Incidence of Heart Failure Among Immigrants to Ontario, Canada: A CANHEART Immigrant Study.

BACKGROUND: Several known traditional cardiovascular risk factors contribute to the development of heart failure (HF); however, whether ethnicity is also an important predictor is not well established. We determined the incidence of hospitalization for HF among ethnic groups in Ontario, Canada, and examined differences in risk factor prevalence that may contribute to disparities in HF hospitalization incidence between groups. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a retrospective observational study from 2008 to 2012 with the use of a linked cohort derived from population-based health administrative, clinical, and survey datasets. We followed 895,823 recent immigrants from 8 ethnic groups and 5.3 million long-term residents aged 40-105 years for incident HF hospitalization. Sex-stratified age-standardized HF incidence was lower among all immigrant groups than long-term residents. Among immigrants, Black men and West Asian women had the highest incidence of hospitalizations for HF (1.19 and 1.60 per 1000 person-years, respectively), and East Asians of both sexes had the lowest incidence. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, and other risk factors, the association between ethnicity and HF hospitalization risk remained significant. CONCLUSIONS: HF hospitalization incidence varies widely among ethnic immigrant groups, highlighting the importance of ethnicity as a potential independent risk factor for HF development.

A comparison of psychosocial health in North American and Chinese Canadian cardiac outpatients, and ethnocultural correlates of quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: To: 1) compare sociodemographic, clinical and psychosocial characteristics of Chinese Canadian and North American cardiac outpatients, 2) describe the ethnocultural characteristics of Chinese Canadian cardiac outpatients, and 3) investigate ethnocultural correlates of quality of life among Chinese Canadian cardiac outpatients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: 11 hospitals and two outpatient clinics of a Chinese Canadian cardiologist in Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: 1404 (n = 96; 6.8% Chinese Canadian) cardiac outpatients. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Participants completed a survey assessing sociodemographic, ethnocultural and psychosocial characteristics. Quality of life was assessed with the MacNew instrument, which was translated to traditional Chinese character. RESULTS: Chinese Canadian cardiac outpatients were of significantly lower socioeconomic status, and were less likely to be working, had lower activity status, body mass index, were less likely to smoke, had better left ventricular function, and were less likely to have undergone bypass surgery than their North American counterparts. Chinese Canadians reported significantly lower quality of life and social support than North Americans. Of the Chinese Canadian participants, 13 (26.5%) felt they needed an interpreter during a cardiac medical visit but did not receive this service. Correlates of greater quality of life in Chinese Canadian cardiac outpatients were greater proficiency in both English and Chinese languages, as well as perceived ability to communicate with Canadians, to fit into social situations, and understand English jokes. CONCLUSION: Some characteristics of Chinese Canadian cardiac outpatients may put their health at a disadvantage when compared to their North American counterparts, however some protective factors were also observed. Language proficiency was a key correlate of quality of life.

Cardiac rehabilitation services in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Despite the decreasing rate of cardiovascular disease-related mortality in developed nations, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are experiencing an increase. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) successfully addresses this burden; however, the availability and nature of CR service delivery in LMICs are not well known. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review examined the (1) presence and accessibility of CR services, (2) structure of CR services, and (3) effects of CR on patient outcomes in LMICs. METHODS: Search criteria consisted of (1) nations considered to be low- or middle-income according to World Bank criteria, (2) CR, defined as programs including exercise and education, and (3) adults with cardiovascular diseases. Literature was identified through searching (a) the MEDLINE and EMBASE electronic databases, (b) proceedings from international cardiac conferences, (c) the grey literature and (d) through consulting experts in the field. RESULTS: Thirty peer-reviewed publications were identified. Grey literature, including Web sites for individual CR programs, revealed that CR is available in 32 (22.1%) LMICs. The most comprehensive data on accessibility stem from Latin America and the Caribbean, where 56% of institutions with cardiac catheterization facilities offered CR. Literature showed that some programs offered exercise, dietary advice, education, and psychological support, to assist patients to resume work and other activities of daily living. Fifteen peer-reviewed studies reported on CR outcomes, most of which were positive. CONCLUSION: Although patients similarly benefit from CR, few programs are available in LMICs. Policies need to be implemented to increase provision of tailored CR models at the global and national level, with evaluation.

