Sex-specific clinical outcomes after cardiac resynchronization therapy in left bundle branch block-associated idiopathic nonischemic cardiomyopathy: A NEOLITH II substudy.

BACKGROUND: Sex differences in clinical outcomes for left bundle branch block (LBBB)-associated idiopathic nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) are not well described. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study at an academic medical center included subjects with LBBB-associated idiopathic NICM who received CRT. Cox regression analyses estimated the hazard ratios (HRs) between sex and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: In 123 total subjects (mean age 62 years, mean initial left ventricular ejection fraction 22.8%, 76% New York Heart Association class III, and 98% CRT-defibrillators), 55 (45%) were men and 68 (55%) were women. The median follow-up time after CRT was 72.4 months. Similar risk for adverse clinical events (heart failure hospitalization, appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shock, appropriate antitachycardia pacing therapy, ventricular assist device implantation, heart transplantation, and death) was observed between men and women (HR, 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57-2.51; p = 0.63). This persisted in multivariable analyses. Men and women had similar risk for all-cause mortality in univariable analysis, but men had higher risk in the final multivariable model that adjusted for age at diagnosis, QRS duration, and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension index (HR, 4.55; 95% CI, 1.26-16.39; p = 0.02). The estimated 5-year mortality was 9.5% for men and 6.9% for women. CONCLUSIONS: In LBBB-associated idiopathic NICM, men have higher risk for all-cause mortality after CRT when compared to women.

Myocardial recovery after cardiac resynchronization therapy in left bundle branch block-associated idiopathic nonischemic cardiomyopathy: A NEOLITH II substudy.

BACKGROUND: Baseline predictors of myocardial recovery after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in left bundle branch block (LBBB)-associated idiopathic nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) are unknown. METHODS: A retrospective study included subjects with idiopathic NICM, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35%, and LBBB. Myocardial recovery was defined as post-CRT LVEF ≥50%. Logistic regression analyses described associations between baseline characteristics and myocardial recovery. Cox regression analyses estimated the hazard ratio (HR) between myocardial recovery status and adverse clinical events. RESULTS: In 105 subjects (mean age 61 years, 44% male, mean initial LVEF 22.6% ± 6.6%, 81% New York Heart Association class III, and 98% CRT-defibrillators), myocardial recovery after CRT was observed in 56 (54%) subjects. Hypertension, heart rate, and serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) had negative associations with myocardial recovery in univariable analyses. These associations persisted in multivariable analysis: hypertension (odds ratio (OR), 0.40; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.17-0.95; p = 0.04), heart rate (OR per 10 bpm, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.48-0.997; p = 0.048), and serum BUN (OR per 1 mg/dl, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.88-0.99; p = 0.04). Subjects with post-CRT LVEF ≥50%, when compared to <50%, had lower risk for adverse clinical events (heart failure hospitalization, appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shock, appropriate anti-tachycardia pacing therapy, ventricular assist device implantation, heart transplantation, and death) over a median follow-up of 75.9 months (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.16-0.88; p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: In LBBB-associated idiopathic NICM, myocardial recovery after CRT was associated with absence of hypertension, lower heart rate, and lower serum BUN. Those with myocardial recovery had fewer adverse clinical events.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers versus defibrillators in older non-ischemic cardiomyopathy patients.

INTRODUCTION: With the recent publication of the negative DANISH trial, the mortality benefit of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has been put in question in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM). Because a majority of patients in DANISH receive cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices, we investigated in the present study the survival of recipients of CRT pacemakers (CRT-P) versus CRT ICDs (CRT-D) in a cohort of older (≥75 years) NICM patients at our institution. METHODS: A total of 135 NICM patients with CRT device were identified (42 with CRT-P and 93 with CRT-D) and were followed to the endpoint of all-cause mortality. Overall survival was compared between the CRT-P and CRT-D groups with adjustment for differences in baseline characteristics. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 46 months from the time of CRT device implantation, there were 54 total deaths (40%): 14 in the CRT-P (33%) and 40 in the CRT-D (43%) groups. Overall, CRT-P recipients had similar unadjusted mortality compared to CRT-D recipients (hazard ratio [HR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56-1.93), and this remained unchanged after adjusting for unbalanced covariates (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.47-1.89) including left ventricular ejection fraction, used of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, and the Charlson comorbidity index. CONCLUSION: Our data support that in older NICM patients with CRT devices, the addition of ICD therapy does not improve survival.

