Comparing PCSK9 Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Strategies Following Myocardial Infarction Using Negative Control Outcomes: A Target Trial Emulation Study.

BACKGROUND: Initiation of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 monoclonal antibody (PCSK9 mAb) for lipid-lowering following myocardial infarction (MI) is likely affected by patients' prognostic factors, potentially leading to bias when comparing real-world treatment effects. METHODS: Using target-trial emulation, we assessed potential confounding when comparing two treatment strategies post-MI: initiation of PCSK9 mAb within 1 year and no initiation of PCSK9 mAb. We identified MI hospitalizations during July 2015-June 2020 for patients aged ≥18 years in Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart (CDM) and MarketScan, and aged ≥66 in US Medicare claims database. We estimated 3-year counterfactual cumulative risk and risk difference (RD) for 10 negative control outcomes using the clone-censor-weight approach to address time-varying confounding and immortal person-time. RESULTS: PCSK9 mAb initiation within 1-year post-MI was low (0.7% in MarketScan and 0.4% in both CDM and Medicare databases). In CDM, there was a lower risk for cancer (RD = -3.6% [95% CI: -4.3%, -2.9%]), decubitus ulcer (RD = -7.7% [95% CI: -11.8%, -3.7%]), fracture (RD = -8.1% [95% CI: -9.6%, -6.6%]), influenza vaccine (RD = -9.3% [95% CI: -17.5%, -1.1%]), and visual test (RD = -0.6% [95% CI: -0.7%, -0.6%]) under the PCSK9 mAb initiation vs. no initiation strategy. Similar differences persisted in the MarketScan and Medicare databases. In each database, ezetimibe and low-density lipoprotein testing were unbalanced between treatment strategies. CONCLUSION: A comparative effectiveness study of these treatments using the current approach would likely bias results due to the low number of PCSK9 mAb initiators.

Race differences in ambulatory blood pressure monitoring parameters.

BACKGROUND: Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) on ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring (ABPM) are higher among Black compared with White adults. With 48 to 72 BP measurements obtained over 24 h, ABPM can generate parameters other than mean BP that are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events. There are few data on race differences in ABPM parameters other than mean BP. METHODS: To estimate differences between White and Black participants in ABPM parameters, we used pooled data from five US-based studies in which participants completed ABPM (n = 2580). We calculated measures of SBP and DBP level, including mean, load, peak, and measures of SBP and DBP variability, including average real variability (ARV) and peak increase. RESULTS: There were 1513 (58.6%) Black and 1067 (41.4%) White participants with mean ages of 56.1 and 49.0 years, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, asleep SBP and DBP load were 5.7% (95% CI: 3.5-7.9%) and 2.7% (95% CI: 1.1-4.3%) higher, respectively, among Black compared with White participants. Black compared with White participants also had higher awake DBP ARV (0.3 [95%CI: 0.0-0.6] mmHg) and peak increase in DBP (0.4 [95% CI: 0.0-0.8] mmHg). There was no evidence of Black:White differences in awake measures of SBP level, asleep peak SBP or DBP, awake and asleep measures of SBP variability or asleep measures of DBP variability after multivariable adjustment. CONCLUSION: Asleep SBP load, awake DBP ARV and peak increase in awake DBP were higher in Black compared to White participants, independent of mean BP on ABPM.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events among adults with high predicted risk without established risk factors.

Objective: Age is the strongest contributor to 10-year predicted atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. Some older adults have a predicted ASCVD risk ≥7.5 %, without established risk factors. We sought to compare ASCVD incidence among adults with predicted ASCVD risk ≥7.5 %, with and without established ASCVD risk factors, to adults with predicted risk <7.5 %. Methods: We analyzed data from REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study participants, 45-79 years old, without ASCVD or diabetes, not taking statins and with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 70-189 mg/dL. Participants were categorized into 3 groups based on their 10-year predicted ASCVD risk and presence of established risk factors: <7.5 %, ≥7.5 % with established risk factors and ≥7.5 % without established risk factors. Established risk factors included smoking, systolic blood pressure ≥130 mmHg or antihypertensive medication use, total cholesterol ≥200 mg/dL, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <50 mg/dL for women (<40 mg/dL for men). Participants were followed for ASCVD events. Results: Among 11,115 participants, 911 incident ASCVD events occurred over a median of 11.1 years. ASCVD incidence rates were 3.6, 12.8, and 9.8 per 1,000 person-years for participants with predicted risk <7.5 %, predicted risk ≥7.5 % with established risk factors and predicted risk ≥7.5 % without established risk factors, respectively. Compared to adults with predicted risk <7.5 %, hazard ratios for incident ASCVD in participants with risk ≥7.5 % with and without established risk factors were 3.58 (95 %CI 3.03 - 4.21) and 2.72 (95 %CI 1.91-3.88), respectively. Conclusions: Adults with a 10-year predicted ASCVD risk ≥7.5 % but without established risk factors had a high ASCVD incidence.

