Albuminuria improves R2CHA2DS2-VASc score in predicting mortality in high cardiovascular risk population.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The CHA2DS2-VASc score estimates the risk of cardioembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). It also predicts vascular events and death in different clinical settings, even in the absence of AF. The R2CHA2DS2-VASc score, obtained by adding the glomerular filtration rate to CHA2DS2-VASc, shows a higher prediction ability for new events and all-cause mortality. The present study aims to assess whether the addition of albuminuria to R2CHA2DS2-VASc score further improves its discrimination ability in predicting all-cause mortality in a sample of high cardiovascular risk population. METHODS AND RESULTS: Prospective, monocentric, observational study, evaluating a subset of 737 subjects consecutively undergoing to coronary angiography at Coronary Unit of Scientific Institute "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" from June 2016 to December 2018. The presence of albuminuria was significantly associated with all-cause mortality (p < 0.0001). Any one-point increase of Alb-R2CHA2DS2-VASc score increased mortality of about 1.5-fold (adjusted HR 1.49; 95%CI: 1.37-1.63; p < 0.0001). Considering tertiles of Alb-R2CHA2DS2-VASc, the third tertile showed a 9.5-fold increased risk of mortality (HR 9.52; 95% CI: 5.15-17.60, p < 0.001). Comparing the two scores, the Alb-R2CHA2DS2-VASc score (C-statistic = 0.751; 95%CI: 0.69-0.81) outperformed the R2-CHA2DS2-VASc score (C-statistic = 0.736; 95%CI: 0.68-0.961) in predicting mortality (delta C-statistic = 0.015; 95%CI: 0.001-0.029). The better prediction ability of the Alb-R2CHA2DS2-VASc score was also proven by an IDI of 0.024 (p < 0.0001) and a relative IDI of 24.11% (p < 0.0001), with an NRI = 0.608 (p < 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of albuminuria to R2CHA2DS2-VASc significantly and independently predicts the risk of all-cause mortality in a sample of high CV risk patients. Moreover, Alb-R2CHA2DS2-VASc outperforms R2CHA2DS2-VASc.

Identifying Predictors Associated with Risk of Death or Admission to Intensive Care Unit in Internal Medicine Patients with Sepsis: A Comparison of Statistical Models and Machine Learning Algorithms.

Background: Sepsis is a time-dependent disease: the early recognition of patients at risk for poor outcome is mandatory. Aim: To identify prognostic predictors of the risk of death or admission to intensive care units in a consecutive sample of septic patients, comparing different statistical models and machine learning algorithms. Methods: Retrospective study including 148 patients discharged from an Italian internal medicine unit with a diagnosis of sepsis/septic shock and microbiological identification. Results: Of the total, 37 (25.0%) patients reached the composite outcome. The sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score at admission (odds ratio (OR): 1.83; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.41-2.39; p < 0.001), delta SOFA (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.28-2.10; p < 0.001), and the alert, verbal, pain, unresponsive (AVPU) status (OR: 5.96; 95% CI: 2.13-16.67; p < 0.001) were identified through the multivariable logistic model as independent predictors of the composite outcome. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.894; 95% CI: 0.840-0.948. In addition, different statistical models and machine learning algorithms identified further predictive variables: delta quick-SOFA, delta-procalcitonin, mortality in emergency department sepsis, mean arterial pressure, and the Glasgow Coma Scale. The cross-validated multivariable logistic model with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalty identified 5 predictors; and recursive partitioning and regression tree (RPART) identified 4 predictors with higher AUC (0.915 and 0.917, respectively); the random forest (RF) approach, including all evaluated variables, obtained the highest AUC (0.978). All models' results were well calibrated. Conclusions: Although structurally different, each model identified similar predictive covariates. The classical multivariable logistic regression model was the most parsimonious and calibrated one, while RPART was the easiest to interpret clinically. Finally, LASSO and RF were the costliest in terms of number of variables identified.

