Incidence of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in Patients Following Implantation of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices: A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is a high-risk condition associated with high morbidity and mortality. In the presence of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), SAB may cause or clinically indicate device infection. We aimed to estimate the 10-year absolute risk of SAB in adult Danish first-time CIED carriers. Secondary aims included identification of risk factors associated with SAB. Methods: A registry-based study utilizing Danish nationwide registers and including consecutive Danish patients undergoing first CIED implantation between 2000 and 2020 was conducted. The primary outcome was first-time SAB after CIED implantation. Results: A total of 87 257 patients with first CIED implantation in the study period were identified (median age, 75 years; 62.6% were male; median follow-up, 3.8 years). Patients with pacemakers (PMs) were older and with more noncardiovascular comorbidities compared to patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices with or without defibrillator capacity (CRTs). In total, 1366 patients (1.6%) developed SAB. The 10-year absolute risk (95% confidence interval) of SAB was 2.0% (1.9%-2.1%) for PM, 2.6% (2.2%-3.1%) for ICD, and 3.7% (3.0%-4.5%) for CRT. A multivariable Cox analysis identified hemodialysis (hazard ratio [HR], 8.51), SAB before CIED (HR, 2.76), liver disease (HR, 2.35), and carrying a CRT device (HR, 1.68) among the covariates associated with increased risk of SAB. Conclusions: The absolute risk of SAB in Danish CIED carriers increased with more advanced CIED systems. The risk was highest within the first 3 months after CIED implantation and increased with the presence of certain covariates including renal dialysis, SAB before CIED, male sex, and advancing age.

Frailty, Treatments, and Outcomes in Older Patients With Myocardial Infarction: A Nationwide Registry-Based Study.

Background Guidelines recommend that patients with myocardial infarction (MI) receive equal care regardless of age. However, withholding treatment may be justified in elderly and frail patients. This study aimed to investigate trends in treatments and outcomes of older patients with MI according to frailty. Methods and Results All patients aged ≥75 years with first-time MI during 2002 to 2021 were identified through Danish nationwide registries. Frailty was categorized using the Hospital Frailty Risk Score. One-year risk and hazard ratios (HRs) for days 0 to 28 and 29 to 365 were calculated for all-cause death. A total of 51 022 patients with MI were included (median, 82 years; 50.2% women). Intermediate/high frailty increased from 26.7% in 2002 to 2006 to 37.1% in 2017 to 2021. Use of treatment increased substantially regardless of frailty: for example, 28.1% to 48.0% (statins), 21.8% to 33.7% (dual antiplatelet therapy), and 7.6% to 28.0% (percutaneous coronary intervention) for high frailty (all P-trend <0.001). One-year death decreased for low frailty (35.1%-17.9%), intermediate frailty (49.8%-31.0%), and high frailty (62.8%-45.6%), all P-trend <0.001. Age- and sex-adjusted 29- to 365-day HRs (2017-2021 versus 2002-2006) were 0.53 (0.48-0.59), 0.62 (0.55-0.70), and 0.62 (0.46-0.83) for low, intermediate, and high frailty, respectively (P-interaction=0.23). When additionally adjusted for treatment, HRs attenuated to 0.74 (0.67-0.83), 0.83 (0.74-0.94), and 0.78 (0.58-1.05), respectively, indicating that increased use of treatment may account partially for the observed improvements. Conclusions Use of guideline-based treatments and outcomes improved concomitantly in older patients with MI, irrespective of frailty. These results indicate that guideline-based management of MI may be reasonable in the elderly and frail.

Discontinuation and reinitiation of SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1R agonists in patients with type 2 diabetes: a nationwide study from 2013 to 2021.

Background: Small observational studies have observed poor persistency to sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2-i) and glucacon-like-peptide-1-receptor agonists (GLP1-RA), contrary to what has been reported in clinical trials. Therefore, we investigated the risk of discontinuing SGLT2-is and GLP1-RAs in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a nationwide population. Methods: From Danish nationwide registers, all first-time users of SGLT2-is and GLP1-RAs from 2013 to 2021 were identified. Adherence over the first year of therapy, the five-year risk of discontinuing therapy for the first time and the subsequent one-year probability of reinitiating therapy, was assessed. The Aalen-Johansen estimator was used to account for censoring and competing risks and multivariable Cox regression models were used to identify covariates associated with discontinuation. Findings: A total of 77,745 first-time users of SGLT2-is (64% male, median age 64 [interquartile range 56-72]) and 56,037 first-time users of GLP1-RAs (56% male, median age 61 [53-70]) were included. The absolute five-year risk of discontinuing therapy was 56% (95% CI: 55-57) and 45% (45-46) for SGLT2-i- and GLP1-RA users, respectively, with a significantly decreased risk over the period studied. The subsequent one-year probability of reinitiating therapy was 24% (95% CI: 24-25) for initial SGLT2-i users and 26% (25-27) for GLP1-RA users. Interpretation: Approximately half of the users of SGLT2-is and GLP1-RAs discontinued therapy within five years, respectively. However, a large proportion of these patients reinitiated therapy during the following year. Further insight into the reasons for discontinuation and initiatives to reduce the time to reinitiation in eligible patients are warranted. Funding: The work was funded by an unrestricted research grant from 'Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte University Hospital'.