Cardiac rehabilitation barriers by rurality and socioeconomic status: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Despite greater need, rural inhabitants and individuals of low socioeconomic status (SES) are less likely to undertake cardiac rehabilitation (CR). This study examined barriers to enrollment and participation in CR among these under-represented groups. METHOD: Cardiac inpatients from 11 hospitals across Ontario were approached to participate in a larger study. Rurality was assessed by asking participants whether they lived within a 30-minute drive-time from the nearest hospital, with those >30 minutes considered "rural." Participants completed a sociodemographic survey, which included the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status. One year later, they were mailed a survey which assessed CR utilization and included the Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale. In this cross-sectional study, CR utilization and barriers were compared by rurality and SES. RESULTS: Of the 1809 (80.4%) retained, there were 215 (11.9%) rural participants, and the mean subjective SES was 6.37 ± 1.76. The mean CRBS score was 2.03 ± 0.73. Rural inhabitants reported attending significantly fewer CR sessions (p < .05), and greater CR barriers overall compared to urban inhabitants (p < .01). Patients of lower subjective SES were significantly less likely to be referred, enroll, and participate in CR, and reported significantly greater barriers to CR compared to their high SES counterparts (p < .01). Prominent barriers for both groups included distance, cost, and transportation problems. These relationships sustained adjustment, and a significant relationship between having undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery and lower barriers was also identified. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm that rural inhabitants and patients of low SES experience greater barriers to CR utilization when compared to their urban, high SES counterparts. It is time to implement known strategies to overcome these barriers, to achieve equitable and greater use of CR.

Psychometric validation of the cardiac rehabilitation barriers scale.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale (CRBS). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In total, 2636 cardiac inpatients from 11 hospitals completed a survey. One year later, participants completed a follow-up survey, which included the CRBS. A subsample of patients also completed a third survey which included the CRBS, the Cardiac Rehabilitation Enrolment Obstacles scale, and the Beliefs About Cardiac Rehabilitation scale three weeks later. The CRBS asked participants to rate 21 cardiac rehabilitation barriers on a five-point Likert scale regardless of cardiac rehabilitation referral or enrolment. RESULTS: Maximum likelihood factor analysis with oblique rotation resulted in a four-factor solution: perceived need/healthcare factors (eigenvalue = 6.13, Cronbach's α = .89), logistical factors (eigenvalue = 5.83, Cronbach's α = .88), work/time conflicts (eigenvalue = 3.78, Cronbach's α = .71), and comorbidities/functional status (eigenvalue = 4.85, Cronbach's α = .83). Mean total perceived barriers were significantly greater among non-enrollees than cardiac rehabilitation enrollees (P < .001). Convergent validity with the Beliefs About Cardiac Rehabilitation and Cardiac Rehabilitation Enrolment Obstacles scales was also demonstrated. Test-retest reliability of the CRBS was acceptable (intraclass correlation coefficient = .64). CONCLUSION: The CRBS consists of four subscales and has sound psychometric properties. The extent to which identified barriers can be addressed to facilitate greater cardiac rehabilitation utilization warrants future study.

Translating evidence into practice with the National Advisory Committee on Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections.

For over 30 years, the Government of Canada has developed guidelines on sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI) with a group of subject matter experts. This expert group provided advice to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) from 2004 to 2019; transitioning to the National Advisory Committee on STBBI (NAC-STBBI) in 2019. NAC-STBBI supports PHAC's mandate to prevent and control infectious diseases by providing advice for the development of STBBI guidelines. The methodology for developing the NAC-STBBI recommendations is evolving to a more rigorous, systematic and transparent process that is consistent with current standards in guideline development. It is also informed by-and aligned with-the methods of several other major guideline developers. The methodology incorporates the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach, as appropriate, when conducting evidence reviews and developing recommendations. Recommendations will be published on the canada.ca website with the supporting NAC-STBBI Statement detailing the methodology and evidence used to develop them. This process will ensure that PHAC provides trustworthy evidence-based STBBI recommendations to primary care providers and public health professionals.

