veteran Affairs Hospitals' databases were queried to identify all veterans diagnosed with HFrEF from 2007 to 2015. From the overall sample of 165,159 veterans, 41,120 patients with diabetes were matched by their propensity scores (without replacement) 1:1 to non-diabetic patients. To estimate the association between diabetes (Type 1 and 2) and overall mortality of HFrEF patients, a Cox proportional hazard model was used on the matched sample and controlled for patient characteristics for a mean follow up of 3.6 years (standard deviation ±2.3). RESULTS: In a matched sample of 41,120 veterans with HFrEF with and without diabetes, those with diabetes and HFrEF were more often on guideline-directed medical therapy than those without diabetes. In the matched cohort, the mortality risk for patients with concurrent HFrEF and diabetes was 17.7% at 1 year and 74.3% at 5 years, whereas the mortality risk for those without diabetes was 15.3% at 1 year and 69.2% at 5 years. After controlling for patient characteristics such as age, sex, body mass index, heart rate, medical therapies, comorbidities, medications, low-density lipoproteins, high-density lipoproteins, we found that patients with diabetes compared to those without had a significantly increased risk of mortality (HR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.77-1.92, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic HFrEF patients have a higher risk of mortality than non-diabetic HFrEF patients despite controlling for medical therapies and comorbidities.

One-year mortality after implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement within the Veterans Affairs Health System.

AIMS: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy reduces mortality in patients with heart failure and current guidelines advise implantation of ICDs in patients with a life expectancy of >1 year. We examined trends in all-cause mortality in patients who underwent primary or secondary prevention ICD placement in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health System. METHODS AND RESULTS: US veterans receiving a new ICD placement for primary or secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death between January 2007 and January 2015, who had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) were included in the analysis. We assessed all-cause mortality 1 year post-ICD implantation. ICD implantation and HFrEF diagnosis were established with associated ICD-9 codes. The VA death registry was utilized to identify mortality rates following ICD placement. Results were subsequently age-stratified. There were 17 901 veterans with HFrEF with ICD placement nationwide. There was no statistically significant difference in 1-year mortality from 2007 (13.1%) to 2014 (13.4%, P > 0.05). There was a significant increase in 1-year mortality in patients in the oldest age quartile (81.6 years, 32.3% mortality) compared to the youngest quartile (55.5 years, 7% mortality). The finding of diverging clinical outcomes extended to the 30-day but also 8-year mark. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest there is a high 1-year mortality in aging HFrEF patients undergoing primary and secondary prevention ICD placement. This highlights the importance of developing better predictive models for mortality in our ICD eligible patient population.

Lower Post Myocardial Infarction Mortality Among Women Treated at Veterans Affairs Hospitals Compared to Men.

BACKGROUND: There is conflicting evidence about whether mortality after myocardial infarction is higher among women than among men. This study aimed to compare sex differences in post myocardial infarction mortality in the Veterans Affairs system, a setting where the predominant subjects are men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Veterans Affairs Corporate Data Warehouse inpatient and laboratory chemistry databases were used to identify patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction from inpatient records from January 1st, 2005 to April 25th, 2015. Mortality data was obtained through the Veterans Affairs death registry. RESULTS: A total of 130,241 patients were identified; 127,711 men (98%) and 2,530 women (2%). Men typically had more comorbidities including congestive heart failure (54% vs. 46%, P value < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (54% vs. 48%, P value < 0.001), and chronic kidney disease (39% vs. 28%, P value < 0.001). The peak troponin-I was significantly higher among men (16.0 vs. 10.7 ng/mL, P value = 0.03). The mean follow-up time was 1490.67 ± 8 days. After adjusting for differences in demographics and comorbidities, women had a significantly lower risk of mortality (hazard ration [HR]: 0.747, P value < 0.0001) as compared to men. CONCLUSIONS: In a health care system where the predominant subjects are men, women had better short- and long-term survival than men after an acute myocardial infarction. Further investigation is warranted to determine the reasons behind the improved outcomes in women post myocardial infarction in the veteran population.