Abdominal Lymphadenopathies: Lymphoma, Brucellosis or Tuberculosis? Multidisciplinary Approach-Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Abdominal pain represents a frequent symptom for referral to emergency departments and/or internal medicine outpatient setting. Similarly, fever, fatigue and weight loss are non-specific manifestations of disease. The present case describes the diagnostic process in a patient with abdominal pain and a palpable abdominal mass. Abdominal ultrasonography confirmed the presence of a mass in the mesogastrium. Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans oriented toward calcific lymphadenopathies with increased metabolism in the positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan. Laboratory examinations were inconclusive, although serology for Brucella and the Quantiferon test were positive. After multidisciplinary discussion, the patient underwent surgical excision of the abdominal mass. Histological examination excluded malignancies and oriented toward brucellosis in a patient with latent tuberculosis. The patient was treated with rifampin 600 mg qd and doxycycline 100 mg bid for 6 weeks with resolution of the symptoms. In addition, rifampin was continued for a total of 6 months in order to treat latent tuberculosis. This case underlines the need for a multidisciplinary approach in the diagnostic approach to abdominal lymphadenopathies.

CHA2DS2-VASc and R2CHA2DS2-VASc scores predict mortality in high cardiovascular risk population.

BACKGROUND: The CHA2 DS2 -VASc score, widely used to estimate cardioembolic risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), appears to be useful also in predicting vascular adverse events and death in different sets of patients without AF. The R2 CHA2 DS2 -VASc score, which includes renal impairment, allows a better prediction of death and thromboembolism in patients without AF. The aims of our study were to assess, in a large sample of patients at high cardiovascular (CV) risk, (i) the correlation between CHA2 DS2 -VASc and R2 CHA2 DS2 -VASc with all-cause mortality, and (ii) to compare the performances of CHA2 DS2 -VASc and R2 CHA2 DS2 -VASc in predicting all-cause mortality. METHODS: In this single-centre prospective observational study, conducted at the Research Hospital 'Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza' between June 2016 and December 2018, 1017 CV patients at high risk of undergoing coronary angiography were enrolled. RESULTS: CHA2DS2-VASc and R2 CHA2 DS2 -VASc scores significantly associated with all-cause mortality. For each one-point increase in CHA2 DS2 -VASc or R2 CHA2 DS2 -VASc scores, mortality increased by almost 1.5-fold. The R2 CHA2 DS2 -VASc score (C-statistic = 0.71; 95% CI = 0.65-76) outperformed the CHA2 DS2 -VASc score (C-statistic = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.61-0.71) in predicting 4-year mortality (delta C-statistic = 0.05; 95% CI = 0.02-0.07). The better predictive ability of the R-CHA2 DS2 -VASc score was also demonstrated by an IDI = 0.027 (95% CI = 0.021-0.034, p < .00001) and a relative IDI = 62.8% (95% CI = 47.9%-81.3%, p < .00001). The R2 CHA2 DS2 -VASc score correctly reclassified the patients with a NRI = 0.715 (95% = 0.544-0.940, p < .00001). CONCLUSIONS: The CHA2DS2-VASc and R2 CHA2 DS2 -VASc scores are useful predictors of all-cause mortality in subjects at high CV risk, with the R2 CHA2 DS2 -VASc score being the best performer.

Low eGFR and albuminuria independently predict all-cause mortality in high-risk subjects undergoing coronary arteriography.

Individuals with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) are at high risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between renal dysfunction and all-cause mortality in a sample of subjects undergoing coronary angiography (CA). We evaluated 1017 subjects who consecutively underwent CA. Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated by CKD-EPI and urinary albumin excretion reported as urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio. Vital status was ascertained by interrogating the Italian Health Card Database. One-thousand-seventeen subjects (759 M/258F) were enrolled into the study from 2016 to 2018. One-hundred-fourteen deaths occurred during a median follow-up of 44 months. The whole population was divided in two subgroups according to the presence/absence of low eGFR (i.e. < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2). Subjects with low baseline eGFR had a worse clinical profile than subjects with preserved kidney function. The risk of death in subjects with eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 was almost three times higher than in subjects with preserved kidney function: fully adjusted HR 2.70 (95% CI 1.56-4.67). The presence of albuminuria also predicted a high risk of death: fully adjusted HR 2.09 (95% CI 1.17-3.73) and HR 4.26 (95% CI 2.18-8.33), microalbuminuria or macroalbuminuria, respectively, being normoalbuminuria the reference group. Again, the increased risk remained significant after adjusting for several potential confounders. In conclusion, kidney disease measures (i.e. low eGFR or albuminuria) independently predict increased risk for all-cause death in a large sample of subjects undergoing CA. These results have a relevant clinical impact.

