Racial, ethnic and sex disparity in acute heart failure patients with COVID-19: A nationwide analysis.

Background: Patients with acute heart failure (AHF) exacerbation are susceptible to complications in the setting of COVID-19 infection. Data regarding the racial/ethnic and sex disparities in patients with AHF and COVID-19 remains limited. Objective: We aim to evaluate the impact of race, ethnicity, and sex on the in-hospital outcomes of AHF with COVID-19 infection using the data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS). Methods: We extracted data from the NIS (2020) by using ICD-10-CM to identify all hospitalizations with a diagnosis of AHF and COVID-19 in the year 2020. The associations between sex, race/ethnicity, and outcomes were examined using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: We identified a total of 158,530 weighted AHF hospitalizations with COVID-19 infection in 2020. The majority were White (63.9 %), 23.3 % were Black race, and 12.8 % were of Hispanic ethnicity, mostly males (n = 84,870 [53.5 %]). After adjustment, the odds of in-hospital mortality were lowest in White females (aOR 0.83, [0.78-0.98]) and highest in Hispanic males (aOR 1.27 [1.13-1.42]) compared with White males. Overall, the odds of cardiac arrest (aOR 1.54 [1.27-1.85]) and AKI (aOR 1.36 [1.26-1.47] were higher, while odds for procedural interventions such as PCI (aOR 0.23 [0.10-0.55]), and placement on a ventilator (aOR 0.85 [0.75-0.97]) were lower among Black males in comparison to White males. Conclusion: Male sex was associated with a higher risk of in-hospital mortality in white and black racial groups, while no such association was noted in the Hispanic group. Hispanic males had the highest odds of death compared with White males.

PARCCS: A Machine Learning Risk-Prediction Model for Acute Peripartum Cardiovascular Complications During Delivery Admissions.

Background: Maternal mortality in the United States remains high, with cardiovascular (CV) complications being a leading cause. Objectives: The purpose of this paper was to develop the PARCCS (Prediction of Acute Risk for Cardiovascular Complications in the Peripartum Period Score) for acute CV complications during delivery. Methods: Data from the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2020) and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes to identify delivery admissions were used. Acute CV/renal complications were defined as a composite of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, peripartum cardiomyopathy, renal complications, venous thromboembolism, arrhythmias, and pulmonary edema. A risk prediction model, PARCCS, was developed using machine learning consisting of 14 variables and scored out of 100 points. Results: Of the 2,371,661 pregnant patients analyzed, 7.0% had acute CV complications during delivery hospitalization. Patients with CV complications had a higher prevalence of comorbidities and were more likely to be of Black race and lower income. The PARCCS variables included electrolyte imbalances (13 points [p]), age (3p for age <20 years), cesarean delivery (4p), obesity (5p), pre-existing heart failure (28p), multiple gestations (4p), Black race (2p), gestational hypertension (3p), low income (1p), gestational diabetes (2p), chronic diabetes (6p), prior stroke (22p), coagulopathy (5p), and nonelective admission (2p). Using the validation set, the performance of the model was evaluated with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.68 and a 95% CI of 0.67 to 0.68. Conclusions: PARCCS has the potential to be an important tool for identifying pregnant individuals at risk of acute peripartum CV complications at the time of delivery. Future studies should further validate this score and determine whether it can improve patient outcomes.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Across Hemodynamic Subtypes of Severe Aortic Valve Stenosis: A Network Meta-analysis.

Background: Studies assessing outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis (AS) with hemodynamic subtypes have demonstrated mixed results with respect to outcomes and periprocedural complications. This study aimed to assess the outcomes of TAVR in patients across various hemodynamic subtypes of severe AS. Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched through September 2023 to identify all observational studies comparing outcomes of TAVR in patients with paradoxical low flow low gradient (pLFLG), classic LFLG, and high gradient AS (HGAS). The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). The secondary outcomes were components of MACE (mortality, myocardial infarction [MI], stroke). A bivariate, influential, and frequentist network meta-analysis model was used to obtain the net odds ratio (OR) with a 95% CI. Results: A total of 21 studies comprising 17,298 (8742 experimental and 8556 HGAS) patients were included in the quantitative analysis. TAVR was associated with a significant reduction in the mean aortic gradient, and an increase in the mean aortic valve area irrespective of the AS type. Compared with HGAS, TAVR in classic LFLG had a significantly higher (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.04-2.72), while pLFLG (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.72-1.35) had a statistically similar incidence of MACE at a median follow-up of 1-year. TAVR in LFLG also had a significantly higher need for surgery (OR, 3.57; 95% CI, 1.24-10.32), and a greater risk of periprocedural (OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.17-3.41), 1-month (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.08-2.64), and 12-month (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.05-1.88) mortality compared with HGAS. The incidence of MI, major bleeding, vascular complications, paravalvular leak, pacemaker implantation, and rehospitalizations was not significantly different between all other types of AS (HGAS vs LFLG, pLFLG). Conclusions: TAVR is an effective strategy in severe AS irrespective of the hemodynamic subtypes. Relatively, pLFLG did not have significantly different risk of periprocedural complications compared with HGAS, while classical LFLG AS had higher risk of MACE, primarily driven by the greater mortality risk.