Stroke Rates Following Surgical Versus Percutaneous Coronary Revascularization.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are used for coronary revascularization in patients with multivessel and left main coronary artery disease. Stroke is among the most feared complications of revascularization. Due to its infrequency, studies with large numbers of patients are required to detect differences in stroke rates between CABG and PCI. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to compare rates of stroke after CABG and PCI and the impact of procedural stroke on long-term mortality. METHODS: We performed a collaborative individual patient-data pooled analysis of 11 randomized clinical trials comparing CABG with PCI using stents; ERACI II (Argentine Randomized Study: Coronary Angioplasty With Stenting Versus Coronary Bypass Surgery in Patients With Multiple Vessel Disease) (n = 450), ARTS (Arterial Revascularization Therapy Study) (n = 1,205), MASS II (Medicine, Angioplasty, or Surgery Study) (n = 408), SoS (Stent or Surgery) trial (n = 988), SYNTAX (Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) trial (n = 1,800), PRECOMBAT (Bypass Surgery Versus Angioplasty Using Sirolimus-Eluting Stent in Patients With Left Main Coronary Artery Disease) trial (n = 600), FREEDOM (Comparison of Two Treatments for Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease in Individuals With Diabetes) trial (n = 1,900), VA CARDS (Coronary Artery Revascularization in Diabetes) (n = 198), BEST (Bypass Surgery Versus Everolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation for Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease) (n = 880), NOBLE (Percutaneous Coronary Angioplasty Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Treatment of Unprotected Left Main Stenosis) trial (n = 1,184), and EXCEL (Evaluation of Xience Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for Effectiveness of Left Main Revascularization) trial (n = 1,905). The 30-day and 5-year stroke rates were compared between CABG and PCI using a random effects Cox proportional hazards model, stratified by trial. The impact of stroke on 5-year mortality was explored. RESULTS: The analysis included 11,518 patients randomly assigned to PCI (n = 5,753) or CABG (n = 5,765) with a mean follow-up of 3.8 ± 1.4 years during which a total of 293 strokes occurred. At 30 days, the rate of stroke was 0.4% after PCI and 1.1% after CABG (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.33; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20 to 0.53; p < 0.001). At 5-year follow-up, stroke remained significantly lower after PCI than after CABG (2.6% vs. 3.2%; HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.61 to 0.97; p = 0.027). Rates of stroke between 31 days and 5 years were comparable: 2.2% after PCI versus 2.1% after CABG (HR: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.80 to 1.38; p = 0.72). No significant interactions between treatment and baseline clinical or angiographic variables for the 5-year rate of stroke were present, except for diabetic patients (PCI: 2.6% vs. CABG: 4.9%) and nondiabetic patients (PCI: 2.6% vs. CABG: 2.4%) (p for interaction = 0.004). Patients who experienced a stroke within 30 days of the procedure had significantly higher 5-year mortality versus those without a stroke, both after PCI (45.7% vs. 11.1%, p < 0.001) and CABG (41.5% vs. 8.9%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This individual patient-data pooled analysis demonstrates that 5-year stroke rates are significantly lower after PCI compared with CABG, driven by a reduced risk of stroke in the 30-day post-procedural period but a similar risk of stroke between 31 days and 5 years. The greater risk of stroke after CABG compared with PCI was confined to patients with multivessel disease and diabetes. Five-year mortality was markedly higher for patients experiencing a stroke within 30 days after revascularization.

Effect on Mortality of Higher Versus Lower ß-Blocker (Metoprolol Succinate or Carvedilol) Dose in Patients With Heart Failure.

This study aimed to compare the effect of ß-blocker dose and heart rate (HR) on mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The Veteran Affairs databases were queried to identify all patients diagnosed with HFrEF based on International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision codes from 2007 to 2015 and ß-blocker (carvedilol or metoprolol succinate) use. 36,168 patients on low dose ß blocker were then matched with 36,168 patients on high dose ß-blocker using propensity score matching. The impact of ß-blocker dose and HR was assessed on overall mortality using Cox proportional hazard model. After dividing average HR into separate quartiles and adjusting for patient characteristics, high ß-blocker dose was associated with lower overall mortality as compared with a low dose of ß blocker (hazard ratio 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.73 to 0.77, p <0.01) independent of the HR achieved. The results held for all 4 quartiles of average HR. A higher ß-blocker dose or a lower HR were independently and jointly associated with lower mortality for all quartiles of HR. In conclusion, higher dose of ß-blocker therapy and a lower achieved HR were independently associated with a reduction in mortality in HFrEF patients.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Heart Failure in Men Within the Veteran Affairs Health System.

Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at risk of multiple co-morbidities and are more likely to develop incident heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The relation of PTSD with clinical outcomes in HFrEF is not established. US veterans diagnosed with HFrEF from January 2007 to January 2015 and treated nationwide in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health System were included in the study. Patients with HFrEF were identified through International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes. Mortality data were obtained from the VA's death registry. We compared characteristics of patients with HFrEF with and without PTSD. We identified 111,970 VA patients with HFrEF and 11,039 patients with concomitant PTSD (9.9%). Patients with PTSD and HFrEF tended to be younger (64 vs 69 years) and have a higher rate of coronary artery disease (73% vs 64%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (42% vs 31%), and hypertension (80% vs 64%, p <0.01 for all variables). Patients with PTSD and HFrEF were more commonly on a high-dose ß blocker (70% vs 68%, p <0.01) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (96% vs 93%, p <0.01). PTSD was associated with significantly increased mortality at 7 years compared with patients with heart failure without PTSD (adjusted 1.54, 95% confidence interval 1.30 to 1.82, p <0.01). In conclusion, nearly 10% of veterans with HFrEF have PTSD. Patients with HFrEF with PTSD have a higher burden of co-morbidities, and PTSD is associated with a higher rate of all-cause death. Our findings support greater attention to the treatment of patients with PTSD and the causes associated with the poor outcomes.

Effect of carvedilol vs metoprolol succinate on mortality in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND: Beta blocker therapy is indicated in all patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) as per current guidelines. The relative benefit of carvedilol to metoprolol succinate remains unknown. This study aimed to compare survival benefit of carvedilol to metoprolol succinate. METHODS: The VA's databases were queried to identify 114,745 patients diagnosed with HFrEF from 2007 to 2015 who were prescribed carvedilol and metoprolol succinate. The study estimated the survival probability and hazard ratio by comparing the carvedilol and metoprolol patients using propensity score matching with replacement techniques on observed covariates. Sub-group analyses were performed separately for men, women, elderly, duration of therapy of more than 3 months, and diabetic patients. RESULTS: A total of 43,941 metoprolol patients were matched with as many carvedilol patients. The adjusted hazard ratio of mortality for metoprolol succinate compared to carvedilol was 1.069 (95% CI: 1.046-1.092, P value: < .001). At six years, the survival probability was higher in the carvedilol group compared to the metoprolol succinate group (55.6% vs 49.2%, P value < .001). The sub-group analyses show that the results hold true separately for male, over or under 65 years old, therapy duration more than three months and non-diabetic patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with HFrEF taking carvedilol had improved survival as compared to metoprolol succinate. The data supports the need for furthering testing to determine optimal choice of beta blockers in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting versus percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting for coronary artery disease: a pooled analysis of individual patient data.

BACKGROUND: Numerous randomised trials have compared coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for patients with coronary artery disease. However, no studies have been powered to detect a difference in mortality between the revascularisation strategies. METHODS: We did a systematic review up to July 19, 2017, to identify randomised clinical trials comparing CABG with PCI using stents. Eligible studies included patients with multivessel or left main coronary artery disease who did not present with acute myocardial infarction, did PCI with stents (bare-metal or drug-eluting), and had more than 1 year of follow-up for all-cause mortality. In a collaborative, pooled analysis of individual patient data from the identified trials, we estimated all-cause mortality up to 5 years using Kaplan-Meier analyses and compared PCI with CABG using a random-effects Cox proportional-hazards model stratified by trial. Consistency of treatment effect was explored in subgroup analyses, with subgroups defined according to baseline clinical and anatomical characteristics. FINDINGS: We included 11 randomised trials involving 11 518 patients selected by heart teams who were assigned to PCI (n=5753) or to CABG (n=5765). 976 patients died over a mean follow-up of 3·8 years (SD 1·4). Mean Synergy between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score was 26·0 (SD 9·5), with 1798 (22·1%) of 8138 patients having a SYNTAX score of 33 or higher. 5 year all-cause mortality was 11·2% after PCI and 9·2% after CABG (hazard ratio [HR] 1·20, 95% CI 1·06-1·37; p=0·0038). 5 year all-cause mortality was significantly different between the interventions in patients with multivessel disease (11·5% after PCI vs 8·9% after CABG; HR 1·28, 95% CI 1·09-1·49; p=0·0019), including in those with diabetes (15·5% vs 10·0%; 1·48, 1·19-1·84; p=0·0004), but not in those without diabetes (8·7% vs 8·0%; 1·08, 0·86-1·36; p=0·49). SYNTAX score had a significant effect on the difference between the interventions in multivessel disease. 5 year all-cause mortality was similar between the interventions in patients with left main disease (10·7% after PCI vs 10·5% after CABG; 1·07, 0·87-1·33; p=0·52), regardless of diabetes status and SYNTAX score. INTERPRETATION: CABG had a mortality benefit over PCI in patients with multivessel disease, particularly those with diabetes and higher coronary complexity. No benefit for CABG over PCI was seen in patients with left main disease. Longer follow-up is needed to better define mortality differences between the revascularisation strategies. FUNDING: None.