Causes and predictors of 30-day readmission after cardiovascular implantable electronic devices implantation: Insights from Nationwide Readmissions Database.

INTRODUCTION: Readmissions are a burden on health care resources and have negative impact on patients. Cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) are frequently used in the management of rhythm disorders and advanced heart failure. We assessed 30-day readmissions in patients admitted for CIED implantation in a sample of United States patients. METHODS: Data were extracted from Nationwide Readmissions Database for calendar year 2013. Patients admitted for CIED implantation were identified using ICD-9 codes. Patients <18 years of age, with missing data, who died during hospitalization or discharged in December were excluded. Primary endpoint was all-cause 30-day readmission rate. Factors associated with 30-day readmissions were identified and examined using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: We identified 320,783 admissions for CIED implantations. After applying exclusion criteria, 290,420 patients were included in final analysis, out of whom 45,467 (15.7%) patients were readmitted within 30 days. Readmitted patients were younger and had more comorbidities. Septicemia (5.1%), pneumonia (3.4%), CHF (2.35%), and paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia (2.3%) were common primary causes of 30-day readmission. Young age, female gender, key comorbidities, weekend admissions, and admission to medium and large size hospital were independent predictors of 30-day readmissions. CONCLUSION: In our study, 15.7% patients were readmitted within 30 days of an index admission for CIED implantation. Most readmissions were due to infectious or cardiovascular causes. There is a need to identify patients at risk for readmission to improve outcomes and curb the cost of care.

Pulmonary vascular resistance determines mortality in end-stage renal disease patients with pulmonary hypertension.

The multifactorial etiology of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) includes patients with and without elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). We explored the prognostic implication of this distinction by evaluating pretransplant ESRD patients who underwent right heart catheterization and echocardiography. Demographics, clinical data, and test results were analyzed. All-cause mortality data were obtained. Median follow-up was 4 years. Of the 150 patients evaluated, echocardiography identified 99 patients (66%) with estimated pulmonary artery (PA) systolic pressure > 36 mm Hg, which correlated poorly with mortality (HR = 1.28, 95% CI 0.72-2.27, P = .387). Right heart catheterization identified 88 (59%) patients with mean PA pressure ≥ 25 mm Hg. Of these, 70 had PVR ≤ 3 Wood units and 18 had PVR > 3 Wood units. Survival analysis demonstrated a significant prognostic effect of an elevated PVR in patients with high mean PA pressures (HR = 2.26, 95% CI 1.07-4.77, P = .03), while patients with high mean PA pressure and normal PVR had equivalent survival to those with normal PA pressure. Despite the high prevalence of PH in ESRD patients, elevated PVR is uncommon and is a determinant of prognosis in patients with PH. Patients with normal PVR had survival equivalent to those with normal PA pressures.

New-onset left bundle branch block-associated idiopathic nonischemic cardiomyopathy and time from diagnosis to cardiac resynchronization therapy: The NEOLITH II study.

BACKGROUND: The optimal timing for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) after diagnosis of new-onset left bundle branch block (LBBB)-associated idiopathic nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) and treatment with guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe relationships between time from diagnosis to CRT and outcomes in new-onset LBBB-associated idiopathic NICM with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35%. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study examined associations between time from diagnosis to CRT (≤9 months vs >9 months) and clinical and echocardiographic outcomes. RESULTS: In 123 subjects with LBBB-associated idiopathic NICM, time from diagnosis to CRT was ≤9 months in 60 (49%) subjects and 9 months in 63 (51%) subjects. Clinical outcomes were similar for those implanted ≤9 months versus >9 months for adverse clinical events (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41-1.78; P = 0.67) and all-cause mortality (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.19-1.70; P = 0.31). Multivariable analyses demonstrated similar results. In 105 subjects with post-CRT echocardiograms, LVEF improvement to >35% was more likely in those implanted ≤9 months when compared to >9 months (odds ratio [OR], 3.53; 95% CI, 1.32-9.46; P = 0.01). This association persisted in the final multivariable model adjusted for age at diagnosis, sex, QRS duration, post-GDMT LVEF, and time from CRT to post-CRT echocardiogram (OR, 5.10; 95% CI, 1.71-15.22; P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: In LBBB-associated idiopathic NICM, earlier CRT implantation was associated with more favorable cardiac remodeling. Delaying CRT may miss a critical period to halt and reverse progressive myocardial damage.