Trends in rheumatoid arthritis associated cardiovascular mortality in the United States from 1999 to 2020.

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a risk enhancing factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, data regarding the magnitude and trends of RA associated CVD-related mortality in the United States (U.S) remains scarce. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) dataset. We extracted age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 100,000 persons and calculated the annual percentage change (APC) through Joinpoint regression. The outcomes were stratified to discern temporal, sex-based, racial, and geographic patterns in RA-associated CVD mortality. RESULTS: Between 1999 and 2020, 128,058 deaths related to CVD in RA patients aged 25 and above were recorded. The AAMR decreased from 3.50 in 1999 to 2.79 in 2020. However, sex disparities persisted, with females consistently experiencing a higher AAMR (3.35) compared to males (1.74). Non-Hispanic (NH) American Indian/Alaska Native had the highest AAMR (4.44) followed by NH White (2.83), NH Black or African American (2.47) and Hispanic or Latino (2.13), while NH Asian/Pacific Islander had the lowest AAMR (1.28). Geographically, the Midwestern region had the highest AAMR (3.12), while the Northeast had the lowest (2.19) with micropolitan (3.47) and nonmetropolitan (3.37) areas exhibiting higher AAMRs compared to large metropolitans (2.28). Notably, states with the highest AAMRs included North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Minnesota and Wyoming. CONCLUSION: Recent trends reveal an upward incline in RA-associated CVD-related mortality with profound disparities related to sex, race, geography and regions. Redressing these disparities necessitates the implementation of targeted population level interventions.

Mitral Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair: Advancing Treatment Options for Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation.

Degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) has earned great interest because of modern and innovative technologies emerging in its treatment. MR affects roughly one-tenth of those older adults over the age of 75. MR if untreated leads to adverse heart remodeling, resulting in left ventricular dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure syndrome. Despite surgical valve repair/replacement treatment being the standard of care, a significant proportion of severe MR patients face unmet clinical needs because of high or prohibitive surgical risks. This has led to the emergence of transcatheter therapies for high- and prohibitive-risk surgical patients, most notably mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair devices.

Rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular complications during delivery: a United States inpatient analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk of obstetric-associated complications, as well as long-term cardiovascular (CV) risk. Hence, the aim was to evaluate the association of RA with acute CV complications during delivery admissions. METHODS: Data from the National Inpatient Sample (2004-2019) were queried utilizing ICD-9 or ICD-10 codes to identify delivery hospitalizations and a diagnosis of RA. RESULTS: A total of 12 789 722 delivery hospitalizations were identified, of which 0.1% were among persons with RA (n = 11 979). Individuals with RA, vs. those without, were older (median 31 vs. 28 years, P < .01) and had a higher prevalence of chronic hypertension, chronic diabetes, gestational diabetes mellitus, obesity, and dyslipidaemia (P < .01). After adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, comorbidities, insurance, and income, RA remained an independent risk factor for peripartum CV complications including preeclampsia [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.37 (95% confidence interval 1.27-1.47)], peripartum cardiomyopathy [aOR 2.10 (1.11-3.99)], and arrhythmias [aOR 2.00 (1.68-2.38)] compared with no RA. Likewise, the risk of acute kidney injury and venous thromboembolism was higher with RA. An overall increasing trend of obesity, gestational diabetes mellitus, and acute CV complications was also observed among individuals with RA from 2004-2019. For resource utilization, length of stay and cost of hospitalization were higher for deliveries among persons with RA. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant persons with RA had higher risk of preeclampsia, peripartum cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, acute kidney injury, and venous thromboembolism during delivery hospitalizations. Furthermore, cardiometabolic risk factors among pregnant individuals with RA rose over this 15-year period.