Post-stroke hypertension control and receipt of health care services among veterans.

Many ischemic stroke patients do not achieve goal blood pressure (BP < 140/90 mm Hg). To identify barriers to post-stroke hypertension management, we examined healthcare utilization and BP control in the year after index ischemic stroke admission. This retrospective cohort study included patients admitted for acute ischemic stroke to a VA hospital in fiscal year 2011 and who were discharged with a BP ≥ 140/90 mm Hg. One-year post-discharge, BP trajectories, utilization of primary care, specialty and ancillary services were studied. Among 265 patients, 246 (92.8%) were seen by primary care (PC) during the 1-year post-discharge; a median time to the first PC visit was 32 days (interquartile range: 53). Among N = 245 patients with post-discharge BP data, 103 (42.0%) achieved a mean BP < 140/90 mm Hg in the year post-discharge. Provider follow-ups were: neurology (51.7%), cardiology (14.0%), nephrology (7.2%), endocrinology (3.8%), and geriatrics (2.6%) and ancillary services (BP monitor [30.6%], pharmacy [20.0%], nutrition [8.3%], and telehealth [8%]). Non-adherence to medications was documented in 21.9% of patients and was observed more commonly among patients with uncontrolled compared with controlled BP (28.7% vs 15.5%; P = .02). The recurrent stroke rate did not differ among patients with uncontrolled (4.2%) compared with controlled BP (3.8%; P = .89). Few patients achieved goal BP in the year post-stroke. Visits to primary care were not timely. Underuse of specialty as well as ancillary services and provider perception of medication non-adherence were common. Future intervention studies seeking to improve post-stroke hypertension management should address these observed gaps in care.

Residential distance to major roadways and cardiac structure in African Americans: cross-sectional results from the Jackson Heart Study.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a significant source of morbidity and mortality among African Americans. Ambient air pollution, including from traffic, is associated with HF, but the mechanisms remain unknown. The objectives of this study were to estimate the cross-sectional associations between residential distance to major roadways with markers of cardiac structure: left ventricular (LV) mass index, LV end-diastolic diameter, LV end-systolic diameter, and LV hypertrophy among African Americans. METHODS: We studied baseline participants of the Jackson Heart Study (recruited 2000-2004), a prospective cohort of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among African Americans living in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. All cardiac measures were assessed from echocardiograms. We assessed the associations between residential distance to roads and cardiac structure indicators using multivariable linear regression or multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Among 4826 participants, residential distance to road was <150 m for 103 participants, 150-299 m for 158, 300-999 for 1156, and ≥1000 m for 3409. Those who lived <150 m from a major road had mean 1.2 mm (95% CI 0.2, 2.1) greater LV diameter at end-systole compared to those who lived ≥1000 m. We did not observe statistically significant associations between distance to roads and LV mass index, LV end-diastolic diameter, or LV hypertrophy. Results did not materially change after additional adjustment for hypertension and diabetes or exclusion of those with CVD at baseline; results strengthened when modeling distance to A1 roads (such as interstate highways) as the exposure of interest. CONCLUSIONS: We found that residential distance to roads may be associated with LV end-systolic diameter, a marker of systolic dysfunction, in this cohort of African Americans, suggesting a potential mechanism by which exposure to traffic pollution increases the risk of HF.