Estimated Population Health Benefits of Intensive Systolic Blood Pressure Treatment Among SPRINT-Eligible US Adults.

BACKGROUND: The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) demonstrated an intensive (<120 mm Hg) vs. standard (<140 mm Hg) systolic blood pressure (SBP) goal lowered cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Estimating the effect of intensive SBP lowering among SPRINT-eligible adults most likely to benefit can guide implementation efforts. METHODS: We studied SPRINT participants and SPRINT-eligible participants in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study and National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). A published algorithm of predicted CVD benefit with intensive SBP treatment was used to categorize participants into low, medium, or high predicted benefit. CVD event rates were estimated with intensive and standard treatment. RESULTS: Median age was 67.0, 72.0, and 64.0 years in SPRINT, SPRINT-eligible REGARDS, and SPRINT-eligible NHANES participants, respectively. The proportion with high predicted benefit was 33.0% in SPRINT, 39.0% in SPRINT-eligible REGARDS, and 23.5% in SPRINT-eligible NHANES. The estimated difference in CVD event rate (standard minus intensive) was 7.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.4-10.7), 8.4 (95% CI 8.2-8.5), and 6.1 (95% CI 5.9-6.3) per 1,000 person-years in SPRINT, SPRINT-eligible REGARDS participants, and SPRINT-eligible NHANES participants, respectively (median 3.2-year follow-up). Intensive SBP treatment could prevent 84,300 (95% CI 80,800-87,920) CVD events per year in 14.1 million SPRINT-eligible US adults; 29,400 and 28,600 would be in 7.0 million individuals with medium or high predicted benefit, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the population health benefit from intensive SBP goals could be achieved by treating those characterized by a previously published algorithm as having medium or high predicted benefit.

Recurrent Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Events Potentially Prevented with Guideline-Recommended Cholesterol-Lowering Therapy following Myocardial Infarction.

PURPOSE: Many adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) who are recommended to take a statin, ezetimibe and/or a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor (PCSK9i) by the 2018 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology cholesterol guideline do not receive these medications. We estimated the percentage of recurrent ASCVD events potentially prevented with guideline-recommended cholesterol-lowering therapy following a myocardial infarction (MI) hospitalization. METHODS: We conducted simulations using data from US adults with government health insurance through Medicare or commercial health insurance in the MarketScan database. We used data from patients with an MI hospitalization in 2018-2019 to estimate the percentage receiving guideline-recommended therapy. We used data from patients with an MI hospitalization in 2013-2016 to estimate the 3-year cumulative incidence of recurrent ASCVD events (i.e., MI, coronary revascularization or ischemic stroke). The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction with guideline-recommended therapy was derived from trials of statins, ezetimibe and PCSK9i, and the associated ASCVD risk reduction was estimated from a meta-analysis by the Cholesterol-Lowering Treatment Trialists Collaboration. RESULTS: Among 279,395 patients with an MI hospitalization in 2018-2019 (mean age 75 years, mean LDL-C 92 mg/dL), 27.3% were receiving guideline-recommended cholesterol-lowering therapy. With current cholesterol-lowering therapy use, 25.3% (95%CI: 25.2%-25.4%) of patients had an ASCVD event over 3 years. If all patients were to receive guideline-recommended therapy, 19.8% (95%CI: 19.5%-19.9%) were estimated to have an ASCVD event over 3 years, representing a 21.6% (95%CI: 20.5%-23.6%) relative risk reduction. CONCLUSION: Implementation of guideline-recommended cholesterol-lowering therapy could prevent a substantial percentage of recurrent ASCVD events.

Prevalence, risk factors, and cardiovascular disease outcomes associated with persistent blood pressure control: The Jackson Heart Study.