Low GFR amplifies the association between coronary three-vessel disease and all-cause mortality.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Three vessels disease (3VD) has been associated with worse prognosis and higher mortality. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an independent risk factor for premature death, mostly due to coronary artery disease (CAD). We aim to examine the prognostic impact of 3VD on all-cause mortality in a cohort of high cardiovascular risk subjects undergoing coronary angiography (CA) and to explore whether low eGFR (<60 ml/min/1.73 m2) modulates the risk of all-cause mortality associated to 3VD. METHODS AND RESULTS: One-thousand-seventeen subjects (759 M, mean age 68.4 ± 11 years) consecutive subjects undergoing CA from 2016 to 2018 were evaluated. Subjects were classified according to the severity of CAD as follows: group "three vessels disease" (3VD), and "no three vessels disease" (No 3VD). Serum creatinine was measured to estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The whole population was divided into 4 groups (A, B, C, D), according to the presence/absence of low eGFR and/or 3VD. One-hundred-fourteen deaths occurred (median follow-up:44 months). The risk of death in subjects with 3VD was almost 2-time higher than subject without 3VD (adjusted HR = 1.61; 95% CI 1.094-2.373, p = 0.0157). Among 4 subgroups, subjects with low eGFR and 3VD (Group D) had the highest risk of death (adjusted HR = 3.881; 95% CI 2.256-6.676, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Low eGFR significantly amplifies the risk of all-cause mortality associated to 3VD. Our results strengthen the role of kidney disease as a risk multiplier for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality and highlight the need to prevent its onset and progression.

Low eGFR Is a Strong Predictor of Worse Outcome in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

BACKGROUND: The clinical course of COVID-19 is more severe in elderly patients with cardio-metabolic co-morbidities. Chronic kidney disease is considered an independent cardiovascular risk factor. We aimed to evaluate the impact of reduced eGFR on the composite outcome of admission to ICU and death in a sample of consecutive COVID-19 hospitalized patients. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated clinical records of a consecutive sample of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. A total of 231 patients were considered for statistical analysis. The whole sample was divided in two groups on the basis of eGFR value, e.g., ≥ or <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Patients with low eGFR were further divided among those with a history of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and those without (AKI, acute kidney injury). The primary outcome was a composite of admission to ICU or death, whichever occurred first. The single components were secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Seventy-nine (34.2%) patients reached the composite outcome. A total of 64 patients (27.7%) died during hospitalization, and 41 (17.7%) were admitted to the ICU. A significantly higher number of events was present among patients with low eGFR (p < 0.0001). Age (p < 0.001), SpO2 (p < 0.001), previous anti-platelet treatment (p = 0.006), Charlson's Comorbidities Index (p < 0.001), serum creatinine (p < 0.001), eGFR (p = 0.003), low eGFR (p < 0.001), blood glucose levels (p < 0.001), and LDH (p = 0.003) were significantly associated with the main outcome in univariate analysis. Low eGFR (HR 1.64, 95% CI 1.02-2.63, p = 0.040) and age (HR per 5 years 1.22, 95% CI 1.10-1.36, p < 0.001) were significantly and independently associated with the main outcome in the multivariate model. Patients with AKI showed an increased hazard ratio to reach the combined outcome (p = 0.059), while those patients with both CKD had a significantly higher probability of developing the combined outcome (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with reduced eGFR at admission should be considered at high risk for clinical deterioration and death, requiring the best supportive treatment in order to prevent the worst outcome.

Pulmonary Artery Stump Thrombosis: To Treat or Not to Treat? The Question Is Still Open. Description of a Case and Review of the Literature.

Pulmonary artery stump thrombosis (PAST) represents a possible complication after lung surgery. We report the case of a 59-year-old man who presented with dyspnoea about 4 years after right pneumonectomy due to squamous cell lung cancer. A CT-scan showed the presence of pulmonary artery stump thrombosis. Although there was no evidence of pulmonary embolism, given the clinical features and radiological shape of the thrombus, anticoagulation treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin was started with improvement of symptoms. The patient was discharged on anticoagulant treatment and a pulmonary CT-scan performed 4 months later showed an almost complete resolution of the PAST. Pathophysiological mechanisms of PAST are still unknown, although several hypotheses have been proposed. However, the decision to treat PAST with anticoagulants is still controversial. A review of literature will be provided in order to discuss risk factors, possible etiologies and to highlight clinical and radiological characteristics that could suggest to treat this condition, in particular when there is an increased risk of complications.