Residential Proximity to Major Roadways Is Not Associated with Cardiac Function in African Americans: Results from the Jackson Heart Study.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart failure, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly among African Americans. Exposure to ambient air pollution, such as that produced by vehicular traffic, is believed to be associated with heart failure, possibly by impairing cardiac function. We evaluated the cross-sectional association between residential proximity to major roads, a marker of long-term exposure to traffic-related pollution, and echocardiographic indicators of left and pulmonary vascular function in African Americans enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS): left ventricular ejection fraction, E-wave velocity, isovolumic relaxation time, left atrial diameter index, and pulmonary artery systolic pressure. We examined these associations using multivariable linear or logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders. Of 4866 participants at study enrollment, 106 lived <150 m, 159 lived 150-299 m, 1161 lived 300-999 m, and 3440 lived ≥1000 m from a major roadway. We did not observe any associations between residential distance to major roads and these markers of cardiac function. Results were similar with additional adjustment for diabetes and hypertension, when considering varying definitions of major roadways, or when limiting analyses to those free from cardiovascular disease at baseline. Overall, we observed little evidence that residential proximity to major roads was associated with cardiac function among African Americans.

Percutaneous coronary intervention versus coronary bypass surgery in United States veterans with diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine the optimal coronary revascularization strategy in patients with diabetes with severe coronary disease. BACKGROUND: Although subgroup analyses from large trials, databases, and meta-analyses have found better survival for patients with diabetes with complex coronary artery disease when treated with surgery, a randomized trial comparing interventions exclusively with drug-eluting stents and surgery in patients with diabetes with high-risk coronary artery disease has not yet been reported. METHODS: In a prospective, multicenter study, 198 eligible patients with diabetes with severe coronary artery disease were randomly assigned to either coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (n = 97) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (n = 101) and followed for at least 2 years. The primary outcome measure was a composite of nonfatal myocardial infarction or death. Secondary outcome measures included all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and stroke. RESULTS: The study was stopped because of slow recruitment after enrolling only 25% of the intended sample size, leaving it severely underpowered for the primary composite endpoint of death plus nonfatal myocardial infarction (hazard ratio: 0.89; 95% confidence interval: 0.47 to 1.71). However, after a mean follow-up period of 2 years, all-cause mortality was 5.0% for CABG and 21% for PCI (hazard ratio: 0.30; 95% confidence interval: 0.11 to 0.80), while the risk for nonfatal myocardial infarction was 15% for CABG and 6.2% for PCI (hazard ratio: 3.32; 95% confidence interval: 1.07 to 10.30). CONCLUSIONS: This study was severely underpowered for its primary endpoint, and therefore no firm conclusions about the comparative effectiveness of CABG and PCI are possible. There were interesting differences in the components of the primary endpoint. However, the confidence intervals are very large, and the findings must be viewed as hypothesis generating only. (Coronary Artery Revascularization in Diabetes; NCT00326196).

Waist circumference and metabolic syndrome: the risk for silent coronary artery disease in males.

BACKGROUND: Waist circumference (WC) is a component used to define metabolic syndrome. However, its role as an independent predictor of silent coronary artery disease (CAD), above its contribution to metabolic syndrome, remains unknown. METHODS: Male veterans without known CAD, undergoing cardiac stress testing for indications other than typical angina or its equivalent, were evaluated for the presence of silent CAD. High WC and metabolic syndrome were defined per the revised National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP-R) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. RESULTS: Data on 1,071 patients (age 61±11 years) were analyzed retrospectively. On multivariable logistic regression analysis [odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI), P value), a WC ≥94 cm (1.42, 1.04-1.93; P=0.026), metabolic syndrome by NCEP-R (1.73, 1.29-2.33; P<0.0001), and metabolic syndrome by IDF (1.57, 1.17-2.11; P=0.003) were independent predictors of silent CAD. When comparing patients meeting criteria for metabolic syndrome defined by either NCEP-R or IDF, the prevalence of silent CAD was not statistically different (P=0.86). The prevalence of silent CAD associated with a high WC was not inferior to that seen between silent CAD and metabolic syndrome as defined by either criterion. Last, among patients with metabolic syndrome defined by NCEP-R, those with a high WC as a defining component of metabolic syndrome had a higher prevalence of silent CAD (30% vs. 20%; P=0.026). CONCLUSION: A WC ≥94 cm in males is independently associated with an increased prevalence of silent CAD. In patients with metabolic syndrome, this prevalence is increased by the presence of high WC.