Percutaneous coronary intervention before transcatheter aortic valve implantation: A propensity score matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: The role of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) who subsequently undergo transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remains uncertain. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the association of PCI before TAVR with mortality and cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: We used the TriNetX database (Jan 2012 - Aug 2022) and grouped patients into PCI (3 months or less) before TAVR and no PCI. We performed propensity score matched (PSM) analyses for outcomes at 30 days and 1 year. RESULTS: Of 17,120 patients undergoing TAVR, 2322 (14 %) had PCI, and 14,798 (86 %) did not have PCI before TAVR. In the PSM cohort (2026 patients in each group), PCI was not associated with lower all-cause mortality at 30 days (HR: 1.25, 95 % CI: 0.82-1.90) or 1 year (HR: 1.02, 95 % CI: 0.83-1.24). Frequency of repeat PCI after TAVR was low in both no PCI vs. PCI (2.4 % vs. 1.2 %) at 1 year; PCI was associated with a lower rate of repeat PCI (HR: 0.49, 95 % CI: 0.30-0.80). Sensitivity analysis revealed an E-value of 3.5 for repeat PCI (E-value for lower CI for HR: 1.81). PCI was not linked to reductions in MI, heart failure exacerbation, all-cause hospitalization, major bleeding, or permanent pacemaker/implantable cardioverter defibrillator. CONCLUSION: This analysis showed that PCI prior to TAVR was not associated with improvement in all-cause mortality. However, PCI was associated with a reduced rate of repeat PCI at 1 year.

Development and Validation of a Machine Learning Risk-Prediction Model for 30-Day Readmission for Heart Failure Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR-HF Score).

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is the treatment of choice for patients with severe aortic stenosis across the spectrum of surgical risk. About one-third of 30-day readmissions following TAVR are related to heart failure (HF). Hence, we aim to develop an easy-to-use clinical predictive model to identify patients at risk for HF readmission. We used data from the National Readmission Database (2015-2018) utilizing ICD-10 codes to identify TAVR procedures. Readmission was defined as the first unplanned HF readmission within 30-day of discharge. A machine learning framework was used to develop a 30-day TAVR-HF readmission score. The receiver operator characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive power of the model. A total of 92,363 cases of TAVR were included in the analysis. Of the included patients, 3299 (3.6%) were readmitted within 30 days of discharge with HF. Individuals who got readmitted, vs those without readmission, had more emergent admissions during index procedure (33.4% vs 19.8%), electrolyte abnormalities (38% vs 16.7%), chronic kidney disease (34.8% vs 21.2%), and atrial fibrillation (60.1% vs 40.7%). Candidate variables were ranked by importance using a parsimony plot. A total of 7 variables were selected based on predictive ability as well as clinical relevance: HF with reduced ejection fraction (25 points), HF preserved EF (20 points), electrolyte abnormalities (17 points), atrial fibrillation (12 points), Charlson comorbidity index (<6 = 0, 6-8 = 9, 9-10 = 13, >10 = 14 points), chronic kidney disease (7 points), and emergent index admission (5 points). On performance evaluation using the testing dataset, an area under the curve of 0.761 (95% CI 0.744-0.778) was achieved. Thirty-day TAVR-HF readmission score is an easy-to-use risk prediction tool. The score can be incorporated into electronic health record systems to identify at-risk individuals for readmissions with HF following TAVR. However, further external validation studies are needed.