Screening for depression in women during pregnancy or the first year postpartum and in the general adult population: a protocol for two systematic reviews to update a guideline of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.

BACKGROUND: In 2018, the World Health Organization reported that depression is the most common cause of disability worldwide, with over 300 million people currently living with depression. Depression affects an individual's physical health and well-being, impacts psychosocial functioning, and has specific negative short- and long-term effects on maternal health, child health, developmental trajectories, and family health. The aim of these reviews is to identify evidence on the benefits and harms of screening for depression in the general adult population and in pregnant and postpartum women. METHODS: Search strategies were developed and tested through an iterative process by an experienced medical information specialist in consultation with the review team. We will search MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library, and a randomized controlled trial filter will be used. The general adult review will be an update of a systematic review previously used by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care for their 2013 guideline recommendation. The search strategy will be updated and will start from the last search date of the previous review (May 2012). The pregnant and postpartum review will be a de novo review with no date restriction. For both reviews, we will search for unpublished documents following the CADTH Grey Matters checklist and relevant websites. Titles and abstracts will be screened using the liberal accelerated method. Two reviewers will independently screen full-text articles for relevance using pre-specified eligibility criteria and assess the risk of bias of included studies using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Outcomes of interest for the general adult population review include symptoms of depression or diagnosis of major depressive disorder, health-related quality of life, day-to-day functionality, lost time at work/school, impact on lifestyle behaviour, suicidality, false-positive result, labelling/stigma, overdiagnosis or overtreatment, and harms of treatment. Outcomes of interest for the pregnant and postpartum review include mental health outcomes (e.g. diagnosis of major depressive disorder), parenting outcomes (e.g. mother-child interactions), and infant outcomes (e.g. infant health and development). DISCUSSION: These two systematic reviews will offer informative evaluations of depression screening. The findings will be used by the Task Force to help develop guideline recommendations on depression screening in the general adult population and in pregnant and postpartum women in Canada. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (CRD42018099690).

Depression screening and treatment recall in male and female coronary artery disease inpatients: Association with symptoms one year later.

BACKGROUND: This study examined whether cardiac inpatients recall depression screening and how it is related to depressive symptoms and treatment one year later. METHODS: 2635 cardiac inpatients from 11 hospitals completed a survey and were mailed a follow-up survey one year later; both surveys included the BDI-II. RESULTS: Of the 1809 (68.7%) retained participants, 513 (30.0%) recalled depression screening. Recall was not significantly related to depressive symptoms at either time point (P > 0.05). Participants who were recommended antidepressants had higher BDI-II scores than those who were not, both as inpatients (P < 0.01) and one year later (P < 0.05). There was no significant change in depressive symptoms over time in patients who received any type of therapy. CONCLUSION: Less than one-third of cardiac inpatients recalled being screened for depression. Recall of screening was not significantly related to depressive symptoms, and use of treatment was related to greater symptoms.

Self-management of mood and/or anxiety disorders through physical activity/exercise. / Autogestion des troubles de l'humeur et/ou d'anxiété par l'activité physique et l'exercice.