Incremental prognostic value of echocardiography in patients with prior mitral valve surgery.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Patients with prior mitral valve surgery are at increased risk for events late after surgery. The study aim was to investigate the value of assessing clinical variables, and left and right heart anatomy and function, to predict outcome in these patients. METHODS: Two-dimensional echocardiography, Doppler echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) were performed in 84 patients at a mean of 7.3 +/- 7.1 years after mitral valve surgery. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 50 +/- 15%, and 30% of patients were in NYHA class III/IV (congestive heart failure; CHF). Follow up was obtained for events that included repeat mitral or tricuspid valve surgery, and death. RESULTS: During a follow up period of 4.3 +/- 2.0 years, 28 patients suffered events, the univariate clinical predictors of which were NYHA class, calcium antagonist therapy, hyperlipidemia, and tobacco smoking. Left heart predictors included the mean mitral valve gradient (MMVG), left atrial volume index, and lateral wall TDI systolic velocity. Right heart predictors were atrial and right ventricular (RV) dimensions, RV systolic pressure, tricuspid regurgitation (TR) severity, RV free wall TDI E-velocity and E/e' ratio. Multivariate analysis showed that NYHA class (p = 0.02; RR 1.8 (1.1-2.9)), MMVG (p < 0.001; RR 1.16 (1.08-1.24)) and RV dimensions (p = 0.001; RR = 3.2 (1.7-6.2)) were independent predictors of events. A step-wise analysis of independent predictors showed that MMVG added an incremental value to NYHA class (p = 0.003), while RV size added additional value (p = 0.007) to the combination of NYHA class and MMVG. CONCLUSION: Echocardiographic assessments of the left and right heart can add significant prognostic value to the clinical assessment of patients after mitral valve surgery.

Effect of improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction on long-term survival in revascularized patients with ischaemic left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

AIMS: The importance of improvement in the ejection fraction to the prognosis of revascularized patients with ischaemic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is uncertain. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighty-seven patients with ischaemic LV dysfunction (mean ejection fraction 29 ± 8% by biplane Simpson's) had dobutamine echocardiography before revascularization (coronary bypass graft surgery-81, percutaneous intervention-6). Follow-up echocardiograms were performed a mean of 4.8 ± 6.2 months after revascularization. An 8% increase in the ejection fraction was considered significant (two times the inter-observer difference of 3.7%). Patients were followed for cardiac death. During a mean follow-up of 5.2 ± 3.9 years, there were 20 (23%) cardiac deaths. Class 3/4 heart failure, increasing low-dose wall motion score, increasing % non-viable myocardium, and digoxin use in follow-up were univariate predictors of death. Beta-blocker use, ejection fraction improvement, angina, aspirin use, and increasing fractional shortening were univariate predictors of survival. Ejection fraction improvement [P= 0.02, hazard ratio (HR) = 0.26], digoxin use in follow-up (P= 0.006, HR = 5.85), and low-dose wall motion score (P= 0.017, HR = 4.78) were independent predictors of outcome. In step-wise analysis, low-dose wall motion score added incremental prognostic value to ejection fraction improvement (P= 0.003), and digoxin use in follow-up (P= 0.003) added incremental value to a low-dose score and ejection fraction improvement. CONCLUSION: Ejection fraction improvement is an independent predictor of long-term outcome in revascularized patients but viability (low-dose wall motion score) and digoxin use in follow-up are also independent predictors and add incremental prognostic value to ejection fraction improvement.

Metabolic syndrome does not predict an increased risk of coronary disease in patients with traditional risk factors referred for stress imaging study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of metabolic syndrome on the prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD) in subjects with multiple traditional risk factors is unknown. METHODS: We enrolled 2,626 consecutive subjects who underwent clinically indicated stress imaging studies using echocardiography or single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion. Patients with known CAD were excluded leaving 1256 subjects. Metabolic syndrome was defined by National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria. The number of traditional risk factors and the presence of metabolic syndrome were compared with the results of stress imaging. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the impact of metabolic syndrome on CAD prevalence in subjects with limited (or=3) risk factors. RESULTS: Metabolic syndrome was present in 540 (43%) of subjects. Presence of metabolic syndrome was associated with a nonsignificant 3%-4% increase in overall prevalence of CAD. Metabolic syndrome did not increase the prevalence of CAD in those with multiple (>or=3) traditional risk factors (metabolic syndrome 25% vs. no metabolic syndrome 21%, P = 0.62) or in those with limited (

Do cardioselective beta-adrenoceptor antagonists reduce mortality in diabetic patients with congestive heart failure?