Initiation of SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists according to level of frailty in people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Denmark: a cross-sectional, nationwide study.

BACKGROUND: Whether frailty influences the initiation of two cardioprotective diabetes drug therapies (ie, SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists) in people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease is unknown. We aimed to assess rates of initiation of SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists according to frailty in people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. METHODS: For this cross-sectional, nationwide study, all people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Denmark between Jan 1, 2015, and Dec 31, 2021, from six Danish health-data registers were identified. People younger than 40 years, with end-stage renal disease, with registered contraindications to SGLT2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists, or with previous use of either drug therapy were excluded. The Hospital Frailty Risk Score was used to categorise people as either non-frail, moderately frail, or severely frail. Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyse the association between frailty and initiation of an SGLT2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist. FINDINGS: Of 119 390 people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, 103 790 were included. Median follow-up time was 4·5 years (IQR 2·7-6·1) and median age across the three frailty groups was 71 years (64-79). 65 959 (63·6%) of 103 790 people were male and 37 831 (36·5%) were female. At index date, 66 910 (64·5%) people were non-frail, 29 250 (28·2%) were moderately frail, and 7630 (7·4%) were severely frail. Frailty was associated with a significantly lower probability of initiating therapy with an SGLT2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist than in people who were non-frail (moderately frail hazard ratio 0·91, 95% CI 0·88-0·94, p<0·0001; severely frail 0·75, 0·70-0·80, p<0·0001). This association persisted after adjustment for age, sex, socioeconomic status, year of inclusion, duration of type 2 diabetes, duration of cardiovascular disease, polypharmacy, and comorbidity. INTERPRETATION: In people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Denmark, frailty was associated with a significantly lower probability of SGLT2-inhibitor or GLP-1 receptor-agonist initiation, despite their benefits. Formulating clear and updated guidelines on the use of SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists in people who are frail with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease should be a priority. FUNDING: Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte University Hospital. TRANSLATION: For the Danish translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Temporal Trends in Noncardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality Following Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Due to improved management, diagnosis, and care of myocardial infarction (MI), patients may now survive long enough to increasingly develop serious noncardiovascular conditions. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to test this hypothesis by investigating the temporal trends in noncardiovascular morbidity and mortality following MI. METHODS: We conducted a registry-based nationwide cohort study of all Danish patients with MI during 2000 to 2017. Outcomes were cardiovascular and noncardiovascular mortality, incident cancer, incident renal disease, and severe infectious disease. RESULTS: From 2000 to 2017, 136,293 consecutive patients were identified (63.2% men, median age 69 years). The 1-year risk of cardiovascular mortality between 2000 to 2002 and 2015 to 2017 decreased from 18.4% to 7.6%, whereas noncardiovascular mortality decreased from 5.8% to 5.0%. This corresponded to an increase in the proportion of total 1-year mortality attributed to noncardiovascular causes from 24.1% to 39.5%. Furthermore, increases in 1-year risk of incident cancer (1.9%-2.4%), incident renal disease (1.0%-1.6%), and infectious disease (5.5%-9.1%) were observed (all P trend <0.01). In analyses standardized for changes in patient characteristics, the increased risk of cancer in 2015 to 2017 compared with 2000 to 2002 was no longer significant (standardized risk ratios for cancer: 0.99 [95% CI: 0.91-1.07]; renal disease: 1.28 [95% CI: 1.15-1.41]; infectious disease: 1.28 [95% CI: 1.23-1.34]). CONCLUSIONS: Although cardiovascular mortality following MI improved substantially during 2000 to 2017, the risk of noncardiovascular morbidity increased. Moreover, noncardiovascular causes constitute an increasing proportion of post-MI mortality. These findings suggest that further attention on noncardiovascular outcomes is warranted in guidelines and clinical practice and should be considered in the design of future clinical trials.