INTRODUCTION: Physical activity/exercise is regarded as an important self-management strategy for individuals with mental illness. The purpose of this study was to describe individuals with mood and/or anxiety disorders who were exercising or engaging in physical activity to help manage their disorders versus those who were not, and the facilitators for and barriers to engaging in physical activity/exercise. METHODS: For this study, we used data from the 2014 Survey on Living with Chronic Diseases in Canada-Mood and Anxiety Disorders Component. Selected respondents (n = 2678) were classified according to the frequency with which they exercised: (1) did not exercise; (2) exercised 1 to 3 times a week; or (3) exercised 4 or more times a week. We performed descriptive and multinomial multiple logistic regression analyses. Estimates were weighted to represent the Canadian adult household population living in the 10 provinces with diagnosed mood and/or anxiety disorders. RESULTS: While 51.0% of the Canadians affected were not exercising to help manage their mood and/or anxiety disorders, 23.8% were exercising from 1 to 3 times a week, and 25.3% were exercising 4 or more times a week. Increasing age and decreasing levels of education and household income adequacy were associated with increasing prevalence of physical inactivity. Individuals with a mood disorder (with or without anxiety) and those with physical comorbidities were less likely to exercise regularly. The most important factor associated with engaging in physical activity/exercise was to have received advice to do so by a physician or other health professional. The most frequently cited barriers for not exercising at least once a week were as follows: prevented by physical condition (27.3%), time constraints/too busy (24.1%) and lack of will power/self-discipline (15.8%). CONCLUSION: Even though physical activity/exercise has been shown beneficial for depression and anxiety symptoms, a large proportion of those with mood and/or anxiety disorders did not exercise regularly, particularly those affected by mood disorders and those with physical comorbidities. It is essential that health professionals recommend physical activity/exercise to their patients, discuss barriers and support their engagement.

INTRODUCTION: L'activité physique et l'exercice constituent une stratégie d'autogestion importante pour les personnes vivant avec une maladie mentale. Cette étude visait à caractériser à la fois les personnes atteintes d'un trouble de l'humeur et/ou d'anxiété qui faisaient de l'exercice ou de l'activité physique pour aider à gérer leur trouble et celles qui n'en faisaient pas, ainsi qu'à identifier les facteurs facilitant l'activité physique et l'exercice et ceux constituant un obstacle. MÉTHODOLOGIE: L'Enquête sur les personnes ayant une maladie chronique au Canada ­ Composante des troubles de l'humeur et/ou d'anxiété de 2014 a été utilisée pour cette étude. Les répondants (n = 2 678) ont été classés en fonction de la fréquence à laquelle ils faisaient de l'exercice : (1) aucun exercice, (2) exercice une à trois fois par semaine et (3) exercice quatre fois ou plus par semaine. Nous avons pondéré toutes les estimations afin que les données soient représentatives de la population canadienne adulte vivant en logement privé dans l'une des 10 provinces et ayant déclaré avoir reçu un diagnostic de troubles de l'humeur et/ou d'anxiété. RÉSULTATS: Sur l'ensemble des Canadiens affectés, 51,0 % ne faisaient aucun exercice pour aider à gérer leur trouble de l'humeur et/ou d'anxiété, 23,8 % en faisaient d'une à trois fois par semaine et 25,3 % en faisaient quatre fois ou plus par semaine. On a établi un lien entre, d'une part, un âge plus avancé, des niveaux de scolarité plus bas et une suffisance de revenu du ménage plus faible et, d'autre part, une fréquence plus importante de l'inactivité. Les individus vivant avec un trouble de l'humeur (avec ou sans anxiété) et ceux avec des comorbidités physiques étaient moins susceptibles de faire régulièrement de l'exercice. Les recommandations d'un médecin ou d'un autre professionnel de la santé constituaient le facteur le plus important associé à la décision de faire de l'exercice. Les obstacles mentionnés le plus souvent à de l'exercice au moins une fois par semaine étaient un problème physique (27,3 %), un manque de temps ou un horaire trop chargé (24,1 %) et un manque de volonté ou d'autodiscipline (15,8 %). CONCLUSION: Malgré les bénéfices de l'activité physique et de l'exercice pour contrer les symptômes de dépression et d'anxiété, un pourcentage important de personnes atteintes d'un trouble de l'humeur et/ou d'anxiété ne fait aucun exercice sur une base régulière, particulièrement celles atteintes de trouble de l'humeur et celles présentant des comorbidités physiques. Il est essentiel que les professionnels de la santé recommandent à leurs patients de faire une activité physique ou de l'exercice, discutent avec eux des obstacles rencontrés et les encouragent à persévérer.

