The association of disparities in neighborhood median household income and mortality in patients admitted to the hospital with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Lower neighborhood median household income (nMHI) is associated with increased adverse outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, its effect on mortality is yet unknown. METHODS: Data from the regional United States (U.S.) electronic medical records database, Research Action for Health Network (REACHnet), was extracted for adult patients with AF at Tulane Medical Center over 10 years. Annual nMHI & neighborhood high school graduation (HSG) data was collected from the US Census bureau. Only African Americans (AA) and Caucasians (CC) who had socioeconomic data were included. Low nMHI and low HSG were defined as ≤$25,000 & <90% respectively. High nMHI and HSG were defined as >$50,000 & ≥90% respectively. Primary endpoints were all cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality. Cox-proportional hazard ratios were used to evaluate the endpoints. RESULTS: We included 4616 patients diagnosed with AF. During a median follow up of 4.6 years, 434 patients died of which 32.7% patients had CV mortality. There was a stepwise decrease in incidence of both all-cause and CV mortality as nMHI increased. Patients with low nMHI had the greatest risk of all-cause mortality (HR 1.9, C.I. 1.2-3.2, P 0.004). The association between low nMHI and all-cause mortality persisted after adjusting for age, sex, race, HSG and stroke risk factors using CHA2DS2VASC, delta CHA2DS2VASC scores and oral anticoagulant use. CV mortality followed a similar trend as all-cause mortality, however, this association was not significant after adjusting for the above variables. Apart from low nMHI, CHA2DS2VASC delta CHA2DS2VASC were statistically significant independent predictors of both all-cause and CV mortality. CONCLUSION: Low nMHI is an independent risk factor for all cause and CV mortality in AF. Higher burden of co-morbidities is the driving force behind this disparity. Future studies should evaluate the role of educational and therapeutic intervention in these populations to reduce mortality.

COVID 19 in-hospital mortality, body mass index and obesity related conditions.

OBJECTIVE: Obese patients with respiratory failure need more intensive care and invasive mechanical ventilation than their non-obese counterparts. We aimed to evaluate the impact of body mass index and obesity related conditions on fatal outcome during a hospitalization for COVID-19. METHODS: From March 1 to April 30, 2020, 425 consecutive patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 were hospitalized at University Medical Center, in New Orleans. Clinical variables, comorbidities, and hospital course were extracted from electronic medical records. Special attention was given to obesity related conditions like hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Severe obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥35-<40 kg/m2 and morbid obesity as body mass index ≥40 kg/m2. Risk of mortality was determined by applying multivariate binary logistic regression modeling to risk factor variables (age, sex, race, and Charlson comorbid score). RESULTS: Patients were mostly African American (77.9%) and 51.0% were women. Age and Charlson comorbidity index scores averaged 60 (50-71 years) and 3.0 (1.25-5), respectively. In-hospital mortality was greater in morbidly obese than non-morbidly obese patients. Of the 64 severely obese patients, 16 had no obesity related conditions, and 48 had at least one obesity related condition: hypertension (60%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (28%), and dyslipidemia (20%). In-hospital mortality was greater in severely obese patients with than without at least one obesity related condition. CONCLUSION: During a hospitalization for COVID-19, severely obese patients with at least one obesity related condition and morbidly obese patients have a high mortality.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy for obesity-associated hypertension.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) reduce blood pressure (BP) in obese patients with hypertension (HTN). We compared the effect of RYGB and SG on BP in obese patients with HTN at a large-volume, private bariatric surgery center using a propensity score analysis. The measurement and management of BP were exclusively left to the patient's provider without any involvement of Tulane investigators. At month 1, RYGB and SG equally decreased: (1) mean body weight: 12.7 vs 13.2 kg (p=not significant (NS)) (2) systolic/diastolic BP: 8.5/5.3 vs 8.0/4.2 mm Hg (p=NS) and (3) average number of antihypertensive medications from 1.5 to 0.8 and from 1.6 to 0.6 per patient (p=NS). From month 1 to 12, BP remained unchanged after RYGB but tended to increase from month 6 to 12 after SG. Remission of HTN occurred in 52% and 44% of patients after RYGB and SG. In contrast to the full effect of RYGB and SG on BP at 1 month, body weight decreases steadily over 12 months after RYGB and SG. In conclusion, early after surgery, RYGB and SG equally reduce BP in obese patients with HTN. Thereafter, RYGB has a more sustained effect on BP than SG.

Bariatric Surgery and Hospitalization for Heart Failure in Morbidly Obese Patients.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery may improve heart failure outcome in morbidly obese patients. However, the safety of bariatric surgery has not been investigated in morbidly obese patients hospitalized for heart failure. We evaluated the effects of bariatric surgery on parameters of hospitalization for heart failure in morbidly obese patients. METHODS: We analyzed administrative discharge data of morbidly obese patients with heart failure as a primary diagnosis. Propensity score matching was performed to assess parameters of hospitalization in morbidly obese patients with and without a history of bariatric surgery. The discharges with diastolic heart failure codes were analyzed separately. RESULTS: Morbid obesity was coded in 4.4% of all discharges. Heart failure was the primary diagnosis in 6.0% of discharges with morbid obesity codes. Only 1% of discharges with morbid obesity and heart failure as primary diagnosis codes were coded for bariatric surgery. Length of stay (p < 0.001), in-hospital mortality (p < 0.001), and the estimated cost of hospitalizations (p < 0.007) were lower in discharges with than without bariatric surgery codes. Length of stay was shorter and in-hospital mortality was lower in discharges with codes for diastolic heart failure and bariatric surgery than with codes for only diastolic heart failure (p < 0.042 and p < 0.001 respectively). CONCLUSION: When hospitalized for heart failure, morbidly obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery fare as well as or slightly better than their counterparts who did not.