Diagnosis of COVID-19 in Patients with Negative Nasopharyngeal Swabs: Reliability of Radiological and Clinical Diagnosis and Accuracy Versus Serology.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) relies on the positivity of nasopharyngeal swab. However, a significant percentage of symptomatic patients may test negative. We evaluated the reliability of COVID-19 diagnosis made by radiologists and clinicians and its accuracy versus serology in a sample of patients hospitalized for suspected COVID-19 with multiple negative swabs. METHODS: Admission chest CT-scans and clinical records of swab-negative patients, treated according to the COVID-19 protocol or deceased during hospitalization, were retrospectively evaluated by two radiologists and two clinicians, respectively. RESULTS: Of 254 patients, 169 swab-confirmed cases and one patient without chest CT-scan were excluded. A total of 84 patients were eligible for the reliability study. Of these, 21 patients died during hospitalization; the remaining 63 underwent serological testing and were eligible for the accuracy evaluation. Of the 63, 26 patients showed anti-Sars-Cov-2 antibodies, while 37 did not. The inter-rater agreement was "substantial" (kappa 0.683) between radiologists, "moderate" (kappa 0.454) between clinicians, and only "fair" (kappa 0.341) between radiologists and clinicians. Both radiologic and clinical evaluations showed good accuracy compared to serology. CONCLUSIONS: The radiologic and clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 for swab-negative patients proved to be sufficiently reliable and accurate to allow a diagnosis of COVID-19, which needs to be confirmed by serology and follow-up.

Atherogenic dyslipidemia and diabetic nephropathy.

Chronic kidney disease is associated with altered lipid metabolism and lipid accumulation. Although it is though that hyperlipemia is a consequence of kidney dysfunction, several lines of evidence support that hyperlipidemia may contribute to the onset and progression of kidney disease, also in diabetes. This review describes the results of recent observational studies supporting the concept that glucose is only partly responsible for kidney damage onset, while a cluster of factors, including hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL-cholesterol, could play a relevant role in inducing onset and progression of DKD. We also report the results of randomized clinical trials investigating in type 2 diabetic patients the role of drug improvement of hypertriglyceridemia on renal outcomes. Finally, we discuss putative mechanisms linking hyperlipidemia (i.e. hypertriglyceridemia or low HDL cholesterol) with kidney disease.

Electrocardiographic alterations and raised procalcitonin levels during anaphylactic shock.

Anaphylaxis represents a systemic disease occurring after the exposure to an allergen. Drugs for the treatment of anaphylactic reactions (ie, corticosteroids and adrenalin) could induce autonomic alterations, such as tachycardia, hyperthermia, tachypnoea and leucocytosis. We describe the case of a 52-year-old woman presenting with a severe allergic reaction after the ingestion of amoxicillin-clavulanate. The occurrence of ECG alterations, laboratory abnormalities and procalcitonin (PCT) elevation will be discussed with particular emphasis on the possible misleading role of PCT during anaphylactic shock.

The use of procalcitonin for the management of sepsis in Internal Medicine wards: current evidence.

Procalcitonin (PCT) is a circulating polypeptide produced in response to bacterial infections. Studies conducted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) setting have demonstrated its utility as a biomarker of bacterial infection and sepsis. Thus, PCT is widely used to distinguish between sepsis and SIRS, and to guide antibiotic therapy. At present sepsis represents a frequent diagnosis among patients admitted to internal medicine (IM) departments. Basing on the knowledge derived from ICU studies, the use of PCT has become routine in non-intensive wards, contributing to improve the management of sepsis. However, some differences between the two populations of patients - the IM being older, affected by multiple chronic comorbidities and lacking of invasive monitoring - could limit the generalizability of ICU results. Most of the studies on PCT conducted in the IM setting have focused on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia and sepsis. Although PCT represents one of the best biomarker available in routine clinical practice, there are uncertainties on the optimal cut-offs to be used for starting or discontinuing antibiotic treatment in patients with suspected bacterial infection or sepsis, for predicting outcome and on the role of PCT variations during antibiotic treatment. Moreover, several diseases can produce an elevation of PCT levels, thus producing false positive results. This represents a narrative review summarizing current evidences on PCT for the management of sepsis in an Internal Medicine wards, highlighting differences with ICU, with a special focus on the role of PCT variations as predictor of outcomes in non-ICU wards.