Comparison of enoxaparin versus heparin during elective percutaneous coronary intervention performed with either eptifibatide or tirofiban (the ACTION Trial).

Limited data are available with regard to the pharmacodynamics and safety of combining enoxaparin with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition during elective percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). We randomized 200 patients to receive open-label enoxaparin (0.75 mg/kg intravenous bolus) or unfractionated heparin (60 U/kg intravenous bolus) and eptifibatide or tirofiban during PCI. This yielded 4 groups of combination therapy (50 patients/group). The first 10 patients per group had anti-Xa activity and inhibition of platelet aggregation measured at baseline, and at 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 4 hours, and 24 hours. All patients received aspirin and clopidogrel therapy before PCI. Patients who received enoxaparin and heparin achieved therapeutic peak anti-Xa activity observed shortly after drug administration. At 4 hours, a differential anticoagulant effect was observed, with patients who received enoxaparin having a more gradual decrease in anti-Xa activity. Patients who received eptifibatide achieved >80% inhibition of platelet aggregation soon after initiation of therapy more often than did those who received tirofiban. Type of heparin did not affect inhibition of platelet aggregation. Compared with patients who received heparin, periprocedural myocardial infarction and bleeding events occurred less frequently among those who received enoxaparin (14% vs 8% and 10% vs 5%); however, these differences were not statistically significant. Three cases of intraprocedural thrombus occurred among patients who received enoxaparin. Two patients received concomitant tirofiban therapy. Compared with unfractionated heparin, similar levels of anticoagulation and platelet inhibition are achieved with enoxaparin when concomitant therapy with eptifibatide or tirofiban is used during elective PCI, without an observed increase in early bleeding events or periprocedural ischemic complications.

Perfectionism, Type D personality, and illness-related coping styles in cardiac rehabilitation patients.

This study investigated the associations among trait perfectionism, perfectionistic self-presentation, Type D personality, and illness-specific coping styles in 100 cardiac rehabilitation patients. Participants completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale, the Type D Scale-14, and the Coping with Health Injuries and Problems Scale. Correlational analyses established that emotional preoccupation coping was associated with trait perfectionism, perfectionistic self-presentation, and Type D personality. Perfectionism was linked with both facets of the Type D construct (negative emotionality and social inhibition). Our results suggest that perfectionistic Type D patients have maladaptive coping with potential negative implications for their cardiac rehabilitation outcomes.

A comparison of barriers to use of home- versus site-based cardiac rehabilitation.

PURPOSE: Despite the established benefits of cardiac rehabilitation (CR), it remains significantly underutilized. It is unknown whether patient barriers to enrollment and adherence are addressed by offering choice of program type. The purpose of this study was to examine barriers to participation in CR by program type (site- vs home-based program) and the relation of these barriers to degree of program participation and exercise behavior. METHODS: One thousand eight hundred nine cardiac patients from 11 hospitals across Ontario completed a sociodemographic survey inhospital, and clinical data were extracted from medical records. They were mailed a followup survey 1 year later, which included the Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale and the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly. Participants were also asked whether they attended CR, the type of program model attended, and the percentage of prescribed sessions completed. RESULTS: Overall, 939 patients (51.9%) participated in CR, with 96 (10.3%) participating in a home-based program. Home-based participants reported significantly greater CR barriers, including distance, than site-based participants (P < .001). Mean barrier scores were significantly and negatively related to session completion and physical activity among site-based (Ps < .05), but not home-based (NS), CR participants. CONCLUSION: The barriers to CR are significantly different among patients attending site- versus home-based programs, suggesting appropriate use of alternative models of care. Patient preferences should be considered when allocating patients to program models. Once in CR, programs should work toward identifying and tackling barriers among site-based participants.