Racial disparity in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in hospitalized patients with diabetes 2005-2015: Potential warning signs for future U.S. public health.

INTRODUCTION: The pattern of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and diabetes driven hospitalizations in the United States (U.S.) is unclear. We attempted to identify the disparate outcome in race related ASCVD hospitalizations with comorbid diabetes. METHODS: Adults aged ≥40 years old with ASCVD (acute coronary syndrome (ACS), coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, or peripheral arterial disease (PAD)) as the first-listed diagnosis with comorbid diabetes as a secondary diagnosis were determined using the U.S. 2005-2015 National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample (NIS) data. The incidence of other modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking/substance abuse, obesity, and renal failure), in hospital procedures and outcomes was estimated. Complex samples multivariate regression was used to determine the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence Interval (CI) of risk associations and to determine patient comorbidity adjusted ASCVD related in-hospital mortality rate. RESULTS: The rate of total ASCVD hospitalizations with comorbid diabetes adjusted to the U.S. census population increased by 5.7% for black men compared to 4% for black women. There was a higher odd of an ASCVD hospitalization if there was comorbid hypertension (Odds Ratio (OR 1.29; 95% CI 95% 1.28-1.31), dyslipidemia (OR 2.03; 95% CI 2.01-2.05), renal failure (OR 1.84; 95% CI 1.82-1.86), and smoking/substance use disorder (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.29-1.33). White Women had the highest risk-adjusted incidence of ASCVD related in-hospital mortality (4.2%) relative to black women (3.9%), compared to white men (3.6%) and black men (3.5%) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Despite improving treatment options for ASCVD in the diabetic population, blacks with diabetes continue to have a higher hospitalization burden with a concomitant disparity in comorbid presentation and outcome. Further evaluation is the need to understand these associations.

Instantaneous wave-free ratio as an alternative to fractional flow reserve in assessment of moderate coronary stenoses: A meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy studies.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Fractional flow reserve (FFR) remains underutilized due to practical concerns related to the need for hyperemic agents. These concerns have prompted the study of instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR), a vasodilator-free index of coronary stenosis. Non-inferior cardiovascular outcomes have been demonstrated in two recent randomized clinic trials. We performed this meta-analysis to provide a necessary update of the diagnostic accuracy of iFR referenced to FFR based on the addition of eight more recent studies and 3727 more lesions. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Central, ProQuest, and Web of Science databases for full text articles published through May 31, 2017 to identify studies addressing the diagnostic accuracy of iFR referenced to FFR≤0.80. The following keywords were used: "instantaneous wave-free ratio" OR "iFR" AND "fractional flow reserve" OR "FFR." RESULTS: In total, 16 studies comprising 5756 lesions were identified. Pooled diagnostic accuracy estimates of iFR versus FFR≤0.80 were: sensitivity, 0.78 (95% CI, 0.76-0.79); specificity, 0.83 (0.81-0.84); positive likelihood ratio, 4.54 (3.85-5.35); negative likelihood ratio, 0.28 (0.24-0.32); diagnostic odds ratio, 17.38 (14.16-21.34); area under the summary receiver-operating characteristic curve, 0.87; and an overall diagnostic accuracy of 0.81 (0.78-0.84). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, iFR showed excellent agreement with FFR as a resting index of coronary stenosis severity without the undesired effects and cost of hyperemic agents. When considering along with its clinical outcome data and ease of application, the diagnostic accuracy of iFR supports its use as a suitable alternative to FFR for physiology-guided revascularization of moderate coronary stenoses. SUMMARY: We performed a meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of iFR referenced to FFR. iFR showed excellent agreement with FFR as a resting index of coronary stenosis severity without the undesired effects and cost of hyperemic agents. This supports its use as a suitable alternative to FFR for physiology-guided revascularization of moderate coronary stenoses.

Covalent attachment of P15 peptide to titanium surfaces enhances cell attachment, spreading, and osteogenic gene expression.

P15, a synthetic 15 amino acid peptide, mimics the cell-binding domain within the alpha-1 chain of human collagen is being tested in clinical trials to determine if it enhances bone formation in spinal fusions. We hypothesize that covalent attachment of P15 to titanium implants may also serve to promote osseointegration. To test this hypothesis, we measured osteoblast and mesenchymal cell adhesion, proliferation, and maturation on P15 tethered to a titanium (Ti-P15) surface. P15 peptide was covalently bonded to titanium alloy surfaces and incubated with osteoblast like cells. Cell toxicity, adhesion, spreading, and differentiation was then evaluated. Real-time quantitative PCR, Western blot analysis, and fluorescent immunohistochemistry was performed to measure osteoblast gene expression and differentiation. There was no evidence of toxicity. Significant increases in early cell attachment, spreading, and proliferation were observed on the Ti-P15 surface. Increased filapodial attachments, α(2) integrin expression, and phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase immunostaining indicated activation of integrin signaling pathways. qRT-PCR analysis indicated there was significant increase in osteogenic differentiation markers in cells grown on Ti-P15 compared to control-Ti. Western blotting confirmed these findings. Surface modification of titanium with P15 significantly increased cell attachment, spreading, osteogenic gene expression, and differentiation. Results of this study suggest that Ti-P15 has the potential to safely enhance bone formation and promote osseointegration of titanium implants.