BACKGROUND: Maintaining blood pressure (BP) control over time may contribute to lower risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among individuals who are taking antihypertensive medication. METHODS: The Jackson Heart Study (JHS) enrolled 5,306 African-American adults ≥21 years of age and was used to determine the proportion of African Americans that maintain persistent BP control, identify factors associated with persistent BP control, and determine the association of persistent BP control with CVD events. This analysis included 1,604 participants who were taking antihypertensive medication at Visit 1 and had BP data at Visits 1 (2000-2004), 2 (2005-2008), and 3 (2009-2013). Persistent BP control was defined as systolic BP <140 mm Hg and diastolic BP <90 mm Hg at all three visits. CVD events were assessed from Visit 3 through December 31, 2016. Hazard ratios (HR) for the association of persistent BP control with CVD outcomes were adjusted for age, sex, systolic BP, smoking, diabetes, and total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol at Visit 3. RESULTS: At Visit 1, 1,226 of 1,604 participants (76.4%) with hypertension had controlled BP. Overall, 48.9% of participants taking antihypertensive medication at Visit 1 had persistent BP control. After multivariable adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, clinical, behavioral, and psychosocial factors, and access-to-care, participants were more likely to have persistent BP control if they were <65 years of age, women, had family income ≥$25,000 at each visit, and visited a health professional in the year prior to each visit. The multivariable adjusted HR (95% confidence interval) comparing participants with versus without persistent BP control was 0.71 (0.46-1.10) for CVD, 0.68 (0.34-1.34) for coronary heart disease, 0.65 (0.27-1.52) for stroke, and 0.55 (0.33-0.90) for heart failure. CONCLUSION: Less than half of JHS participants taking antihypertensive medication had persistent BP control, putting them at increased risk for heart failure.

Comparison of the association of masked hypertension defined by the 2017 ACC/AHA BP guideline versus the JNC7 guideline with left ventricular hypertrophy.

BACKGROUND: Compared with the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee (JNC7), the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) blood pressure (BP) guideline uses lower BP thresholds to define hypertension and BP control. METHODS: We pooled data from five US-based studies to compare the association of masked hypertension (MHT) and masked uncontrolled hypertension, defined using the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline ( n  = 1653 without high office BP; <130/80 mmHg) versus the JNC7 guideline ( n  = 2451 without high office BP; <140/90 mmHg), with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). MHT and masked uncontrolled hypertension were defined using office BP and awake BP alone and awake, asleep, or 24-h BP. LVH was assessed by echocardiography. RESULTS: Among participants without high office BP not taking antihypertensive medication, the prevalence of MHT defined by the JNC7 guideline and the 2017 ACC/AHA BP guideline was 25.0 and 33.5% using awake BP only and 37.1 and 52.0% when using awake, asleep, or 24-h BP. The adjusted prevalence ratios for LVH associated with MHT versus sustained normotension defined by the JNC7 and 2017 ACC/AHA BP guidelines were 1.72 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-2.64] and 1.56 (95% CI: 0.97-2.51), respectively, when using awake BP only and 2.16 (95% CI: 1.36-3.44) and 1.03 (95% CI: 0.58-1.82), respectively, when using awake, asleep or 24-h BP. There was no evidence that masked uncontrolled hypertension was associated with LVH when defined using the BP thresholds in either the JNC7 or the 2017 ACC/AHA BP guideline. CONCLUSION: The association of MHT with LVH may depend on the BP thresholds used.

Insomnia Diagnosis, Prescribed Hypnotic Medication Use, and Risk for Serious Fall Injuries in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Insomnia is common among older adults and associated with an increased risk for falls. Determining if falls are more strongly associated with insomnia or prescribed hypnotic medications could be used to guide interventions to reduce falls risk. METHODS: We examined the prospective association of a diagnosis of insomnia and/or prescribed hypnotic medication use with the risk for serious fall injuries among 9087 Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study participants aged 65 years or older with Medicare fee-for-service health insurance at baseline (2003-2007). A diagnosis of insomnia was based on ICD-9 codes in Medicare claims and prescribed hypnotic medication use was determined through a pill bottle review. Serious fall injuries were identified by Medicare claims between baseline and December 31, 2018. RESULTS: Over a median of 6.8 years, 1660 (18.3%) participants had a serious fall injury. The incidence rates for a serious fall injury per 1000 person-years were 24.8 (95%CI: 23.5, 26.1), 28.8 (95%CI: 18.6, 38.9), 32.6 (95%CI: 28.2, 37.0), and 46.6 (95%CI: 26.7, 66.5) for participants without insomnia or taking prescribed hypnotic medication (-insomnia/-hypnotics), with insomnia only (+insomnia/-hypnotics), taking prescribed hypnotic medication only (-insomnia/+hypnotics), and with insomnia and taking prescribed hypnotic medication (+insomnia/+hypnotics), respectively. Compared with the -insomnia/-hypnotic group, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for a serious fall injury were 1.13 (95%CI: 0.79, 1.61), 1.29 (95%CI: 1.11, 1.50), and 1.60 (95%CI: 1.01, 2.56) for +insomnia/-hypnotics, -insomnia/+hypnotics, and +insomnia/+hypnotics, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The risk for serious fall injuries was higher for those taking prescribed hypnotic medications but not with an insomnia diagnosis.