Gender and sex differences in prevalence of major depression in coronary artery disease patients: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Depression is related to increased morbidity and mortality in the general population and among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The prevalence of major depression is two-times higher in women than men in the general population, but whether this pattern holds true in the CAD population has not been established. OBJECTIVE: To test, through quantitative synthesis, whether women with CAD have a greater prevalence of major depression than men. METHOD: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO electronic databases were searched. Authors of key articles were contacted to identify other relevant publications. The titles and abstracts were screened by the first author and the selected full-text articles were independently screened by the first and second authors based on pre-defined inclusion criteria. Major depression had to be diagnosed through structured clinical interviews during cardiac-related hospitalization or post-CAD hospitalization. Meta-analysis was undertaken using the Review Manager 5 software program. All pooled analyses were based on random-effects models. RESULTS: Eight eligible cohort and cross-sectional studies reporting data for 2072 participants (509 [24.6%] women) were included. Overall, major depression was observed in 95 (18.7%) women and 187 (12.0%) men. In the pooled analysis, prevalence of major depression was significantly greater in women compared to men (odds ratio=1.77, 95% confidence interval=1.21-2.58, p<.01). Heterogeneity was considered low to moderate (I(2)=36.0%). CONCLUSION: Consistent with the general population, the prevalence of major depression is two-times greater in women than men with CAD. Women with CAD may warrant greater emphasis in efforts to identify and treat depression.

Variation in patient perceptions of healthcare provider endorsement of cardiac rehabilitation.

PURPOSE: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is significantly underutilized. However, physician endorsement promotes greater patient utilization. This study examined perceptions of provider endorsement by patients (1) of sociodemographic groups who are often less represented in CR and by clinical indication and (2) by type of healthcare provider and place of referral. METHODS: Referred cardiac (N = 1156) inpatients from 11 hospitals across Ontario completed a sociodemographic survey inhospital and a mailed followup survey 1 year later. Respondents self-reported perceived healthcare provider endorsement of CR on a 5-point Likert scale, type of referring healthcare provider, and where the referral was initiated. RESULTS: The overall perceived strength of healthcare provider endorsement to CR was 3.75 ± 1.15. Patients who perceived greater endorsement were significantly more likely to enrol (OR = 2.07) and attend a greater percentage of CR sessions (P < .001). Student t tests showed that women (P < .01), those older than 65 years (P < .01), with lower annual family income (P < .001), less than high school education (P < .01), who were retired (P < .01), or had lower subjective social status (P < .01) reported significantly lower perceived healthcare provider endorsement of CR than their respective counterparts. Perception of CR endorsement did not differ significantly on the basis of location of referral initiation (P ≥ .05), but those who discussed CR with family doctors (P < .05), cardiologists (P < .05), or cardiac surgeons (P < .01) reported significantly greater endorsement than those discussing CR with nurses. CONCLUSIONS: Given the proven benefits of CR, all healthcare providers are recommended to universally and strongly encourage CR participation among their patients in order to optimize utilization and subsequent recovery.

Barriers to cardiac rehabilitation: DOES AGE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

PURPOSE: To quantitatively investigate age differences in barriers to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) enrollment and participation. METHODS: Cardiac outpatients (N = 1,273, mean age = 65.9 +/- 11.2) completed a mailed survey to discern barriers to CR enrollment and participation. Both enrollees and nonenrollees were asked to rate 18 CR barriers on a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 535 (43%) reported participating in CR at 1 of 40 sites, with younger patients being more likely to participate (P = .002). Older age was positively related to total CR barriers (P < .001). Older patients more strongly endorsed the following CR barriers: already exercising at home (P = .001), confidence in ability to self-manage their condition (P = .003), perception of exercise as tiring or painful (P = .001), not knowing about CR (P = .001), lack of physician encouragement (P < .001), comorbidities (P < .001), and perception that CR would not improve their health (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Given that the benefits of CR are achieved in older patients as well as the young, interventions to overcome these modifiable barriers to enrollment and participation are needed.