Analysis of immune-related adverse events in gastrointestinal malignancy patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are becoming an increasingly common treatment for advanced gastrointestinal cancer, but the possibility of immune-related adverse events has raised concerns. This study aimed to evaluate the risks of immune-related adverse events between patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitors and those who received chemotherapy among different types of gastrointestinal cancer. The study utilized data from the multicenter TriNetX database in the United States covering the period between 2015 and 2022. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used to describe the relative hazard of immune-related adverse events based on comparing time-to-event rates. Our study revealed that the incidence of immune-related adverse events was significantly higher in patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy compared to those who received chemotherapy only in treating gastrointestinal cancer. CTLA-4 inhibitors tended to have a higher rate of immune-related adverse events compared to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Our study found a lower mortality rate among patients who developed immune-related adverse events compared to those who did not after propensity score matching (HR, 0.661; 95% CI 0.620-0.704; p < .01). We provide important real-world data on the incidence and impact of immune-related adverse events in patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Our study's results support clinicians in making informed decisions about the potential benefits and risks of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Trends and Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Aortic Insufficiency: A Nationwide Readmission Database Analysis.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has increasingly been utilized in patients with aortic insufficiency (AI) with insufficient data on its safety. The Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) was queried to identify patients undergoing TAVI for AI. Net clinical events (composite of in-hospital mortality, stroke, major bleeding) and procedural complications were assessed using a propensity-score matched (PSM) analysis to calculate adjusted odds ratios (OR). A total of 185,703 (AI 3873, aortic stenosis [AS] 181,830) patients were included in the analysis. Due to a significant difference in the baseline characteristics, a matched sample of 7929 patients (AI 3873, AS 4056) was selected. At index admission, the adjusted odds of in-hospital NACE (aOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.59-2.51), mortality (aOR 3.06, 95% CI 2.38-5.47), major bleeding (aOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.13-2.06) and valvular complications (aOR 9.48, 95% CI 6.73-13.38) were significantly higher in patients undergoing TAVI for AI compared with those undergoing TAVI for AS. However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of NACE, mortality, stroke, major bleeding, and need for permanent pacemaker implantation at 30- and 180-days follow-up. TAVI in AI was associated with a higher risk of periprocedural NACE, mortality, and major bleeding. The risk of these complications attenuated at 30- and 180-day readmission.

Assisted reproductive technology: what are the cardiovascular risks for women?

INTRODUCTION: Infertility affects 15% of women of reproductive age in the United States. The use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been rising globally, as well as a growing recognition of reproductive factors that increase risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). AREAS COVERED: Women with infertility who use ART are more likely to have established CVD risk factors, such as obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. They are also more likely to experience adverse pregnancy outcomes, which are associated with both peripartum and long-term cardiovascular complications. ART may lead to increased cardiometabolic demands due to ovarian stimulation, pregnancy itself, and higher rates of multifetal gestation. Preeclampsia risk appears greater with frozen rather than fresh embryo transfers. EXPERT OPINION: The use of ART and its association with long term CVD has not been well-studied. Future prospective and mechanistic studies investigating the association of ART and CVD risk may help determine causality. Nevertheless, CVD risk screening is critical pre-pregnancy and during pregnancy to reduce pregnancy complications that elevate future CVD risk. This also offers a window of opportunity to connect patients to longitudinal care for early management of cardiometabolic risk profile and initiation of preventive lifestyle and pharmacotherapy interventions tailored toward patient-specific risk factors.

Trends and outcomes of combined percutaneous (TAVI+PCI) and surgical approach (SAVR+CABG) for patients with aortic valve and coronary artery disease: A National Readmission Database (NRD) analysis.