Outcomes of mitral valve surgery during concomitant aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluates outcomes of mitral valve surgery (MVS), replacement (MVR), and repair (MVr), during concomitant aortic valve replacement (AVR). METHODS: Patients undergoing MVS with concomitant AVR between 2011 and 2017 at a single center were reviewed. Patients were stratified into MVR versus MVr with concomitant AVR. Outcomes included early and midterm mortality, hospital re-admissions, re-operations, and complications. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used for risk-adjustment. RESULTS: Four hundred twenty-four patients underwent MVS with concomitant AVR: 247 (58.3%) MVr and 177 (41.7%) MVR. In unadjusted analysis, there was a non-significant increase in 30-day mortality with MVR, with no differences in 1- and 5-year mortality (30-day: 5.6% vs 10.1%, P = 0.081; 1-year: 14% vs 18.2%, P = 0.181; 5-year: 35.1% vs 37.8%, P = 0.232). Freedom from re-admission and mitral reoperation were comparable. Freedom from at least moderate mitral regurgitation at 5 years was 78% in MVr patients. Those undergoing MVR had increased postoperative blood transfusions, acute renal failure, and pleural effusions requiring drainage (P each <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MVr can be performed during concomitant AVR without an adverse impact on longer-term outcomes, including mortality, re-admissions, and mitral reoperations. The majority of patients have durable repairs at 5 years although durability is less than that reported in isolated MVS.

Trends in atrial fibrillation hospitalizations in the United States: A report using data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey.

AIMS: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. Patients presenting with AF are often admitted to hospital for rhythm or rate control, symptom management, and/or anticoagulation. We investigated temporal trends in AF hospitalizations in United States from 1996 to 2010. METHODS: Data were obtained from the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS), a national probability sample survey of discharges conducted annually by National Center for Health Statistics. Because of the survey design, sampling weights were applied to the raw NHDS data to produce national estimates. Hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of AF were identified using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code of 427.31. Weighted least squares regression was used to test for linear trends in the number of AF admissions, length of stay, and inpatient mortality. We further stratified AF admissions based on patients' age, gender, and race. RESULTS: Admissions for a primary diagnosis of AF increased from approximately 286,000 in 1996 to about 410,000 in 2010 with a significant linear trend (ß = 9470 additional admissions per year, p < 0.001). The trend of increased AF admissions was uniform across patient sub-groups. Overall, mean length of stay for AF admissions was 3.75 days, and this remained relatively stable over time (ß = 0.002 days, p = 0.884). Inpatient mortality was 0.96% and also remained stable over time (ß = 0.031%, p = 0.181). CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate an increase in the number of AF admissions but constant length of stay and mortality over time.