Impact of Asleep and 24-Hour Blood Pressure Data on the Prevalence of Masked Hypertension by Race/Ethnicity.

BACKGROUND: We pooled ambulatory blood pressure monitoring data from 5 US studies, including the Jackson Heart Study (JHS), the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, the Masked Hypertension Study, the Improving the Detection of Hypertension Study, and the North Carolina Masked Hypertension Study. Using a cross-sectional study design, we estimated differences in the prevalence of masked hypertension by race/ethnicity when out-of-office blood pressure (BP) included awake, asleep, and 24-hour BP vs. awake BP alone. METHODS: We restricted the analyses to participants with office systolic BP (SBP) <130 mm Hg and diastolic BP (DBP) <80 mm Hg. High awake BP was defined as mean SBP/DBP ≥130/80 mm Hg, high asleep BP as mean SBP/DBP ≥110/65 mm Hg, and high 24-hour BP as mean SBP/DBP ≥125/75 mm Hg. RESULTS: Among participants not taking antihypertensive medication (n = 1,292), the prevalence of masked hypertension with out-of-office BP defined by awake BP alone or by awake, asleep, or 24-hour BP was 34.5% and 48.7%, respectively, among non-Hispanic White, 39.7% and 67.6% among non-Hispanic Black, and 19.4% and 35.1% among Hispanic participants. After multivariable adjustment, non-Hispanic Black were more likely than non-Hispanic White participants to have masked hypertension by asleep or 24-hour BP but not awake BP (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.14 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.45-3.15) and by asleep or 24-hour BP and awake BP (OR 1.61; 95% CI 1.12-2.32) vs. not having masked hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Assessing asleep and 24-hour BP measures increases the prevalence of masked hypertension more among non-Hispanic Black vs. non-Hispanic White individuals.

Potential impact of systematic and random errors in blood pressure measurement on the prevalence of high office blood pressure in the United States.

The authors examined the proportion of US adults that would have their high blood pressure (BP) status changed if systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were measured with systematic bias and/or random error versus following a standardized protocol. Data from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; n = 5176) were analyzed. BP was measured up to three times using a mercury sphygmomanometer by a trained physician following a standardized protocol and averaged. High BP was defined as SBP ≥130 mm Hg or DBP ≥80 mm Hg. Among US adults not taking antihypertensive medication, 32.0% (95%CI: 29.6%,34.4%) had high BP. If SBP and DBP were measured with systematic bias, 5 mm Hg for SBP and 3.5 mm Hg for DBP higher and lower than in NHANES, the proportion with high BP was estimated to be 44.4% (95%CI: 42.6%,46.2%) and 21.9% (95%CI 19.5%,24.4%). Among US adults taking antihypertensive medication, 60.6% (95%CI: 57.2%,63.9%) had high BP. If SBP and DBP were measured 5 and 3.5 mm Hg higher and lower than in NHANES, the proportion with high BP was estimated to be 71.8% (95%CI: 68.3%,75.0%) and 48.4% (95%CI: 44.6%,52.2%), respectively. If BP was measured with random error, with standard deviations of 15 mm Hg for SBP and 7 mm Hg for DBP, 21.4% (95%CI: 19.8%,23.0%) of US adults not taking antihypertensive medication and 20.5% (95%CI: 17.7%,23.3%) taking antihypertensive medication had their high BP status re-categorized. In conclusions, measuring BP with systematic or random errors may result in the misclassification of high BP for a substantial proportion of US adults.