BACKGROUND: In patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and concomitant severe coronary artery disease (CAD), the relative merits of a combined percutaneous (transcatheter aortic valve implantation [TAVI] and percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI]] versus surgical approach (surgical aortic valve replacement [SAVR] and coronary artery bypass graft [CABG]) remain unknown. AIMS: To determine the utility of combined percutaneous versus surgical approaches in patients with severe AS and CAD. METHODS: The National Readmission Database (NRD) (2015-2019) was queried to identify all cases of TAVI+PCI and SAVR+CABG. The adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of mortality, stroke, and its composite (major adverse cardiovascular events [MACE]) were calculated using a propensity-score matched (PSM) analysis. RESULTS: A total of 89,314 (5358 TAVI+PCI, 83,956 SAVR+CABG) patients were included in the crude analysis. There was a gradual increase in the utilization of TAVI+PCI from 2016 to 2019 by 2%-4% per year. Using PSM, a subset of 11,361 (5358 TAVI+PCI, 6003 SAVR+CABG) patients with a balanced set of demographics and baseline comorbidities was selected. During index hospitalization, the adjusted odds of MACE (aOR 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62-0.83), and all-cause mortality (aOR 0.68, 95% CI 0.57-0.81) were significantly lower in patients undergoing TAVI+PCI compared with SAVR+CABG. However, patients undergoing TAVI+PCI had a higher incidence of MACE (aOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.05-1.87), and mortality (aOR 1.75, 95% CI 1.22-2.50) at 30-days. The risk of index-admission (aOR 0.82, 95% CI 0.62-1.09) and 30-day (aOR 0.88, 95% CI 0.51-1.51) stroke was similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In selected patients with severe AS and concomitant CAD, a combined percutaneous approach (TAVR+PCI) compared with SAVR+CABG may confer a lower risk of MACE and mortality during index admission but a higher incidence of 30-day complications.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of cold snare polypectomy and hot snare polypectomy for colorectal polyps.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Cold snare polypectomy (CSP) has become increasingly utilized to resect colorectal polyps, given its efficacy and safety. This study aims to compare CSP and hot snare polypectomy (HSP) for resecting small (< 10 mm) and large (10-20 mm) colorectal lesions. METHODS: Relevant publications were obtained from Cochrane Library, Embase, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. The publication search was limited by English-language and human studies. Pooled mean difference and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for outcomes of interest. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were included in this meta-analysis. Pooled OR of delayed post-polypectomy bleeding (DPPB) in the CSP group versus the HSP group was 0.29 (P = 0.0001, I2  = 29%). Subgroup analysis according to lesion size showed a significant reduction in the DPPB rate in lesion sizes 10-20 mm (pooled OR 0.08, P = 0.003, I2  = 0%) and < 10 mm (pooled OR 0.35, P = 0.001, I2  = 27%). Pooled OR of major bleeding in the CSP group was 0.23 (P = 0.0004, I2  = 0%). Subgroup analysis by lesion size revealed a significant decrease in the rate of major bleeding in the CSP group for both lesion sizes 10-20 mm (pooled OR 0.11, P = 0.04) and < 10 mm (pooled OR 0.26, P = 0.003). Complete resection, en bloc resection, and recurrence rate were comparable in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Cold snare polypectomy was associated with a lower rate of DPPB and lower risk of major bleeding compared with HSP in both small and large polyps. CSP should be considered as the polypectomy technique of choice for colorectal polyps.

Anatomical location, risk factors, and outcomes of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in colorectal cancer patients: a national inpatient sample analysis (2009-2019).

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the incidence, predictors, and impact of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) on inpatient mortality among colorectal cancer patients, due to its clinical significance and potential influence on patient outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from the National Inpatient Sample database between 2009 and 2019, including 2,598,326 colorectal cancer patients with and without LGIB. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine predictors of LGIB and its association with inpatient outcomes. RESULTS: The highest incidence of LGIB was observed in rectal cancer patients (3.8%), followed by distal colon cancer patients (1.4%) and proximal colon cancer patients (1.2%). Several factors were significantly associated with LGIB, including older age; male sex; certain racial such as Black, Hispanic, and Asia/Pacific Islander patients; or lower socioeconomic status. Multivariate analysis identified independent predictors of LGIB, such as severe sepsis, use of anticoagulants, long-term use of aspirin or antiplatelet drugs, palliative care, malnutrition, cachexia, chemotherapy or immunotherapy, metastasis, alcohol abuse, hypertension, obesity, and family history of digestive cancer. No significant difference in inpatient mortality was observed between patients with and without LGIB. CONCLUSION: Our study underscores the importance of considering colorectal cancer location and identified risk factors for LGIB assessment. Clinicians should address modifiable risk factors and healthcare disparities. Future research should explore underlying mechanisms, targeted interventions, and long-term outcomes beyond inpatient mortality.

Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis: Chronic Opioid Use Is Associated With Esophageal Dysmotility in Symptomatic Patients.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the impact of chronic opioid exposure on esophageal motility in patients undergoing manometric evaluation. METHODS: Multiple databases were searched through October 2022 for original studies comparing the manometric results of patients who have used chronic opioids (for >90 days) with those who do not. The primary outcomes were esophageal dysmotility disorders. Three high-resolution manometry parameters were conducted as secondary outcomes. A random-effects model was applied to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and means difference (MD) along with a 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Nine studies were included in this meta-analysis. Opioid use was associated with higher esophageal dysmotility disorders, including distal esophageal spasm (pooled OR 4.84, 95% CI 1.60-14.63, P = 0.005, I 2 = 96%), esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (pooled OR 5.13, 95% CI 2.11-12.43, P = 0.0003, I 2 = 93%), and type III achalasia (pooled OR 4.15, 95% CI 2.15-8.03, P < 0.0001, I 2 = 64%). No significant differences were observed for hypercontractile esophagus, type I achalasia, or type II achalasia. The basal lower esophageal sphincter pressure (MD 3.02, 95% CI 1.55-4.50, P < 0.0001, I 2 = 90%), integrated relaxation pressure (MD 2.51, 95% CI 1.56-3.46, P < 0.00001, I 2 = 99%), and distal contractile integral (MD 640.29, 95% CI 469.56-811.03, P < 0.00001, I 2 = 91%) significantly differed between the opioid use and nonopioid use group. However, opioid use was associated with a lower risk of ineffective esophageal motility (pooled OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.49-0.95, P = 0.02, I 2 = 53%). DISCUSSION: Chronic opioid exposure is associated with an increased frequency esophageal dysmotility disorders. Our results revealed that opioid use is significantly associated with type III achalasia but not with type I and II achalasia. Therefore, opioid treatment should be taken into account as a potential underlying risk factor when diagnosing these major esophageal motor abnormalities.