Impact of CVOTs in primary and secondary prevention of kidney disease.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of end stage renal disease worldwide. Diabetic kidney disease, whose main clinical manifestations are albuminuria and decline of glomerular filtration rate, affects up to 40% of patients. Sodium Glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2-is) and Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1ras) are new classes of anti-hyperglycemic drugs which have demonstrated to improve renal outcome. Renal benefits of both SGLT2-is and GLP-1ras are acknowledged from data of large randomized phase III clinical trials conducted to assess their cardiovascular safety. In this review, we will focus on renal results of major cardiovascular outcome trials, and we will describe direct and indirect mechanisms through which they confer renal protection.

Five-Year Predictors of Insulin Initiation in People with Type 2 Diabetes under Real-Life Conditions.

We performed a real-life analysis of clinical and laboratory parameters, in orally treated T2DM patients aiming at identifying predictors of insulin treatment initiation. Overall, 366955 patients (55.8% males, age 65 ± 11 years, diabetes duration 7 ± 8 years) were followed up between 2004 and 2011. Each patient was analyzed step-by-step until either eventually starting insulin treatment or getting to the end of the follow-up period. Patients switching to insulin showed a worse global risk profile, longer disease duration (10 ± 9 years vs. 6 ± 7 years, respectively; p < 0.001), higher HbA1c (8.0 ± 1.6% vs. 7.2 ± 1.5%, respectively; p < 0.001), higher triglycerides, a greater prevalence of arterial hypertension, antihypertensive, lipid-lowering and aspirin treatment, a higher rate of nonproliferative/proliferative retinopathy, and a nearly 4 times lower prevalence of the "diet alone." They also showed a higher prevalence of subjects with eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (24.0% vs. 16.2%, respectively; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified diabetes duration, HbA1c, triglyceride and low HDL-C values, presence of retinopathy or renal dysfunction, and sulphonylurea utilization (the risk being approximately 3 times greater in the latter case) as independent predictors of insulin treatment initiation. LDL-C, lipid-lowering treatment, and overweight/obese seem to be protective. Results of tree analysis showed that patients on sulphonylurea, with high HbA1c, eGFR below 50 ml/min/1.73 m2, and at least 5-year disease duration, are at very high risk to start insulin treatment. We have to stick to this real-life picture, of course, until enough data are collected on patients treated with innovative medications which are expected to improve beta cell survival and further delay treatment-related insulin requirement.

Assessment of Skeletal Muscle Mass in Older People: Comparison Between 2 Anthropometry-Based Methods and Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry.

OBJECTIVES: Sarcopenia is a common geriatric syndrome, whose diagnosis implies the assessment of muscle mass. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the reference method for clinical practice, but it is not universally available. We compared DXA with 2 anthropometry-based methods to assess muscle mass in older adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Ambulatory patients. PARTICIPANTS: 148 (87 female and 61 male) white older adults. MEASUREMENTS: Mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC), whole skeletal muscle mass estimated by the Lee's formula (eTSMM), and relative skeletal muscle index (RSMI). RESULTS: Men and women did not differ for MAMC and RSMI, whereas eTSMM was higher (P < .001) in men. MAMC and eTSMM correlated with RSMI, in the whole sample as in men and women separately (P < .001). According to the McNemar test, the frequencies of older men and women with low muscle mass identified by eTSMM did not differ from those detected by RSMI (P = .066) at variance with MAMC. Using EWGSOP (European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People) criteria for RSMI as standard reference, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves provided redefined cut-offs of reduced muscle mass: 18.6 cm in women and 22.3 cm in men for MAMC, and 17.7 kg in women and 28.3 kg in men for eTSMM. The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) for MAMC were 0.882 in women (sensitivity 89%, specificity 84%) and 0.826 in men (sensitivity 94%, specificity 67%). The AUCs for eTSMM were 0.8913 in women (sensitivity 95%, specificity 81%) and 0.878 in men (sensitivity 97%, specificity 67%). No significant difference was found between the ROC curves of MAMC and eTSMM in both sexes. CONCLUSION: Two simple anthropometric methods, possibly used in every clinical setting, could be valuable screening tools for low muscle mass in older subjects.

Publisher Correction: Predictors of chronic kidney disease in type 1 diabetes: a longitudinal study from the AMD Annals initiative.

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