Cardiac amyloidosis is prevalent in older patients with aortic stenosis and carries worse prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive cardiac imaging allows detection of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) in patients with aortic stenosis (AS). Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of clinically suspected CA in patients with moderate and severe AS referred for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in age and gender categories, and assess associations between AS-CA and all-cause mortality. METHODS: We retrospectively identified consecutive AS patients defined by echocardiography referred for further CMR assessment of valvular, myocardial, and aortic disease. CMR identified CA based on typical late-gadolinium enhancement (LGE) patterns, and ancillary clinical evaluation identified suspected CA. Survival analysis with the Log rank test and Cox regression compared associations between CA and mortality. RESULTS: There were 113 patients (median age 74 years, Q1-Q3: 62-82 years), 96 (85%) with severe AS. Suspected CA was present in 9 patients (8%) all > 80 years. Among those over the median age of 74 years, the prevalence of CA was 9/57 (16%), and excluding women, the prevalence was 8/25 (32%). Low-flow, low-gradient physiology was very common in CA (7/9 patients or 78%). Over a median follow-up of 18 months, 40 deaths (35%) occurred. Mortality in AS + CA patients was higher than AS alone (56% vs. 20% at 1-year, log rank 15.0, P < 0.0001). Adjusting for aortic valve replacement modeled as a time-dependent covariate, Society of Thoracic Surgery predicted risk of mortality, left ventricular ejection fraction, CA remained associated with all-cause mortality (HR = 2.92, 95% CI = 1.09-7.86, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Suspected CA appears prevalent among older male patients with AS, especially with low flow, low gradient AS, and associates with all-cause mortality. The importance of screening for CA in older AS patients and optimal treatment strategies in those with CA warrant further investigation, especially in the era of transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Renal Protection Using Remote Ischemic Peri-Conditioning During Inter-Facility Helicopter Transport of Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of remote ischemic peri-conditioning (RIPC) during inter-facility air medical transport of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients on the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). BACKGROUND: STEMI patients who receive pPCI have an increased risk of AKI for which there is no well-defined prophylactic therapy in the setting of emergent pPCI. METHODS: Using the ACTION Registry-GWTG, we evaluated the impact of RIPC applied during inter-facility helicopter transport of STEMI patients from non-PCI capable hospitals to 2 PCI-hospitals in the United States between March, 2013 and September, 2015 on the incidence of AKI following pPCI. AKI was defined as ≥0.3 mg/dL increase in creatinine within 48-72 hours after pPCI. RESULTS: Patients who received RIPC (n = 127), compared to those who did not (n = 92), were less likely to have AKI (11 of 127 patients [8.7%] vs. 17 of 92 patients [18.5%]; adjusted odds ratio = 0.32, 95% CI 0.12-0.85, P = 0.023) and all-cause in-hospital mortality (2 of 127 patients [1.6%] vs. 7 of 92 patients [7.6%]; adjusted odds ratio = 0.14, 95% CI 0.02-0.86, P = 0.034) after adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. There was no difference in hospital length of stay (3 days [interquartile range, 2-4] vs. 3 days [interquartile range, 2-5], P = 0.357) between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: RIPC applied during inter-facility helicopter transport of STEMI patients for pPCI is associated with lower incidence of AKI and in-hospital mortality. The use of RIPC for renal protection in STEMI patients warrants further in depth investigation.

Long term mortality and readmissions after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Readmissions following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are common but detailed analysis of cardiac and non-cardiac inpatient readmissions beyond thirty days to different levels of care are limited. METHODS: Our study population was 1,037 consecutive patients who underwent TAVR between 2011-2017 within a multi-hospital quaternary health system. A retrospective chart review was performed and readmissions were adjudicated and classified based on primary readmission diagnosis (cardiac versus noncardiac) and level of care [intensive care unit (ICU) admission vs. non-ICU admission]. Incidence, causes, and outcomes of readmissions to up to three years post procedure were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 1,017 patients who survived their index hospitalization, there were readmissions due to noncardiac causes in 350 (34.4%) and cardiac causes in 208 (20.5%) during a mean 1.96 years of follow-up. The most common non-cardiac causes of readmission were sepsis/infection (14.3%), gastrointestinal (8.3%), and respiratory (4.8%), whereas heart failure (14.0%) and arrhythmias (4.6%) were the most common cardiac causes of readmission. A total of 191 (18.8%) patients were readmitted to the ICU and 372 patients (36.6%) were non-ICU readmissions. The risk of a noncardiac readmission was highest in the period immediately following TAVR (~4.5% per month) with an early high hazard phase that gradually declined over months. However, the risk of cardiac readmission remained stable at ~1% per month throughout. TAVR patients that were readmitted for any cause had markedly increased mortality; this was especially true for patients readmitted to an ICU. CONCLUSIONS: In TAVR patients who survived their index hospitalization, non-cardiac readmissions were more prevalent than cardiac. The risk of readmission and subsequent mortality was highest immediately post-procedure and declined thereafter. Readmission to ICU portends the highest risk of subsequent death in this cohort. Patient baseline co-morbidities are an important consideration for TAVR patients and play a significant role in readmissions and outcomes.

Safety and Efficacy of Direct Oral Anticoagulants Versus Warfarin in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease and Atrial Fibrillation.