An Updated Meta-Analysis on Cerebral Embolic Protection in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Intervention Stratified by Baseline Surgical Risk and Device Type.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve intervention (TAVI) can lead to the embolization of debris. Capturing the debris by cerebral embolic protection (CEP) devices may reduce the risk of stroke. New evidence has allowed us to examine the effects of CEP in patients undergoing TAVI. We aimed to assess the effects of CEP overall and stratified by the device used (SENTINEL or TriGuard) and the surgical risk of the patients. Methods: We selected randomized controlled trials using electronic databases through September 17, 2022. We estimated random-effects risk ratios (RR) with (95% confidence interval) and calculated absolute risk differences at 30 days across baseline surgical risks derived from the TAVI trials for any stroke (disabling and nondisabling) and all-cause mortality. Results: Among 6 trials (n = 3921), CEP vs. control did not reduce any stroke [RR: 0.95 (0.50-1.81)], disabling [RR: 0.75 (0.18-3.16)] or nondisabling [RR: 0.99 (0.65-1.49)] strokes, or all-cause mortality [RR: 1.23 (0.55-2.77)]. However, when analyzed by device, SENTINEL reduced disabling stroke [RR: 0.46 (0.22-0.95)], translating into 6 fewer per 1000 in high-risk, 3 fewer per 1000 in intermediate-risk, and 1 fewer per 1000 in low surgical-risk patients. CEP vs. control did not reduce the risk of any bleeding [RR: 1.03 (0.44-2.40)], major vascular complications [RR: 1.41 (0.57-3.48)], or acute kidney injury [RR: 1.36 (0.57-3.28)]. Conclusions: This updated meta-analysis showed that SENTINEL CEP might reduce disabling stroke in patients undergoing TAVI. Patients with high and intermediate surgical risks were most likely to derive benefits.

Thirty-Day Cardiovascular Readmissions Following Discharge with COVID-19: A US Nationwide Readmission Database Analysis from the Pandemic Year 2020.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is known to be associated with a myriad of cardiovascular (CV) complications during acute illness, but the rates of readmissions for CV complications after COVID-19 infection are less well established. METHODS: The U.S Nationwide Readmission Database was utilized to identify COVID-19 admissions from April 1st to November 30th, 2020 using ICD-10-CM administrative claims. RESULTS: A total of 521,351 admissions for COVID-19 were identified. The all-cause 30-day readmission rate was 11.6% (n=60,262). The incidence of CV readmissions was 5.1% (n=26,725), accounting for 44.3% of all-cause 30-day readmissions. Both CV and non-CV readmissions occurred at a median of 7 days. Patients readmitted with CV causes had a higher comorbidity burden with Charlson comorbidity median score of 6. The most common CV cause of readmission was acute heart failure (HF) (8.5%) followed by acute myocardial infarction (MI) (5.2%). Venous thromboembolism and stroke during 30-day readmission occurred at a rate of 4.6% and 3.6%, respectively. Stress cardiomyopathy and acute myocarditis were less frequent with an incidence of 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively. CV readmissions were associated with higher mortality compared with non-CV readmissions (16.5% vs. 7.5%, p<0.01). Each 30-day CV readmission was associated with greater cost of care than each non-CV readmission ($13,803 vs. $10,310, p=<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Among survivors of index COVID-19 admission, 44.7% of all 30-day readmissions were attributed to CV causes. Acute HF remains the most common cause of readmission after COVID-19, followed closely by acute MI. CV causes of readmissions remain a significant source of mortality, morbidity, and resource utilization.