BACKGROUND: The relative benefits of cardioselective beta-adrenoceptor antagonists (CSB) among patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and diabetes mellitus are not firmly established. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether diabetic patients with CHF accrue the same mortality benefit from CSB therapy as non-diabetic patients. METHOD: Between October 1999 and November 2000 consecutive patients with CHF at the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center in Indianapolis, IN, USA, were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial and prospectively followed for 5 years. Disease severity and CHF-specific functional status were obtained from patients at baseline. Medical records were accessed for data regarding co-morbidities, medications, and mortality. Propensity-score analysis was used to balance co-variates because of the observational nature of CSB use, given this was a post hoc analysis. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to compare survival between diabetic and non-diabetic patients stratified by whether they were or were not receiving CSB therapy. RESULTS: Of the 412 evaluable patients, 222 (54%) had diabetes and 212 (51%) were taking a CSB. At 5-year follow-up, 186 (45%) patients had died. In the multivariate analysis, using propensity scores to balance co-variates, CSB therapy was an independent predictor of survival in patients without diabetes (hazard ratio 0.60; p = 0.054) only. CONCLUSIONS: These results extend prior observations that patients with diabetes and CHF may not accrue the same mortality benefit from CSB therapy as patients without diabetes, and warrant further prospective investigation.

Diabetes and peripheral arterial disease in men: trends in prevalence, mortality, and effect of concomitant coronary disease.

BACKGROUND: Recent data on trends in diabetes mellitus (DM) prevalence and long-term effect on mortality in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) subjects is lacking. METHODS: All subjects discharged from any VA medical center between October 1990 to September 1997 with an International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 code for PAD and DM in the discharge summary were retrospectively identified. Demographic data were extracted from the database. Mortality data were obtained from the Beneficiary Information and Resource Locator. Outcome measures were age specific DM prevalence over time, and short-term and long-term mortality. RESULTS: Of 33, 629 patients with PAD, 9474 (29%) had DM. Diabetes mellitus subjects were less likely to be white and had more comorbidities. Mean length of hospital stay was greater for DM (22.3 d vs 18.7 days, P < 0.001). Mortality was higher for DM at 180 days (9.8% vs 8.4%, P < 0.001), 1 year (16.4% vs 13.7%, P < 0.001), and continues to increase at 8 years of follow-up. Logistic regression analysis showed no interaction between DM and coronary artery disease (CAD). CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes mellitus increases all-cause mortality in subjects with PAD starting at 6 months post-discharge and continues to be higher even at 8 years of follow-up. There was a lack of interaction of DM and CAD on mortality in this cohort of subjects with PAD.

Wall motion abnormalities with low-dose dobutamine predict a high risk of cardiac death in medically treated patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Severe and extensive coronary artery disease is the underlying cause of stress-induced wall motion abnormalities (SWMA) with low-dose (10 microg/kg/min) dobutamine suggesting that these abnormalities may identify those with poor outcome. HYPOTHESIS: We assessed the prognostic value of low-dose SWMA in medically treated patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. METHODS: Low- and peak-dose dobutamine echocardiography was performed in 235 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ejection fraction 31% +/- 8%) who were treated with medical therapy. The survival of patients with low-dose SWMA (n = 33) was compared with the survival of patients without ischemia (n = 85) and those with peak-dose SWMA (n = 117). RESULTS: There were 123 cardiac deaths (52%) during follow-up of 4.1 +/- 3.3 years. Multivariate predictors of cardiac death were age (p = 0.002, hazard ratio [HR]: 1.03), diabetes (p = 0.028, HR: 1.54), New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III, IV heart failure (p = 0.001, HR: 1.94), the presence of peak dose SWMA (p < 0.001, HR: 2.59), and low-dose SWMA (p = 0.005, HR: 2.28). Survival of patients without ischemia was significantly better than those with peak-dose SWMA (p < 0.0001) and those with low-dose SWMA (p = 0.001). The survival of patients with low-dose SWMA was the same as those with peak-dose SWMA (p = 0.89). CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose SWMA is an independent predictor of cardiac mortality in medically treated patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Patients with low-dose SWMA are at equivalent risk to those with peak-dose SWMA.