Frailty and Recurrent Hospitalization After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background For frail patients with limited life expectancy, time in hospital following transcatheter aortic valve replacement is an important measure of quality of life; however, data remain scarce. Thus, we aimed to investigate frailty and its relation to time in hospital during the first year after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Methods and Results From 2008 to 2020, all Danish patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement and were alive at discharge were included. Using the validated Hospital Frailty Risk Score, patients were categorized in the low, intermediate, and high frailty groups. Time in hospital and mortality up to 1 year are reported according to frailty groups. In total, 3437 (57.6%), 2277 (38.1%), and 257 (4.3%) were categorized in the low, intermediate, and high frailty groups, respectively. Median age was ≈81 years. Female sex and comorbidity burden were incrementally higher across frailty groups (low frailty: heart failure, 24.1%; stroke, 7.2%; and chronic kidney disease, 4.5%; versus high frailty: heart failure, 42.8%; stroke, 34.2%; and chronic kidney disease, 29.2%). In the low frailty group, 50.5% survived 1 year without a hospital admission, 10.8% were hospitalized >15 days, and 5.8% of patients died. By contrast, 26.1% of patients in the high frailty group survived 1 year without a hospital admission, 26.4% were hospitalized >15 days, and 15.6% died within 1 year. Differences persisted in models adjusted for sex, age, frailty, and comorbidity burden (excluding overlapping comorbidities). Conclusions Among patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, frailty is strongly associated with time in hospital and mortality. Prevention strategies for frail patients to reduce hospitalization burden could be beneficial.

Temporal trends in major cardiovascular events following first-time myocardial infarction in the reperfusion era - a Danish nationwide cohort study from 2000 to 2017.

AIM: We investigated temporal trends in major cardiovascular events following first-time myocardial infarction (MI) and trends in revascularization and pharmacotherapy from 2000 to 2017. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using nationwide registries, we identified 120 833 Danish patients with a first-time MI between 2000 and 2017. We investigated 30-day and 1-year mortality and the 1-year risk of first-time admission for heart failure (HF) and recurrent MI. Patients were younger with a higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in 2015-2017 compared with 2000-2002. The patients were predominantly male (65.6%), and the median age declined by 3 years through the periods. Percutaneous coronary interventions within 7 days after first-time MI increased significantly (2000: 11.4% vs. 2017: 68.6%; Ptrend < 0.001). Cardiovascular medication after first-time MI changed significantly in the same period. Absolute risks and adjusted rates of outcomes were significantly lower in 2015-2017 compared with 2000-2002: 30-day mortality: 6.5% vs. 14.1% [hazard ratio (HR) 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.48-0.55); 1-year mortality 10.7% vs. 21.8% (HR 0.52, 95% CI: 0.50-0.55); recurrent MI: 4.0% vs. 7.8% (HR 0.56, 95% CI: 0.51-0.62); and first-time admission for HF: 2.9% vs. 3.7% (HR 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73-0.92). The rates of 30-day/1-year mortality and recurrent MI showed significantly decreasing trends (Ptrend < 0.001). The rates of first-time admission for HF were borderline significant (Ptrend = 0.045). CONCLUSION: From 2000 to 2017, we observed a decreasing risk of recurrent MI, first-time admission for HF, and all-cause mortality in patients with a first-time MI. In the same period, we observed a high rate of guideline-recommended pharmacological treatment after first-time MI as well as increasing rate of early revascularization in Denmark. TRANSLATIONAL PERSPECTIVES: The results from the current study portrait the risk of all-cause mortality, recurrent MI, and first-time admission for HF in a real-life setting with a very high utilization of early revascularization and guideline-recommended pharmacological therapy. We observed a temporal trend of improved survival, reduced risk of recurrent MI, as well as reduced risk of first-time admission for HF after first-time MI from 2000 through 2017. We observed an increase in the overall use of revascularization, as well as early revascularization and use of guideline-recommended pharmacotherapy. Our study reveals important results from real-life, nationwide data, showing a reduced risk of cardiovascular outcomes after first-time MI during the past 20 years. Current guidelines are based on results from clinical trials. Our real-life results add additionally important knowledge on patients' prognosis after first-time MI and underline the importance of treating MI according to guideline recommendations.

[Immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease]. / Immunterapi mod Alzheimers sygdom.

Passive anti-beta-amyloid (Aß) immunotherapy has been shown to clear brain Aß deposits. Results from phase III clinical trials in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients with two monoclonal antibodies bapineuzumab and solanezumab and intravenous immunoglobulin have been disappointing. Subsequent analysis of pooled data from both phase III trials with solanezumab showed a reduction in cognitive decline in patients with mild AD. Solanezumab and new monoclonal antibodies are being tested in patients with prodromal and preclinical AD in search for a disease-modifying treatment.