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) commonly have impaired renal function. The safety and efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease has not been fully elucidated. This study evaluated and compared the safety outcomes of DOACs versus warfarin in patients with nonvalvular AF and concomitant CKD. Patients in our health system with AF prescribed oral anticoagulants during 2010 to 2017 were identified. All-cause mortality, bleeding and hemorrhagic, and ischemic stroke were evaluated based on degree of renal impairment and method of anticoagulation. There were 21,733 patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of ≥2 included in this analysis. Compared with warfarin, DOAC use in patients with impaired renal function was associated with lower risk of mortality with a hazard ratio (HR): 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70 to 0.84, p value <0.001) in patients with eGFR >60, HR 0.74 (95% CI 0.68 to 0.81, p value <0.001) in patients with eGFR >30 to 60, and HR 0.76 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.92, p value <0.001) in patients with eGFR ≤30 or on dialysis. Bleeding requiring hospitalization was also less in the DOAC group with a HR 0.93 (95% CI 0.82 to 1.04, p value 0.209) in patients with eGFR >60, HR 0.83 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.94, p value 0.003) in patients with eGFR >30 to 60, and HR 0.69 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.93, p value 0.017) in patients with eGFR ≤30 or on dialysis. In conclusion, in comparison to warfarin, DOACs appear to be safe and effective with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and lower bleeding across all levels of CKD.

Global longitudinal strain assessment by computed tomography in severe aortic stenosis patients - Feasibility using feature tracking analysis.

BACKGROUND: Global longitudinal strain (GLS) detects subclinical myocardial changes in patients with aortic stenosis (AS). Although GLS is typically measured by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), assessment by multiphasic gated computed tomography angiography (CTA) has become recently available. We sought to evaluate the feasibility of CTA-derived GLS assessment and compare its agreement with TTE using the same post-processing software in severe AS patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) evaluation. METHODS: We evaluated patients with severe AS, sinus rhythm and adequate image quality for GLS analysis by both CTA and TTE pre-TAVR using 2D CT-Cardiac Performance Analysis prototype software (TomTec). The 18-segment model was used for GLS analysis by averaging the three long-axis views in both CTA and TTE studies. Agreement was assessed using linear regression and Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS: A total of 123 consecutive patients were included (mean age 84 ±â€¯7 years, 45% female). The mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by CTA and TTE were similar 53 ±â€¯14% for both. On average, CTA-derived GLS was greater than by TTE (-20 ±â€¯6.5% vs. -16 ±â€¯4.9%, respectively, p < 0.001). There was a moderate correlation between GLS assessed by CTA vs. TTE (r = 0.62, p < 0.001), although variability between imaging methods existed. The correlation between GLS and LVEF was strong (r = -0.90, p < 0.001 for CTA, r = -0.88, p < 0.001 for TTE) using the same imaging modality. CONCLUSION: CTA-derived GLS assessment is feasible in selected patients with sinus rhythm and adequate image quality. The agreement of GLS between TTE and CTA is moderate but not interchangeable suggesting a potential modality-specific GLS threshold.

Association of Structural and Functional Cardiac Changes With Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Outcomes in Patients With Aortic Stenosis.

Importance: Severe aortic stenosis causes pressure overload of the left ventricle, resulting in progressive cardiac dysfunction that can extend beyond the left ventricle. A staging system for aortic stenosis has been recently proposed that quantifies the extent of structural and functional cardiac changes in aortic stenosis. Objectives: To confirm the reproducibility of a proposed staging system and expand the study findings by performing a survival analysis and to evaluate the association of aortic stenosis staging with both cardiac and noncardiac post-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) readmissions. Design, Setting, and Participants: A cohort analysis was conducted involving patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent TAVR at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between July 1, 2011, and January 31, 2017. Patients who had undergone TAVR for valve-in-valve procedures and had an incomplete or unavailable baseline echocardiogram study for review were excluded. Clinical, laboratorial, and procedural data were collected from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons database and augmented by electronic medical record review. Exposures: The aortic stenosis staging system is based on echocardiographic markers of abnormal cardiac function. The stages are as follows: stage 1 (left ventricle changes - increased left ventricular mass index; early mitral inflow to early diastolic mitral annulus velocity (E/e') >14; and left ventricular ejection fraction <50%), stage 2 (left atrial or mitral changes - left atrial volume index >34 mL/m2; moderate to severe mitral regurgitation; and atrial fibrillation), stage 3 (pulmonary artery or tricuspid changes - pulmonary artery systolic pressure ≥60 mm Hg; moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation), and stage 4 (right ventricle changes - moderate to severe right ventricle dysfunction). Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcome was post-TAVR all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were composite outcomes of all-cause mortality and post-TAVR all-cause and cardiac-cause readmissions. Results: A total of 689 consecutive patients (351 [50.9%] were male, with a mean [SD] age of 82.4 [7.6] years) were included. The prevalence of stage 1 was 13%; stage 2, 62%; stage 3, 21%; and stage 4, 4%. Patients with higher staging had a greater burden of comorbidities as captured by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality (STS-PROM). Despite adjustment for STS-PROM, a graded association was found between aortic stenosis staging and all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] stage 2 vs stage 1: 1.37 [95% CI, 0.81-2.31; P = .25]; stage 3 vs stage 1: 2.24 [95% CI, 1.28-3.92; P = .005]; and stage 4 vs stage 1: 2.83 [95% CI, 1.39-5.76; P = .004]). Stage 3 patients had higher post-TAVR readmission rates for both cardiac (HR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.13-3.00; P = .01) and noncardiac causes. Conclusions and Relevance: Aortic stenosis staging appears to show a strong graded association between the extent of cardiac changes and post-TAVR all-cause mortality; such staging may improve patient care, risk stratification, assessment of prognosis, and shared decision making for patients undergoing TAVR.