Association of aflatoxin B1 levels with mean CD4 cell count and uptake of ART among HIV infected patients: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Aflatoxin suppresses cellular immunity and accentuates HIV-associated changes in T- cell phenotypes and B- cells. OBJECTIVE: This prospective study was conducted to examine the association of aflatoxin levels with CD4 T-cell count and antiretroviral therapy uptake over time. METHODS: Sociodemographic and food data were collected from antiretroviral therapy naïve HIV-infected patients. CD4+ counts were collected from participants' medical records. Plasma samples were tested for aflatoxin B1 albumin adducts, hepatitis B surface antigen, and HIV viral load. Participants were separated into high and low aflatoxin groups based on the median aflatoxin B1 albumin adduct level of 10.4 pg/ml for data analysis. RESULTS: Participants with high aflatoxin B1 albumin adduct levels had lower mean CD4 at baseline and at each follow-up period. Adjusted multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that higher baseline aflatoxin B1 adduct levels were associated with statistically significant lower CD4 counts (est = -66.5, p = 0.043). Not starting ART and low/middle socioeconomic status were associated with higher CD4 counts (est = 152.2, p<0.001) and (est = 86.3, p = 0.027), respectively. CONCLUSION: Consistent correlations of higher aflatoxin B1 adduct levels with lower CD4 over time indicate that there is an independent early and prolonged effect of aflatoxin on CD4 even with the initiation of antiretroviral therapy. The prospective study design, evaluation of baseline and follow-up measures, extensive control for potential confounders, and utilization of objective measures of aflatoxin exposure and CD4 count provide compelling evidence for a strong epidemiologic association that deserves careful attention in HIV care and treatment programs.

Predicted cardiovascular risk for United States adults with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and at least 65 years of age.

BACKGROUND: The 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association blood pressure (BP) guideline recommends using 10-year predicted atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk to guide decisions to initiate antihypertensive medication. METHODS: We included adults aged 40-79 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2018 (n = 8803). We computed 10-year predicted ASCVD risk using the Pooled Cohort risk equations. Clinical CVD was self-reported. Analyses were conducted overall and among those with stage 1 hypertension, defined by a mean SBP of 130-139 mmHg or DBP of 80-89 mmHg. In subgroups defined by diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and age at least 65 years, we estimated the proportion of United States adults with high ASCVD risk (i.e. 10-year predicted ASCVD risk ≥10% or clinical CVD) and estimated age-adjusted probability of having high ASCVD risk. RESULTS: Among United States adults, an estimated 72.3, 64.5, and 83.9 of those with diabetes, CKD, and age at least 65 years had high ASCVD risk, respectively. Among United States adults with stage 1 hypertension, an estimated 55, 36.7, and 72.6% of those with diabetes, CKD, and age at least 65 years had high ASCVD risk, respectively. The probability of having high ASCVD risk increased with age and exceeded 50% for United States adults with diabetes and CKD at ages 52 and 57 years, respectively. For those with stage 1 hypertension, these ages were 55 and 64 years, respectively. CONCLUSION: Most United States adults with diabetes, CKD, or age at least 65 years had high ASCVD risk. However, many with stage 1 hypertension did not.

Factors Associated With Not Having a Healthcare Visit in the Past Year Among US Adults With Hypertension: Data From NHANES 2013-2018.

BACKGROUND: Not having a healthcare visit in the past year has been associated with a higher likelihood of uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) among individuals with hypertension. METHODS: We examined factors associated with not having a healthcare visit in the past year among US adults with hypertension using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2018 (n = 5,985). Hypertension was defined as systolic BP (SBP) ≥140 mm Hg, diastolic BP (DBP) ≥90 mm Hg, or antihypertensive medication use. Having a healthcare visit in the past year was self-reported. RESULTS: Overall, 7.0% of US adults with hypertension reported not having a healthcare visit in the past year. Those without vs. with a healthcare visit in the past year were less likely to be aware they had hypertension (45.0% vs. 83.9%), to be taking antihypertensive medication (36.7% vs. 91.4%, among those who were aware they had hypertension), and to have controlled BP (SBP/DBP <140/90 mm Hg; 9.1% vs. 51.7%). After multivariable adjustment, not having a healthcare visit in the past year was more common among US adults without health insurance (prevalence ratio [PR]: 2.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.68-2.95), without a usual source of healthcare (PR: 5.65; 95% CI 4.16-7.67), who smoked cigarettes (PR: 1.34; 95% CI 1.02-1.77), and with heavy vs. no alcohol consumption (PR: 1.55; 95% CI 1.16-2.08). Also, not having a healthcare visit in the past year was more common among those without diabetes or a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and those not taking a statin. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions should be considered to ensure all adults with hypertension have annual healthcare visits.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Blood Pressure Among US Adults, 1999-2018.

