Association of nirmatrelvir for acute SARS-CoV-2 infection with subsequent Long COVID symptoms in an observational cohort study.

Oral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir is approved as treatment for acute COVID-19, but the effect of treatment during acute infection on risk of Long COVID is unknown. We hypothesized that nirmatrelvir treatment during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection reduces risk of developing Long COVID and rebound after treatment is associated with Long COVID. We conducted an observational cohort study within the Covid Citizen Science (CCS) study, an online cohort study with over 100 000 participants. We included vaccinated, nonhospitalized, nonpregnant individuals who reported their first SARS-CoV-2 positive test March-August 2022. Oral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir treatment was ascertained during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patient-reported Long COVID symptoms, symptom rebound and test-positivity rebound were asked on subsequent surveys at least 3 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. A total of 4684 individuals met the eligibility criteria, of whom 988 (21.1%) were treated and 3696 (78.9%) were untreated; 353/988 (35.7%) treated and 1258/3696 (34.0%) untreated responded to the Long COVID survey (n = 1611). Among 1611 participants, median age was 55 years and 66% were female. At 5.4 ± 1.3 months after infection, nirmatrelvir treatment was not associated with subsequent Long COVID symptoms (odds ratio [OR]: 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80-1.64; p = 0.45). Among 666 treated who answered rebound questions, rebound symptoms or test positivity were not associated with Long COVID symptoms (OR: 1.34; 95% CI: 0.74-2.41; p = 0.33). Within this cohort of vaccinated, nonhospitalized individuals, oral nirmatrelvir treatment during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and rebound after nirmatrelvir treatment were not associated with Long COVID symptoms more than 90 days after infection.

Association of Patient Portal Messaging with Survival Among Radiation Oncology Patients.

PURPOSE: The shift to electronic health records has led to both patient portal messaging and large amounts of digital, real-world data for research. The objective of this study was to examine the association between portal messaging and survival among radiation oncology patients, using real-world data. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This retrospective cohort study included patients at least 21 years old and seen by radiation oncology providers between January 14, 2014, and April 23, 2023, at the University of California, San Francisco. We developed Cox proportional hazards models for the outcome of death and examined factors associated with portal messaging using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Among 25,367 patients, the median age was 64 (interquartile range [IR], 54-72), 13,175 (52%) were White, and 14,389 (57%) were male. Overall, as the first message in a thread, 8986 (35%) patients sent messages to radiation oncology providers, and 4218 (17%) patients were sent messages from radiation oncology providers. Patients with head and neck or genitourinary malignancies were more likely than those with other diagnoses to send portal messages to and be sent portal messages from radiation oncology providers. Both sending portal messages to radiation oncology providers (hazard ratio [HR], 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84-0.96; P = .001) and being sent messages from radiation oncology providers (HR, 0.77; CI, 0.70-0.84; P < .001) as the first message in a thread were associated with patient survival after adjusting for socioeconomic, disease, and treatment characteristics. There were disparities among patients sending portal messages to radiation oncology providers, including for Black versus White patients (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; CI, 0.51-0.69; P < .001) and for Medicaid versus Medicare patients (OR, 0.70; CI, 0.62-0.79; P < .001). There were also disparities among patients being sent portal messages by radiation oncology providers, including for Black versus White patients (OR, 0.77; CI, 0.64-0.91; P = .003), for Medicaid versus Medicare patients (OR, 0.76; CI, 0.65-0.89; P < .001), and for patients with female versus male providers (OR, 1.47; CI 1.34-1.62; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Sending portal messages to and being sent portal messages from radiation oncology providers were associated with better survival. Future studies should elucidate how best to support patient and provider engagement.

Disparities in awareness and treatment among women with hypertension: Insights from the American Heart Association Research Goes Red Registry.

Hypertension is an important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and affects nearly one-third of women in the U.S. Prior research has demonstrated declining rates of blood pressure (BP) control nationally among women, and there are significant racial and ethnic disparities in both hypertension prevalence and outcomes among U.S. women. However, national-level data on attitudes and awareness of women with hypertension are limited. To address this gap, data were analyzed from participants with self-reported hypertension enrolled in the American Heart Association's Research Goes Red Registry. Of 6170 women who responded as of February 2023, 1835 (30 %) reported a history of hypertension. The top health concerns reported among women with hypertension were weight, healthcare access and costs, and hypertension. Health concerns varied significantly by age, race, and ethnicity; younger women and Black and Hispanic women were more likely to report hypertension as their top concern. Among women with self-reported hypertension, 77 % reported knowing their BP, and 90 % reported being on an anti-hypertensive. Black and Hispanic women were less likely to know their BP compared to White women. Younger women were less likely to be treated for hypertension, and there were also disparities in treatment by employment status and among uninsured women. In this national registry of women in the U.S., gaps and disparities exist in awareness and treatment of hypertension, highlighting targets for quality improvement in hypertension care for women.