Right ventricle to pulmonary artery coupling in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prognostic value of the ratio between tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE)-pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) as a determinant of right ventricular to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI). BACKGROUND: RV function and pulmonary hypertension (PH) are both prognostically important in patients receiving TAVI. RV-PA coupling has been shown to be prognostic important in patients with heart failure but not previously evaluated in TAVI patients. METHODS: Consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis who received TAVI from July 2011 through January 2016 and with comprehensive baseline echocardiogram were included. All individual echocardiographic images and Doppler data were independently reviewed and blinded to the clinical information and outcomes. Cox models quantified the effect of TAPSE/PASP quartiles on subsequent all-cause mortality while adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: A total of 457 patients were included with mean age of 82.8±7.2 years, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 54%±13%, PASP 44±17 mm Hg. TAPSE/PASP quartiles showed a dose-response relationship with survival. This remained significant (HR for lowest quartile vs highest quartile=2.21, 95% CI 1.07 to 4.57, p=0.03) after adjusting for age, atrial fibrillation, LVEF, stroke volume index, Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality. CONCLUSION: Baseline TAPSE/PASP ratio is associated with all-cause mortality in TAVI patients as it evaluates RV systolic performance at a given degree of afterload. Incorporation of right-side unit into the risk stratification may improve optimal selection of patients for TAVI.

Impact of cigarette taxes on smoking prevalence from 2001-2015: A report using the Behavioral and Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS).

OBJECTIVES: To provide an up-to-date analysis on the relationship between excise taxes and the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the United States. METHODS: Linear mixed-effects models were used to model the relationship between excise taxes and prevalence of cigarette smoking in each state from 2001 through 2015. RESULTS: From 2001 through 2015, increases in state-level excise taxes were associated with declines in prevalence of cigarette smoking. The effect was strongest in young adults (age 18-24) and weakest in low-income individuals (<$25,000). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the shrinking pool of current smokers, excise taxes remain a valuable tool in public-health efforts to reduce the prevalence of cigarette smoking. POLICY IMPLICATIONS: States with high smoking prevalence may find increased excise taxes an effective measure to reduce population smoking prevalence. Since the effect is greatest in young adults, benefits of increased tax would likely accumulate over time by preventing new smokers in the pivotal young-adult years.

Exploring the mechanisms of the racial disparity in drowsy driving.

OBJECTIVE: Drowsy driving is a significant cause of traffic accidents and fatalities. Although previous reports have shown an association between race and drowsy driving, the reasons for this disparity remain unclear. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional analysis of responses from 193,776 White, Black, and Hispanic adults participating in the US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2009 to 2012 who answered a question about drowsy driving. MEASUREMENTS: Drowsy driving was defined as self-reporting an episode of falling asleep while driving in the past 30 days. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and medical comorbidities. Subsequent modeling evaluated the impact of accounting for differences in health care access, alcohol consumption, risk-taking behaviors, and sleep quality on the race-drowsy driving relationship. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, sex, and medical comorbidities, the odds ratio (OR) for drowsy driving was 2.07 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.69-2.53) in Blacks and 1.80 (95% CI 1.51-2.15) in Hispanics relative to Whites. Accounting for health care access, alcohol use, and risk-taking behaviors had little effect on these associations. Accounting for differences in sleep quality resulted in a modest reduction in the OR for drowsy driving in Blacks (OR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.27-1.89) but not Hispanics (OR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.45-2.08). CONCLUSION: US Blacks and Hispanics have approximately twice the risk of drowsy driving compared to whites. Differences in sleep quality explained some of this disparity in Blacks but not in Hispanics. Further research to understand the root causes of these disparities is needed.

Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metrics in Couples: A Community-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Determination of the correlation of ideal cardiovascular health variables among spousal or cohabitating partners may guide the development of couple-based interventions to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. METHOD AND RESULTS: We used data from the HeartSCORE (Heart Strategies Concentrating on Risk Evaluation) study. Ideal cardiovascular health, defined by the American Heart Association, comprises nonsmoking, body mass index <25 kg/m2, physical activity at goal, diet consistent with guidelines, untreated total cholesterol <200 mg/dL, untreated blood pressure <120/80 mm Hg, and untreated fasting glucose <100 mg/dL. McNemar test and logistic regression were used to assess concordance patterns in these variables among partners (ie, concordance in achieving ideal factor status, concordance in not achieving ideal factor status, or discordance-only one partner achieving ideal factor status). Overall, there was a low prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health among the 231 couples studied (median age 61 years, 78% white). The highest concordances in achieving ideal factor status were for nonsmoking (26.1%), ideal fruit and vegetable consumption (23.9%), and ideal fasting blood glucose (35.6%). The strongest odds of intracouple concordance were for smoking (odds ratio, 3.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.9-6.5), fruit and vegetable consumption (odds ratio, 4.8; 95% confidence interval, 2.5-9.3) and blood pressure (odds ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-7.9). A participant had 3-fold higher odds of attaining ≥3 ideal cardiovascular health variables if he or she had a partner who attained ≥3 components (odds ratio 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-5.6). CONCLUSIONS: Intracouple concordance of ideal cardiovascular health variables supports the development and testing of couple-based interventions to promote cardiovascular health. Fruit and vegetable consumption and smoking may be particularly good intervention targets.

Outcomes of persistent pulmonary hypertension following transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with persistent pulmonary hypertension (PH) following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and its relationship with long-term mortality. METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent TAVR from July 2011 through January 2016 were studied. The prevalence of baseline PH (mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥25 mm Hg on right heart catheterisation) and the prevalence and the predictors of persistent≥moderate PH (pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP)>45 mm Hg on 1 month post-TAVR transthoracic Doppler echocardiography) were collected. Cox models quantified the effect of persistent PH on subsequent mortality while adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: Of the 407 TAVR patients, 273 (67%) had PH at baseline. Of these, 102 (25%) had persistent≥moderate PH. Mortality at 2 years in patients with no baseline PH versus those with PH improvement (follow-up PASP≤45 mm Hg) versus those with persistent≥moderate PH was 15.4%, 16.6% and 31.3%, respectively (p=0.049). After adjusting for Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality and baseline right ventricular function (using tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion), persistent≥moderate PH remained associated with all-cause mortality (HR=1.82, 95% CI 1.06 to 3.12, p=0.03). Baseline characteristics associated with increased likelihood of persistent≥moderate PH were ≥moderate tricuspid regurgitation, ≥moderate mitral regurgitation, atrial fibrillation/flutter, early (E) to late (A) ventricular filling velocities (E/A ratio) and left atrial volume index. CONCLUSIONS: Persistency of even moderate or greater PH at 1 month post-TAVR is common and associated with higher all-cause mortality.

Causes and Predictors of 30-Day Readmissions in Atrial Fibrillation (from the Nationwide Readmissions Database).

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cause of arrhythmia-related hospitalizations. We assessed 30-day readmissions in patients admitted with AF in a national sample of US population. Data were extracted from Nationwide Readmissions Database for the calendar year 2013. Patients with primary discharge diagnosis of AF were identified by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, code 427.31. Patients who died during hospitalization and those <18 years were excluded. Our primary outcome was 30-day readmission rate. Causes and independent predictors of 30-day readmissions were examined. We identified 388,340 patients admitted with AF, of whom 58,634 patients (15.1%) were readmitted within 30 days. Patients who were readmitted tended to be older and have a higher burden of co-morbidities. AF and heart failure were the main causes of 30-day readmissions in our cohort. Advanced age, female gender, and multiple co-morbidities were independently associated with 30-day readmissions. In conclusion, 15% of patients admitted for AF were readmitted within 30 days. More than 1/3 of these readmissions were for AF or heart failure.