[Figure: see text].

The association of actigraphy-assessed sleep duration with sleep blood pressure, nocturnal hypertension, and nondipping blood pressure: the coronary artery risk development in young adults (CARDIA) study.

OBJECTIVE: Nocturnal hypertension and nondipping systolic blood pressure (SBP) are associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Short and long sleep duration (SSD and LSD) are also associated with increased CVD risk and may be risk factors for nocturnal hypertension and nondipping SBP. We examined the association between SSD and LSD with sleep BP, nocturnal hypertension, and nondipping SBP among 647 white and African American Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study participants who completed 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring, wrist actigraphy, and sleep diaries in 2015-2016. METHODS: The times when participants were asleep and awake were determined from actigraphy complemented by sleep diaries. Nocturnal hypertension was defined as sleep BP ≥120/70 mmHg and nondipping SBP as mean sleep-to-awake SBP ratio >0.90. Sleep duration was categorized as SSD (<6 h), normal sleep duration (NSD: 6-8.9 h), and LSD (≥9 h). RESULTS: The prevalence of SSD and LSD were 13.9 and 21.1%, respectively. Compared to participants with NSD, participants with LSD had higher mean sleep SBP (2.1 mmHg, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.2, 4.1 mmHg) and diastolic BP (1.7 mmHg, 95% CI 0.5, 3.0 mmHg). Participants with LSD had a higher prevalence of nocturnal hypertension (prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.26, 95% CI 1.03-1.54) and nondipping SBP (PR 1.33, 95% CI 1.03-1.72) compared to participants with NSD. There was no evidence of an association between SSD and sleep SBP or DBP, nocturnal hypertension, or nondipping SBP. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that LSD may be associated with nocturnal hypertension and nondipping SBP.

Reasons for Uncontrolled Blood Pressure Among US Adults: Data From the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

[Figure: see text].

Number and timing of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring measurements.

Ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring (ABPM) may cause sleep disturbances. Some home BP monitoring (HBPM) devices obtain a limited number of BP readings during sleep and may be preferred to ABPM. It is unclear how closely a few BP readings approximate a full night of ABPM. We used data from the Jackson Heart (N = 621) and Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (N = 458) studies to evaluate 74 sampling approaches to estimate BP during sleep. We sampled two to four BP measurements at specific times from a full night of ABPM and computed chance-corrected agreement (i.e., kappa) of nocturnal hypertension (i.e., mean asleep systolic BP ≥ 120 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 70 mmHg) defined using the full night of ABPM and subsets of BP readings. Measuring BP at 2, 3, and 4 h after falling asleep, an approach applied by some HBPM devices obtained a kappa of 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78, 0.85). The highest kappa was obtained by measuring BP at 1, 2, 4, and 5 h after falling asleep: 0.84 (95% CI: 0.81, 0.87). In conclusion, measuring BP three or four times during sleep may have high agreement with nocturnal hypertension status based on a full night of ABPM.

Trends in Blood Pressure and Hypertension Among US Children and Adolescents, 1999-2018.