Formative research to adapt a cardiac rehabilitation program to breast cancer survivors: the heart health after cancer treatment (HEART-ACT) study.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer survivors are disproportionately at risk for cardiovascular disease; exercise-based interventions may improve cardiovascular health. The objective of this formative research is to better understand the needs of patients and barriers to participation in an adapted cardiac rehabilitation program for diverse breast cancer survivors in an urban safety net setting. METHODS: We recruited 30 participants (10 English-speaking, 10 Spanish-speaking, and 10 Cantonese-speaking) who had received treatment with curative intent for breast cancer from an urban safety net hospital between November 9, 2021, to August 30, 2022. Participants completed surveys and interviews about perspectives on health behaviors and participating in an adapted cardiac rehabilitation program. Interviews were qualitatively analyzed using rapid template analysis with pre-selected constructs from the Theory of Planned Behavior, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, and Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, as well as emergent codes. We developed a Participant User Journey for a program based on responses and conducted human-centered design sessions with 8 participants to iteratively revise the Participant User Journey. RESULTS: Among 30 participants, mean age was 56.7 years (standard deviation [SD] 10.2) with 100% female sex assigned at birth; 1 participant withdrew before completing study procedures. Most participants had limited health literacy (18/29, 62%). Mean body mass index was 31.4 (SD 8.3), 21/29 (72%) had blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg, and 12/29 (41%) had blood pressure below 130/80. Mean 6-minute walk distance was 384.9 meters (SD 78.3). The desired benefits of a program included healthy living and prevention of cancer recurrence. Barriers to participation included motivation, social support, transportation, and concerns about exercise safety. Participants emphasized the need for practicality, such as fitting physical activity into daily life and nutrition support, including recipes and shopping lists. Trusted experts and cultural and language concordance were viewed as important aspects of the program. CONCLUSIONS: Through participant interviews and human-centered design sessions, we developed the HEART-ACT program, a 12-week multi-disciplinary program addressing physical activity, nutrition, emotional well-being, cardiovascular risk, survivorship, and other components if indicated (e.g., tobacco cessation). Future research will test the effects of this program on patient-centered outcomes.

Factors associated with anxiety during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: An analysis of the COVID-19 Citizen Science study.

COVID-19 increased the prevalence of clinically significant anxiety in the United States. To investigate contributing factors we analyzed anxiety, reported online via monthly Generalized Anxiety Disorders-7 (GAD-7) surveys between April 2020 and May 2022, in association with self-reported worry about the health effects of COVID-19, economic difficulty, personal COVID-19 experience, and subjective social status. 333,292 anxiety surveys from 50,172 participants (82% non-Hispanic white; 73% female; median age 55, IQR 42-66) showed high levels of anxiety, especially early in the pandemic. Anxiety scores showed strong independent associations with worry about the health effects of COVID-19 for oneself or family members (GAD-7 score +3.28 for highest vs. lowest category; 95% confidence interval: 3.24, 3.33; p<0.0001 for trend) and with difficulty paying for basic living expenses (+2.06; 1.97, 2.15, p<0.0001) in multivariable regression models after adjusting for demographic characteristics, COVID-19 case rates and death rates, and personal COVID-19 experience. High levels of COVID-19 health worry and economic stress were each more common among participants reporting lower subjective social status, and median anxiety scores for those experiencing both were in the range considered indicative of moderate to severe clinical anxiety disorders. In summary, health worry and economic difficulty both contributed to high rates of anxiety during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, especially in disadvantaged socioeconomic groups. Programs to address both health concerns and economic insecurity in vulnerable populations could help mitigate pandemic impacts on anxiety and mental health.

Prevalence and Impact of Unacceptable Symptom State among Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis: Results from the National Psoriasis Foundation's 2019 Annual Survey.

The National Psoriasis Foundation surveyed a random, stratified sample of individuals with psoriatic disease in the United States to determine the prevalence of an unacceptable psoriatic arthritis (PsA) symptom state and its effect on depression and social participation. Acceptable and unacceptable levels of PsA were defined using established cutoff points (acceptable ≤4 vs unacceptable >4) on the Psoriatic Arthritis Impact of Disease 9. Psoriasis severity was defined by body surface area: mild < 3%, moderate-severe ≥ 3%. Depression was assessed utilizing the Patient Health Questionnaire 2. Social participation was assessed by the Patient Reported Outcome Information Measurement System Ability to Participate in Social Role and Activities-SF4a. The analysis cohort comprised 801 patients with PsA. Unacceptable disease activity level (Psoriatic Arthritis Impact of Disease >4) was reported by 59.6% of participants. After adjusting for age, sex, and psoriasis severity, individuals with likely depression (OR = 0.014, P < .001) and those with limited ability to participate in social roles and activities (OR = 0.05, P < .001) were less likely to experience acceptable levels of PsA activity. Ultimately, the results demonstrated that most United States patients with PsA have unacceptable levels of disease activity, which is associated with increased prevalence of depression and limitations in social participation.

Development of text messages for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in persons with HIV.

Objective: Persons with HIV (PWH) have increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite this increased risk, perceived cardiovascular risk among PWH is low, and interventions that are known to be beneficial in the general population, such as statins, have low uptake in this population. We sought to develop a bank of text messages about (1) the association between HIV and CVD and (2) advice on reducing cardiovascular risk. Methods: We developed an initial bank of 162 messages. We solicited feedback from 29 PWH recruited from outpatient clinics providing HIV care at a large urban tertiary medical center and a public hospital in San Francisco, California. Participants reviewed 7-10 messages each and rated message usefulness, readability, and potential impact on behavior on a scale from 1 (least) to 5 (most). We also collected open-ended feedback on the messages and data on preferences about message timing. Results: The average score for the messages was 4.4/5 for usefulness, 4.4/5 for readability, and 4.0/5 for potential impact on behavior. The text messages were iteratively revised based on participant feedback, and lowest-rated messages were removed from the message bank. The final message bank included 116 messages on diet (30.2%), physical activity (24.8%), tobacco (11.2%), the association between HIV and cardiovascular disease (9.5%), general heart health (6.9%), cholesterol (5.2%), blood pressure (4.3%), blood sugar (2.6%), sleep (2.6%), and weight (2.6%). Conclusion: We describe an approach for developing educational text messages on primary prevention of cardiovascular disease among PWH.