Importance: Higher blood pressure (BP) levels in children are associated with an increased risk for hypertension and subclinical cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Identifying trends in BP could inform the need for interventions to lower BP. Objective: To determine whether systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) levels among US children have changed during the past 20 years. Design, Setting, and Participants: This serial cross-sectional analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data included 9117 children aged 8 to 12 years and 10 156 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years, weighted to the US population from 1999-2002 to 2015-2018. Data were collected from March 1999 to December 2018 and analyzed from March 26, 2020, to February 2, 2021. Exposures: Calendar year. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were mean SBP and mean DBP. Results: A total of 19 273 participants were included in the analysis. Among children aged 8 to 12 years in 2015-2018 (mean age, 10.5 [95% CI, 10.5-10.6] years), 48.7% (95% CI, 45.2%-52.2%) were girls and 51.3% (95% CI, 47.8%-54.8%) were boys; 49.7% (95% CI, 42.2%-57.1%) were non-Hispanic White; 13.7% (95% CI, 10.3%-18.1%) were non-Hispanic Black; 25.5% (95% CI, 19.9%-32.0%) were Hispanic; 4.7% (95% CI, 3.2%-6.7%) were non-Hispanic Asian; and 6.5% (95% CI, 4.9%-8.5%) were other non-Hispanic race/ethnicity. Among those aged 13 to 17 years in 2015-2018 (mean age, 15.5 [95% CI, 15.5-15.5] years), 49.1% (95% CI, 46.1%-52.2%) were girls and 50.9% (95% CI, 47.8%-53.9%) were boys; 53.3% (95% CI, 46.4%-60.1%) were non-Hispanic White; 13.9% (95% CI, 10.3%-18.7%) were non-Hispanic Black; 21.9% (95% CI, 16.6%-28.2%) were Hispanic; 4.6% (95% CI, 3.2%-6.5%) were non-Hispanic Asian; and 6.3% (95% CI, 4.7%-8.5%) were other non-Hispanic race/ethnicity. Among children aged 8 to 12 years, age-adjusted mean SBP decreased from 102.4 (95% CI, 101.7-103.1) mm Hg in 1999-2002 to 101.5 (95% CI, 100.8-102.2) mm Hg in 2011-2014 and then increased to 102.5 (95% CI, 101.9-103.2) mm Hg in 2015-2018. Age-adjusted mean DBP decreased from 57.2 (95% CI, 56.5-58.0) mm Hg in 1999-2002 to 51.9 (95% CI, 50.1-53.7) mm Hg in 2011-2014 and increased to 53.2 (95% CI, 52.2-54.1) mm Hg in 2015-2018. Among adolescents aged 13 to 17 years, age-adjusted mean SBP decreased from 109.2 (95% CI, 108.7-109.7) mm Hg in 1999-2002 to 108.4 (95% CI, 107.8-109.1) mm Hg in 2011-2014 and remained unchanged in 2015-2018 (108.4 [95% CI, 107.8-109.1] mm Hg). Mean DBP decreased from 62.6 (95% CI, 61.7-63.5) mm Hg in 1999-2002 to 59.6 (95% CI, 58.2-60.9) mm Hg in 2011-2014 and then increased to 60.8 (95% CI, 59.8-61.7) mm Hg in 2015-2018. Among children aged 8 to 12 years, mean SBP was 3.2 (95% CI, 1.7-4.6) mm Hg higher among those with overweight and 6.8 (95% CI, 5.6-8.1) mm Hg higher among those with obesity compared with normal weight; mean DBP was 3.2 (95% CI, 0.7-5.6) mm Hg higher among those with overweight and 3.5 (95% CI, 1.9- 5.1) mm Hg higher among those with obesity compared with normal weight. Among adolescents aged 13 to 17 years, mean SBP was 3.5 (95% CI 1.9-5.1) mm Hg higher among those with overweight and 6.6 (95% CI, 5.2-8.0) mm Hg higher among those with obesity compared with normal weight, 4.8 (95% CI, 3.8-5.8) mm Hg higher among boys compared with girls, and 3.0 (95% CI, 1.7-4.3) mm Hg higher among non-Hispanic Black compared with non-Hispanic White participants. Conclusions and Relevance: Despite an overall decline in mean SBP and DBP from 1999-2002 to 2015-2018, BP levels among children and adolescents may have increased from 2011-2014 to 2015-2018.

Maintaining Normal Blood Pressure Across the Life Course: The JHS.

[Figure: see text].

Race/ethnicity, sex and insurance disparities in colorectal cancer screening among individuals with and without cardiovascular disease.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) share several risk factors. We examined the relationships between CRC screening and CVD history by race/ethnicity and sex. Data from 15 states across the United States with high age-adjusted CVD rates from the 2012-2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used to examine prevalence of self-reported screening for CRC among 179,276 adults ages 50-75 years with and without history of CVD. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between socio-demographics and CRC screening in the expansion and stable phases of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) era. Prevalence of CRC screening was high among those with history of CVD. After multivariable adjustment, Whites and Hispanics with CVD had 19% (95%[CI]: 1.13-1.26) and 50% (95%[CI]: 1.10-2.06) higher odds for CRC screening, respectively, versus those without CVD. Individuals in both sexes with CVD had higher odds for CRC screening compared those without CVD. Strikingly, the odds for CRC screening in Hispanics with history of CVD were 72% higher in the stable phase of the ACA era for the fully adjusted model. Whites and Hispanics with history of CVD are more likely to undergo CRC screening, perhaps due to greater exposure to the healthcare system due to CVD. This association was not observed in Blacks. Interventions are needed to improve CRC screening rates among Blacks, especially due to their well-documented higher risk of CVD.